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3  1833  01148  8803 


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(J\(KaIi<>  f\A.  ^cnJ 


HISTORY 

OF 

CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY  nV 

hlEW  YORK 

AND  ITS  PEOPLE 


JOHN    P.    DOWNS 

Editor-in-Charge 

and 

FENWICK    Y.    HEDLEY 

Editor-in-Chief 

Assisted  by  a  large  corps  of  Sub-editors  and 
Advisory  Board 


do 

III 

Society, 

CHICAGO 

1/.3 

V.3 

VOLUME 

American  Historical 

BOSTON         NEW  YORK 

1921 

Inc 

Copyright,  1921 
AMERICAN   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY,  INC. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


317 


ALBIN  JOSEPH  CARLSON— Without  doubt 
one  of  the  most  successful  of  the  younger  business  men 
of  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  was  Albin 
Joseph  Carlson,  late  of  this  city,  whose  premature  death, 
Aug.  14,  1918,  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight,  removed  from 
the  community  a  powerful  factor  in  its  material  develop- 
ment, and  abruptly  ended  a  career  which  held  out  the 
most  brilliant   promises   for  the   future. 

Mr.  Carlson  was  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  at  Stock- 
holm, April  29.  1880,  and  it  was  in  his  native  city 
that  his  childhood  and  early  life  were  passed.  He 
attended  the  local  schools  of  Stockholm,  and  continued 
his  studies  there  until  he  had  reached  his  twentieth 
year.  Shorth'  afterwards  his  interest  having  been 
greatly  awakened  in  the  opportunities  offered  by 
America  for  the  young  man  of  enterprise,  he  came  to 
this  country,  and  directly  upon  landing  came  to  James- 
town, where  he  quickly  found  employment  with  the 
Peterson  Crest  Tool  Company,  his  alert  mind  and  will- 
ingness to  work  hard  recommending  him  to  those  who 
came  in  contact  with  him.  In  the  establishment  of  that 
concern  he  learned  not  only  the  trade  of  tool  making 
but  general  business  methods,  and  proved  himself  so 
apt  a  pupil  that  he  was  rapidly  advanced  to  positions  of 
responsibility.  Mr.  Carlson  remained  for  eight  years 
with  the  Peterson  concern  and  then,  having  in  the  mean- 
time saved  a  considerable  portion  of  his  earnings,  found 
himself  in  a  position  to  carry  out  an  ambition  long 
cherished  by  him,  that  of  embarking  in  a  business  upon 
his  own  account.  Accordingly  he  severed  his  connection 
with  his  old  employers  and  formed  a  partnership  with 
Mr.  J.  P.  Danielson  under  the  firm  name  of  J.  P. 
Danielson  &  Company,  and  a  successful  tool  making 
business  was  founded.  This  business  was  carried  on 
with  a  very  high  degree  of  success  with  Mr.  Carlson  a 
very  active  partner  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1918,  his 
cnerg}-,  industry  and  business  talent  contributing  in  no 
small  degree  to  its  prosperity  and  development.  Mr. 
Carlson  was  always  keenly  interested  in  the  welfare  of 
his  adopted  community,  although  up  to  the  close  of 
his  life  his  business  interests  had  prevented  him  from 
taking  the  part  in  public  affairs  for  which  his  abilities  so 
eminently  fitted  him. 

Albin  Joseph  Carlson  was  united  in  marriage.  Feb.  8, 
1902,  at  Jamestown,  with  Hanna  Gustafson,  like  him- 
self a  native  of  Sweden,  daughter  of  Gustave  Gustafson, 
of  that  countrj'.  One  child  was  born  of  this  union, 
Remhold  Albin  Carlson,  Sept.  29,  1906.  Since  the 
death  of  Mr.  Carlson,  his  widow  has  retained  her  interest 
in  the  firm  of  J.  P.  Danielson  &  Company,  and  in  the 
management  of  her  concerns  has  proven  herself  a  fine 
business  woman. 


ELMORE  M.  KENT,  one  of  the  most  successful 
and  progressive  farmers  of  Westfield,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  has  been  actively  engaged  in 
that  pursuit  for  many  years,  is  a  member  of  an  exceed- 
mgly  old  New  England  family,  being  of  the  ninth  gen- 
eration from  the  founder  of  the  house  in  America.  He 
is  a  son  of  Lucian  H.  and  Mary  Fay  (McEwen)  Kent, 
and  a  grandson  of  Moses  and  Jerusha  Kent,  natives  of 
Vermont.  Moses  Kent,  his  wife  and  two  sons  removed 
from  that  State  to  St.  Lawrence  county,  N.  Y.,  in  the 
year  1822,  the  journey  being  made  by  the  only  possible 


means  of  conveyance  in  those  days,  by  ox-team,  and  in 
the  middle  of  the  severe  winter,  through  what  was  then  a 
practically  unbroken  wilderness.  They  travelled  along 
what  was  known  as  the  Port  Kent  road  and  finally 
reached  their  destination  successfully. 

Lucian  H.  Kent,  upon  reaching  his  majority,  saw  fit 
to  make  up  f&r  his  early  lack  of  education  and  attended 
an  academy  at  Pottsdam,  N.  Y.  Later  he  removed  to 
French  Creek  township,  Chautauqua  county,  where  he 
became  the  possessor  of  a  fine  farm  of  300  acres,  situated 
about  half  way  between  Clymer  and  Marvin  Post  Office. 
In  1862,  however,  he  removed  to  Westfield,  where  he  also 
had  a  farm,  and  there  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
He  was  a  man  of  unusual  character  and  mental  endow- 
ments, and  possessed  unusually  scholarly  tastes.  During 
practically  his  entire  life  he  was  a  close  student  of  the 
best  literature,  and  read  extensively  all  scientific  and 
philosophical  subjects.  He  was  also  a  keen  lover  of 
nature,  and  indeed  this  largely  accounted  for  the  fact 
that  he  chose  agricultural  pursuits  for  his  life's  work. 
"The  surroundings  appealed  to  his  poetic  nature  and 
served  largely  as  the  inspiration  for  his  modest  volume 
of  poems  'Sunshine'  and  'Storm',  the  title  to  which  he 
chose  as  appropriate  to  the  coloring  it  had  received  from 
his  occupation."  An  example  of  this  volume  deserves 
I0  be  quoted  here  : 

I  love  to  live  because  the  skies 
In    beauty   from   above 
Shed  down  their  light  from  Paradise, 
In   forms  of  mildest  love. 

I  love  to  live  Tvhere  truth's  bright  beams 

Can  reach  the  awful  shade. 
That  wilful  falsehood  here  can  form 
In  light  which  God  has  made. 

Mr.  Kent  possessed  an  extraordinary  physical  consti- 
tution and  was  never  confined  to  his  bed  by  sickness  a 
single  day  during  his  entire  life  He  lived  in  a  period 
in  which  he  had  seen  most  of  the  great  social  and  political 
issues  which  this  country  has  had  to  face  in  the  formative 
period  of  its  development  decided,  and  his  keen  intellect 
kept  him  constantly  interested  in  each  new  problem  as  it 
arose.  Lucian  H.  Kent  married.  June  9.  1849.  Mary  Fay 
McEwen,  the  oldest  daughter  of  Deacon  George  McEwen, 
of  Lawrence,  N.  Y.  Their  married  life  was  an  unusually 
happy  and  harmonious  one,  and  they  celebrated  their 
golden  wedding,  June  9,  1899,  at  the  old  family  home  in 
Westfield,  with  all  the  living  members  of  their  family 
present.  Mr.  Kent's  death  occurred  March  9.  igoo,  and 
that  of  Mrs.  Kent,  Nov.  17,  1903.  They  were  the  parents 
of  six  sons  and  one  daughter,  as  follows:  I.  Elmore  M., 
mentioned  at  length  below.  2.  Herman  L.,  born  Jan.  31, 
1854,  at  Hopkinton,  St.  Lawrence  county,  N.  Y.,  formerly 
engaged  successfully  in  the  manufacture  of  paper  at 
Westfield  as  the  head  of  the  firm  of  Herman  L.  Kent  & 
Company ;  he  is  now  engaged  in  farming  and  fruit  grow- 
ing. 3.  Henry  B.,  a  graduate  of  Western  Reserve  Uni- 
versity, and  author  of  "Grafic  Sketches  of  the  West;" 
was  born  Oct.  21,  1855,  and  died  while  traveling  at  Canon 
City.  Colo.,  June  25,  i8go.  4.  Elwin  R..  born  Nov.  11, 
1858;  for  some  time  private  secretary  to  Hon.  Daniel  G. 
Rollins,  surrogate  in  the  city  and  county  of  New  York, 
and  died  at  Westfield,  Nov.  14,  1890.  5.  George  S.,  one 
of  the  first  graduates  of  and  for  a  time  a  teacher  in  the 
Westfield  Academy  and  Union  School.  6.  Alice  C,  who 
resides  at  Westfield,  and  is  identified  with  grape  culture 
in  this  region.    7.  Vernon  A.,  born  Jan.  17,  1866 ;  a  prom- 


31? 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


inent  ngure  in  the  agricultural  activities  of  this  region; 
he  was  postmaster  at  W'estfield  for  twelve  years. 

Elniore  M.  Kent,  son  of  Lucian  H.  and  JNIarj'  Fay 
(.McEwen")  Kent,  was  born  June  7,  1S50.  at  Hopkinton, 
St.  Lawrence  county,  N.  Y.  The  first  seven  years  of  his 
'iie  were  passed  at  that  place,  and  he  was  then  brought 
by  his  parents  to  Chautauqua  county  and  has  since  that 
time  made  the  town  of  Westiicld  his  home,  with  the 
exception  of  five  years,  when  he  resided  in  French  Creek 
towxship.  As  a  lad  he  attended  the  public  schools  of 
W'estfield  and  the  W'estfield  Academy,  and  upon  com- 
pleting his  studies  became  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools. 
He  was  also  employed  for  a  short  time  on  the  staff  of 
the  W'estfield  "Republican,"  and  later  went  to  New  York 
City,  where  he  worked  on  the  staff  of  the  New  York 
"Daily  Standard,"  which  was  published  at  No.  34  Park 
Row,  by  John  Russell  Young.  He  then  went  to  Burling- 
ton, \"t.,  where  he  became  associated  with  Mr.  C.  C. 
Post,  who  was  a  manufacturer  of  sugar  maker's  supplies 
on  a  large  scale.  On  the  death  of  Mr.  Post,  Mr.  Kent 
was  appointed  administrator  of  his  large  estate.  In  1881 
he  returned  to  W'estfield,  where  he  formed  an  association 
with  his  brother,  Herman  L.  Kent,  and  purchased  and 
rebuilt  the  W^estfield  Paper  Mills,  which  they  operated 
i.nder  the  firm  name  of  Herman  L.  Kent  &  Company. 
Mr.  Kent  resides  at  South  Portage  street.  In  addition  to 
his  paper  business,  Mr.  Kent  is  the  owner  of  several  large 
farming  properties,  and  at  the  present  time  devotes  most 
of  his  time  to  taking  care  of  these  and  other  interests. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  W'estfield  Business  Men's  Associ- 
ation, and  is  a  staunch  Republican,  though  he  has  never 
cared  for  public  office  or  political  preferment  of  any  kind. 
Although  not  a  member  of  any  church,  Mr.  Kent  attends 
the  W'estfield  Presbyterian  Church  and  is  a  trustee 
thereof,  having  taken  a  very  active  part  in  the  affairs  of 
the  congregation.  One  of  the  enterprises  which  Mr. 
Kent  has  conducted  for  the  benefit  of  the  community 
is  that  known  as  Kent's  Glen,  where  he  spends  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  each  summer  and  where  he  main- 
tains an  e>:cellent  swimming  place  for  boys,  as  well  as 
walks,  drives,  picnic  and  pleasure  grounds.  He  has  also 
made  many  improvements  on  the  natural  park  situated 
on  his  lands  at  Buttermilk  Falls,  which  he  also  main- 
tains for  the  benefit  of  the  public. 

Elmore  M.  Kent  was  united  in  marriage,  June  20,  18S9, 
with  Edna  M.  Chittenden,  daughter  of  Varick  A.  Chitten- 
den, of  Hopkinton,  N.  Y.,  where  her  birth  occurred  July 
12,  iHl'/).  Mrs.  Kent  was  educated  at  the  Andovcr  Female 
Seminary  at  Andover,  Mass.,  and  died  June  26,  1897. 

The  W'estfield  Paper  Mills,  which  have  so  many  years 
been  prominent  in  the  industrial  development  of  the 
community,  was  founded  shortly  after  the  Civil  War, 
in  186:;,  by  .Allen  Wright,  who  returned  to  Westficld  after 
having  amassed  a  considerable  fortune  in  the  oil  business. 
Mr.  W'right  formed  a  stock  company  and  purchased  the 
old  "Cottage  Grist  Mill"  which  he  rebuilt  and  fitted  for 
the  manufacture  of  pajK.-r.  For  a  time  the  concern  was 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  white  printing  paper. 
At  that  time  the  market  for  this  kind  of  jiaper  was  com- 
I-arativcly  small  in  this  region,  and  the  mill  was  idle  for 
a  part  of  each  year.  The  price  of  white  paper  at  that 
time  ranged  from  ts  to  20  cents  per  jwund,  however, 
and  the  sale  of  a  comparatively  small  amount  of  it  con- 
stituted   a    good    business.      About    1867,    or    18O8,    Mr. 


Wright,  foreseeing  the  great  demand  there  would  be  for 
grape  baskets  in  this  region  of  large  vineyards,  and  being 
of  an  inventive  and  mechanical  turn  of  mind,  conceived 
the  idea  of  making  a  grape  box  from  paste  board. 
Meeting  with  success  in  this  invention,  the  output  of  the 
mill  was  changed  from  white  paper  to  strawboard  and 
special  machines  were  invented  by  Mr.  Wright  for  the 
cutting  of  this  product  into  shape  for  the  round  paper 
grape  boxes  which  were  made  mostly  in  sizes  to  contain 
five  and  ten  pounds  of  grapes.  These  grape  boxes  were 
manufactured  during  that  part  of  the  year  which  pre- 
ceded the  grape  harvest  and  were  very  attractive,  having 
a  colored  label  with  a  cut  or  stem  of  grapes  on  the  covers 
and  the  pasteboard  covered  with  a  light  sheet  of  fancy 
paper  resembling  cloth  finish  and  in  a  variety  of  designs. 
This  new  enterprise  met  with  considerable  success  for  a 
time,  but  the  introduction  of  wood  grape  baskets  event- 
ually drove  them  from  the  market  and  the  mill  remained 
idle  until  about  1870.  In  that  year  a  brother  of  Allen 
Wright,  Mr.  Reuben  G.  Wright,  who  had  also  gained  a 
fortune  in  the  oil  business,  came  to  W'estfield,  and  in 
company  with  E.  P.  Whitney  purchased  the  plant,  a 
new  partnership  being  formed  under  the  name  of  R.  G. 
Wright  &  Company.  The  mill  was  once  more  rebuilt 
and  new  machinery  was  installed  for  the  manufacture  of 
white  straw  printing  paper,  the  first  to  be  made  in  the 
State,  and  almost  a  new  product  in  the  country.  This 
quality  of  paper  was  of  a  snow  white  color  and  was  made 
of  cheap  straw,  but  once  more  the  promoters  of  the 
industry  failed  to  realize  their  expectations  as  the  paper 
proved  too  brittle  and  did  not  give  satisfaction  to  the 
printers  who  used  it.  The  business  was  continued  by 
R.  G.  Wright  &  Company  from  1870  until  the  autumn  of 
'877,  however,  but  during  that  time  the  price  of  paper 
gradually  fell,  and  with  the  entrance  upon  the  market 
of  the  new  fibre  wood  pulp  the  demand  for  it  was  dis- 
continued. Accordingly,  the  mil!  was  sold  out  to  a  Mr.  E. 
A.  C.  Pew,  of  Canada,  and  afterwards  passed  into  the 
hand  of  Bradford  I.  Taylor,  who  in  1878  leased  it  to 
Herman  L.  Kent.  In  1880  the  latter,  in  association  with 
his  brother,  Elmore  M.  Kent,  purchased  the  property 
and  once  more  the  mills  were  equipped  with  new 
machinery  and  used  for  the  manufacture  of  "Kent's 
Economy  Sugar  Bags."  The  paper  for  these  bags  was 
stripped  durin,g  the  process  of  making  and  was  of  un- 
usually heavy  stock,  being  sold  by  the  pound  instead  -of 
by  the  thousand  as  in  the  case  of  the  light  manilla  bags. 
They  were  indeed  the  first  of  their  kind  to  be  manu- 
factured in  the  country,  and  in  addition  to  them  the  mill 
also  turned  out  a  large  quantity  of  wrapping  paper.  In 
1895  the  mills  were  sold  to  Smith  Brothers,  a  firm 
which  continued  to  run  them  about  two  years  when  they 
were  destroyed  by  fire.  The  firm  of  Herman  L.  Kent 
&  Company  was  dissolved  after  the  sale  of  these  mills, 
but  the  paper  business  was  continued  in  the  brick  block 
built  by  Mr.  Kent  in  Wcstfield,  his  paper  warehouses 
being  located  in  the  business  district  of  the  town  on 
North  Portage  street.  In  the  year  1890  another  paper 
warehf)use  was  built,  connected  with  the  first  warehouse 
:>nil  giving  a  storage  capacity  in  both  buildings  for  over 
200  tons  of  paper  goods.  These  buildings  were  after- 
ward remodeled  and  converted  into  the  "Portage  Inn" 
by  John  Jrmes.  Elmore  M.  Kent  was  for  many  years 
president  of  the  Chautauqua  and  Eric  Grape   Company. 


MR.  AND  MRS.  E.  A.  BACXj  AND  DAUCjUTHR 

CA)KKWAN(,()  VAI  I  l;V.  N,   Y. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


319 


GARNET  M.  HUNTER,  M.  D.— Instant  and 
cordial  recognition  will  be  accorded  to  the  appearance 
of  this  name  not  only  by  Dr.  Hunter's  fellow-citizens  of 
Westfield,  but  by  very  many  of  the  residents  of  Chautau- 
gua  county.  Dr.  Hunter  is  quietly  but  helpfully  identified 
with  the  most  essential  interests  of  his  home  town,  and  is 
regarded  as  one  of  her  most  valued  citizens. 

Garnet  M.  Hunter  was  born  April  18,  1876,  in  Tor- 
onto, Canada,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  James  and  Char- 
lotte (Ruston)  Hunter.  Mr.  Hunter,  who  was  of 
English  descent,  and  filled  the  position  of  a  clerk,  is  now 
deceased,  but  is  survived  by  his  widow.  Garnet  M. 
Hunter  was  educated  in  public  and  high  schools  of  his 
native  city,  graduating  from  the  high  school  in  1893.  He 
then  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of 
Toronto,  receiving  in  1898  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Medicine.  For  about  one  year  thereafter  he  served  as 
interne  in  the  Toronto  General  Hospital,  and  then  went 
to  New  York  City  where  he  took  a  post-graduate  course. 

In  1900  Dr.  Hunter  began  practice  in  New  York 
City,  and  at  the  end  of  two  years  removed  to  Sag  Harbor, 
Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  until  1907,  when 
he  came  to  Westfield.  Here  he  established  his  own 
hospital,  maintaining  it  for  four  years,  and  in  191 1 
entered  upon  a  course  of  general  practice.  His  clientele 
is  now  large  and  constantly  increasing.  He  takes  a 
special  interest  in  the  study  of  chronic  diseases  and 
their  treatment  by  means  of  water,  light,  and  electricity, 
and  is  now  the  house  physician  to  the  Rumsey  Inn  and 
Mineral  Bath  Corporation  of  Westfield. 

In  all  matters  pertaining  to  his  profession  he  keeps 
fully  abreast  of  the  times.  His  choice  of  a  medical 
career  was  wholly  voluntary,  his  desire  being  sufficiently 
strong  to  lead  him  to  assist  in  defraying  the  expenses  of 
his  professional  education.  In  politics  Dr.  Hunter  is  an 
independent  voter.  He  holds  membership  in  the  Ameri- 
can Medical  Association,  the  New  York  State  Medical 
Society,  and  the  Chautauqua  County  Medical  Society. 
He  affiliates  with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  Royal 
Arcanum,  and  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose.  He  attends 
the  Presbyterian  church. 

Dr.  Hunter  married,  Oct.  9,  1901,  Florence  M., 
daughter  of  William  and  Jane  (Thomas)  Rea,  of 
Ottawa,  Canada.  They  are  the  parents  of  one  child : 
Garnet  Rea,  born  Oct.  7,  1905.  now  attending  the  West- 
field  High  School.  Like  her  husband  Mrs.  Hunter  is  of 
English   descent. 

Devoted  as  he  is  to  his  profession.  Dr.  Hunter  is 
undoubtedly  a  man  to  inspire  in  the  physicians  and 
students  brought  within  the  circle  of  his  influence 
increased  enthusiasm  for  medical  science. 


EDWIN  ALLEN  BAGG,  who  for  thirty-two  years 
has  been  the  owner  and  operator  of  a  substantial  business 
at  Conewango  Valley,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  namely, 
the  hardware  store  conducted  under  his  own  name  at 
that  place,  and  the  Daisy  Buckwheat  Flour  and  Feed 
Mills,  at  Conewango  Valley,  has  by  a  successful  business 
life,  and  a  private  life  marked  by  honorable  purpose 
and  action,  become  esteemed  by  his  neighbors,  and  become 
a  man  in  whom  the  residents  in  general  have  confidence. 
This  is  evidenced  by  the  position  he  holds  in  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  leading  financial  institution  of  the  district; 
he  has  been  president  of  Conewango  Valley  National 
Bank   since   its  organization,  January,   1917,  and  has   in 


great  measure  aided  in  building  that  institution  to  its 
present  condition  of  stability  and  prosperity. 

Edwin  Allen  Bagg  was  born  in  Ellington,  N.  Y.,  Oct. 
29,  1863,  the  son  of  Allen  and  Allison  Lee  (Boyd)  Bagg, 
of  that  place.  His  father,  Allen  Bagg,  was  a  farmer  in 
that  vicinity,  who  by  consistently  and  intelligently  apply- 
ing himself  to  the  tilling  of  his  property  became  a  man 
of  some  means,  and  much  respected  as  a  man  and  a 
churchman.  As  a  boy,  Edwin  A.  attended  the  district 
school  of  his  native  place  and  eventually  became  a 
student  at  the  Ellington  High  School,  and  in  due  time 
became  a  graduate  thereof.  He  has  spent  practically 
his  whole  business  life  in  Conewango  Valley,  and  is 
probably  one  of  the  most  widely-known  men  of  that 
district.  For  thirty-two  years  he  has  been  in  independent 
business  as  a  hardware  merchant,  and  most  of  the  people 
of  the  neighborhood  have  had  dealings  with  him,  in  some 
branch  of  hardware,  or  in  his  other  business  capacity,  as 
the  owner  and  operator  of  the  Daisy  Buckwheat  Flour 
and  Feed  Alills,  at  Conewango  Valley.  And  the  record  of 
those  dealings  must  have  been  good,  in  point  of  honor, 
as  well  as  financial  return,  otherwise  he  would  not  have 
been  elected  to  the  office  of  president  of  the  national 
bank  of  that  place,  an  administrative  office  which  demands 
of  its  occupier  not  only  an  amply  demonstrated  capability 
as  a  man  of  business  but  a  record  of  undeniable  moral 
integrity,  in  other  words,  such  a  position  of  honor  and 
responsibility  calls  for  a  man  in  whom  the  stockholders 
and  depositors  might  have  implicit  confidence  that  their 
holdings  and  deposits  would  be  safely  and  shrewdly 
handled. 

Primarily,  Mr.  Bagg  has  gained  substantial  success 
in  life  by  early  recognizing  that  a  trading  value  must 
be  given  as  well  as  demanded,  if  the  trading  is  to  bring 
further  transactions.  Throughout  his  business  life,  he 
has  pursued  consistently  that  principle — of  giving  value 
for  value.  Of  course,  success  would  not  come  by  that 
alone;  one  of  the  fundamentals  of  success  in  the  staples 
of  commerce  is  industry ;  without  industrious  effort, 
properly  and  enterprisingly  applied,  expansion  of  business 
is  not  probable ;  and  Mr.  Bagg  for  more  than  thirty  years 
has  consistently  applied  himself  with  commendable 
assiduity  to  his  business  interests,  and  has  always  sought 
to  keep  his  business  up-to-date.  He  has  also  given  unself- 
ishly of  his  time  and  substance  to  further  many  local 
causes,  manifesting  a  sincere  community  interest,  both 
in  regard  to  social  and  church  functions.  He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of 
Conewango  Valley  for  many  years,  earnest  in  his  attend- 
ance thereat,  and  substantial  in  his  support  thereof. 

On  June  24,  1908,  at  Rockland,  Pa.,  he  married  Cora 
Mabel,  daughter  of  Peter  Lovell  and  Eleanor  (Burns) 
Pryor,  of  that  place.  They  have  one  child,  Alice  Eleanor, 
born  on  Oct.  24,  1910. 

Mr.  Bagg  has  not  taken  much  part  in  political  move- 
ments, that  is,  in  those  that  had  no  direct  bearing  upon 
local  affairs,  and  he  has  never  sought  political  oflSce. 
Fraternally,  he  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  and  has  been  some- 
what prominent  in  the  dispositions  and  functions  of  the 
local  body  of  that  order.  Generally,  Mr.  Bagg  has  been 
a  worthy,  useful  citizen,  ready  at  any  time  to  give  assist- 
ance to  neighbors  needing  such  aid,  and  to  further  in  any 
way  possible  any  local  project  that  he  considered  might 
tend  to  enhance  the  well-being  of  some  phase  of  com- 
munitv  life. 


-^20 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


CHARLES  J.  BELLINGER— Prominent  among 
ihe  citizens  of  Silver  Creek,  X.  Y.,  is  Charles  J. 
Bellinger,  owner  and  editor  of  the  Silver  Creek  "News," 
who  has  since  the  inception  of  his  business  career 
been  identified  with  newspaper  work. 

Charles  J.  Bellinger  was  horn  in  the  town  of  Ava, 
Oneida  count>-.  N.  Y..  Ang.  27,  1856,  the  son  of  David  and 
Mary  (Warrathl  Bellinger.  He  received  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  his  native  place,  taught  school  for  a 
short  time,  and  then  became  associated  with  the  local 
department  of  the  Rome  "Daily  Sentinel."  Subsequently 
going  to  NVatertown,  X.  Y.,  he  became  local  or  city  editor 
of  the  Watertown  "Daily  Times,"  continuing  in  news- 
paper work  in  that  city  for  twenty -five  years.  In  1908 
failing  health  compelled  retirement  from  daily  journalism 
and  he  came  to  Chautauqua  county  and  bought  the 
"Ripley  Review,"  which  he  edited  for  four  years,  selling 
it  in  1912.  In  1914  he  bought  the  Silver  Creek  "News" 
and  has  since  been  associated  with  this  particular  paper. 

Mr.  Bellinger  is  a  man  who  has  stood  throughout  his 
journalistic  career  for  all  that  makes  for  the  betterment 
of  home  life  and  of  civic  welfare,  and  the  journals  which 
he  has  edited  have  been  known  as  upholders  of  strict 
moral  principles  and  high  ideals  in  public  and  private 
life. 


WILLIAM  ELIAL  SKINNER,  who  for  a  number 
of  years  has  been  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  agricul- 
tural life  of  Portland  township,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y..  is  a  member  of  one  of  the  old  distinguished  families 
of  this  region  which  was  founded  here  early  in  the  nine- 
teenth century.  The  first  of  the  family  to  settle  in  Chau- 
tauqua county  was  David  Skinner,  son  of  Daniel  and 
Harriet  Skinner,  of  Chenango  county,  N.  Y.,  and  grand- 
father of  the  present  Mr.  Skinner.  He  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Norwich,  Chenango  county.  Aug.  12,  1803,  and, 
with  his  brother  .-Mfred,  came  to  Portland  township  in 
the  month  of  October,  1819,  when  he  was  but  si.xteen 
years  of  age.  He  purchased  a  fruit  farm  which  he  sold 
in  1824  in  order  to  buy  a  larger  property,  the  claim 
of  Joel  Smith.  This  he  sold  to  Samuel  Hull  in  1835  and 
three  years  later  bought  a  valuable  farm  of  Almon 
Taylor,  of  which  he  continued  the  owner  and  which  has 
remained  in  the  possession  of  the  family  ever  since, 
part  of  it  belonging  to  the  Mr.  Skinner  of  this  sketch. 
David  Skinner  was  a  man  of  the  true  old  pioneer  type, 
possessed  of  tremendous  encrgj-  and  endurance,  as  may  be 
gathered  from  the  fact  that,  unaided,  he  cut  down  the 
trees  and  cleared  the  land  of  about  500  acres  of  the 
great  virgin  forest  which  at  that  period  covered  practi- 
cally the  whole  of  the  district.  Indeed  he  was  regarded 
by  his  fellow  pioneers  as  the  most  expert  woodsman  and 
axeman  in  the  rcgir^n.  He  was  a  prominent  figure  in  tin- 
life  of  the  community  during  his  day,  and  was  a  staunch 
Democrat  in  politics.  He  marricfl  Cfirst)  on  Christmas 
Day,  1825,  Betsey  Hill,  a  daughter  of  Lewis  Hill,  who 
was  born  Aug.  14.  1803,  and  died  Dec.  22,  1836.  He 
married  ^second)  CJct.  9,  1837,  Mary  Williams,  daughter 
of  Elial  Williams,  of  Portland.  By  his  first  wife  he  had 
the  following  children:  Josejih,  born  March  13,  1827, 
married  Antoinette  Morley,  and  removed  to  .Michigan; 
Homer,  born  June  6,  1829,  and  married  Martha  Fuller; 
I-cster,  born  May  12,  1831;  I<o>;y  Ann,  born  Feb.  12, 
1833,  and  became  the  wife  of  Mortimer  I'rancis;  Franklin, 


born  .\pril  16,  1835,  and  married  Catherine  O'Neil.  By 
his  second  wife  three  children  were  born  to  David 
Skinner,  as  follows :  Elial  William,  father  of  William 
Elial  Skinner,  of  whom  further ;  George  W.,  born  Sept. 

30,  1840,  who  married  Susan  Jane  Taylor;  Mary  Jane,, 
I'orn  May  2,  1842,  who  became  the  wife  of  John  Gordon. 

Elial  William  Skinner  was  born  Sept.  30,  1838,  and  was 
a  grape  cultivator  on  a  large  scale.  He  served  in  Com-  I 
pany  E,  154th  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers,  for  three  ! 
years  during  the  Civil  War,  and  was  captured  at  Gettys-  ' 
burg  and  held  a  prisoner  at  Andersonville  for  eighteen 
months.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  prominent 
Mason.  His  death  occurred  June  30,  1911.  Elial  \\'illiam 
Skinner  married,  Feb.  9,  1870,  Betsey  Haight,  born  March 
I,  1840,  at  Smithville  Flats,  Chenango  county.  N.  Y., 
died  March  29,  1913,  a  daughter  of  Luke  and  Polly 
Haight,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  two  children: 
I.  Lillian  A.,  who  resides  at  Portland,  N.  Y.,  where 
she  operates  a  farm ;  she  was  prominent  in  war 
work  during  the  World  War,  especially  in  connec- 
tion with  the  various  government  campaigns  for 
money,  and  the  Red  Cross ;  also  an  active  member  of 
the  Methodist  church  and  the  Women's  Relief  Corps, 
president  of  the  Ladies'  Club,  and  a  member  of  the 
Eastern  Star  Society.    2.  William  Elial,  of  whom  further. 

William  Elial  Skinner,  son  of  Elial  William  and  Betsey 
^  Haight)   Skinner,  was  born  in  Portland  township,  Dec. 

31.  1S76,  and  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  Wcstfield,  attending  the  high  school  there,  .-^fter  com- 
pleting his  studies  at  the  latter  institution,  he  worked 
for  a  time  on  the  building  of  the  highway  and  later 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  baskets,  which  he  sold  to 
the  local  grape  growers  to  contain  their  crops.  He  con- 
tinued in  this  line  for  about  five  years  and  then  became 
associated  with  his  father  in  the  latter's  agricultural 
operations.  The  firm  of  E.  W.  Skinner  &  Son  was 
formed  and  operated  a  splendid  farm,  formerly  the  old 
Taylor  estate,  of  about  300  acres,  which  had  been  inher- 
ited by  the  elder  man.  A  portion  of  this  property  was 
later  sold,  but  still  later  an  additional  150  acres  were 
secured  and  devoted  to  fruit  culture  and  dairying.  At 
the  death  of  Mr.  Skinner,  Sr.,  the  property  was  divided 
between  his  two  children  and  at  present  Mr.  Skinner  has 
80  acres  of  his  share  given  over  to  cultivation  of  the  vine 
and  other  fruits.  Owing  to  his  knowledge  of  the  subject, 
and  the  manner  in  which  he  has  kept  his  land  highly 
cultivated,  Mr.  .Skinner  has  met  with  great  success  as  a 
grape  grower,  the  product  of  his  farm  being  of  the  best 
type,  and  he  has  shipped  his  grapes  to  many  parts  of  the 
country  for  about  fifteen  years.  Mr.  Skinner,  besides 
being  an  expert  farmer  and  fruit  grower,  is  a  gifted 
musician.  He  is  a  delightful  performer  on  the  violin 
and  an  accomplished  conductor,  and  has  organized  an 
fjrchestra  from  the  native  talent,  with  which  he  has 
toured  the  country  and  given  many  successful  concerts. 
In  politics  Mr.  Skinner  is  an  ardent  supporter  of  Dem- 
ocratic principles,  as  have  been  his  forebears  for  many 
years,  and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  local  public  affairs. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  committeeman  for  the  Second 
Election  District  for  a  luimljer  of  years  and  is  a  force 
to  be  reckoned  with  in  the  politics  of  the  county.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  church  and  a  prominent  Free 
.Mason,  having  attained  to  the  thirty-.second  degree  of  that 
f.rder,  and  being  affiliated  with  Lake  Shore  Lodge.   No. 


i)tlXV)>  jMUtQ 


MiMt  ^.  3jame0 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


321 


851,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons.    He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Farm  Bureau. 

William  Elial  Skinner  married  (first)  Sept.  16,  1907, 
Bessie  Scott,  of  Portland,  a  daughter  of  John  Franklin 
and  Cora  (Phillips)  Scott.  Her  death  occurred  June  14, 
1918,  and  on  July  30,  1919,  Mr.  Skinner  married  (second) 
Viola  Beatrice  Fuller,  of  Portland,  a  daughter  of  George 
W.  and  M.  Berdena  (Fay)  Fuller,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  that  place. 


HARRY  JAMES— In  the  year  1847  John  W.  James 
came  from  England  to  the  United  States  and  located 
m  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  where  the  ensuing  years 
of  his  life  were  spent.  There  his  son,  Harry  James, 
now  one  of  the  honored  retired  citizens  of  Dunkirk, 
N.  Y.,  was  born.  For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century, 
1894-1920,  Mr.  James  has  been  a  resident  of  Dunkirk 
and  so  established  himself  in  public  regard  that  he  has 
been  called  to  many  positions  of  honor  and  trust,  in- 
cluding the  highest  civic  honor  that  could  be  conferred, 
that  of  mayor.  In  every  position  to  which  he  has  been 
called  by  his  fellow-citizens,  Mr.  James  has  displayed  a 
breadth  of  vision  and  a  keen  public  spirit  which  has 
in  all  cases  made  for  the  benefit  of  his  city,  and  his 
place  in  public  regard  is  one  of  honor  and  esteem.  John 
W.  James  conducted  a  livery,  sale  and  exchange  busi- 
ness in  Philadelphia,  and  there  died.  His  wife,  Harriet 
(Hayes)  James,  bom  in  England,  died  in  Irvington, 
N.  J.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  Clara 
(Mrs.  Keitch)  of  Irvington,  N.  J.,  and  Harry,  of  Dun- 
kirk, the  only  survivors. 

Harry  James,  second  child  of  John  W.  and  Harriet 
(Hayes)  James,  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  March 
5.  1853,  and  there  attended  public  school  until  sixteen 
years  of  age.  He  then  entered  the  William  Butcher 
steel  plant  at  Nicetown,  Pa.,  near  Philadelphia,  going 
thence  to  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  in  Philadelphia, 
where  he  remained  until  another  move  took  him  to 
Scranton,  Pa.,  where  he  was  engaged  with  the  Scranton 
Locomotive  builders.  After  leaving  Scranton  he  spent  six 
and  one  half  years  with  the  Cook  Locomotive  Works 
in  Paterson,  N.  J.,  going  thence  to  the  Richmond  Loco- 
motive Works,  Richmond,  Va.,  where  he  remained  until 
1894.  Those  years  of  experience  in  locomotive  works 
had  given  him  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  locomotive 
construction,  and  in  1894,  when  he  located  in  Dunkirk, 
N.  Y.,  he  was  quickly  employed  by  the  Brooks  Loco- 
motive Works  as  superintendent  of  their  steam  hammer 
department.  He  continued  in  that  position  for  eight 
and  one-half  years,  then  in  1903  he  resigned  and 
has  since  taken  no  active  part  in  business  affairs,  but  has 
devoted  much  time  to  the  public  service.  When  the 
Atlas  Crucible  Steel  Company  of  Dunkirk  was  organ- 
ized by  Edward  Burgess,  Mr.  James  was  one  of  the 
first  to  avail  himself  of  the  privilege  of  purchasing 
stock,  having  strong  faith  in  the  future  of  that  now  most 
important  industry.  This  well  illustrates  his  keen  fore- 
sight and  business  vision  and  his  willingness  to  aid  in 
any  enterprise  that  promises  to  benefit  his  city. 

He  has  otherwise  evidenced  his  public  spirit  and  holds 
rank  with  the  progressive  men  of  Dunkirk.  He  repre- 
sented Ward  4  in  City  Council  for  two  years,  and  for 
a  like  period   was  a  representative  from   Ward  3.     In 

Chau— 21 


1909  he  was  elected  mayor  of  Dunkirk  and  gave  the 
city  an  excellent  administration.  For  two  years  he 
served  on  the  Board  of  Water  Commissioners,  and 
was  president  of  the  board  for  one  year.  He  also 
served  the  city  as  police  and  fire  commissioner;  was 
chairman  of  the  Board  of  Assessors  for  two  years, 
then  resigned,  and  is  now  living  a  quiet,  retired  life, 
although  deeply  interested  in  public  affairs.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  political  faith.  Mr.  James  is  a  member  of 
Irondequoit  Lodge,  No.  301,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons; 
Dunkirk  Chapter,  No.  191,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Dun- 
kirk Council,  No.  25,  Royal  and  Select  Masters;  Dun- 
kirk Commandery,  No.  42,  Knights  Templar ;  Ismailia 
Temple,  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine;  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  Club  and  its  chairman. 

Mr.  James  married,  June  27,  1876,  Kate  S.  Stuart, 
of  Pliiladelphia,  Pa.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  are  attend- 
■  ants  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


CHARLES  HENRY  ZENNS— Fourteen  years 
town  clerk  and  seven  times  elected  by  acclamation. 
This  is  the  record  of  the  man  whose  name  heads  this 
article  and  it  is,  to  say  the  least,  improbable  that  it  can 
be  matched  by  few  public  officials  either  in  Chautau- 
qua county  or  elsewhere.  Mr.  Zenns  is  still  town  clerk 
of  Mayville,  and  has  filled  with  credit  other  local  offices 
of  trust  and  responsibility. 

Joseph  Zenns,  grandfather  of  Charles  Henry  Zenns, 
was  overseer  of  the  town  of  Mayville. 

Xavier  Joseph  Zenns,  son  of  Joseph  Zenns,  was  of 
Mayville  and  filled  the  position  of  hotel  clerk.  He  took 
an  active  part  in  community  affiairs,  serving  as  town 
constable.  His  wife  was  Mary  Elizabeth,  daughter  of 
Lombard  and  Elizabeth  (Hepple)  Dornbarger,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children :  Charles 
Henry,  mentioned  below ;  Joseph  W.,  of  Mayville.  Mr. 
Zenns  in  now  deceased. 

Charles  Henry  Zenns,  son  of  Xavier  Joseph  and  Mary 
Elizabeth  (Dornbarger)  Zenns,  was  born  May  3,  1881, 
at  Mayville,  and  attended  the  grammar  and  high  schools 
of  his  native  town,  graduating  from  the  high  school 
in  1899.  Prior  to  this  he  had  been  occasionally  em- 
ployed, but  he  now  began  work  in  earnest,  obtaining  a 
position  as  clerk  in  a  store.  In  1900  he  established 
himself  as  a  barber,  a  business  which  he  still  conducts, 
being  the  oldest  representative  of  that  calling,  in  point 
of  service,  that  Mayville  can  boast.  Always  active  in 
support  of  Republican  principles,  Mr.  Zenns  has  been 
energetic  in  the  public  service.  His  remarkable  record 
as  town  clerk  has  already  been  mentioned,  and  his  next 
reelection  will  retain  him  in  office  until  Dec.  31,  1921. 
For  two  years  he  served  on  the  Village  Board,  and  he 
has  also  held  the  office  of  assistant  fire  marshal.  He 
affiliates  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
serving  as  recording  secretary,  and  his  religious  mem- 
bership is  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Zenns  married,  Nov.  24,  1903,  in  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  church  of  May\'ille,  Helen,  daughter  of  Solo- 
mon and  Laura  (Case)  Tallman,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  two  children:  William  Tallman,  born  Sept. 
2,  1904,  now  attending  school;  and  Paul  Donald,  born 
Aug.  9,  1907. 

In  twenty  years  Mr.  Zenns  has  had  but  two  months 


322 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


vacation.  He  is  the  son  and  grandson  of  men  who 
rilled  satisfactorily  important  community  offices,  and 
his  own  record  more  than  maintains  the  high  reputation 
of  the  family  for  honorable  public  service. 


AARON  HEYWOOD  LEACH,  representative  of 
one  of  the  oldest  families  of  the  Ellington  section  of 
Chautauqua  county,  has  reached  venerable  age.  and  has 
long  since  reached  a  more  than  sufficient  material  com- 
petence, and  a  general  respect  in  the  community  and 
county  such  as  only  a  man  of  commendable  and  honor- 
able life  could  gain.  Mr.  Leach  still  lives  upon  the 
farm  in  Ellington  upon  which  he  was  born,  eight\--seven 
years  ago  and  can  tell  much  that  is  interesting  regarding 
early  conditions  of  living  in  that  section  of  the  county. 
His  father  was  Joseph  Leach,  a  carpenter  and  farmer, 
well  known  in  his  day  in  Chautauqua  county ;  his  grand- 
father. Jacob  Leach,  was  one  of  the  pioneers. 

Aaron  H.  Leach  was  born  Oct.  i,  1832,  and  after 
passing  through  the  graded  school  of  the  district  he 
took  up  the  occupation  of  farming  upon  his  father's 
farm,  and  also  did  much  work  with  his  father  as  a 
carpenter.  Mainly,  however,  his  life  has  been  passed 
in  farming,  to  which  he  has  given  honest  labor,  for 
which  he  has  received  honest  return.  He  has  never 
expected  to  receive  more  than  value  for  value,  for  he 
well  knew  that  nothing  could  be  stable  upon  any  other 
condition.  In  farming,  particularly,  satisfactory  return 
from  the  soil  first  demands  adequate  labor  upon  the 
soil;  and  so  it  follows  that  success  in  farming  is  a 
true  indication  of  the  industry  of  that  farmer.  Mr. 
Leach  long  since  reached  the  point  where  he  had 
accumulated  means  more  than  sufficient  for  his  needs, 
and  that  accumulation  came  from  his  own  hard  but 
well  directed  labor. 

He  has  been  a  Republican  for  many  years,  and  had 
he  wished  it  he  could,  upon  many  occasions,  have  been 
elected  to  public  office,  for  his  standing  in  the  community 
has  always  been  good,  and  his  friends  are  widely  spread 
and  many.  But  apart  from  intelligently  and  independ- 
ently exercising  his  voting  privilege,  he  has  not  taken 
much  part  in  national  politics.  In  local  matters,  how- 
ever, he  has  always  been  interested,  and  in  his  younger 
days  took  active  part.  The  affairs  of  the  community 
to  him  have  always  been  the  affairs  of  his  own  home, 
and  he  has  ever  been  ready  to  further,  financially  or  by 
personal  seri-ice,  any  local  project  which  he  thought 
might  tend  to  benefit  his  neighbors,  or  the  affairs  of  his 
community.  In  church  matters  he  was  for  many  years 
very  active.  He  has  been  a  consistent  churchman  all 
his  life,  and  has  steadily  supported  the  local  church  of 
the  Congregational  denomination,  of  which  he  is  a 
member.  At  various  times,  he  has  also  contributed  to 
the  support  of  other  churches. 

The  recent  war  was  a  subject  upon  which  Mr.  Leach 
showed  that  his  interest  was  whole-souled.  Many  times 
during  the  dark  days  of  1917  and  early  1918  he  probably 
wished  he  could  go  back  in  age  five  or  six  decades,  for 
the  thrill  of  patriotism  made  him  wish  to  be  with  those 
vigorous,  valiant,  younger  patriots  in  France. 

Mr.  Leach's  private  life  has  Ijeen  estimable.  He 
married,  Sept.  2,  i%8,  in  Winfield,  Herkimer  county, 
N.  v.,  Martha  Jane,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Hester 
Ann  COoodicr)  Leach.   To  the  union  came  two  children: 


I.  Charles  G.,  who  was  born  on  Feb.  21,  1875.    2.  Hester 

A.,  who  was  bom  on  April  6,  1879. 

His  long  life,  and  long  association  with  the  agricul- 
turists of  Chautauqua  county,  makes  the  writing  of 
this  record  for  the  current  history  a  pleasure,  for  his 
biography  certainly  should  have  place  in  it,  representing 
as  he  does  a  worthy  generation  of  Chautauqua  county 
agriculturists  now  almost  all  gathered  to  their  Maker. 
Bearing  in  mind  his  venerable  age,  Mr.  Leach  is  still 
vigorous,  and  the  clearness  of  his  mind  and  cheerfulness 
of  thought  are  definite  indications  of  a  steady,  healthy 
life,  one  in  which  the  canker  of  selfishness  and  discon- 
tent did  not  enter. 


WILLIAM  ARAH  PUTNAM,  M.  D.— The  Put- 
nams  of  Chautauqua  county  trace  from  John  Putnam, 
who  was  a  settler  in  Salem,  Mass.,  as  early  as  1634, 
and  through  John  Putnam,  the  Pilgrim,  they  trace 
through  sixteen  generations  of  English  ancestors  to 
Simon  de  Puttenham,  the  first  of  the  name  who  is  of 
definite  record  in  England.  The  town  of  Puttenham  is 
mentioned  in  the  Domesday  Book,  and  the  parish  of 
Puttenham  is  in  Hertfordshire.  The  coat-of-arms  to 
which  American  descendants  of  the  line  are  entitled  is 
thus  described : 

Arms — Sable  between  eight   crosses,  crosslet  fltchee, 
argent  a  stork  o(  the  last,  beaked  and  legged  gules. 
Crest — A  wolf's   head  gules. 

Abner  Putnam,  the  founder  of  this  branch  of  the 
Chautauqua  county  family,  was  a  son  of  Captain 
William  Putnam,  born  in  Sutton,  Mass.,  Jan.  7,  1755, 
his  wife.  Submit  (Fisk)  Putnam,  born  Aug.  20,  1768. 
Their  son,  Abner  Putnam,  was  born  in  Buckland,  Mass., 
July  28,  1794,  died  in  the  town  of  Stockton,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  27,  1862.  He  married,  in  Buckland, 
April  28,  1818,  Vesta  Mallory,  born  Feb.  i,  1795,  died 
May  18,  1872,  daughter  of  Hiram  Mallory,  bom  March 
5,  1776,  and  Hannah  Mallory,  born  Aug,  20,  1768.  In 
the  year  1818,  Abner  and  Vesta  (Mallory)  Putnam 
came  from  Buckland,  Franklin  county,  Mass.,  and 
settled  in  the  town  of  Stockton,  taking  up  land  just 
south  of  where  the  Cassadaga  railroad  station  now 
stands.  Abner  Putnam  was  a  cousin  of  Captain  Andrew 
Putnam,  who  came  to  Stockton  in  February,  181 7.  His 
son.  Worthy  Putnam,  was  an  early  and  successful 
teacher,  county  superintendent  of  schools,  and  lawyer. 
Abner  Putnam  died  in  1862,  his  widow  continuing  her 
residence  on  the  homestead  until  1873.  They  were  the 
parents  of  six  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  of  whom 
survived  their  parents.  This  review  follows  thi  career 
of  the  youngest  son,  Edwin  Putnam,  and  that  of  his 
son,  Dr.  William  A.  Putnam,  of  Forestville,  Chautauqua 
county. 

Edwin  Putnam,  son  of  Abner  and  Vesta  (Mallory) 
Putnam,  was  born  at  the  farm  near  Cassadaga,  in  the 
northeastern  part  of  the  town  of  Stockton,  Chautauqua 
county,  March  24,  1828,  died  at  his  farm  near  Waite's 
Corners  in  the  town  of  Charlotte,  Sept.  9,  1889.  He 
was  educated  in  the  district  schools,  and  so  well  im- 
proved the  advantages  of  those  early  schools  that  he 
afterwards  taught  in  them  for  several  tenns.  He, 
however,  early  in  life  engaged  in  farming,  an  occupation 
and  business  which  he  followed  all  his   life.     In   1856 


(^.(jiyO(yU^^L.€l^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


323 


he  went  to  Wisconsin  and  spent  a  year  on  a  farm  at 
Janesville,  but  tlie  next  fall  he  returned  to  Chautauqua 
county.  He  then,  with  a  young  man,  David  Peebles, 
equipped  a  "prairie  schooner"  and  drove  through  Brown 
county,  Kansas,  where  they  located  claims,  built  a  log 
cabin  and  spent  the  winter.  The  next  spring  Mr.  Put- 
nam returned  to  Chautauqua  county,  intending  to 
return  West  with  his  family,  but  instead  decided  to  sell 
his  Kansas  land  and  purchase  a  farm  in  Stockton.  The 
political  disturbances  in  Kansas  with  the  ravages  of  the 
"border  ruffians"  undoubtedly  aided  in  bringing  about 
this  decision,  but  whatever  the  reason  it  was  sufficiently 
strong  to  keep  him  in  the  East.  He  bought  75  acres  on 
Cassadaga  creek  from  the  Holland  Land  Company, 
lying  about  two  miles  south  of  the  lakes,  a  property 
which  he  owned  all  his  after  life,  and  now  is  owned  by 
his  daughter.  He  was  always  interested  and  active  in  town 
affairs,  often  serving  as  school  trustee,  path  master  and 
assessor,  also  for  two  terms  filling  the  important  office 
of  justice  of  the  peace.  He  was  a  Whig  in  politics,  but 
after  the  stormy  political  times  which  swept  that  party 
out  of  existence  he  joined  with  the  party  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  and  ever  afterward  voted  with  the  Republican 
organization. 

Edwin  Putnam  married  (first)  Sept.  15,  1853,  Harriet 
Irons,  daughter  of  Rev,  Arab  and  Mary  (Miles)  Irons, 
and  granddaughter  of  William  Irons,  born  Jan.  27, 
1767.  Rev.  Arab  Irons  was  born  Aug.  13,  1803.  His 
wife,  Mary  (Miles)  Irons,  was  born  Jan.  24,  1807,  died 
Jan.  14,  1880.  Mrs.  Harriet  (Irons)  Putnam  died  Sept 
5,  1859,  and  in  1861  he  married  (second)  Mrs.  Electa 
A.  (Montague)  Waite,  and  purchased  the  "Waite 
Farm"  near  Waite's  Corners  in  the  town  of  Charlotte. 
There  he  resided  until  his  death,  over  a  quarter  of  a 
century  later,  in  1889.  By  his  first  marriage  Edwin 
Putnam  had  two  children,  both  of  whom  survive  him : 
William  Arab,  of  further  mention ;  and  a  daughter, 
Mary  Elvira,  born  Feb.  20,  1857,  married  Oct.  28,  1880, 
William  H.  Roberts.  By  his  second  marriage  there 
were  two  boys :  George  E.,  and  Edwin  D.,  both  of 
whom  died  in  childhood. 

William  Arab  Putnam,  only  son  of  Edwin  Putnam 
and  his  first  wife,  Harriet  (Irons)  Putnam,  was  born 
at  the  farm  near  Cassadaga,  town  of  Stockton,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  July  11,  1854.  After  courses  of 
public  school  study  and  a  course  at  Fredonia  Normal 
School  he  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Buffalo,  whence  he  was  graduated  M.  D., 
class  of  1884.  After  graduation  he  practiced  his  pro- 
fession at  Smiths  Mills  and  Westfield  for  several  years, 
continuing  until  1897,  part  of  that  time  practicing  in 
association  with  Dr.  Edgar  Rood,  a  graduate  of  the 
University  of  Buffalo,  class  of  1890.  In  1897  Dr.  Put- 
nam moved  to  Smiths  Mills,  going  thence  to  Forest- 
ville,  in  the  town  of  Hanover,  where  he  is  yet  in  suc- 
cessful general  practice.  He  has  been  health  officer  of 
the  town  of  Hanover  for  fourteen  years,  and  is  highly 
regarded  as  a  skilled  physician  and  a  public-spirited 
citizen.  He  is  the  owner  of  a  good  farm  which  is 
largely  devoted  to  dairy  farming  and  fine  cattle.  He 
is  a  member  of  Hanover  Lodge,  No.  152,  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons,  and  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 

Dr.  William  A.  Putnam  married,  Oct.  24,  1878,  Mary 
A.  Ames,  bom  Jan.  6,  1857,  daughter  of  David  Hardy 


Ames,  born  in  Hancock,  N.  H.,  May  24,  1817,  died  Nov. 
30,  1891,  and  his  wife,  Clarissa  Ann  (Edson)  Ames, 
born  Feb.  8,  1816,  died  Nov.  11,  1888.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ames  were  married  in  Batavia,  N.  Y.  Mary  A.  (.-Xmes) 
Putnam  is  a  granddaughter  of  David  Ames,  born  Dec. 
22,  1786,  died  in  1848,  married,  July  23,  1812,  Sally 
Hardy,  born  Dec.  8,  1791,  died  Nov.  27,  1879.  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Putnam  are  the  parents  of  two  children: 
Edwin  David  Putnam,  M.  D.,  and  Harriet  Adeline 
Putnam. 

Edwin  David  Putnam  was  born  at  Cassadaga,  Stock- 
ton, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  17,  1880.  He  was 
educated  at  Westfield  Academy,  whence  he  was  gradu- 
ated, class  of  1898.  That  was  the  year  war  was  declared 
against  Spain  by  the  United  States,  and  the  young  man 
on  July  7,  following  graduation  in  June,  enlisted  at 
Buffalo  in  Company  K,  202nd  Regiment,  New  York 
Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  with  that  command  suc- 
cessively at  Camp  Black  on  Long  Island,  Camp  Meade 
in  Pennsylvania,  and  Athens,  Ga.,  going  thence  to 
Savanah  enroute  to  Cuba.  The  202nd  was  one  of  the 
first  regiments  from  the  United  States  to  arrive  in 
Havana  after  its  evacuation  by  the  Spaniards,  and  were 
later  stationed  at  Guanajay,  in  Pinao  del  Rio  province, 
Cuba,  and  in  the  spring  of  1899  returned  to  the  United 
States  via  Savannah,  where  they  were  mustered  out  and 
honorably  discharged,  April  15,  1899.  In  October,  1899, 
the  young  veteran  entered  the  medical  department  of 
the  University  of  Buffalo,  whence  he  was  graduated 
M.  D.,  class  of  1903.  After  serving  a  term  as  interne 
at  Buffalo  General  Hospital  and  one  year  in  Erie  County 
Hospital,  he  began  the  private  practice  of  medicine  at 
West  Seneca,  continuing  three  years  until  igo8,  when 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  father  and  located  in 
Forestville,  N.  Y.  He  married,  Dec.  14,  1912,  Helen  P. 
Lunt,  of  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  Alfred  H.  and 
Dora  (Popple)  Lunt.  They  are  the  parents  of  a  son, 
Alfred  Lunt,  and  a  daughter,  Mary  Jane.  Dr.  Edwin 
D.  Putnam  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  holding 
the  thirty-second  degree  of  the  Ancient  Accepted 
Scottish  Rite,  member  of  the  Chautauqua  County  and 
New  York  State  Medical  societies,  member  of  the  Silver 
Creek  Motor  Boat  Club,  Omega  Psi  fraternity,  member 
of  the  school  board  and  politically  a  Democrat. 

Harriet  Adeline  Putnam,  only  daughter  of  Dr. 
William  A.  Putnam,  was  born  at  Cassadaga,  Stockton, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  March  4,  1882.  _  She  was 
educated  at  Westfield  Academy,  and  now  resides  at  the 
family  home  in  Forestville. 


MYRON  A.  WHITNEY— There  are,  perhaps,  few 
residents  of  Chautauqua  county  and,  more  especially, 
those  living  in  the  vicinity  of  Sherman,  who  will  not 
recognize  this  name  as  that  of  one  by  birth  and  ancestry 
a  Chautauquan.  In  addition  to  being  a  leading  agri- 
culturist, Mr.  Whitney  has  always  been  actively  identi- 
fied with  community  affairs,  invariably  giving  his 
influence  for  the  advancement  of  all  that  he  deemed 
calculated  to  further  the  truest  interests  of  his  friends 
and  neighbors. 

Orange  Whitney,  grandfather  of  Myron  A.  Whitney, 
came  in  1829  to  the  farm  on  which  his  grandson  is  now 
living,  then  almost  a  wilderness,  but  having  a  fine  rich 
soil.    On  the  northwest  comer  of  his  land  Mr.  Whitney 


324 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


reared  a  dwelling  for  his  family  and  this  was  their 
home  for  a  number  of  years.  Eventually  it  was 
destroyed  with  the  exception  of  the  old  fashioned  fire- 
place which  remained  standing  until  a   few  years  ago. 

Myron  A.  Whitney  was  born  July  i.  1S47,  on  the  farm 
purchased  and  cleared  by  his  grandfather,  and  was  a 
son  of  George  Orange  and  Janett  (Taft)  Whitney.  He 
received  his  education  in  the  Park  Hill  and  Mount 
Pleasant  district  schools.  In  course  of  time  he  succeeded 
to  the  ownership  of  the  ancestral  farm  which  originally 
comprised  150  acres.  Additions  made  by  Air.  Whitney 
have  increased  this  to  193,  91 J -2  of  these  being  in  Chau- 
tauqua township,  while  the  others  lie  in  Harmony  town- 
ship. Mr.  Whitney  engages  in  general  farming  and  has 
in  addition  a  fine  dairy,  .\bout  half  the  acreage  is 
under  cultivation.  The  improvements  are  modern. 
Mr.  Whitney  has  an  average  of  five  horses,  thirty  cattle, 
thirty-six  sheep  and  one  hundred  cliickens.  He  has  con- 
structed most  of  the  present  improvements,  and  the 
estate  is  in  every  way  in  very  fine  condition.  In  the 
sphere  of  politics,  Mr.  Whitney  is  an  independent  voter 
and  at  one  time  held  the  office  of  school  trustee.  He 
belongs  to  the  Grange  and  to  the  Chautauqua  County 
Farm  Bureau.  His  religious  membership  is  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  North  Harmony. 

Mr.  Whitney  married.  Sept.  12,  1S72,  at  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.,  Mary  A.,  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  May  A. 
(Hay\vard)  Wood.  The  Woods  are  farmers  in  Chau- 
tauqua county  and  old  settlers  in  Harmony  township. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whitney  are  the  parents  of  two  daughters  : 

1.  Mabel,  educated  in  the  district  schools  and  Sherman 
High  School ;  married  Leon  Austin,  a  prosperous  farmer 
of  Sherman,  and  has  two  children,  Lenore  and  .\udry. 

2.  Blanche  Jeanette,  educated  in  the  same  manner  as 
her  sister:  married  Herbert  Bliss,  of  Sherman,  and  has 
two  children.  Hazel  and  Esther  Jeanette. 

Myron  A.  Whitney  is  a  member  of  a  family  which 
for  nearly  a  century  has  been  resident  in  Chautauqua 
county  and  has  aided  materially  in  the  development  of 
its  agricultural  interests.  He  himself  has  most  ably 
followed  this  example  and  in  doing  so  has  made  a  record 
which  adds  a  worthy  chapter  to  the  annals  of  his  prede- 
cessors. 


NATHAN  C.  COBB,  native  nf  Chautauqua  county, 
K.  Y.,  a  respected  and  prosperous  farmer  of  Kennedy, 
that  county,  for  very  many  years,  and  a  veteran  of 
worthy  Civil  War  record,  has  by  his  life  brought  10 
himself  an  appreciable  measure  of  esteem  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  at  various  times  has  been  elected  to  public 
office  in  the  administration  of  that  part  of  the  county. 
He  is  now  in  his  seventy-seventh  year,  having  been 
born  on  .\ov.  22,  1843,  in  Poland,  Chautauqua  county. 
His  parents  were  Richmond  and  Maria  (Fairbanks) 
Cobb,  the  former  a  substantial  farmer  within  the  county 
for  the  greatcT  part  of  his  life.  Nathan  C.  was  edu- 
cated in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  place,  and 
he  was  only  eighteen  years  old  when  he  joined  the 
Union  forces  of  the  Civil  War.  He  enlisted  Aug.  31, 
l%2,  in  the  Ninth  New  York  Cavalry,  as  a  member  of 
Company  C.  and  during  all  the  severe  fighting  in  which 
that  dashing  regim'rnt  had  a  glorious  part  from  that 
time  until  the  end  of  the  war,  Nathan  C.  Cobb  partici- 
pated,  being   mustered   out   with   honor,   June   3,    1865. 


Thereafter,  until  the  present,  he  has  been  an  industrious 
farmer,  living  his  life  independently  and  taking  his 
share  in  the  public  burdens  of  the  county  of  his  nativity. 

Mr.  Cobb  has  been  popular  in  his  own  district,  has 
been  interested,  and  at  times  has  taken  very  active  part 
in  local  as  well  as  national  politics,  in-so-far  as  they 
bear  upon  local  conditions.  He  has  for  many  years 
been  staunch  in  his  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party, 
and  has  been  a  factor  of  some  consequence  in  its  affairs 
in  the  Kennedy  district.  Of  local  offices,  he  has  held 
those  of  constable  and  collector  very  effectively  for 
several  years.  And  for  many  years  he  has  been  interested 
in  the  functioning  of  the  local  Grange,  of  which  he  is 
a  member. 

Nathan  C.  Cobb  was  married,  at  Poland,  Chautauqua 
county,  Jan.  9,  1869,  to  Anne  E.  White,  who  was  born 
on  July  23,  1S49,  in  Garland,  Pa.,  the  daughter  of 
Joseph  L.  and  Sophia  White.  Therefore,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Nathan  C.  Cobb  have  had  the  crowning  satisfaction  of 
celebrating  the  fiftieth,  the  golden,  anniversary  of  their 
wedding,  upon  which  occasion  their  many  friends  and 
neighbors  gave  them  some  indication  of  the  respect  in 
which  they  are  held  in  that  section  of  the  county  in 
which  they  have  lived  through  so  many  decades.  To 
them  have  been  born  two  children :  Claude  W.,  who 
was  born  Dec.  19,  1878;  Oren  J.,  who  was  born  May 
7.   1880. 

During  the  recent  World  War,  Mr.  Cobb  followed  its 
progress  with  keen  interest,  and  as  was  to  be  expected, 
his  own  war  record  had  some  influence  in  inspiring 
martial  and  patriotic  ardor  among  the  young  men  of  the 
district  whose  turn  had  come  to  bear  the  national 
burdens  in  the  fighting  ranks.  And  in  home  production 
of  foodstuffs,  which  were  so  vitally  necessary  to  thecause, 
and  in  producing  abnormal  yields  of  which  American 
farmers  did  so  commendably,  Mr.  Cobb,  although  of 
late  years  not  so  vigorous  as  formerly,  did  all  that  he 
was  able,  following  events  day  by  day  with  an  interest 
which,  at  times,  made  him  long  to  be  again  in  the  thick 
of  the  fighting.  Still  his  service  during  the  rigors  of 
three  years  of  campaigning  such  as  the  patriots  had  to 
endure  during  the  Civil  War  was  a  sufficient  national 
service  for  one  life,  and  has  justly  brought  him  honor 
since. 


LUKE  HAIGHT  FAY,  election  commissioner  of 
Mayvillc,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  a  well  known 
and  popular  figure  in  the  general  life  of  the  community, 
is  a  native  of  Brocton,  born  Dec.  14,  1872.  He  is  a  son 
of  Albert  Appleton  and  Catherine  (Haight)  Fay,  and 
a  grandson  of  Captain  Joseph  B.  Fay,  one  of  the  best 
known  men  in  this  region  during  his  life. 

Albert  Appleton  Fay  was  born  in  Elyria,  Ohio,  Oct. 
2.  1884,  his  parents' name  being  Whitney,  who  died  when 
he  was  a  small  boy.  Soon  after  their  death  he  came  to 
Sinclairville,  N.  Y.,  and  shortly  after  was  adopted  by  J. 
B.  Fay  and  came  to  Brocton,  where  he  spent  his  life. 
At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany D,  oth  New  York  Cavalry,  and  served  throughout 
the  war,  In'ing  discharged  with  the  rank  of  sergeant;  he 
was  twice  wounded  in  action.  For  twenty-one  years 
Mr.  Fay  was  one  of  the  assessors  of  the  town  of  Port- 
land, holding  that  position  at  the  lime  of  his  death, 
which  fully  exemplified  the  confidence  in  which  he  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


325 


held  by  his  fellow-townsmen.  At  various  times,  smce 
the  organization  of  Brocton  as  a  village,  he  served  as 
one  of  the  trustees  and  was  elected  to  that  office  in  the 
spring  of  1920.  For  several  years  he  was  president  and 
manager  of  the  Chautauqua  Grape  Company,  was  a 
member  of  the  Farm  Bureau,  and  a  charter  member  of 
Portland  Grange,  Patrons  of  Husbandry;  James  A. 
Hall  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic;  J.  B.  Fay 
Camp,  Sons  of  Veterans;  and  Brocton  Lodge,  No.  284, 
Knights  of  Pythias.  Mr.  Fay  married,  Dec.  11,  1867, 
Kate  Haight,  who  with  three  children,  Luke  H.,  of 
further  mention,  George  A.,  of  Corry,  Pa.,  and  Mrs. 
Vernon  Mathews,  of  Brocton,  survive.  Mr.  Fay  died 
May  15,  1920,  and  the  funeral  services  were  conducted 
by  the  Rev.  S.  M.  Gorden,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  The  burial,  in  Evergreen  Cemeterj',  was  in 
charge  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  eleven  of  his  old 
soldier  comrades  acted  as  honorary  bearers. 

Luke  Haight  Fay  secured  his  education  at  the  public 
schools  of  Brocton  and  the  Westfield  High  School.  He 
then  entered  a  business  college  at  Erie,  Pa.,  where  he 
took  a  commercial  course,  and  upon  completing  his 
studies  there  secured  a  position  in  his  father's  coal 
business.  The  young  man  remained  there  for  about 
three  or  four  years  and  then  travelled  to  the  West, 
settling  for  a  time  at  the  city  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa, 
where  he  was  employed  by  the  Edison  Electric  Light 
Company  for  a  year.  His  next  move  was  to  Chicago, 
where  he  remained  for  a  similar  period  in  the  wholesale 
department  of  Marshall  Field  &  Company's  great  estab- 
lishment. Returning  to  the  East  he  once  more  became 
affiliated  with  his  father  in  the  latter's  coal  business 
and  continued  this  association  for  some  five  years.  Mr. 
Fay  in  the  meantime  had  become  keenly  interested  in 
grape  culture,  and  severing  his  connection  with  his 
father  he  purchased  a  fine  vineyard  of  which  he  took 
up  the  cultivation.  He  remained  thus  engaged  until 
1917,  when  he  was  elected  to  his  present  position  as  tax 
commissioner  of  the  township.  At  the  present  time 
Mr.  Fay  devotes  his  entire  attention  to  the  discharge 
of  his  responsible  duties  as  a  public  officer,  and  has  won 
the  respect  of  his  fellow-citizens  of  all  political  creeds 
and  parties  for  the  disinterested  and  impartial  manner 
in  which  he  has  conducted  his  department.  Mr.  Fay  is 
a  member  of  Lake  Shore  Lodge,  No.  851,  of  Brocton, 
Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  Chapter  No.  191, 
Royal  Arch  Masons ;  Dunkirk  Council,  No.  25,  Royal 
and  Select  Masters ;  Dunkirk  Commandery,  No.  40, 
Knights  Templar;  and  Ismailia  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic 
Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  also  affiliated 
with  Brocton  Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  which  he  is 
past  chancellor  commander,  and  the  Portland  Grange, 
Patrons  of  Husbandry.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican, 
and  besides  his  present  office  has  also  held  other  public 
posts,  being  connected  with  the  State  Census  office. 
He  was  also  secretary  of  the  Chautauqua  Grape  Com- 
pany for  four  years,  an  organization  which  cares  for  the 
marketing  and  selling  of  the  product  of  the  vineyards 
in   this   locality. 

Luke  Haight  Fay  was  united  in  marriage,  April  30, 
1903,  with  Mary  F.  Maginns.  of  Portland,  N.  Y.,  a 
daughter  of  Frank  A.  and  Alma  Maginns,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  that  place.  Two  children 
have  been  born  of  this  union,  as  follows :  Donald  Whit- 
ney, aged  eleven ;  and  Dorothy  Edith,  aged  five. 


ORRIE  ARTHUR  OTTAW AY— Among  its  mem- 
bers of  the  younger  generation  the  Chautauqua  county 
bar  has  no  representative  who,  in  comparatively  few 
years,  has  become  more  widely  or  favorably  known 
than  the  citizen  of  Brocton  whose  name  heads  this 
article.  Mr.  Ottaway  holds  the  office  of  justice  of  the 
peace  for  the  town  of  Portland,  and  is  prominently 
identified  with  the  interests  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 

James  Ottaway,  great-grandfather  of  Orrie  Arthur 
Ottaway,  wa^  the  operator  of  a  mill  at  Headcorn, 
England,  and  married  Arabella  .  For  genera- 
tions the  Ottaway  family  has  been  resident  in  the  County 
of  Kent.  In  1823  James  Ottaway  emigrated  to  the 
LTnited  States  accompanied  by  his  brother  Horatio. 
After  si.x  weeks'  voyage  they  landed  in  New  York  and 
proceeded  by  sloop  to  Newburgh,  going  thence  by  steam 
and  wagon  to  Buffalo.  Leaving  his  family  there,  James 
Ottaway  went  in  quest  of  land  on  which  to  erect  a 
house  for  them  and  eventually  took  up  a  wild  tract  in 
Alina  township,  Chautauqua  county.  Nettles  were 
growing  on  the  land  and  this  fact  may  have  inclined 
him  to  its  selection  inasmuch  as  in  England  there  was  a 
tradition  that  the  presence  of  nettles  was  an  indication 
of  fertile  soil.  He  purchased  a  portion  of  lot  13  and 
built  thereon  a  log  cabin.  His  was  the  first  deed  of 
land  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town  of  Mina,  and  he 
was  the  first  of  the  many  Englishmen  who  settled  in 
that  region. 

John  E.  Ottaway,  son  of  James  and  Arabella  Ottaway, 
was  born  June  20,  1827,  on  the  homestead,  in  the  town 
of  Mina,  and  received  his  education  in  the  common 
schools.  In  the  course  of  time  he  purchased  the  farm 
from  his  father  and  devoted  himself  to  its  cultivation. 
Inheriting  the  literary  tastes  of  his  father,  he  availed 
himself  of  all  the  means  of  supplying  the  deficiencies 
of  his  education  which  came  within  his  reach,  thus 
becoming  an  extremely  well-informed  man.  The  numer- 
ous offices  of  trust  whic'n  he  held  in  his  native  town 
and  county  included  that  of  supervisor.  From  the 
inception  of  the  Republican  party  he  was  actively  identi- 
fied with  it,  frequently  representing  his  town  at  conven- 
tions. The  confidence  inspired  by  his  character  and 
abilities  caused  him  to  be  often  chosen  as  the  executor 
of  estates  and  the  guardian  of  funds.  For  many  years 
he  was  a  director  of  the  State  Bank  of  Sherman.  Mr. 
Ottaway  married,  Oct.  17,  1849,  Sarah,  daughter  of 
Benjamin  and  Sarah  (Hosmer)  Boorman,  both  of  whom 
were  English  and  among  the  first  settlers  in  the  town  of 
Sherman,  having  lived  there  since  1825.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ottaway  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children : 
Osmer  J.,   mentioned  below;   Arthur   B.,  of  Westfield; 

G.  Frederick,  of  Mina ;  Susan  A.,  wife  of Jones, 

of  Mina;  and  Cora  E.,  of  Westfield.  On  Oct.  17,  1899, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ottaway,  surrounded  by  their  children 
grandchildren  and  close  friends,  celebrated  the  golden 
anniversary  of  their  marriage. 

Osmer  J.  Ottaway,  son  of  John  E.  and  Sarah  (Boor- 
man)  Ottaway.  married  Ellen  Hewitt,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  Orrie  Arthur,  mentioned  below. 

Orrie  Arthur  Ottaway,  son  of  Osmer  J.  and  Ellen 
(Hewitt)  Ottaway.  was  bom  Feb.  23,  1884,  on  the  home- 
stead, in  Mina  township,  and  received  his  primary  edu- 
cation in  the  local  district  school.  When  he  was  seven 
years  old  the  family  moved  to  the  village  of  Sherman 
and     he     attended     school    there,     afterward    entering 


326 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Allegheny  College,  Meadville.  Pa.  His  legal  education 
was  received  in  the  law  department  of  Syracuse  Univer- 
sity, where  he  graduated  in  loog  with  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Laws.  The  following  year  Mr.  Ottaway 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  the  office 
of  Ottaway  &  Munson  at  W'esttield,  very  shortly  moving 
to  Brocton.  where  he  was  associated  with  F.  C.  Lewis. 
Subsequently  the  partnership  was  dissolved,  since  which 
event  Mr.  Ottaway  has  practiced  alone.  Steadily  and 
surely  he  has  built  up  an  enviable  reputation,  winning 
the  implicit  confidence  of  his  professional  brethren  and 
the  general  public.  Like  his  father,  Mr.  Ottaway  has 
always  supported  the  principles  of  the  Republicans,  and 
has  never  been  known  to  fail  in  public  spirit.  He  is 
now  justice  of  the  peace  for  the  town  of  Portland.  He 
was  master  of  Lake  Shore  Lodge.  No.  S51,  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons,  also  affiliating  with  the  chapter,  of 
Dunkirk,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of 
Brocton,  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  also  of  Brocton, 
in  which  he  holds  the  office  of  past  chancellor.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Brocton. 

Mr.  Ottaway  married.  Nov.  8,  191 1,  Mabel,  daughter 
of  Tom  and  Lenora  Culver,  of  Westfield,  and  they  are 
the  parents  of  one  child,  Elizabeth  Mae  Ottaway,  who  is 
now  attending  the  kindergarten. 

The  qualities  of  foresight,  sound  judgment  and 
aggressive  energy  by  which  Mr.  Ottaway's  ancestors 
were  distinguished  "on  both  sides  of  the  sea"  have  thus 
far  contributed  to  his  success  in  his  chosen  profession 
and  now  open  before  him  a  most  promising  future. 


WILLIAM  WESLEY  COLE,  M.  D.— For  hventy- 
si.x  years  a  practicing  physician  of  the  town  of  Hanover, 
located  in  the  village  of  Silver  Creek,  Dr.  Cole  was  one 
of  the  best  known  men  of  the  town.  He  came  to  Chau- 
tauqua county  from  Baldwinsville,  in  Onondaga  county, 
was  a  native  son  of  the  Empire  State,  and  spent  his 
years  (si.xty)  within  her  borders.  He  was  a  physician 
of  learning  and  skill,  highly  esteemed  by  his  brethren  of 
the  profession,  and  devoted  to  his  work  as  a  healer  of 
human  ills.  He  was  of  a  family  inheriting  medical 
tastes,  and  one  of  four  brothers,  all  doctors :  Dr,  George 
Cole,  of  Conneaut,  Ohio;  Dr.  E.  E.  Cole,  of  Manlius, 
N.  Y.;  Dr.  P.  A.  Cole,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio;  and  William 
Wesley  Cole,  whose  memory  this  review  perpetuates. 

William  Wesley  Cole  was  bom  at  Sand  Lake, 
Rensselaer  county,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  17,  1859,  and  died  at  the 
German  Deaconess  Hospital,  April  8,  1919.  Though 
poor  in  health,  he  continued  to  look  after  his  practice 
until  a  few  days  before  his  death,  when  blood  poisoning 
developed  from  a  slight  injury  to  his  hand.  He  went  to 
the  hospital  for  treatment,  but  his  condition  was  such 
that  he  considered  his  case  almost  hopeless  from  the 
first,  and  arranged  his  business  affairs  accordingly.  He 
grew  to  manhood  in  Rensselaer  county,  there  completed 
his  public  school  study,  and  began  reading  medicine. 
He  completed  professional  study  at  Cleveland  Medical 
Schof^l,  whence  he  was  graduated  M.  D.,  class  of  1891, 
and  the  same  year  began  practice  in  Baldwinsville,  N.  Y. 
Two  years  later,  in  1893,  he  came  to  Chautauqua  county 
and  located  at  Silver  Creek,  where  his  remaining 
twenty-six  years  of  life  were  spent  in  successful  medical 
practice.  He  had  a  large  practice  in  his  village  and 
town,  and  was  universally  esteemed.    While  he  gave  to 


his  profession  the  strength  of  body,  physical  and  mental, 
he  was  fond  of  farm  life,  and  became  an  enthusiast 
on  grape  culture  and  the  owner  of  a  farm  of  87  acres. 
Friendly  and  social  by  nature.  Dr.  Cole  was  interested 
in  all  village  activities,  and  in  all  that  went  to  make 
village  life  enjoyable  and  profitable.  He  was  a  member 
of  Silver  Lodge,  No.  757.  Free  and  Accepted  Masons; 
a  charter  member  of  Silver  Creek  Lodge,  Odd  Fellows; 
and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Dr.  Cole  married  (first)  Emma  Cranse.  who  died  in 
Baldwinsville,  N.  Y.,  leaving  a  son,  Harold  Wesley 
Cole,  who  died  aged  twenty-one.  Dr.  Cole  married 
(second)  at  Silver  Creek,  N.  Y.,  J.  Belle  Morrison, 
daughter  of  Frank  Morrison,  of  Scotch  descent,  and  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mrs.  Cole 
died  at  Silver  Creek,  Aug.  2,  1896,  and  is  buried  in 
Glenwood  Cemetery,  Silver  Creek.  They  were  the 
parents  of  a  daughter.  Daphne  Bell,  who  was  an  infant 
when  her  mother  died.  She  had  the  lo\-ing  care  of  a 
devoted  father,  and  attended  the  public  schools  until 
completing  fifth  grade  work,  when  she  became  a  student 
at  Holy  Angels  Academy,  Buffalo,  where  she  completed 
her  education.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church,  and  was  her  father's  devoted  associate  until  the 
latter's  death.  Miss  Cole  married,  Sept.  16,  1917,  J. 
Harry  Wilde,  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  who  was  a  member 
of  Company  E,  which  left  Jamestown  under  command  of 
Captain,  now  Major,  Charles  A.  Sandburg,  and  went 
overseas  with  the  27th  division,  American  Expeditionary 
Forces,  to  take  part  in  the  war  between  the  United 
States  and  Germany.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilde  are  the 
parents  of  a  son,  Cole  Wesley  Wilde,  born  Nov.  18, 
1919.  Dr.  Cole  married  (third)  Ina  Mereness  Van 
Schoonoven  in  July,  1898.  She  now  resides  in  Syracuse 
with  a  niece,  Mrs.  Dr.  George  Retan.  The  funeral  of 
Dr.  Cole  was  from  his  home,  on  Main  street,  and  in 
charge  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  brief  remarks  being 
made  by  Rev,  H.  H.  Bair,  of  the  Methodist  church. 
He  was  buried  in  Baldwinsville. 


LAMONT  ALLEN  JEFFERDS,  a  prominent 
figure  in  the  industrial  life  of  Brocton,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  furniture  for  a  number  of  years,  is  a  native 
of  Randolph,  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.,  where  his  birth 
occurred  Nov.  7,  1878,  a  son  of  Owel  and  Emma  (Hard- 
ing) Jefferds,  his  parents  now  making  their  home  in 
New  York  City,  where  the  elder  Mr.  Jefferds  is  the 
assistant  cashier  of  the  Seaboard  National  Bank. 

Lamont  Allen  Jefferds  passed  his  childhood  at  his 
native  place  and  there  attended  the  local  public  schools 
for  a  time.  When  his  parents  removed  to  New  York 
City  he  accompanied  them  and  attended  the  public  schools 
of  the  Metropolis  until  he  was  sent  to  the  Chamberlain 
Institute  at  Randolph,  N.  Y.  After  completing  his  gen- 
eral education  at  the  latter  institution,  he  entered  the 
New  York  Commercial  School  of  New  York  City,  where 
he  was  prepared  for  a  career  in  business.  He  then 
entered  the  employ  of  the  New  York  Telephone  Com- 
pany, where  he  worked  in  a  clerical  capacity  for  five 
years,  and  was  then  given  a  position  in  the  Seaboard 
National  Bank,  in  which  his  father  was  an  officer.  There 
he  remained  for  another  five  years,  and  then  became 
associated  with  the  Farish-Stafford  Company,  where  he 


<^yD7%  (^  if~^ -^zr^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


IV 


was  employed  for  six  years  longer.  At  the  end  of  that 
period,  having  gained  a  wide  knowledge  of  business 
methods  generally  and  of  banking  in  particular,  he  left 
New  York  City  and  returned  to  his  native  place,  where 
he  took  a  position  in  the  Randolph  Bank.  His  next  asso- 
ciation was  with  the  department  store  of  T.  E.  Adams 
Company  at  Randolph,  where  he  was  connected  with  the 
retail  department  for  two  years,  after  which  he  entered 
the  services  of  the  Randolph  Furniture  Works  as  assist- 
ant to  the  secretary-treasurer.  After  three  years  spent 
there  in  learning  the  business  of  manufacturing  furni- 
ture, Mr.  Jefferds  was  offered  the  position  of  assistant 
manager  of  the  factory  of  the  Brocton  Furniture  Com- 
pany of  Brocton,  N.  Y.,  and  came  to  this  place  on  Feb. 
I,  1916,  to  take  up  his  new  task.  Since  that  time  he  has 
continued  in  that  capacity  and  has  done  much  to  advance 
the  interests  of  the  important  concern  with  which  he  is 
associated.  He  has  made  himself  of  the  greatest  value 
to  his  employers,  and  everything  points  to  a  brilliant 
future  for  him  in  the  line  of  business  that  he  has  chosen. 
Mr.  Jefferds  has  always  taken  a  public-spirited  interest  in 
the  general  life  of  the  communities  where  he  has  dwelt, 
and  is  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  social  circle  of  Broc- 
ton. He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  Methodist  in 
religious  belief,  attending  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
of  Brocton. 

Lamont  Allen  Jefferds  was  united  in  marriage,  Sept. 
16,  1907,  at  Randolph,  N.  Y.,  with  Tillie  M.  Shean,  of 
that  town,  a  daughter  of  Michael  W.  and  Bridget  (Mc- 
Mahon)  Shean.  Two  children  have  been  born  of  this 
union,  as  follows :     Milton  Lamont  and  Donald  Francis. 


FRED  E.  MORSE — The  dual  interests  of  real 
estate  and  insurance  are  perhaps  more  closely  connected 
than  any  others  with  the  progress  and  prosperity  of  most 
communities.  Certain  it  is  that  they  play  an  important 
part  in  the  life  of  Chautauqua  county  and  equally  cer- 
tain is  it  that  they  have  no  more  successful  nor  aggres- 
sive representative  than  the  citizen  of  Fredonia  whose 
name  stands  at  the  head  of  this  article.  Mr.  Morse  is 
helpfully  identified  with  other  essential  interests  of  his 
home  town,  and  is  a  figure  of  prominence  in  Masonic 
circles. 

Fred  E.  Morse  was  born  Feb.  29,  1856,  in  the  town  of 
Stockton,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  a  son  of  Hiram  P. 
and  Mary  A.  (West)  Morse.  Mr.  Morse  was  by  trade  a 
blacksmith.  Fred  E.  Morse  attended  local  schools  and 
assisted  his  father  in  the  latter's  work  until  the  age  of 
eighteen.  He  then  went  into  business  for  himself  as  a 
carriage  painter  and  blacksmith,  but  was  forced  by  fail- 
ing health  to  abandon  the  undertaking.  He  then  moved 
on  a  farm  in  Stockton,  remaining  until  May  20,  1892, 
w^hen  he  came  to  Fredonia  and  opened  a  saddlery  and 
hardware  store,  later  taking  over  a  grist  mill.  The  next 
occupation  to  which  Mr.  Morse  turned  his  attention  was 
the  one  in  which  he  was  destined  to  score  his  greatest 
success — insurance.  His  first  association  with  it  was  in 
connection  with  the  Prudential  Life  Insurance  Company, 
with  which  he  remained  for  ten  years.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  he  engaged  for  himself  in  the  same  line  of  busi- 
ness, meeting,  as  the  years  went  on,  with  an  ever-increas- 
ing measure  of  success.  His  business  now  consists  of 
two  departments  :  Real  estate,  in  which  he  has  a  partner ; 
and  insurance,  including  all  kmds,  which  he  conducts  by 


himself.  He  represents  the  following  companies:  Bos- 
ton, Scottish,  Union,  Franklin,  Republic,  Standard,  and 
Equitable  Life.  The  vote  and  influence  of  Mr.  Morse 
are  always  given  to  the  principles  advocated  by  the  Re- 
publican party,  but  he  takes  no  active  share  in  the  work 
of  the  organization.  He  affiliates  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  of  Fredonia. 

Mr.  Morse  married,  Jan.  6,  1880,  Adda  May,  daugh- 
ter of  Edward  and  Melinda  (Berry)  Sprague,  of  Laona, 
N.  Y.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  the  following  children : 
I.  Harry  P.,  married  Clella  Bartlett,  and  they  have  three 
children,  Gerald,  Donald,  and  Thomas.  2.  Myrtle,  wife 
of  Leonard  Carr;  they  have  two  children,  Dorothy  and 
Gerald.  3.  Berdena,  wife  of  Arthur  Hunt.  4.  Clara. 
5.  Marion. 

The  career  of  Fred  E.  Morse  furnishes  a  lesson  in  the 
advantage  of  seeking  the  occupation  for  which  one  is 
best  fitted.  He  persevered  in  the  quest  and  on  trying  real 
estate  and  insurance  was  soon  convinced  that  he  had 
found  his  place.  The  public  has  long  shared,  most  thor- 
oughly, his  own  conviction. 


WILLIAM  BERNARD  CONROY,  president  of 
the  Conroy-Buchanan  Lumber  Company,  of  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.,  is  a  man  of  pleasing  personality  and  energy  of 
character ;  quick  to  note  the  possibilities  of  a  business 
transaction  and  equally  quick  to  detect  any  effort  to  de- 
fraud or  misrepresent. 

Born  in  Irvington,  Pa.,  July  7,  1870,  the  son  of  John 
D.  and  Ellen  M.  (Merchant)  Conroy.  The  latter  is  still 
living,  but  the  father  died  some  time  ago.  It  was  from 
his  father  that  Mr.  Conroy  inherited  his  business  ability, 
for  the  elder  Conroy  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits 
for  many  years.  The  boy's  education  was  gained  first 
at  the  district  school  and  afterward  at  the  Youngsville 
High  School.  After  that  he  secured  employment  with 
the  Western,  New  York  &  Pennsylvania  Railway  Com- 
pany as  station  agent  and  telegraph  operator,  remaining 
thus  occupied  for  seven  years;  in  1900  he  decided  to 
make  a  change  and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Indiana 
Lumber  Company,  continuing  with  them  for  two  years. 
In  1902  Mr.  Conroy  saw  an  opportunity  for  advance- 
ment with  the  Mead  Speer  Lumber  Company  of  Pitts- 
burgh, Pa.,  and  remained  there  for  four  years.  By  that 
time  he  felt  himself  capable  of  conducting  a  business  of 
his  own,  and  going  to  Jamestown  he  became  a  member 
of  the  above  mentioned  company. 

Mr.  Conroy  is  greatly  interested  in  all  affairs  pertain- 
ing to  Jamestown.  He  is  a  Free  Mason,  having  passed 
through  the  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter,  Commandery  and  Scot- 
tish Rite ;  he  is  a  member  of  the  First  Congregational 
Church,  as  are  also  his  wife  and  children.  In  politics 
he  is  an  independent  voter,  choosing  the  man  he  considers 
best  for  the  office.  He  is  nothing  of  a  politician,  for  busi- 
ness occupies  too  much  of  his  time  to  leave  room  for 
such  a  diversion. 

William  Bernard  Conroy  married,  Feb.  6,  1903,  Annie 
L.  Thompson,  of  Plumer,  Pa.  Of  this  union  three  chil- 
dren were  born:  Allen  Thompson,  Mary  Louise,  Har- 
old William,  deceased. 

Mr.  Conroy  started  his  career  with  no  other  capital 
than  experience  and  a  determination  to  succeed,  and  now 
he  is  head  of  a  thriving  business  which  is  growing  more 
successful  each  year. 


^2S 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


EDWARD  LOWRY  BUCHANAN,  the  treasurer 
of  the  Conroy-Buchanan  Lumber  Company,  is  like  his 
partner  a  self-made  man,  bringing  to  the  company  only 
lionesty  of  purpose  and  a  willingness  to  work  for  the 
building  up  of  the  business.  That  they  have  succeeded 
in  this  is  con.ceded  by  all  who  know  the  partners  and 
their  standing  in  the  community. 

The  parents  of  Edward  L.  Buchanan  were  David  A. 
and  Mary  Jane  (Fetterman)  Buchanan,  residents  of 
Titusville.  Pa.,  where  their  son  was  born  July  6,  1871. 
David  A.  Buchanan  died  several  years  ago,  but  his  wife 
still  survives  him.  He  was  a  farmer  and  also  conducted 
a  butchering  business.  The  son,  Edward  L.,  was  edu- 
cated in  the  district  schools  of  Venango  county.  Pa., 
afterwards  entering  the  Clarion  State  Normal  School, 
'rom  which  he  graduated  in  1S05.  He  taught  school  for 
four  years  after  graduating,  and  previous  to  that  had  also 
taught  school.  Desiring  to  advance  in  life,  Mr.  Buchanan 
secured  a  position  with  the  Oil  Well  Supply  Company  of 
Oil  City,  Pa.  After  three  and  a  half  years  with  this 
company  he  resigned  to  accept  an  opening  with  the  Model 
Milling  Company  of  the  same  city,  where  he  remained 
for  a  year  and  a  half,  going  then  into  the  office  of  the 
Citizens  Traction  Company.  'When  his  stay  there  came 
to  an  end.  he  and  Mr.  Conroy  decided  to  enter  into  busi- 
ness together,  forming  the  firm  known  as  the  Conroy- 
Buchanan  Lumber  Company  in  1907. 

Mr.  Buchanan  is  an  upholder  of  the  tenets  of  the  Pro- 
hibition party  and  votes  that  ticket  at  election  time.  He 
is  a  congregationalist  in  religion,  his  wife  and  children 
attending  the  First  Congregational  Church  of  James- 
town: he  is  also  a  mem.bcr.of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  being  connected  with  the  local  lodge. 

On  Jan.  2,  1899,  Edward  Lowry  Buchanan  married 
Elnora  .-K.  Thompson  of  Plumer,  Pa.  Of  this  marriage 
two  children  were  born :  Mary  Isabel,  1902 ;  Arthur 
Thompson,  191".  Mr.  Buchanan  and  Mr.  Conroy  are 
not  alone  business  associates,  but  are  connected  by  mar- 
riage, having  married  sisters. 


and  friendship  of  their  customers,  they  have  no  trouble 
in  disposing  of  their  wares.  They  are  highly  respected 
in  Jamestown,  and  in  the  twelve  years  the  company  has 
been  in  existence  have  made  a  name  and  place  for  them- 
selves among  the  business  men  of  that  city. 


CONROY-BUCHANAN  LUMBER  COMPANY, 

William    Bernard    Conroy,    president;    Edward    Lowry 
Buchanan,  treasurer ;  Margaret  Thompson,  secretary. 

In  1907  two  young  men  arrived  in  Jamestown  with  the 
intention  of  starting  in  business,  one  coming  from  Pitts- 
burgh, Pa.,  where  he  had  been  connected  with  the  Mead 
Spccr  Lumber  Company,  and  the  other  coming  from  the 
Oil  Well  Supply  Company  of  Oil  City,  Pa.  These  men, 
Willard  Bernard  Conroy  and  Edward  Lowry  Buchanan, 
had  both  been  trained  by  several  years  employment  in 
\vr>rA  products  business,  .so  they  felt  fully  capable  of 
conducting  a  hardwood  and  veneer  concern.  They 
entered  into  partnership  in  the  spring  of  1907,  continu- 
ing it  until  the  following  autumn,  when  they  made  an 
incorporated  company  of  it,  with  the  officers  above  men- 
tioned as  members,  under  the  corporate  name  of  the 
Conroy- Buchanan  Lumber  Company.  From  the  very 
b'rjjinning  they  were  most  successful,  buying  their  goods 
in  carload  consignments  and  selling  them  all  over  New 
York  State  and  through  the  Ohio  Valley.  Both  men  act 
as  buyf-rs  and  personally  attend  to  the  sales  in  their 
individual  territories,  and  as  (hey  only  handle  fine,  reli- 
able gofjfls,   and    V,th   youn>;   men,   have   the  confidi-nce 


ROSS  J.  GOLDSMITH,  one  of  the  successful  con- 
tractors of  Brocton,  N.  V.,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
business  for  a  number  of  years,  is  a  native  of  that  town, 
his  birth  having  occurred  there  on  Jan.  7,  1884.  He 
is  a  son  of  James  and  Ida  (Berg)  Goldsmith,  the  former 
a  laborer  in  these  parts  for  many  years. 

The  early  life  of  Ross  J.  Goldsmith  was  passed  in 
poor  surroundings  without  many  of  the  educational 
advantages  which  are  so  valuable  in  aiding  young  men 
in  their  start  in  a  business  career.  He  attended,  how- 
ever, the  local  public  schools,  remaining  at  these  insti- 
tutions until  he  had  completed  the  grammar  grades  and 
studied  for  a  time  in  the  Brocton  High  School,  and  then 
found  it  necessary  to  engage  in  some  remunerative 
occupation.  Accordingly  he  secured  a  position  in  a 
local  basket  factory  when  little  more  than  a  child,  and 
in  1906  began  to  serve  as  an  apprentice  in  a  plumbing 
establishment.  He  spent  five  years  in  all  in  the  employ 
of  that  concern,  first  as  an  apprentice  and  then  as  a 
journeyman  plumber,  and  in  191 1  was  appointed  a 
master  plumber.  During  the  time  he  was  so  employed 
Mr.  Goldsmith  saved  with  rigid  economy  a  large  pro- 
portion of  his  slender  earnings  in  order  some  day  to  be 
in  a  position  to  become  independent  and  engage  in 
business  on  his  own  account.  This  ambition  he  was  able 
to  realize  in  1911,  when  he  severed  his  connection  with 
his  old  employers  and  established  himself  as  a  con- 
tractor in  his  native  town  of  Brocton.  Since  that  time 
he  has  continued  in  his  chosen  line,  has  built  up  a  great 
success  throughout  this  region,  and  handles  much  im- 
portant work  here.  Among  the  large  jobs  that  he  has  com- 
pleted in  the  past  should  be  mentioned  the  residence  of 
Conrad  W.  Green,  who  is  himself  the  subject  of  extended 
mention  elsewhere  in  this  work;  the  handsome  summer 
home  of  Mr.  Windburn.  the  Bailey  building,  the  build- 
ing of  the  Paul  DeLaney  Company,  the  plant  of  the 
Brocton  Food  Juice  Company,  all  at  Brocton,  and  the 
Memorial  Hospital  building  at  Lillydale.  He  has  a  large 
and  fully  equipped  establishment  at  Brocton,  and  is 
justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the 
community,  his  success  being  due  entirely  to  his  own 
efforts.  Mr.  Goldsmith  has  always  taken  a  lively  interest 
in  the  general  affairs  of  Brocton  and  the  surrounding 
region,  and  is  a  well  known  figure  in  the  general  life  of 
the  place.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  although 
he  keeps  himself  always  abreast  of  all  the  issues  of  the 
day,  both  local  and  national,  has  never  as  yet  taken  that 
part  in  public  affairs  for  which  his  practical  talents  so 
admirably  fit  him.  He  is  not  a  member  of  any  church, 
but  members  of  his  family  attend  the  local  Baptist  house 
of  worship.  Mr.  Goldsmith  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons  and  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows. 

Ross  J.  Goldsmith  was  united  in  marriage,  March  7, 
1017,  with  Jessie  Gustafson,  of  Dunkirk.  N.  Y.,  a 
daughter  of  Alfred  and  Emma  Gustafson,  old  and 
highly  respected   residents  of  tlial   place. 


'4^\^c^i^^i^\^^tyL^ 


lujjj^  l^L) .  kJ{t 


y/Tuj-v^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


329 


ELMER  WALTER  POWERS,  M.  D.— No  name 
stands  higher  in  medical  circles  at  Westfield,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  than  that  of  Dr.  Elmer  Wal- 
ter Powers,  who  has  been  engaged  in  practice  here 
for  a  number  of  years  and  established  an  enviable  repu- 
tation both  for  his  ability  as  a  physician  and  for  the 
high  standard  of  professional  ethics  which  he  has  con- 
sistently maintained.  Dr.  Powers  was  born  Dec.  9,  1870, 
at  Panama,  N.  Y.,  a  son  of  Joel  and  Harriette  M. 
(Lewis)  Powers,  the  former  still  surviving.  The  elder 
Mr.  Powers  has  largely  retired  from  active  business, 
but  holds  the  distinction  of  being  the  oldest  justice  of 
the  peace  at  North  Harmony.  The  Powers  family  is  a 
very  old  and  distinguished  one  in  Chautauqua  county, 
and  Mr.  Powers'  grandfather,  the  Rev.  Simon  Powers, 
was  rector  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  at  Panama 
early  in  the  nineteenth  century. 

Dr.  Powers  attended  as  a  lad  the  public  schools  of 
Panama,  and  later  was  a  student  at  the  Westfield  High 
School,  where  he  was  prepared  for  college.  In  the 
meantime  he  had  determined  to  follow  the  profession 
of  medicine  as  a  career  in  life,  and  with  this  end  in  view 
entered  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of 
Vermont  at  Burlington,  Vt.  After  having  take  the  pre- 
scribed course  in  medicine  he  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1S99,  winning  his  degree  of  medical  doctor. 
He  then  entered  the  Mary  Fletcher  Hospital  at  Burling- 
ton, as  an  interne,  and  served  in  that  capacity  for  one 
year,  thus  gaining  the  practical  experience  necessary  to 
supplement  his  theoretical  knowledge.  Upon  complet- 
ing this  term  of  apprenticeship.  Dr.  Powers  removed  to 
the  West  and  settled  at  Conneaut,  Ohio,  where  he 
remained  two  years,  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession. At  the  end  of  that  time,  however,  he  was  induced 
to  abandon  his  profession  for  a  time  and  became  a 
salesman  for  the  Burns  Vaporizer  Company,  of  West- 
field,  N.  Y.,  and  travelled  in  various  parts  of  the  country 
as  their  representative  for  two  years.  He  then  returned 
to  his  former  career  and  resumed  his  medical  practice 
at  Ashville,  N.  Y.,  in  the  year  1904.  He  continued  to 
be  thus  engaged  for  a  period  of  about  fourteen  years 
and  established  a  wide  reputation  throughout  that 
region.  On  Sept.  15,  1918,  Dr.  Powers  removed  to 
Westfield,  where  he  has  since  been  actively  engaged  in 
his  profession,  and  although  the  time  has  been  brief  he 
has  already  gained  recognition  as  one  of  the  most  capable 
physicians  in  the  community.  He  still  possesses  his 
license  to  practice  medicine  in  Ohio.  Dr.  Powers  has 
taken  a  lively  interest  in  local  affairs  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  is  a  well  known  figure  in  the  general  life  of 
the  community.  He  is  a  member  of  many  important 
organizations  including  the  Chautauqua  County  Medical 
Society,  of  which  he  is  president,  and  the  New  York 
State  Medical  Society.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
University  of  Vermont  Alumni ;  of  Summit  Lodge, 
No.  219,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons ;  Lakewood 
Lodge  628,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows;  the 
Order  of  Maccabees,  and  the  American  Medical  Associ- 
ation. In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Methodist,  attending 
the  church  of  that  denomination  at  Westfield,  and  in 
politics  a  Republican. 

Dr.  Elmer  Walter  Powers  was  united  in  marriage, 
Sept.  ID,  190S,  with  Gertrude  Pardee,  of  Harmony,  N. 
Y.,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Sophia  (Gypson)   Pardee, 


and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  as   follows : 

Harriette    Elizabeth,    now    a  student    at    the    Westfield 

High    School ;    and   Kenneth  Pardee,   who   attends   the 
grammar  schools  here. 


TIMOTHY  JOSEPH  DESMOND— As  one  of  the 

heads  of  the  widely  known  Desmond  Coal  Company  and 
Desmond  Fisheries  the  man  whose  name  we  have  just 
written  stands  forth  so  prominently,  not  only  among  his 
neighbors  of  Dunkirk,  but  also  among  his  fellow-citizens 
of  Chautauqua  county,  as  to  render  any  words  of  intro- 
duction not  only  unnecessary  but  wholly  superfluous. 
To  say  that  Mr.  Desmond  is  known  in  his  town  and 
county  is  distinctly  an  under  statement,  inasmuch  as  his 
name,  from  its  connection  with  a  great  fisheries  concern, 
is  familiar  in  many  states  of  the  American  Union. 

Timothy  Joseph  Desmond  was  born  in  Buffalo,  and 
is  a  son  of  Timothy  and  Ellen  (Harrigan)  Desmond, 
both  natives  of  Ireland,  but  married  in  the  United 
States.  The  educational  facilities  of  Timothy  Joseph 
Desmond  were  limited,  and  he  was  early  obliged  to 
become  a  wage  earner.  His  business  ability  being  above 
the  average,  and  his  industry  and  energy  equal  to  it, 
he  found  himself,  when  in  the  prime  of  life,  one  of  the 
proprietors  of  two  great  concerns,  the  Desmond  Coal 
Company  and  the  Desmond  Fisheries.  The  founding 
and  maintenance  of  either  of  these  enterprises  would 
have  been  sufficient  to  place  Mr.  Desmond  among  the 
foremost  business  men  of  Western  New  York. 

The  Desmond  Coal  Company  handles  all  kinds  of 
coal  and  gives  employment  to  ten  men.  It  owns  its 
trucks  and  carries  on  a  very  extensive  business.  The 
Desmond  Fisheries  own  five  steam  tugs  and  miles  of 
nets,  employing  twenty-eight  men  on  their  own  boats. 
It  works  by  contract  twelve  other  steam  tugs  and  gaso- 
line motor  boats  on  which  they  employ  eighty-four 
hands.  They  own  their  cold  storage,  packing  and 
fish  houses,  employing  in  these  forty  hands.  Their 
catch  averages  1,200  tons  annually  and  is  shipped 
into  the  states  of  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio, 
Massachusetts,  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  Missouri,  Mich- 
igan, Indiana,  Illinois,  Nebraska,  New  Jersey,  West 
Virginia  and  Maryland.  During  the  busy  season  they 
employ  162  men  and  their  pay-roll  exceeds  $107,000 
annually.  Politically  Mr.  Desmond  is  a  Democrat.  He 
is  3  director  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  his 
fraternal  affiliations  are  with  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks,  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  Dun- 
kHrk  Club,  C.  and  B.  A.  He  is  a  member  of  St.  Mary's 
Roman   Catholic   Church. 

Mr.  Desmond  married  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Mary, 
daughter  of  Cornelius  and  Margaret  (Darcy)  Corcoran, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  three  children  :  Margaret, 
at  home;  John,  married  Lucile  Frey,  and  they  have  two 
children,  William  and  Lamar;  Timothy  Joseph,  Jr., 
married  Irene  Findley.  All  these  children  were  edu- 
cated in  Dunkirk.  Mrs.  Desmond,  who  was  a  devoted 
wife  and  mother,  passed  away  April  15,  1919. 

Cornelius  William  Desmond,  son  of  Timothy  and 
Ellen  (Harrigan)  Desmond,  and  brother  of  Timothy 
Joseph  Desmond,  was  born  in  Buffalo,  and  is  the 
partner  of  his  brother  in  the  Desmond  Coal  Company 
and  the  Desmond  Fisheries.  The  political  principles  of 
Mr.   Desmond  are  those  supported  by  the   Democratic 


^^o 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


party.  He  occupies  a  seat  in  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, and  affiliates  with  the  CathoHc  Benevolent 
Legion.  He  is  a  member  of  St.  Marj-'s  Roman  Catholic 
Church. 

Mr.  Desmond  married  .\gnes,  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Mar\-  Clear>-,  and  they  have  live  children  living, 
all  of  whom  were  educated  in  Dunkirk  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  two  eldest  who  received  their  educations 
in  Buffalo:  Thomas,  Elinor,  .-Vgnes,  Elizabeth,  and 
Margaret.     One  child.  Mary,  is  deceased. 

The  great  business  which  these  two  brothers  now 
successfully  conduct  had  a  small  beginning,  but  has  been 
gradually  built  up  by  their  combined  talent  and  aggress- 
iveness to  its  present  large  proportions.  Their  record 
is  of  \-alue  to  their  descendants  and  this,  together  with 
the  fact  that  it  contains  a  salutary  lesson  for  young  men 
starting  in  life,  should  insure  its  careful  preservation. 


MORRIS  HENRY  STIMSON— Technical  lines 
have  always  claimed  Mr.  Stimson,  and  his  active  life 
has  been  spent  in  connection  with  manufacturing  enter- 
prises in  the  Middle  West  and  in  the  East.  Since  1913 
he  has  been  associated  with  Chautauqua  county  in  the 
capacity  of  general  manager  of  the  United  States  Radi- 
ator Corporation. 

Morris  Henrj'  Stimson  was  bom  in  Cadillac,  Mich., 
Aug.  3,  1S79,  son  of  Warren  B.  and  Gertrude  (Beards- 
lee^  Stimson.  He  received  his  elementary  education  in 
the  schools  of  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  and  upon  graduat- 
ing from  the  local  high  school  in  1900,  he  attended  the 
University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor.  Here  he  took 
a  course  in  mechanical  engineering,  and  was  .graduated 
with  the  degrees  of  Mechanical  Engineer  and  Bachelor 
of  Science  in  1904.  This  was  supplemented  by  an 
apprenticeship  at  the  Detroit  plant  of  the  American 
Radiator  Company  until  1908,  when  he  became  factory 
manager  of  the  Detroit  Steel  Products  Company,  which 
position  he  held  until  1910.  The  ne.xt  three  years  he 
was  engaged  as  manager  of  plants  numbers  three  and 
fifteen  for  the  Buick  Motor  Car  Company,  at  Flint, 
Mich.  In  1913  he  accepted  his  present  position  of 
general  manager  of  the  United  States  Radiator  Cor- 
poration. In  no  small  measure  has  the  growth  of  this 
concern  been  due  to  Mr.  Stimson's  tireless  industry  and 
energy.  His  training  qualified  him  for  carrying  on  a 
large  enterprise,  and  his  close  application  to  the  busi- 
ness of  this  firm  has  given  him  remarkable  success. 
His  position  demands  the  service  of  one  whose  ability  is 
of  high  order,  and  whose  well-balanced  forces  are 
manifest  in  sound  judgment  and  in  ready  and  rapid 
understanding  of  any  problem  that  may  be  presented 
for  solution.  He  is  a  member  of  the  .American  Society 
of  Mechanical  Engineers,  and  of  the  Psi  Upsilon  fra- 
ternity, also  Sigma  Xi.  Mr.  Stimson  is  also  a  prominent 
man  in  the  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

Mr.  Stims<-jn  married,  April  24,  I'x^S.  at  Grand  Rapids, 
Mich.,  Helen  Methcnay,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
two  children:  Bettey  Bradford,  now  attending  State 
Normal  School  at  Fredonia;    and  F'atricia  Warren. 

CHARLES  ANDREW  STUDLEY— A  vrteran  in 
year^  and  in  business  expf-ri'-nce,  anrl  one  of  the  com- 
paratively few  who  "followed  the  flag"  to  the  battle 
field*   of   the    South   in    1S62,   Mr.   Studley  after   many, 


many  years  of  life  in  other  states  returned  to  his  native 
New  York,  and  in  1919  permanently  located  in  the 
village  of  Fredonia,  Chautauqua  county.  His  years  of 
residence  in  the  West  brought  him  a  competence,  and 
in  acquiring  it  he  brought  under  cultivation  a  large  tract 
of  prairie  land  which  the  plow  of  the  white  man  had 
never  before  turned.  His  military  service  was  with 
the  troops  of  a  Western  State,  and  his  recollections 
of  the  three  years'  service  with  those  men  are  the  most 
cherished  of  his  life.  Now  nearing  octogenarian  honors, 
Mr.  Studley  is  enjoying  the  rewards  of  a  lifetime  of 
energetic,  well  directed  effort,  and  is  as  keenly  interested 
in  the  trend  of  public  events  as  though  his  years  were 
of  little  weight.  He  is  a  descendant  of  an  ancient 
Puritan  family  of  Massachusetts,  his  branch  of  the 
Studley  family  settling  in  Western  New  York. 

His  father,  Philemon  Studley,  was  a  farmer  in  Cattar- 
augus county.  N.  Y.,  but  later  moved  with  his  family  to 
Dunkirk  in  Chautauqua  county,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
various  occupations  during  the  remaining  active  years 
of  his  life.  He  lived  for  a  time  in  Gowanda,  and  died  in 
Dayton.  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.  Philemon  Studley 
married  Elmira  Starks,  who  died  in  Dunkirk  and  is 
buried  in  Forest  Hill  Cemetery,  Fredonia.  They  were 
the  parents  of  five  children:  David,  who  like  his  brother 
served  in  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  War ;  Mary, 
married  Marion  Guest;  Charles  Andrew,  of  further 
mention;  Maria,  married  Levant  Darby;  Marion,  a 
resident  of  Cassadaga,  Chautauqua  county. 

Charles  A.  Studley  was  born  at  Springville,  Erie 
county,  N.  Y.,  March  13,  1842,  but  when  young  his 
parents  moved  to  Dunkirk,  where  he  obtained  a  public 
school  education.  He  remained  in  Dunkirk  until  the 
age  of  nineteen,  then  went  to  Boone  county,  111.,  locat- 
ing at  Garden  Prairie,  where  he  engaged  as  a  farm 
employee  for  one  year.  In  1862  he  enlisted  at  Belvidere, 
III.,  in  Company  B,  95th  Regiment,  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  his  company  commander.  Captain  Loop,  his 
regimental  chief.  Colonel  Humphrey.  He  was  in  the 
service  three  years  and  took  part  in  several  severe 
battles  and  many  skirmishes  and  minor  engagements, 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  corporal,  and  at  the  close 
of  the  war  was  mustered  out  with  an  honorable  dis- 
charge at  Springfield,  III. 

After  the  war,  Mr.  Studley  spent  seventeen  years  in 
the  Pennsylvania  oil  fields,  locating  at  Oil  City.  He  was 
not  one  of  the  successful  oil  operators  and  finally  closed 
out  his  business  and  went  West,  locating  in  North 
Dakota,  where  he  bought  and  "homesteaded"  850  acres 
of  prairie  land  in  Benson  county.  This  tract  he  made 
valuable  by  cultivation  and  extensive  improvements, 
residing  thereon  for  thirty-five  years,  and  becoming  one 
of  the  prosperous  wheat  growers  of  that  section.  In 
1906  he  l>egan  coming  East  to  spend  his  winters, 
choosing  Fredonia  as  his  residence.  This  practice  he 
continued  until  1919,  when  he  sold  his  farms  and  other 
property  in  North  Dakota  and  made  Fredonia  his 
ficrmancnt  residence.  He  is  a  member  of  Holt  Post, 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  of  Fredonia;  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church,  the  Masonic  order,  and  in  politics 
a  I\ei)ulilican. 

Mr.  Studley  married  (first)  Loretta  Baxter,  who  died 
in  North  Dakota,  leaving  three  children:  Ida,  married 
Clarke  Higgins;  Nellie,  married  David  Robertson,  and 


t^.(^^LJi^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


331 


resides  in  North  Dakota;  Jennie,  married  Barney 
Speiglor,  and  resides  in  North  Dakota.  Mr.  Studley 
married  (second)  Kathrine  (Zink)  Turrell,  born  in 
Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  Leon  and  Josephine 
(Von  Hatton)  Zink,  and  widow  of  Eh  Turrell.  Mrs. 
Studley  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


REV.  WILLIAM  L.  HYDE  was  born  in  Bath, 
Me..  Dec.  27,  iSio,  a  son  of  Captain  Henry  and  Maria 
(Hyde)  Hyde.  He  received  his  education  in  Bowdoin 
College,  Brunswick,  Me.,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1842.  In  1849  he  completed  his  course 
in  theology  and  was  ordained  a  minister  in  the  Congre- 
gational church,  and  for  seven  years  acted  as  pastor  of 
that  denomination  at  Gardner,  Me. 

In  1856  Mr.  Hyde  removed  to  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  was  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  until  1862, 
when  he  was  commissioned  chaplain  of  the  112th  Regi- 
ment (the  Chautauqua  County  Regiment),  New  York 
State  \'olunteers,  and  remained  in  that  station  until  the 
close  of  the  Civil  War.  One  year  later  Mr.  Hyde 
removed  from  Dunkirk  to  Ripley,  where  he  remamed 
until  1871  as  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  the 
following  three  years  was  pastor  of  the  church  of  that 
denomination  in  Sherman,  N.  Y.  In  1874  he  removed  to 
Ovid,  Seneca  county,  N.  Y.,  where  for  the  ensuing  ten 
years  he  held  the  position  of  principal  of  the  high  school. 
In  1884  he  came  to  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  where  he  remained  until  his  demise  in  1896,  at  first 
teaching  a  private  school  and  later  doing  editorial  work 
on  the  Jamestown  "Journal,"  and  serving  as  supply 
clergyman  in  various  pulpits  in  the  city  and  vicinity. 

While  living  at  Ripley  he  wrote  and  published  the 
"History  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twelfth  Regiment," 
recognized  as  one  of  the  most  accurate  and  valuable  of 
all  the  histories  of  New  York  State  regiments. 
Throughout  his  residence  in  Jamestown,  Mr.  Hyde  was 
chaplain  of  James  M.  Brown  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  and  in  1896  was  elected  chaplain  of  the  Grand 
Encampment,  Department  of  New  York,  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic,  and  was  honorary  chaplain  of  the 
Thirteenth  Separate  Company,  National  Guard,  State 
of  New  York,  Jamestown,  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 
He  was  a  companion  of  the  Military  Order  of  the  Loyal 
Legion.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the  Chautauqua 
County  Society  of  History  and  Natural  Science.  In 
the  Chautauqua  Institution  he  took  a  great  interest  and 
presented  to  the  institution  a  library  of  theological 
works. 

On  May  4,  1852,  Mr.  Hyde  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Frances  Elizabeth  Rice,  who  was  born  in 
Wiscasset.  Me.,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Rice.  To  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  Hyde  were  born  the  following  children:  I. 
Henry  Warren,  who  resides  in  Denver,  Colo.  2.  Wallace 
E.,  who  died  in  infancy.  3.  Frederick  William,  whose 
biographical  record  follows  this.  They  also  had  an 
adopted  daughter,  Elizabeth  Clover,  who  married  San- 
ford  C.  Meddick,  and  resides  at  Ovid,  N.  Y.  Mrs. 
Hyde's  demise  occurred  at  her  home  in  Jamestown, 
N.  v..  May  17,  1892. 


Hyde  received  his  early  education  in  the  district  schools 
of  this  county,  and  later  attended  the  high  school  at 
Ovid,  N.  Y.  After  a  one-year  course  of  study  at  the 
Fredonia  Normal  School,  he  entered  the  store  of  Levant 
L.  Mason,  in  Jamestown,  and  served  a  four  years 
apprenticeship  at  the  watchmaker  and  jeweler's  trade, 
at  which  he  worked  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  for  a  time. 
In  1879  he  returned  from  Cleveland  and  entered  the 
business  offices  of  the  Jamestown  "Journal,"  and  soon 
after  became  a  reporter  on  that  newspaper.  Later  he 
became  successively,  news  editor  and  managing  editor, 
which  later  position  he  continued  to  hold  until  1905- 
He  is  a  director  of  the  Journal  Printing  Company.  He 
served  nearly  twelve  years  in  the  Jamestown  Fire 
Department  as  a  member  of  Ellicott  Hook  and  Ladder 
Company ;  for  seven  years  served  in  Company  E,  65th 
Infantry,  National  Guard,  of  which  he  was  captain;  and 
during  the  Spanish-American  War  he  was  captain  of 
the  United  States  Volunteers  and  was  honorably  dis- 
charged from  the  army  in  1898.  During  the  World 
War  he  was  a  major  in  the  74th  Infantry,  New  York 
Guard.  He  was  an  officer  of  the  National  Chautauqua 
County  Bank  from  1905  to  1918;  later,  treasurer  of  the 
Dahlstrom  Metallic  Door  Company,  and  since  Jan.  I, 
1919,  has  held  the  position  of  secretary  of  the  National 
Bank  Section  of  the  .American  Bankers  Association 
with  offices  in  New  York  and  Washington. 

For  twenty  years  Major  Hyde  served  as  a  clerk  of 
the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Chautauqua  county. 
During  the  legislative  term  in  1903  and  1904,  he  was 
index  clerk  of  the  State  Assembly.  In  politics  he  has 
always  been  and  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
various  Masonic  bodies,  is  a  member  of  the  .\rmy  and 
Navy  Club  in  New  York  City,  City  Club  of  Washington, 
D.  C.,  Rotary  Club,  and  Chadakoin  Club  of  Jamestown. 

On  Aug.  21,  1894,  Major  Hyde  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Carrie  Joie  Jones,  a  daughter  of  Sidney  Jones, 
whose  biography  follows.  To  this  union  were  born 
on  Dec.  25,  1896,  twin  daughters,  of  whom  Carolyn 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  Gale  L.  Cheney,  of  Youngstown, 
Ohio,  survives. 


MAJOR    FREDERICK   WILLIAM    HYDE   was 

born   in  Dunkirk,   N.  Y.,  Feb.  21,   1858,  a  son  of  Rev. 
William  L.  Hyde,  whose  biography  precedes  this.   Major 


SIDNEY  JONES— In  the  proud  list  of  her  citizens 
known  and  honored  throughout  the  business  world  for 
stability,  integrity,  and  fair  dealing,  Jamestown  and 
Chautauqua  county  have  no  cause  to  be  other  than  satis- 
fied with  the  record  of  that  prominent  merchant,  Sidney 
Jones.  The  methods  by  which  he  had  attained  the  high 
position  which  he  held  in  the  estimation  of  his  fellow- 
men  well  attested  his  qualities  of  mind  and  heart ;  he 
was  courageous,  cheerful,  clear  of  judgment,  alert  to 
opportunity,  and  untiring  in  labor. 

Sidney  Jones  was  born  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  July  27, 
1823,  the  youngest  child  and  seventh  son  of  Solomon 
and  Clarissa  (Hayward)  Jones.  His  father.  Solomon 
Jones,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Chautauqua 
county,  coming  from  Wardsboro,  Vt.,  and  making  his 
home  in  Kiantone  in  November,  1810,  later  removing  to 
a  place  on  the  Chautauqua  outlet,  about  two  miles  north 
of  Jamestown,  to  which  the  name  of  Jones'  Landing 
was  given,  now  Clifton.  His  later  years  were  spent  in 
Jamestown,  his  house  on  East  Fourth  street  standing 
on  the  site  of  the  residence  now  owned  and  occupied  by 
Sheldon  B.  Broadhead  (1904).    To  Solomon  Jones  and 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


his  wife  were  born  fourteen  children,  of  whom  thirteen 
reached  maturity.  His  death  occurred  at  his  home  in 
Jamestown.  Aug.  2.  1S62. 

Sidney  Jones  received  his  early  education  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  of  his  native  town,  and  in  the  Jamestown 
Academy.  After  completing  his  studies.  Mr.  Jones 
took  up  the  mercantile  business.  At  one  time  Mr. 
Jones  owned  a  grist  mill  at  Dexterville  (now  East 
Jamestown'),  but  later  abandoned  this  business,  and  again 
took  up  mercantile  pursuits.  .\t  different  times.  Mr. 
Jones  had  as  partners  in  his  business.  E.  C.  Bailey, 
James  P.  Clarke,  and  Charles  H.  Howard.  Mr.  Jones 
retired  in  1SQ4.  and  on  Jan.  7.  iQoS.  his  death  occurred 
at  his  home  in  Jamestown,  and  he  is  buried  in  Lakeview 
Cemetery. 

Politically  Mr.  Jones  was  a  stanch  Republican,  and 
though  he  never  sought  for  office,  when  it  was  offered 
him  as  an  expression  of  faith  and  trust  placed  in  him 
by  his  fellow-citizens,  he  accepted  and  gave  to  his  city 
and  county  the  best  of  his  ability.  Mr.  Jones  was 
elected  county  clerk  in  1861.  and  in  that  capacity  served 
a  term  of  three  years.  He  also  served  on  the  Board  of 
Education  of  the  Jamestown  public  schools  for  many 
years.  In  religious  affiliation  Mr.  Jones  was  a  member 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church. 

On  Oct.  20,  1862.  at  Leicester.  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Jones  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Anna  S.  Dickey,  whose  death 
occurred  June  I,  1900.  To  this  union  were  born  two 
daughters :  Emma  C,  born  Dec.  23.  1863,  married 
William  Archie  Kent,  of  Prescott,  Ariz. ;  and  Carrie 
Joie.  born  July  9.  1S65.  who  married  Frederick  William 
Hyde,  whose  biography  precedes  this. 

No  element  of  the  city's  growth  and  improvement 
sought  Mr.  Jones'  aid  in  ^'ain.  He  stood  for  advance- 
ment in  public  as  well  as  in  private  affairs,  and  the 
same  qualities  which  made  him  a  prominent  figure  in 
business  circles  made  him  a  citizen  whose  loyalty  and 
support  were  always  to  be  counted  upon.  His  en- 
tire life,  with  the  exception  of  three  years  spent  in 
Mayville,  was  spent  in  Jamestown,  and  those  who 
knew  him.  and  his  friends  were  numerous,  entertained 
for  him  the  warmest  regard.  His  life  was  in  large 
measure  an  exemplification  of  his  beliefs  in  the  brother- 
hood of  mankind.  He  had  never  allowed  questionable 
methods  to  form  part  of  his  business  career,  while  over 
his  official  life  there  fell  no  shadow  of  wrong  or  sus- 
picion of  evil.  Kindliness  and  appreciation  for  the 
good  traits  of  others  have  constituted  the  salient 
features  in  his  career,  and  his  life  illustrates  the  fact 
of  the  Emersonian  philosophy  that — "to  make  a  friend 
you  must  be  a  friend." 


FRANK  ANTHONY  OGNIBENE,  M.  D.— In 
1807.  I  Jr.  Ognibene  first  came  to  I'Vcdonia.  .\'.  Y..  he 
then  a  boy  of  six  years,  accompanying  his  parents,  Ross 
and  Rosalia  (Randazza)  Ognibene,  who  in  that  year 
moved  from  Buffalo  to  Frcdonia,  and  there  both  yet 
reside  Civio).  While  yet  a  boy,  Dr.  OKnibc-ne  deter- 
mined upon  his  choice  of  a  profession  and  he  never 
lost  sii{ht  of  his  goal,  although  he  was  obliged  to  help 
finance  his  own  medical  education.  ,\fter  obtaining 
hik  M.  D.,  he  did  not  at  once  locate  in  Frcdonia,  and 
il    vas  not  until   March,    1919,  that   he   returned   to  his 


old  home  where  he  is  building  up  a  fine  reputation  and 
practice  as   physician  and  surgeon. 

Frank  A.  Ognibene  was  born  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  7, 
1S91.  but  came  to  Fredonia  in  1897  and  there  completed 
the  courses  of  study  furnished  by  the  grammar  and 
high  schools.  He  then  entered  Fredonia  State  Normal 
School,  pursuing  the  classical  course  to  graduation  with 
the  class  of  loio.  Through  the  financial  assistance  of 
his  sister,  Josephine,  he  was  enabled  to  enter  the  medical 
department  of  the  University  of  Buffalo,  and  in  that 
way,  with  that  which  he  was  able  to  personally  earn, 
the  course  was  financed.  He  was  graduated  M.  D., 
class  of  1914.  and  for  one  year  he  served  as  interne  in 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  after  spending  three  years  in 
Amsterdam  returned  to  Fredonia  and  is  building  up  a 
good  practice  among  his  old  friends  and  townsmen. 
He  served  the  city  as  health  officer.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Dunkirk-Fredonia  Medical  Society,  Chautauqua 
County  Medical  Society,  New  York  State  Medical 
Society,  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  and  the  Knights 
of  Columbus.     In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

Dr.  Ognibene  married.  Nov.  28.  1916.  Sarah  Guarino, 
of  Buffalo.  They  have  a  son,  Frank  Anthony,  Jr.,  born 
in  Amsterdam,  N.  Y.,  March  14.  1918. 

Dr.  Ognibene  has  two  brothers,  Samuel  and  Peter, 
residing  with  their  parents  in  Fredonia ;  a  sister 
Josephine,  a  teacher  in  Buffalo  schools ;  and  four  other 
sisters ;  Minnie,  Mary,  Jennie,  and  Lucy,  residing  at 
home. 


DAVID  JOSIAH  CLARK  belongs  to  that  class 
of  citizens  who,  undemonstrative  and  unassuming  in 
their  natures,  form  the  character  of  the  community  in 
which  they  live.  Mr.  Clark  has  devoted  his  entire  life 
to  the  lumber  industry,  and  though  he  has  engaged  in 
many  other  enterprises  he  has  always  reverted  to  his 
original  business.  Mr.  Clark,  who  is  now  living  retired, 
is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War  and  a  pioneer  in  the 
lumber  industry  of  Chautauqua  county.  He  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Poland,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  April 
8,  1838,  a  son  of  Joseph  Clark. 

Joseph  Clark  (grandfather)  lived  in  Otsego  county, 
N.  Y.,  near  Schuyler  Lake,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
agricultural  business.  He  married  Hannah  Wallace, 
and  among  their  children  was  Joseph,  of  whom  further. 

Joseph  Clark  (father)  was  born  in  Otsego  county,  N. 
v.,  on  his  father's  farm,  July  4,  181 1.  There  he  attended 
the  district  schools  of  that  time,  and  after  finishing  his 
education  he  assisted  his  father  upon  the  farm.  Later 
he  decided  to  strike  out  for  himself  in  the  business 
world  and  accordingly  journeyed  to  Chautauqua  county 
on  foot,  a  distance  of  some  30a  miles.  Arriving  in  Poland 
township  he  found  employment  with  Nicholas  DoUph, 
a  lumber  man  of  some  proiriinence,  and  with  him 
remained  for  nearly  seven  years,  receiving  $13  a  month 
with  his  room  board  and  laundry  for  his  work.  How- 
ever, desiring  to  engage  in  business  for  himself,  he 
bought  large  tracts  of  land  in  Poland  and  adjoining 
townships  and  also  succeeded  in  buying  more  timber 
lands  in  Cattaraugus  county.  He  cut  the  timber  and 
rafted  it  down  the  Allegheny  river  to  Pittsburgh  and 
down  the  Ohio  river  to  Louisville,  where  he  soon  found 
a  market  for  it.    Not  satisfied  with  the  progress  he  was 


£:^-^L.<iJt<M^  (a    ^ 


TkP 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


333 


making  in  the  lumber  industry  he  conceived  the  idea 
of  keeping  a  hotel  as  another  means  of  increasing  his 
business  interests.  This  he  did,  keeping  a  hotel  first  at 
Levant,  which  was  known  as  the  Levant  Hotel,  for  seven 
years,  later  moving  to  Mud  Creek  Corners,  where  they 
located  a  post  office  and  they  called  it  Clark's  Corners. 
Here  he  managed  the  A.  H.  Phillips  Hotel,  continuing 
in  this  occupation  for  nearly  ten  years.  During  this 
time  Mr.  Clark  had  increased  his  land  holdings  until  he 
was  the  owner  of  about  700  acres  of  the  best  timber 
land  in  Chautauqua  count)',  and  after  giving  up  the  hotel 
business  he  engaged  in  the  cattle  raising  and  agricultural 
business  and  continued  in  this  until  his  death  which 
occurred  at  his  home  in  Clark's  Corners,  Oct.  22,  1876. 
Mr.  Clark  died  while  still  in  the  prime  of  life  and  his 
death  was  sincerely  mourned  by  his  family  and  many 
friends  throughout  Chautauqua  county.  He  is  buried 
in  Myrtle  Cemetery,  Poland  township,  N.  Y.  Politically 
Mr.  Clark  was  a  Whig  until  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  party,  of  which  he  was  a  staunch  upholder, 
though  he  never  cared  for  office.  In  religious  affiliation 
Mr.  Clark  was  a  Universalist  and  he  and  his  family 
were  prominent  in  the  church  of  that  denomination  at 
Kennedy,  N.  Y.  This  was  built  as  a  union  church,  but 
the  different  denominations  did  not  agree  and  it  was 
sold  to  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  Church. 

On  July  14,  1833,  at  Dolphville,  in  the  township  of 
Poland,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Clark  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Abigail  Hitchcock,  who  was  bom  Dec. 
26,  1819.  in  Poland  township,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
a  daughter  of  John  Hitchcock.  Mrs.  Clark's  death 
occurred  Feb.  29,  1898,  and  she  is  buried  beside  her 
husband  in  Myrtle  Cemetery,  Poland  township.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Clark  were  bom  nine  children,  as  follows : 
I.  Joseph  L.,  bom  Oct.  21.  1835;  he  was  a  hotel  land- 
lord and  lived  in  Chautauqua  and  Cattaraugus  counties, 
N.  Y.  2.  David  Josiah,  of  whom  further.  3.  Joel  B., 
born  Aug.  5,  1840;  he  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War, 
in  Company  A,  112th  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry,  a 
farmer,  and  died  at  Clark's  Corners.  4.  Caroline 
Melinda,  bom  Nov.  13,  1842;  she  married  Louis  Rush, 
and  died  at  Fluvanna,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  5. 
Egbert  R.,  born  March  13.  1845;  resides  in  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.,  and  is  engaged  in  the  railroad  business  with  the 
Erie  railroad.  6.  Samuel  A.,  born  Sept.  13,  1847;  died  at 
Clark's  Corners,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  7.  Hannah 
E..  born  July  21,  1850;  married  Revell  Parks  and  died  at 
Clark's  Corners.  8.  Abigail  A.,  born  Nov.  12,  1853,  died 
at  Clark's  Corners  in  early  girlhood.  9.  Clyne  A.,  born 
March  14,  1863 ;  is  residing  in  the  State  of  Washington 
and  is  engaged  in  the  lumber  business. 

David  Josiah  Clark  obtained  his  early  education  in 
the  district  schools  of  Poland  township.  After  complet- 
ing his  education  he  assisted  his  father  in  the  lumber 
business,  making  his  first  trip  on  a  raft  down  the  river 
at  the  age  of  seventeen.  He  continued  in  business  with 
his  father,  making  as  many  as  three  trips  down  the 
river  with  rafts,  until  the  Civil  War  was  declared.  He 
enlisted  Aug.  2,  1862,  in  Company  A.  112th  New  York 
Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Colonel  J.  C.  Drake  and 
Captain  John  F.  Smith.  He  served  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  being  discharged  with  honorable  mention  from 
Washington,  D.  C,  for  bravery  under  fire  at  Raleigh, 
N.  C,  being  mustered  out  of  service  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y., 


July  I,  1865.  Mr.  Clark  participated  in  nearly  every 
battle  that  his  company  engaged  in  and  was  mentioned 
twice  for  bravery.  He  was  in  the  hospital  for  four 
months  with  fever  during  the  year  1863,  but  rejoined  his 
regiment  and  fought  with  them  until  the  close  of  the 
war. 

After  returning  from  the  war  he  purchased  from 
his  father  about  250  acres  of  farm  land  and  for  some 
time  engaged  in  the  agricultural  business,  but  finding 
this  occupation"  rather  slow  and  not  suited  to  his  liking 
he  sold  back  his  land  to  his  father  and  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  for  himself,  rafting  it  down  the  river  to 
the  markets  in  Pittsburgh  and  Louisville.  Later  he  took 
up  lumber  contracting,  delivering  the  logs  to  the  saw 
mills.  Mr.  Clark  was  for  some  time  engaged  in  this 
business  for  M.  L.  Fenton  &  Company,  both  in  Chau- 
tauqua county  and  South  Valley  township.  Cattaraugus 
county,  N.  Y.  Later  he  engaged  in  the  same  line  of 
work  for  Lyman  Mason,  another  well  known  lumber- 
man of  the  Chautauqua  county  region,  and  was  with  him 
for  four  years,  when  he  went  with  the  Wheeler  & 
Scudder,  lumber  manufacturers  in  South  Valley,  Cattar- 
augus county,  N.  Y.,  and  continued  working  for  them 
for  nearly  five  years.  Returning  to  Poland  township, 
Mr.  Clark  bought  the  Cold  Water  Creamery  and  was 
for  some  time  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  grade 
butter.  Seven  years  later  he  settled  in  Falconer  and 
with  his  son-in-law,  P.  B.  Waite,  conducted  the  Linden 
House  for  seven  years  under  the  name  of  Clark  & 
Waite.  In  1907  he  gave  up  the  hotel  business  and  since 
then  has  lived  retired,  making  his  home  in  Falconer, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Clark  is  a  member  of 
the  H.  C.  Sturdevant  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
at  Kennedy,  N.  Y.,  and  is  also  a  prominent  member  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  I\Ir.  Clark  has 
filled  all  the  offices  of  both  these  organizations. 

On  Nov.  II,  1857,  Mr.  Clark  married  (first)  Susan 
Wheeler,  daughter  of  John  and  Julia  (Love)  Wheeler. 
Mrs.  Clark's  death  occurred  July  27,  1864,  at  Clark's 
Corners,  and  she  is  buried  in  Myrtle  Cemetery,  Poland 
township,  N.  Y.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  were  born 
two  children,  as  follows:  i.  Alfred,  who  died  in  infancy. 
2.  David  Josiah.  Jr..  born  April  25,  1863:  received  his 
early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Poland  township 
and  Jamestown  public  school;  taught  four  years  in  the 
public  school  at  Falconer,  and  is  now  engaged  in  teach- 
ing; resides  at  Stillwater,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Clark  married 
(second)  Sept.  24,  1865,  Coralinn  Hunt,  born  at  Clark's 
Comers,  Aug.  7,  1848,  daughter  of  Henry  N.  and 
Cynthia  M.  (Ives)  Hunt.  To  this  union  was  born  one 
child,  Bernice  M.,  who  became  the  wife  of  P.  B.  Waite; 
they  are  the  parents  of  one  child ;  they  reside  in  James- 
town,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  Clark  is  an  intense  lover  of  the  out-door  world 
and  particularly  enjoys  life  in  the  woods  whither  his 
business  so  often  led  him,  delighting  to  fish  and  hunt 
and  being  very  expert  in  both  these  sports.  He  was 
an  unusually  good  athlete  and  spent  as  much  of  his 
spare  time  as  possible  in  pursuit  of  such  pleasures, 
the  wholesome  character  of  which  no  doubt  accounts 
for  the  excellent  health  which  he  has  enjoyed  through- 
out his  entire  life.  A  man  of  unbounded  generosity, 
gentle  and  genial  in  his  nature,  Mr.  Clark  has  gath- 
ered   around    him    a    circle    of    admiring    friends    who 


334 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


feel  honored  by  his  friendship  and  proud  of  his  suc- 
cess in  life.  His  heart  is  ever  in  sympathy  with  the 
unfortunate  and  his  hand  ever  ready  to  contribute  to 
the  alleviation  of  distress.  His  life  is  a  happy  illustra- 
tion of  the  honor  and  rewards  of  business  fidelity  and 
industrj-,  when  combined  with  high  principles  and  un- 
sweri-ing  honesty.  As  a  business  man  his  character  is 
unimpeacliable  and  unclouded,  and  he  adhered  with 
staunch  consistency  to  sound,  conservative  and  unques- 
tionable methods.  His  name  is  known  among  the  highest 
circles  of  the  business  world  as  that  of  a  man  who  can 
be  trusted,  and  with  whom  it  was  a  satisfaction  to 
transact  business.  His  life  teaches  the  old  and  ever 
valuable  lesson  that  success  comes  only  through  tireless 
industry,  guided  by  a  singleness  of  purpose.  It 
emphasizes  also  the  priceless  value  of  unswerving  loyalty 
to  right,  and  the  assured  rewards  of  exemplary  living. 


THEODORE  D.  HANCHETT— Self-made  in  the 

truest  sense  of  the  word,  successful  in  his  business 
undertakings  and  aims,  the  career  of  T.  D.  Hanchett 
is  an  apt  illustration  of  the  value  of  character  in  the 
determining  of  the  measure  of  success  possible  to 
attain.  One  of  Jamestown's  native  sons,  and  through 
his  long  connection  with  the  manufacturing  business 
one  of  her  best  known  manufacturers,  educated  in  the 
public  schools,  trained  in  business  methods  by  James- 
town manufacturers  and  in  business  in  that  city  until 
his  death,  he  was  emphatically  a  Jamestown  man,  a  true 
representative  of  that  city,  her  institutions  and  her 
citizenship.  Industry,  thrift  and  perseverance  marked 
his  way  through  life,  and  to  these  qualities  he  added 
business  ability  of  high  order  and  an  honesty  of  purpose 
that  enabled  him  to  avoid  those  business  and  moral  pit- 
falls that  abound  in  a  large  city  to  trap  the  unwary. 
He  began  life  in  a  career  of  his  own  choosing,  and 
during  his  years  of  service  for  others  gained  the  capital 
and  e.xperience  with  which  he  later  entered  his  own 
business.  He  was  an  energetic  worker  and  devoted  to 
his  work,  but  when  his  day's  labor  was  done  his  own 
fireside  claimed  him,  and  there  most  of  his  hours  "off 
dutj"  were  spent.  He  was  most  hospitable,  loved  to 
entertain  in  his  own  home  his  friends  in  social  games 
and  enlivening  conversation,  finding  in  such  intercourse 
the  keen  enjoyment  that  flows  from  a  charitable  heart. 

No  man  attained  higher  reputation  than  he  for  honor- 
able dealing,  and  in  the  business  world  his  friends  were 
many.  His  promises  or  statements  could  always  be 
relied  upon,  for  he  held  his  word  sacred,  and  his  excel- 
lent business  judgment  often  enabled  others  to  profit  as 
well  as  himself.  He  gave  close  attention  to  the  details 
of  his  large  business,  never  dividing  his  energy,  but 
holding  closely  to  the  one  line  of  commercial  activity  he 
had  chosen  as  his,  that  of  manufacturer.  Neither  did 
ht  seek  to  hold  public  office  nor  allow  fads  or  amuse- 
ments to  distract  his  mind  from  the  great  business  of 
life,  yet  he  was  intensely  public-spirited,  every  ready  and 
willing  to  aid  a  good  cause. 

Theodore  D.  Hanchett  was  born  in  Chautauqua 
county,  X.  Y.,  Nov.  4,  1X47,  a  son  of  William  and 
Eveline  Hanchett.  He  came  to  Jamestown  when  but 
one  year  old  with  his  parents,  and  to  the  public  schools 
of  this  city  is  he  indebted  for  his  early  education.  Later 
however,  he  t'xik  a  course  of  study  in  the  Jamestown 


Academy,  and  after  graduating  from  this  institution  in 
iSOi,  he  entered  the  employ  of  Allen  &  Grandin.  He 
remained  with  this  firm  for  one  year,  but  being  offered 
a  better  position  with  the  Breed-Johnson  Furniture 
Company,  resigned  and  entered  their  employ.  In  1883 
he  entered  the  employ  of  Shearman  Brothers,  lounge 
manufacturers,  as  foreman  of  the  woodworking  depart- 
ment, a  position  which  he  held  for  five  years,  when  he 
left  to  assist  in  the  formation  of  the  Jamestown  Lounge 
Company.  On  Jan.  i,  1SS8,  Mr.  Hanchett,  with  Lynn 
F.  Cornell,  Arthur  H.  Greenlund,  and  the  late  Hurley  L. 
Philipps,  formed  the  Jamestown  Lounge  Company, 
which  was  gradually  developed  into  one  of  the  largest 
manufacturing  industries  of  the  city.  The  .firm  continued 
as  a  copartnership  until  Dec.  11,  1899,  when  the  com- 
pany was  changed  to  a  corporation  with  the  following 
officers:  H.  L.  Philipps,  president;  T.  D.  Hanchett,  vice- 
president;  A.  H.  Greenlund,  second  vice-president;  L. 
F.  Cornell,  secretary  and  treasurer.  In  1904  Mr.  Han- 
chett was  elected  president  and  held  that  office  until  he 
retired  from  the  lounge  business  in  1913,  but  at  the  time 
of  his  death  was  president  of  the  Pearl  City  Veneer 
Company. 

Mr.  Hanchett  was  united  in  marriage  with  Charlotte 
R.  Lamson,  July  10,  1872.  To  this  union  were  born  four 
children,  as  follows:  i.  Bertha  V.,  born  June  20,  1873. 
2,  Ralph  Theodore,  died  in  infancy.  3.  Donald  C,  who 
resides  at  home,  and  who  married  Caroline  L.  Stumpf, 
a  daughter  of  Henry  Stumpf,  a  well  known  resident  of 
this  city;  they  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Carolyn 
R.  4.  Lucie  R.,  born  March  11,  1890,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Marvin  N.  Gokey,  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and  the 
mother  of  one  child,  Robert  Marvin  Gokey. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Hanchett  generally  voted  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket,  but  he  wore  no  party  collar,  the  character 
of  a  candidate  and  not  a  party  emblem  determining  his 
vote.  He  was  also  popular  in  fraternal  circles  and  was 
a  member  of  the  various  Masonic  bodies,  including 
Mount  Moriah  Lodge,  No.  145,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  joining  in  1883,  and  serving  as  master  in  1892 
and  1893;  of  Western  Sun  Chapter,  No.  67,  Royal  Arch 
Masons,  serving  as  high  priest  in  1894  and  1895;  of 
Jamestown  Commandery,  No.  61,  Knights  Templar, 
serving  as  eminent  commander  in  1908;  and  of  Buffalo 
Consistory,  Ancient  Accepted  Scottish  Rite.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  Ismailia  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic 
Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  of  Buffalo.  Mr. 
Hanchett  and  his  family  were  also  members  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church,  they  being  prominent  in  all  its 
social  as  well  as  business  affairs.  Mr.  Hanchett  served 
as  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  for  many  years, 
and  was  loved  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 

Mr.  Hanchett  gave  of  his  best  to  his  City,  State  and 
Nation,  and  was  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  popular 
men  in  the  community  in  which  he  lived,  and  when  his 
death  occurred  Dec.  18,  1914,  it  left  a  gap  in  the  social 
world  as  well  as  the  business  world  that  cannot  be  filled. 
He  was  a  man  of  the  most  genial,  open  nature,  and 
that  sort  of  cheeriness  which  one  instinctively  feels  that 
it  flows  from  a  charitable  heart,  a  manly,  courageous 
and  gentle  heart.  It  has  been  said  of  him  by  a  friend 
that  people  turn  naturally  to  his  kindly,  sympathetic  per- 
sonality as  the  flowers  to  the  stmshine,  and  this  indeed 
is  ,-in  apt  illustration  of  the  manner  in  which  strangers 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


335 


were  impelled  to  make  his  acquaintance,  and  acquaint- 
ance was  speedily  turned  to  the  kind  of  friendship  that 
does  not  fail.  The  occupation  that  he  had  engaged  in 
brought  him  into  contact  with  a  great  number  of  men 
of  every  class  and  type,  and  acquainted  him  with  the 
motives  that  spring  from  human  nature  beyond  the 
range  of  many,  making  him  at  once  tolerant  of  his 
fellows  and  filling  his  memory  with  a  thousand  tales 
ever  at  his  tongue's  end,  which  made  his  a  most  delight- 
ful comrade.  His  home  life  too  was  ideal  and  he  proved 
himself  no  less  a  loving  husband  and  father  than  a 
true  friend,  a  good  neighbor  and  a  model  citizen.  The 
true  grief  of  his  fellow-citizens  at  his  death  is  shown  in 
the  following  editorial  which  appeared  in  the  Jamestown 
"Evening  Journal,"  Friday,  Dec.  i8,  1914: 

The  death  of  Theodore  D.  Hanchett,  which  occurred 
this  morning,  following  an  illness  of  some  months' 
duration  came  as  a  sorrow  to  the  business  community, 
and  to  the  people  of  the  community  generally  where 
he  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  activities  that  naturally 
attend  the  life  of  a  forceful  man  of  affairs. 

Mr  Hanchett  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the 
Jamestown  Lounge  Company,  more  than  twenty-five 
years  ago,  and  was  an  important  factor  in  that  manu- 
facturing plant  during  the  years  of  its  rise  from  a 
small  beginning  into  one  of  the  great  industries  of 
the  citv.  He  devoted  his  time  and  talents  unsparmgly 
to  its  'interests,  and  to  him  and  his  associates  came 
the  knowledge  and  satisfaction  of  achieving  more 
than  ordinary  success  in  the  strenuous  competition 
found  in  establishing  a  modern  manufacturing   indus- 

Alwavs  ready  to  do  his  part  in  that  which  had  for 
its  sole"  object  the  advancement  of  the  interests  of  his 
home  citv  or  its  people,  he  was  not  one  who  sought 
prominence  in  the  affairs  of  the  community.  Ready  at 
all  times  to  respond  to  the  call  of  duty  as  he  saw  it, 
he  had  no  desire  to  pose  as  a  leader  or  to  win  personal 
praise   for  that  which    he  did.  ,  ^^      ■^■ 

In  addition  to  his  attention  to  the  affairs  of  the  big 
establishment  with  which  he  was  concerned,  Mr.  Han- 
chett was  devoted  to  his  family,  to  his  church,  and  to 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  with  which  he  was  promi- 
nentlv  identified.  There  were  few  men  in  that  fra- 
ternity better  grounded  in  the  principles  of  !■  ree 
Masonrv  than  he.  He  believed  earnestly  in  its  teach- 
ings arid  exemplified  in  his  life  the  high  principles 
which  it  tries  to  inculcate  into  the  lives  of  all  its 
members.  He  had  been  master  of  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge, 
F  and  A  M..  high  priest  of  ^Vestern  Sun  Chapter.  R. 
a'  M,  eminent  commander  of  Jamestown  Commandery, 
Knights  Templar,  and  had  been  advanced  to  the  thirty- 
second  degree  in  the  mysteries  of  the  order.  He  was 
for  many  vears  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of 
the  First  Baptist  Church,  and  gave  freely  of  his  time 
and   support.  ,.       ..     * 

Such  men  as  Theodore  D.  Hanchett  are  an  honor  to 
the  communitv  in  which  they  live,  and  are  sincerely 
mourned  and  missed  when  they  depart.  They  live  to 
bless  and  to  build  up,  not  to  destroy  and  tear  down, 
and  the  citv  of  Jamestown  is  the  better  and  the  richer 
because  of'the  years  that  he  spent   here. 


FRANK  L.  KOLPIEN— The  subject  of  this  review 
exemplifies  in  a  remarkable  degree  not  only  the  achieve- 
ments of  a  man  of  great  natural  talent,  but  the  wonder- 
ful possibilities  whereby  a  poor  boy  can  attain  distinc- 
tion in  the  community  in  a  short  period  of  time.  The 
success  of  Frank  L.  Kolpien,  known  in  the  business 
world  of  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  as  the  president  and  treasurer 
of  the  O'Donnell  Lumber  Company,  in  all  his  undertak- 
ings is  so  marked  that  his  methods  must  be  of  interest 
to  the  commercial  world.  He  has  always  based  his 
business  principles  and  actions  upon  strict  adherence  to 
the  rules  that  govern  industry,  economy  and  strict 
integrity.  His  progressive  spirit  has  made  him  a  typical 
American  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  and  he  well 
deserves  mention  in  a  work  treating  of  the  business 
life  and  substantial  development  of  Chautauqua  county. 


Frank  L.   Kolpien  was  born  in  Westfield,   Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  30,   1868,  a  son  of  Frank  and 
Dora  (Lahl)  Kolpien.     He  received  a  meagre  education 
in   the   district   school   near  Forsyth   station,  and   later 
supplemented  this  with  a  one-year  course  at  Westfield 
Academy.     He  left  school  at  the  age  of  fourteen  as  he 
was  obliged  to  go  to  work.    For  the  first  six  years  after 
leaving  school  he  worked  among  the   farms  and  vine- 
yards in  the  townships  of  Westfield  and  Ripley,  and  then 
started  his  apprenticeship  to  the  carpenter's  trade,  work- 
ing at  this  until  1892,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  in 
contracting  with  Herman   Hutchinson,  this  partnership 
continuing   for  a  period  of  three  years,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  he  established  himself  in  the  same  business 
and  until  1907  carried  on  a  very  successful  contracting 
business  of  his  own,  employing  on  an  average  thirty-five 
men  at  a  time,  and  besides  building  two  hundred  resi- 
dences in  Dunkirk  during  these  twelve  years,  he  received 
contracts  for  the  following  buildings:   Schools   Nos.   I, 
2,  4,  and  5;  the  temple  for  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd    Fellows;    St.    John's    Lutheran    church    building; 
Beacon    light   and   keeper's    building    on    the    pier;    St. 
Hyacinth's  Roman  Catholic  Church  building;  Weingort 
Hardware  Company's  building;  additions  to  the  Dunkirk 
Electric   Light  Plant;    No.  4  Hose  Fire  House  of  the 
local   fire   department.     In   1907  he  bought   his  present 
business,  the  O'Donnell  Lumber  Company,  of  which  he 
is  the  president  and  treasurer.     He  employs  thirty-four 
people,  has  his  own  delivery  equipment,  and  ships  lumber 
to  Western  New  York,  Western  Pennsylvania,  Eastern 
Ohio,   New  York  City,  Washington,   District  of   Colum- 
bia,   Cincinnati    and    Cleveland,    Ohio.      This    business 
which    Mr.    Kolpien    has    built    up    is    of    very    great 
value  in  the  development  of  Dunkirk.    A  man  of  singu- 
larly strong  personality,  he  has  exerted  a  deep  influence 
on    his    associates    and    subordinates,    and,    toward    the 
latter  in   particular,  his   conduct  has   ever  been   marked 
by  a   degree  of  kindness  and  consideration  which   has 
won  for  him  their  loyal  support  and  hearty  cooperation. 
In    politics    Mr.    Kolpien    is    a    Republican,    and    has 
served  one  term  on  the  local  Board  of  Health,  but  the 
engrossing  duties  of  his  business  take  all  his  time  and  he 
has  never  since  consented  to  hold  office.      His  church  is 
the  Methodist  Episcopal,  and  he  has  ever  been  an  active 
member  working  in  its  cause,  at  present  serving  on  the 
official  board,   and  at  the  time  of  the   erection  of   this 
new  edifice  he  was  chairman  of  the  building  committee. 
He  affiliates  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
and  with  the  Masons,  being  a  member  of  the  Blue  Lodge. 
During  the  World  War  he  did  his  share  as  a  citizen, 
giving  of  his  time  to  serve  on  the  various  committees 
for  the  Red  Cross  and  the  Liberty  loans,  and  was  also 
a  member  of  the  Legal  Advisory  Board. 

Mr.  Kolpien  married,  Dec.  14,  1893,  Alice  Boiling. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kolpien  are  the  parents  of  three  children: 
I.  Alton  L.,  who,  while  attending  the  University  of 
Michigan,  volunteered,  April  17,  1917,  and  became 
attached  to  the  Michigan  State  Militia;  he  was  later 
taken  into  the  United  States  navy  and  was  transferred 
to  the  aviation  corps,  subsequently  becoming  instructor 
of  small  arm  fire  at  Wakefield,  Mass.,  Norfolk,  Va., 
Baltimore,  Md.,  and  Pensacola,  Fla.,  where  he  was  com- 
missioned ensign;  he  was  then  sent  to  Queenstown  as 
chief  pilot,  and  served  in  this  capacity  until  the  end  of 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


the  war;  he  is  still  in  the  service,  being  on  the  inactive 
list,  but  has  returned  to  his  studies  at  the  universit>', 
from  which  place  he  will  graduate  with  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  i^ledicine  in  iqjj.  2.  Esther,  a  teacher  in 
Long  Island.  3.  Alma,  now  attending  a  seminary  at 
Louisburg.  W.  \'a., 

Mr.  Kolpien  is  in  the  best  sense  of  the  term  a  "self- 
made  man."  He  has  made  his  way  up  the  ladder  of 
success  until  he  has  become  one  of  the  most  substantial 
and  influential  citizens  of  the  community,  whose  life 
is  inseparably  identified  with  its  general  affairs.  The 
simple  account  of  his  life,  however,  and  the  various 
activities  engaged  in.  tell  far  more  eloquently  than  any 
formal  praise  of  the  remarkable  powers  possessed  by 
him.  especially  if  it  be  remembered  that  his  ardent, 
enthusiastic  nature  will  not  permit  his  undertaking  any- 
thing which  he  is  not  prepared  to  do,  any  obligation 
which  he  does  not  observe  to  the  fullest.  His  labors 
are  great,  but  his  powers  are  equal  to  their  adequate 
performance. 


WILLIAM  C.  BRIGGS— Probably  the  greatest 
compliment  that  can  be  paid  a  man  is  that  he  has  made 
himself  a  credit  to  his  nation  in  the  great  commercial 
world  as  well  as  a  credit  to  the  mercantile  community 
in  which  he  lives.  Public-spirited  to  the  highest  degree, 
he  is  ever  forw-ard  in  encouraging  enterprises  which 
can  in  any  way  advance  the  interests  of  Jamestown  and 
Chautauqua  county.  Such  a  man  is  William  C.  Briggs, 
who  by  his  honorable  exertions  and  moral  attributes 
gained  for  himself  all  that  a  man  could  desire,  friends, 
affluence  and  position.  By  the  strength  and  force  of 
his  own  character  he  overcame  obstacles  which  to  others 
less  sanguine  and  optimistic  would  have  seemed  unsur- 
mountable.  His  fertile  mind  wrought  many  measures 
for  the  ultimate  good  of  the  State,  and  as  selfishness 
was  never  considered  a  fault  of  his,  the  citizens  of  the 
county  have  felt  and  will  continue  to  feel  the  results 
of  his  untiring  efforts  for  some  time  to  come.  He  is 
rigidly  honest  in  all  his  dealings  with  the  business  world, 
and  in  fact  in  all  his  relations  in  life,  and  through  his 
geniality  and  sociability  he  has  acquired  numerous 
friends  from  all  walks  of  life.  In  the  estimation  of 
those  who  know  him,  his  calling  and  his  competent 
manner  in  handling  weighty  affairs  entitle  his  biography 
the  same  place  in  the  history  of  Chautauqua  county  as 
that  accorded  those  who  have  been  eminent  in  the  up- 
building of  Chautauqua  county. 

William  C.  Briggs  who,  for  a  number  of  years  past, 
was  treasurer  and  general  manager  of  the  Chautauqua 
Towel  Mills,  but  who  is  now  living  temporarily  retired 
at  his  home  at  No.  404  East  Fifth  street,  Jamestown,  N. 
Y.,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Ellington.  June  5,  1866,  a  son 
of  Carey  and  Martha  Ann  (Staples)  Briggs.  Carey 
Briggs.  son  01  Erancis  Briggs.  was  born  in  the  State 
of  Massachusetts,  and  was  an  agrictdturist  by  trade. 
He  married  ffirst)  Diana  Gould,  and  the  children  by 
this  union  were:  Clara  D.,  who  resides  in  Jamestown 
with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Arthur  C.  Wade ;  Frances,  wirlow 
of  Arthur  C.  Wade;  Caroline,  wife  of  Jerry  GifTord, 
both  of  whr^m  are  deceased.  Mr.  Briggs  married 
f  second;  Martha  Ann  Staples,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  three  children,  as  follows:  Martha  May,  who 
resides  in  Jamestown;  Charles,  who  died  in  infancy; 
and  William  C,  sec  forward. 


William  C.  Briggs,  whose  name  is  the  caption  of  this 
article,  obtained  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  Ellington,  and  after  graduating  from  the  Ellington 
school  entered  the  high  school  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
being  graduated  from  there  with  the  class  of  1888.  Im- 
mediately after  leaving  the  Jamestown  High  School,  he 
began  reading  law  in  the  offices  of  Cook,  Fisher  & 
Wade.  However,  after  reading  law  one  year,  Mr. 
Briggs  decided  that  he  preferred  a  business  life  to  a 
professional  one  at  the  bar,  and  accordingly  he  formed 
a  partnership  in  1S89  with  Fred  E.  Hatch,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Hatch  &  Briggs,  as  druggists.  Their 
place  of  business  was  located  upon  Third  street,  James- 
town, and  there  Mr.  Briggs  continued  until  1902,  when 
he  disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  business  and  joined 
in  organizing  the  Chautauqua  Towel  jMills.  of  James- 
town. Arthur  C.  Wade,  Mr.  Briggs'  brother-in-law,  was 
made  president  of  the  company,  and  Mr.  Briggs  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  treasurer.  This  position  he  held 
until  1906,  when  he  was  elected  general  manager  of  the 
company  as  well.  Mr.  Briggs  continued  to  hold  these 
offices  until  1919,  when  the  business  was  sold  out  to  a 
new  concern,  and  since  that  time  he  has  lived  retired. 
Politically,  Mr.  Briggs  is  a  staunch  Republican,  but 
never  could  be  induced  to  hold  office,  preferring  to 
devote  his  time  and  attention  wholly  to  his  home  and 
business  affairs.  In  religious  affiliations,  Mr.  Briggs  is 
a  Methodist,  and  both  he  and  his  family  are  prominent 
in  the  church  of  that  denomination  in  Jamestown. 

On  June  23,  1892,  Mr.  Briggs  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Minnie  Elizabeth  Clement,  who  was  born  in 
Centerville,  Pa.,  Oct.  18,  1869,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Sarah  (Thompson)  Clement.  !\Irs.  Briggs  received  her 
education  in  the  Jamestown  grammar  and  high  schools, 
graduating  from  the  latter  institution  with  the  class 
of  1888.  Up  to  the  time  of  her  marriage,  Mrs.  Briggs 
was  a  teacher  of  Physical  Culture  and  Elocution  at  the 
Jamestown  High  School.  She  was  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Mozart  and  Browning  clubs,  a  member  of  the 
Agnes  Home  Association,  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  the  Clotho  Society  of  that  church. 
Mrs.  Briggs,  who  died  at  her  home,  Oct.  I,  1919,  was  a 
woman  of  amiability  and  great  mental  attainments.  Her 
true  refinement  and  sweet  personality  raised  for  her 
a  host  of  friends,  and  her  death  was  mourned  by  all 
who  knew  her.  She  was  a  wise  counsellor,  sympathetic 
in  difficulties,  remarkable  in  comprehending  a  situation, 
reasonable  and  sound  in  her  judgment.  She  was  splen- 
didly loyal  and  devoted  to  her  church,  and  for  many 
years  she  was  the  leader  in  all  its  good  work.  She  was 
a  woman  of  large  benefactions;  not  only  did  she  help 
substantially  in  all  the  departments  of  the  church  work, 
so  that  she  was  often  called  afl'ectionately  the  "good 
angel"  of  the  church,  but  her  private  charities  were 
large.  Hundreds  if  not  thousands  will  rise  up  and  call 
her  blessed.  She  was  a  lady  of  the  old  school,  full  of 
dignity,  sweetness  and  gracious  womanhood.  She  be- 
lieved in  the  great  revelations  of  the  gospel  with  all  her 
heart  and  her  life  was  an  illustration  of  their  teachings, 
i^ler  memory  is  an  inspiration  and  a  benediction  to  all 
who  knew  her,  and  her  death  called  forth  many  beauti- 
fiill  tributes,  among  which  was  one  tendered  by  the  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  Horace  G.  Ogden,  who  said  in  part: 

A  flauRhtcr  of  Jamestown,  Inheriting  her  best  tradi- 
tions, trained  In  hor  schools,  moving  In  her  best  circles, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


337 


an  exemplar  of  all  that  is  finest  and  highest  in  her 
life,  has  been  called  away  as  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye. 

Possessed  of  a  great  love  of  the  beautiful,  she  sought 
and  found  it  everywhere,  in  nature  and  in  human  life. 
The  birds  and  flowers,  landscapes  and  skies,  all  con- 
tributed constantly  to  her  life,  and  from  art  and  litera- 
ture and  aspiring  friends  she  perennially  drew,  to  build 
more  firm  and  true  her  own  character.  Slie  was  an 
adventurer  after  truth,  and  all  her  years  followed  the 
gleam,  until  it  led  her  into  the  full-orbed  Day. 

This  made  her  an  ardent  student.  She  pursued  sys- 
tematic courses  of  study  and  thus  ripened  into  a 
"woman  of  wide  knowledge  "with  a  rare  insight  into  the 
deeper  realities  of  life.  Robert  Browning  found  in  her 
an  ardent  admirer  and  illuminating  interpreter  because 
she  brought  to  the  study  of  his  poems  a  spirit  like  his 
own,  earnest  and  sincere,  and  a  ntind  "whose  research 
and  experience  "was  fitted  to  understand  and  appreciate 
this  poet  of  the  inner  life.  And  thus  for  her,  life 
lengthened   and  joy   deepened. 

Mrs.  Briggs  steadfastly  adhered  to  that  which  was 
good:  she  forever  aspired;  she  had  a  keen  sense  of 
moral  values  and  "was  ever  quick  to  discern  a  lo"wer- 
ing  tendency  in  any  movement  of  individual  or  com- 
munity life.  She  was  ethically  sensitive:  she  knew 
what  she  believed  and  why,  and  once  convinced  of  the 
right  course  was  adamant  in  her  adherence  to  it. 

Because  of  these  qualities,  she  was  a  real  power  in 
the  community:  many  who  knew  her  only  in  the  chance 
occasional  intercourse  were  conscious  of  her  influence; 
to  those  tew  who  were  privileged  to  be  her  intimate 
friends  she  gave  herself  without  reserve,  and  to-day 
they  feel  an  irreparable  loss  in  the  removal  of  this 
powerful   and   loved   personality. 

Mrs.  Briggs  had  a  beautiful  consciousness  of  God. 
and  a  vivid  sense  of  His  reality  and  abiding  presence: 
she  was  a  devout  worshiper,  humble,  sincere  and  un- 
afraid. She  was  a  gentle  woman,  high-minded,  pure, 
serene,  considerate,  thorough-going,  a  Christian  in 
whom   there   was  no   guile. 

Finally,  the  beauty  of  her  home  life  was  so  perfect 
and  sacred  one  may  dare  only  to  hint  at  it.  "Twenty- 
seven  years,  lovers"  "was  literally  true  for  her  and  her 
husband.  A  companionship  so  complete,  a  love  and 
understanding  so  deep,  marked  their  life  together, 
that  to  him,  who  so  long  had  this  unspeakable  happi- 
ness, goes  out  not  only  sympathy  in  this  great  hour 
of  his  loss,  but  congratulations  that  the  great  gift  has 
been  his. 

In  Browning's  "Pompilia"  are  found  these  lines 
■which  may  be  applied  most  fittingly  to  this  rare  and 
beautiful  character; 

"Through  such  souls  alone,  God  stooping,  shows 
sufficient  of  His  light   for   us  in   the  dark    to   rise  by." 

In  closing  this  review  of  Mr.  Briggs'  life  we  may  say 
that  in  private  life  he  is  greatly  beloved  by  all  who 
know  him.  Genial,  whole  souled  and  fond  of  a  joke,  his 
manners  are  frank  and  kindly.  His  success  in  life 
has  in  no  way  changed  him,  and  this  is  a  principal 
reason  for  his  popularity.  He  fought  his  way  to  his 
present  position,  earnestly  and  manfully,  thus  becoming 
one  of  the  best  examples  of  a  self-made  man  of  our 
times,  and  has  not  forgotten  the  difficulties  that  beset 
his  way.  This  probaBly  is  the  reason  that  a  tale  of  dis- 
tress always  finds  him  with  a  willing  ear  and  a  heart 
ready  to  alleviate  suffering  in  all  forms  in  which  it  is 
in  his  power  to  do  so.  His  clean  cut  face  clearly  deline- 
ates his  forcible  character,  and  his  contemporaries  are 
glad  to  honor  him  as  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Chau- 
tauqua county. 


PAUL  De  LANEY — Still  a  young  man  as  years 
are  counted  in  the  commercial  world.  Paul  De  Laney  is 
the  present  executive  head  and  general  manager  of  The 
Paul  De  Laney  Company.  Incorporated,  an  enterprise 
created  through  his  initiative  and  ability,  and  since  its 
foundation  he  has  been  the  inspiring,  guiding  and  con- 
troUing  head.  His  training  was  received  in  that  great 
school  of  commercial  methods — the  Chicago  dressed 
meat  industry — fourteen  years  close  adherence  to  which 
perfectly  fitted  him  to  conduct  the  manufacture  of  food 
Chau— 32 


products  which  are  prepared  and  sold  under  the  trade- 
mark, "American  Maid,"  by  The  Paul  De  Laney  Com- 
pany, Incorporated,  of  Brocton,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y. 

Paul  De  Laney,  son  of  Joseph  R.  and  Sarah  De  Laney 
(now  deceased),  was  born  in  Princeton,  Mo.,  May  2, 
1877.  He  was  educated  in  the  grade  and  high  schools 
of  Cameron,  Mo.,  class  of  1894.  Later  he  was  a  student 
in  Atchinson,  Kan.,  pursuing  advanced  courses,  com- 
pleting his  education  in  the  year  1900.  In  1901  Mr. 
De  Laney  commenced  his  business  career  with  the 
Cudahy  Packing  Company  of  Chicago,  in  the  capacity  of 
salesman.  He  remained  with  that  company  fourteen 
years,  during  which  time  he  gained  the  perfect  confi- 
dence of  the  officials  of  the  corporation,  which  confidence 
was  expressed  by  the  constant  increasing  of  his  respon- 
sibilities and  position.  In  191 5  he  organized  The  Paul 
De  Laney  Company.  Incorporated,  for  the  manufacture 
of  quality  food  products,  establishing  the  plant  at  Broc- 
ton. N.  Y.,  in  the  heart  of  the  Chautauqua  county  grape 
belt.  The  corporation  has  developed  into  a  very  import- 
ant one,  its  $2,000,000  capital  being  invested  in  a  large, 
modern  factory  plant,  with  the  latest  and  best  equip- 
ment, where  "American  Maid"  foods  are  prepared  and 
shipped  to  customers  from  coast  to  coast,  including, 
also  export  business.  The  offices  of  the  company  occupy 
a  separate  building,  and  in  the  construction  of  both 
office  and  factory  full  emphasis  has  been  laid  on  the 
features  so  essential  to  the  rendering  of  efficient  sen'ice, 
viz.,  light,  sanitation,  modern  equipment  throughout; 
also,  a  careful  observance  of  all  conditions  that  lead  to 
the  general  welfare  of  a  people  banded  together  to  pro- 
duce food  products.  Factory  buildings  are  of  steel,  con- 
crete and  brick,  their  walls  enclosing  a  floor  space  of 
124,000  square  feet.  The  value  of  the  company's  invest- 
ment is  shown  by  the  amount  of  insurance  carried^ 
$760,000.  The  average  factory  payroll  of  the  company 
numbers  240  men  and  women.  The  success  of  the  enter- 
prise, now  (1920)  in  its  fifth  year,  is  due  to  its  wise 
management  and  the  spirit  of  true  cooperation  with 
which  Mr.  De  Lanej'  has  inspired  his  associates. 

In  political  faith  Mr.  De  Laney  is  a  Democrat.  He 
has  taken  little  part  in  public  affairs  beyond  exercising 
the  obligations  of  citizenship,  having  concentrated  his 
entire  energies  upon  the  fulfilment  of  his  business 
responsibilities.  During  the  World  War  he  was  the 
deeply  interested,  patriotic  American,  aiding  in  all  the 
activities  of  that  period,  the  various  "drives"  receiving 
his  personal  support  and  encouragement.  He  is  inter- 
ested in  other  forms  of  business  activity,  and  has  bank- 
ing connections  in  Chautauqua  county  and  in  Buffalo. 
In  religious  faith  he  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and  a  member 
of  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  His  standing  in  the  com- 
munity is  due  not  alone  to  his  business  prominence,  but 
for  the  public-spirited  interest  shown  in  regard  to  any 
matter  concerning  the  public  welfare. 

Mr.  De  Laney  married,  June  26,  1907,  Elizabeth  K. 
Robbins.  of  Belfast,  Me.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  De  Laney  are  the 
parents  of  five  children — one  son,  Rhoderick,  and  four 
daughters:  Devonia,  Mary  and  Lillian  Ruth  (triplets); 
and  Pauline.  The  family  home  is  in  Brocton,  Chautau- 
qua county. 

Mr.  De  Laney  has  won  his  way  to  responsible  position 
through  native  ability,  optimism,  determination,  and  the 


,s 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


application  of  sound  business  principles.  The  manner  in 
which  he  has  solved  his  problems  and  risen  to  success 
should  prove  both  an  example  and  an  inspiration  to  the 
young  man  who  would  have  a  part  in  twentieth  centur>' 
business  life. 


ERNEST  JOHN  BAILEY,  one  of  the  leading 
residents  of  Brocton.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  a 
successful  building  contractor  who  has  to  his  credit 
many  large  contracts,  has  advanced  far  in  material 
wealth,  and  at  the  same  time  has  held  the  sincere  respect 
of  the  people  of  the  county  who  have  known  him  under 
all  conditions.  He  has  manifested  commendable  charac- 
teristics, is  a  man  of  distinct  business  ability,  and  has 
exhibited  a  praiseworthy  public-spirit,  and  a  practical 
desire  to  help  on  the  wellbeing  of  the  community  in 
general,  and  the  poor  and  needy  in  particular.  In  busi- 
ness enterprise,  he  has  been  very  successful,  and  has 
many  consequential  associations ;  he  has  for  two  decades 
had  a  contracting  business  which  has  found  employment 
for  a  considerable  number  of  men,  has  taken  part  in 
the  establishment  and  direction  of  other  important  man- 
ufacturing concerns  and  is  vice-president  of  the  Brocton 
Furniture    Company. 

Ernest  T.  Bailey  was  bom  in  Charlotte  Center,  Char- 
lotte township.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  2",  1868, 
the  son  of  John  J.  and  Barbara  (Beha)  Bailey,  or 
Ballay.  as  the  family  is  known  in  France,  wherein  is 
the  original  family  seat.  Ernest  John  Bailey  is  French 
in  both  paternal  and  maternal  antecedents,  the  paternal 
line  originating  in  Champagne,  and  his  maternal  ances- 
tors being  from  Alsace-Lorraine,  provinces  of  France. 
Tl-.e  patronymic,  as  originally  spelled,  was  Ballay,  and 
the  .-Kmerican  progenitor  of  the  branch  of  the  Ballay 
family  to  which  Ernest  John  Bailey  belongs  was  of  that 
name,  and  it  is  not  clear  why  the  name  became  changed 
in  spelling.  It  probably  was  wrongly  written  in  real 
estate  deeds,  to  substantiate  the  title  to  which  the  heirs 
took  the  .Americanized  version  of  the  French  patronymic. 
However  that  may  be,  the  family  in  America  has  for 
some  generations  been  known  by  the  name  of  Bailey. 

Ernest  John  Bailey  was  born  on  a  farm,  and  in  due 
time  attended  the  district  school  nearest  to  his  father's 
farm,  after  passing  through  which  he  seems  to  have 
commenced  working  at  farming  occupations  quite  early 
in  his  teens.  By  such  work  he  accumulated  sufficient 
means  to  carry  him  through  business  college,  where  he 
gained  the  fundamentals  of  executive  work  which  were 
later  of  inestimable  value  to  him  in  the  management  of 
his  own  important  enterprises.  He  perhaps  had  mapped 
out  his  career  well  in  advance,  and  knew  the  various 
steps  by  which  sound  success  would  come.  He  apprenticed 
himself  to  carpentry,  serving  an  apprenticeship  of  five 
years,  and  later  for  six  years  was  a  journeyman  car- 
penter, by  which  time  he  was  thoroughly  conversant 
with  most  phases  of  building  construction.  By  steadi- 
ness of  life,  and  by  industrious  continuance  in  work 
during  the  years,  he  had  by  that  time  acquired  some 
financial  means,  sufficient  at  all  events  to  induce  him  to 
enter  independently  into  business  as  a  builder  and  con- 
tractor. He  had  come  to  Brocton  in  1803,  and  had 
worked  as  a  carpenter  upon  many  contracts  in  that 
place,  so  that  he  was  comparatively  well  known  in  the 
village  wh'-n  he  started  in  conlrarting  business  for  him- 
self  in    \'/f}.      iJuring   the   almost    two   decades   to   the 


present,  he  has  had  very  substantial  success  as  a  con- 
tractor, and  has  to  his  credit  the  erection  of  many 
important  buildings.  Many  of  the  fine  residences  of 
that  section  of  Chautauqua  county  have  been  built  by 
him,  and  among  the  buildings  of  public  institutions  and 
business  corporations  constructed  by  Mr.  Bailey  may  be 
listed  the  following,  all  of  which  do  credit  to  his 
thoroughness  as  a  builder :  The  Brocton  State  Bank 
building;  the  Ahira  Memorial  Library  building,  Broc- 
ton ;  the  Crandall  building,  Brocton ;  the  Bailey  building, 
which  is  a  very  fine  structure,  and  used  mainly  by  Mr. 
Bailey  for  his  own  business  offices;  the  Norquist  Metal 
Door  Company  plant,  at  Jamestown,  a  huge  building; 
additions  to  the  American  Loco  Works,  and  to  the 
Atlas  Crucible  Steel  Company  plant  at  Dunkirk;  con- 
struction work  for  the  Buffalo  and  Lake  Erie  Traction 
Company,  including  the  car  barns  at  Fredonia,  and  all 
the  stations  with  the  exception  of  two  between  Buffalo 
and  Erie,  Pa. ;  the  Court  House  at  Mayville,  Chautauqua 
county;  the  Church  of  Christ  at  Chautauqua;  the  Chau- 
tauqua High  School;  the  Falconer  High  School;  the 
Jamestown  Grammar  School;  the  Sherman  Library; 
the  .Armour  Grape  Juice  Company  headquarters  at 
Westfield,  Chautauqua  county;  the  gymnasium  and 
other  additions  to  the  Normal  School  at  Fredonia ;  some 
of  the  building  of  the  Redwing  Grape  Juice  Company, 
Fredonia ;  warehouses  of  same  company  at  Fredonia ; 
the  Memorial  Hospital  at  Lilly  Dale;  the  St.  Hedwig 
Roman  Catholic  Church  at  Dunkirk;  and  the  plant  of 
the  Brocton  Furniture  Company ;  in  addition  Mr. 
Bailey  has  also  undertaken  many  important  building 
contracts  outside  Chautauqua  county.  He  has  during 
the  period  given  employment  to  an  average  of  about 
140  workmen.  It  may  therefore  be  inferred  that,  with 
moderate  success,  he  must  have  acquired  an  appreciable 
degree  of  material  wealth  during  the  many  years  he 
has  spent  in  consequential  business  as  a  contractor.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  he  has  been  universally  successful,  for 
he  knew  his  business  thoroughly  before  committing 
himself  to  independent  work.  And  latterly,  as  a  capi- 
talist, he  has  been  brought  into  connection  with  many 
other  outside  enterprises.  He  owns  stock  in  many 
manufacturing  corporations  in  Chautauqua  county; 
Mr.  Bailey  is  one  of  the  largest  stockholders  of  the 
Brocton  Furniture  Company,  of  which  he  is  vice-presi- 
dent. 

Politically,  Mr.  Bailey  is  an  independent  Democrat, 
but  has  been  too  busy  with  business  affairs  that  needed 
almost  his  undivided  attention  to  have  much  time  to  spare 
for  participation  in  political  movements,  and  he  has 
never  allowed  himself  to  consider  the  thought  of  taking 
public  office.  He  has,  nevertheless,  always  been  closely 
interested  in  local  affairs,  and  has  been  ready  to  lend 
his  support  to  any  worthy  local  project.  Religiously,  the 
Ballays  are  Roman  Catholics ;  that  is  to  say,  the  French 
family  was  of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith,  although 
Ernest  J.  Bailey  has  not  followed  in  that  church.  In 
fraternal  affiliations,  he  has  been  faithful  and  is  identi- 
fied particularly  with  the  Masonic  order.  He  has  risen 
to  the  thirty-second  degree  in  the  order,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  following:  Blue  Lodge  of  Brocton;  the 
Chapter,  Council,  and  Commandery,  of  Dunkirk;  the 
Buffalo  Shrine;  and  the  Consistory  of  Jamestown,  also 
<A  Buffalo. 

On   Sept.   \2.,   I'/X),  Ivrnest  John  Bailey  married  Ruth 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


339 


Hall  Pettit,  grand-niece  of  Ahira  Hall,  whose  genealogy 
will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  historical  work.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bailey  have  been  born  three  children :  Kath- 
leen Elizabeth,  now  in  high  school ;  Angeline  Sarah, 
twin  sister  of  the  first-named,  and  also  a  high  school 
student;  Florence  Edith,  who  also  attends  the  local 
school. 

The  business  success  of  Ernest  John  Bailey  has  been 
notable,  especially  so,  bearing  in  mind  that  it  has  come 
to  him  entirely  by  his  own  efforts,  and  he  has  a  definite 
place  among  the  worthy  Chautauqua  county  people  of 
his  generation. 


HENRY  RAPPOLE — Nearly  nine  years  have 
elapsed  since  Henry  Rappole,  farmer,  veteran  soldier, 
and  public  official,  passed  to  his  reward,  but  his  memory 
is  green  and  will  forever  live  in  the  history  of  his  native 
county  and  adopted  city,  for  he  served  them  both  in 
important  position.  The  Rappoles  came  to  Chautauqua 
from  Eastern  New  York,  the  first  of  the  name,  Adam 
Rappole,  coming  to  the  town  of  Ellery,  when  vir- 
gin timber  covered  most  of  the  fertile  farms  of  the 
town.  Adam  Rappole  was  the  father  of  Henry  Rap- 
pole, to  whose  memory  this  review  of  a  worthy  life  is 
dedicated. 

Adam  Rappole,  born  in  New  York  State,  came  to 
Chautauqua  county  after  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812, 
and  settled  on  a  100  acre  tract  of  timber  land  in  the 
town  of  Ellery,  his  tract  a  part  of  the  original  Holland 
Land  Purchase.  Adam  Rappole  built  a  house  from  the 
logs  felled  on  his  own  property,  and  in  coiirse  of  time 
the  forest  fled  before  his  axe,  and  cultivated  fields  fol- 
lowed, and  there  he  lived  a  general  farmer  and  stock 
raiser  until  his  death  in  i860,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six 
years.  He  is  buried  in  Bemus  Point  Cemetery.  He  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Rice,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  eight 
children :  Nancy,  married  Aaron  Klock,  and  died  in 
the  State  of  Illinois ;  John,  died  at  the  old  homestead  in 
Ellery ;  George,  died  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin ;  Mary, 
married  William  Rooker,  of  Ellery;  Electa,  married 
Orsenne  Richards ;  Frank,  died  in  Iowa ;  Henry,  of  fur- 
ther mention  ;  and  a  child  who  died  in  infancy.  Mrs.  Rap- 
pole, who  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
died  at  the  farm  in  Ellery,  and  is  buried  with  her  hus- 
band in  Bemus  Point  Cemetery. 

Henry  Rappole,  youngest  son  of  Adam  and  Elizabeth 
(Rice/  Rappole,  was  born  at  the  homestead  in  the  town 
of  Ellery,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  27,  1833,  died 
in  the  city  of  Jamestown,  Jan.  25,  191 1.  He  attended 
the  county  district  schools  of  Ellery  and  spent  his  years 
of  minority  on  the  farm  as  his  father's  assistant.  After 
attaining  legal  age  he  engaged  in  lumbering,  rafting  logs 
down  the  rivers  to  mills  below.  Later  he  bought  seventy 
acres  in  Ellery  township,  which  he  improved  and  later 
added  to  until  he  112  acres,  which  he  conducted  along 
the  lines  of  general  farming,  also  maintaining  a  dairy 
department  and  raising  stock.  The  even  current  of  his 
life  was  broken  in  1862  by  the  War  between  the  States, 
1861-1865,  and  on  Sept.  12,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the 
Seventh  Company,  First  Battalion,  New  York  Sharp- 
thooters,  under  Captain  Arnold.  Mr.  Rappole  was  ap- 
pointed corporal,  then  sergeant,  but  at  the  battle  of  the 
Wilderness  his  misfortunes  began,  a  shot  so  disabling  his 
left  hand  and  arm  that  amputation  was  necessary.     He 


spent  several  weeks  in  the  hospital,  then  was  honorably 
discharged  and  mustered  out  of  the  United  States  service. 

With  his  empty  sleeve,  Mr.  Rappole  returned  home, 
and  until  1879  engaged  in  farming.  In  that  year  he  was 
elected  superintendent  of  the  county  poor  for  Chautauqua 
county,  an  office  he  held  for  six  years  through  five  suc- 
cessive annual  reelections.  In  1882  he  sold  his  farm  in 
Ellery,  and  henceforth  made  Jamestown  his  home.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Jamestown  police  force  for  several 
years,  then  was  elected  city  treasurer,  Oscar  Price  at 
that  time  being  mayor.  He  held  the  office  of  treasurer 
three  years,  and  then  retired  to  private  life,  leaving  a 
record  of  efficiency  and  devotion  to  duty  highly  credita- 
ble. Prior  to  coming  to  Jamestown  he  had  served  the 
town  of  Ellery  as  assessor  and  collector  of  taxes,  and  in 
every  position  held  he  gave  to  the  duties  involved  the 
most  careful  attention  and  to  the  fullest  extent  of  his 
ability  served  his  constituency.  He  held  exalted  ideas  of 
citizenship,  and  in  all  things  measured  up  to  the  full 
standard  of  a  man.  He  was  a  member  of  James  M. 
Brown  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  of  James- 
town ;  member  of  the  Union  Veteran  Legion ;  and  in 
religious  faith  connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.    He  is  buried  in  Lakeview  Cemetery,  Jamestown. 

Henry  Rappole  married,  in  Mayville,  N.  Y.,  July  5, 
185s,  Celina  Carpenter,  born  in  Pittstown,  Rensselaer 
county,  N.  Y.,  died  in  Jamestown,  April  18,  1920,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-two  years,  ten  months  and  twelve  days, 
daughter  of  Stephen  R.  and  Prudence  (Brownell)  Car- 
penter, her  parents  old  settlers  of  the  town  of  Ellery. 
On  July  5,  1905,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rappole  celebrated  the 
golden  anniversary  of  their  wedding  day,  and  six  years 
longer  they  trod  life's  pathway  together  ere  their  paths 
separated,  and  the  wife  was  left  to  walk  alone.  Mrs. 
Rappole  was  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  the  city,  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  the 
Woman's  Relief  Corps.  She  was  a  woman  of  strong 
Christian  principle,  and  in  the  home  which  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Rappole  erected  and  maintained  so  long,  love  and  happi- 
Tiess  reigned.  Their  children  were :  Frances  E.,  who 
died  in  childhood ;  and  Nora  R.,  married  Frederick  L. 
Bush,  of  Jamestown,  representative  of  the  Fleischmann 
Compressed  Yeast  Company;  they  have  a  daughter, 
Frances  E.,  wife  of  William  G.  Ritzer,  of  Jamestown, 
and  they  have  a  daughter,  Eleanora  Jane  Ritzer. 

Said  the  Jamestown  "Evening  Journal"  editorially, 
Jan.  25,  191 1  : 

In  the  death  of  Henry  Rappole  another  worthy  vet- 
eran of  the  Civil  War  has  gone  to  his  reward.  Like 
thousands  of  other  gallant  boys  of  fifty  years  ago, 
Henry  Rappole  responded  to  the  call  of  his  country 
for  men  to  preserve  the  Union  and  defend  the  honor  of 
the  Stars  and  Stripes.  After  ser\'ing  faithfully  through 
the  war  and  leaving  a  good  arm  on  a  Southern  battle- 
field, he  returned  to  home  and  friends  in  Old  Chau- 
tauqua, where  he  had  lived  an  honorable  life,  taken 
his  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  day.  faithfully  performing 
the  part  assigned  to  him  as  citizen  and  public  official. 
.\s  superintendent  of  the  poor  of  Chautauqua  county, 
as  a  member  of  the  local  police  force,  as  treasurer  of 
hl.s  city  for  a  number  of  years,  Mr.  Rappole  served  his 
fellow-citizens  honestly  and  capably,  leaving  as  a 
heritage  to  his  wife  and  daughter  an  untarnished 
name,  and  to  his  comrade-in-arms  the  memory  of  a 
courageous  soldier,  and  a  courteous  and  genial  com- 
panion. 


DELOS   J.    EIGENBROADT— At   the   end   of   a 

long  and   useful   life  covering   a   period  of   seventy-two 
years,  spent   entirely   in  the   village  of   Ellington,   Delos 


340 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


T.  Eigenbroadt  passed  away,  leaving  behind  him  the  rec- 
ord of  a  well  spent  lite  distinguished  by  industry  and 
integrity. 

Prior  to  the  Revolution  Peter  Eigenbroadt  came  to 
this  country,  probably  from  Germany,  and  settled  at 
Palatine  Bridge  in  the  Mohawk  Valley.  His  son,  George 
Eigenbroadt,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  was  the  father 
of  Daniel  Eigenbroadt  and  grandfather  of  Delos  J. 
Eigenbroadt,  to  whose  memory  this  review  is  dedicated. 

Daniel  Eigenbroadt  was  born  in  iSio,  and  died  in  1899. 
He  moved  from  the  Mohawk  \'aUey  to  Chautauqua 
count\-  in  1832,  settled  in  the  village  of  Ellington  and 
there  started  a  blacksmith  shop.  He  followed  his  trade 
for  several  years,  then  added  a  general  store  business 
to  his  activities,  being  assisted  by  his  sons.  Mr.  Eigen- 
broadt married  (first)  Phoebe  Helmick,  born  in  1811, 
died  in  1S38.  He  married  (second)  Lovina  Todd,  born 
.•\pril  14,  iSio,  died  March  i,  1S95,  a  member  of  the 
Bela  Todd  familv  of  Cassadaga,  Chautauqua  county, 
X.  Y. 

Delos  J.  Eigenbroadt,  son  of  Daniel  and  Lovina 
(Todd)  Eigenbroadt,  was  born  at  the  homestead  in 
Ellington,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  June  22,  1841,  and 
died  at  his  home  adjoining  his  store,  Dec.  11,  1913.  He 
attended  the  village  public  school  and  Ellington  Academy, 
but  his  education  came  largely  through  reading  and  con- 
tact with  the  business  world.  In  boyhood  he  worked  in 
his  father's  blacksmith  shop  and  general  store,  the  latter 
business,  however,  making  a  stronger  appeal  to  him  he 
eventually  assumed  the  responsibility  of  the  store  man- 
agement. Upon  the  death  of  Daniel  Eigenbroadt,  the 
eldest  son,  Lafayette,  took  over  the  blacksmith  shop  and 
Delos  J.  became  owner  of  the  store.  He  had  entered  the 
business  when  a  youth  of  si.xteen ;  he  "marked  his  first 
bill  of  goods,"  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  his  seventy- 
second  year  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  successful  mer- 
chants of  Chautauqua  county.  He  greatly  developed  the 
business  and  became  both  widely  and  favorably  known 
as  a  man  of  enterprise  and  integrity.  He  built  a  brick 
block  with  dwelling  attached  ne.xt  door  to  the  homestead. 
Mr.  Eigenbroadt  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  but  was 
never  actively  identified  with  political  life,  regarding  the 
successful  conduct  of  his  private  business  as  calling  for 
his  entire  attention.  Yet  he  did  not  live  selfishly  and 
was  freely  consulted  by  his  neighbors  on  matters  of 
grave  importance.  He  continued  in  business  until  the 
last,  and  closed  his  useful  life  honored  and  respected  by 
all  who  knew  him;  his  acquaintance  was  a  very  wide 
one. 

Mr.  Eigenbroadt  marrie<I  (first)  March  3,  1870,  Au- 
gusta H.  Stockwell,  who  died  in  1886,  leaving  an  adopted 
daughter.  Belle  Todd  Sherman,  who  married  Edwin  D. 
Lines,  of  Jamestown.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lines  are  the  par- 
ents of  three  children  :  Jessie  Augusta,  Stephen  V.  R., 
and  Janet.  Mr.  Eigenbroadt  married  (second)  Jan.  i, 
1</X),  Ciora  Goulding,  of  Ellington,  who  survives  him, 
daughter  of  Burr  and  Sarah  (Morse)  Goulding.  She 
has  no  children,  but  since  being  left  a  widow  has  adopted 
a  daughter,  Eleanor  Colvin,  born  Noveinbcr  9,  1912.  Mrs. 
Eigenbroadt  successfully  conducted  the  business  left  to 
her  management  until  1916,  when  she  disposed  of  it  to 
the  George  B.  Waith  Company.  She  has  proved  herself 
a  woman  of  K'><><\  business  ability,  and  with  it  has  a 
public-spirited  interest  in  her  village.  During  the  World 
War   i»eriod  she   was   very  active  in  support  of  the  lib- 


erty loan  and  other  "drives,"  as  town  chairman  of  the 
Fourth  and  Victory  Loans,  contributing  a  great  deal 
toward  their  success.  She  is  widely  known  and  highly 
respected. 


ABRAHAM  WILSON  DODS,  M.  D.— Fredonia 
has  no  citizen  whom  she  respects  more  highly  than  the 
man  whose  name  we  have  just  written.  Not  only  is  Dr. 
Dods  eminent  in  his  profession,  but  its  engrossing  cares 
and  widespread  interests  have  never  rendered  him  un- 
mindful of  the  claims  of  his  home  community. 

Abraham  Wilson  Dods  was  born  Jan.  27,  1854,  in 
Dingwall,  Scotland,  a  son  of  Thomas  Palliser  and  Kath- 
arine (Wilson)  Dods,  the  former  a  farmer  and  land 
agent.  When  Abraham  Wilson  Dods  was  one  and  a  half 
years  old  the  family  moved  to  Hexham,  Northumberland, 
England,  where  the  boy  attended  district  school  from 
four  to  eight  years;  private  grammar  school  until  the 
age  of  twelve;  private  boarding  school  in  Sunderland 
until  si-xteen.  He  was  then  apprenticed  to  a  farmer  for 
two  years,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time,  in  1872,  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States,  settling  in  West  Charlton, 
Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.  After  working  for  one  year  as 
a  farmer,  Mr.  Dods  entered  Fredonia  Normal  School, 
graduating  in  1875,  in  the  classical  course,  and  then  spent 
one  year  at  Syracuse  University,  following  this  with 
another  year  at  the  New  York  Homoeopathic  Medical 
College,  New  York  City.  He  then  matriculated  in  the 
Chicago  Homoeopathic  Medical  College,  graduating  in 
1878  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  During  his 
last  year  he  served  as  interne  in  Hahnemann  Hospital. 
It  is  eminently  worthy  of  note  that  such  was  Dr.  Dods' 
desire  for  a  medical  education  that,  though  a  young  man 
with  his  way  to  make  in  a  new  country,  he  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  incur,  in  order  to  attain  his  ambition,  an  amount 
of  debt  which  would  have  appalled  a  man  of  less  indomi- 
table will  power.  In  1878  Dr.  Dods  began  practice  at 
Silver  Creek,  Chautauqua  county,  remaining  until  1884, 
when  he  went  to  Scotland  and  took  a  post-graduate 
course  in  surgery  at  Edinburgh  University.  In  1885  he 
established  himself  at  Fredonia,  where  he  has  continu- 
ously practiced  ever  since,  but  now  limits  his  work  ex- 
clusively to  surgery,  in  which  he  has  been  extremely  suc- 
cessful, earning  a  most  enviable  reputation.  He  is  sur- 
geon at  Brooks  Memorial  Hospital,  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  and 
holds  the  same  position  with  the  New  York  Central 
Railroad  Company. 

Politically  Dr.  Dods  is  an  inependent  Republican. 
During  the  World  War  he  served  the  Home  Defense 
Reserve  Corps  as  medical  examiner  for  Dunkirk-Fre- 
donia  Draft  Board,  District  No.  i.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  American  Medical  Society,  the  American  Institute 
of  Homceopathy,  the  New  York  and  New  England  Asso- 
ciation of  Railway  Surgeons,  the  New  York  State  Medi- 
cal As.sociation,  the  New  York  State  Homoeopathic  Asso- 
ciation, the  Homoeopathic  Association  of  Western  New 
York,  the  Chautauqua  Coimty  Medical  Association,  the 
I'Vedonia  and  Dunkirk  Medical  Association,  and  the 
Volunteer  Medical  Service  Corps.  He  affiliates  with 
Forest  Lodge,  No.  l6fj.  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of 
Fredonia,  and  Westfield  Chapter,  No.  239. 

Dr.  Dods  married  (first)  Dec.  12,  1878,  Aura,  daugh- 
ter of  John  N.  and  Nancy  (Le  Barr)  Porter,  of  Broc- 
ton,  N.  Y.,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren :      I.    John    I'alliscr,    attended    Fredonia    public   and 


U0f/^^ /Jtti^. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


341 


high  schools,  and  then  spent  two  years  at  Phillips  Acad- 
emy, Andover;  in  1908  received  from  Cornell  University 
the  degree  of  Mechanical  Engineer,  having  worked  his 
way  through  the  institution;  was  a  member  of  the  'Var- 
sity Crew,  1905-06;  has  been  with  Blue  Book  (automo- 
bile) since  190S;  in  now  western  manager  in  Chicago; 
married  Annette  Bruce,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  and  they  have 
two  children,  John  and  Annette.  2.  Katharine  Wilson, 
educated  in  Fredonia  grammar  and  high  schools ;  mar- 
ried R.  I.  Mulholland,  of  Dunkirk;  they  have  two  chil- 
dren, Marcia  and  Katharine.  3.  Marcus,  educated  in 
Fredonia  grammar  and  high  schools,  Fredonia  Normal 
School,  and  the  Peddie  Institute;  died  in  1917,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-seven.  Mrs.  Dods  passed  away  in  1909. 
Dr.  Dods  married  (second)  September  18,  1911,  Helen  T. 
Jones,  of  Fredonia. 

In  the  character  of  Dr.  Dods  are  combined  the  best 
traits  of  the  Scotsman  with  many  of  the  distinctive 
qualities  of  the  American,  acquired  in  the  course  of  an 
almost  lifelong  residence  in  the  New  World.  When 
Scotland  sent  Abraham  Wilson  Dods  to  the  United 
States  she  gave  us  the  material  for  an  eminent  surgeon 
and  a  public-spirited  citizen,  true  alike  to  the  land  of  his 
birth  and  the  country  of  his  adoption.  Would  that  old 
Caledonia  might  send  us  many  more  of  the  same  type. 


MARTIN     PRENDERGAST    WHALLON— The 

characters  of  a  successful  farmer  and  a  faithful  public 
official  are  combined  in  Mr.  Whallon,  of  Mayville,  who 
now  holds  the  office  of  supervisor.  This  good  citizen 
takes  a  lively  interest  in  all  that  concerns  the  welfare 
of  his  community,  and  is  active  in  its  social  and  fra- 
ternal circles. 

Martin  P.  Whallon  was  born  Jan.  17,  1870,  in  May- 
ville, and  is  a  son  of  William  Murray  and  Martha  (Pren- 
dergast)  Whallon,  both  members  of  families  long  resi- 
dent in  Chautauqua  county  and  township.  The  education 
of  Martin  P.  Whallon  was  received  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  town  which  he  attended  until  1887,  when  he 
went  to  Wisconsin  and  entered  Racine  College,  where  he 
took  the  regular  course,  but  did  not  graduate,  and  then 
for  a  time  studied,  under  private  tuition,  the  principles 
of  commercial  law  and  business.  In  1889  Mr.  Whallon 
returned  to  Mayville,  where  for  five  years  he  conducted  a 
wholesale  harness  establishment.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
he  decided  to  devote  his  entire  time  and  attention  to 
agricultural  pursuits,  being  the  owner  of  two  farms, 
one  of  which  he  inherited  from  his  father's  family  and 
the  other  from  his  mother's.  Mr.  Whallon  is  perhaps 
the  only  man  in  Chautauqua  county  who  derives  his  land, 
originally,  from  the  Holland  Land  Company.  A  de- 
tailed history  of  this  organization  may  be  found  on 
another  page  of  this  work.  In  the  cultivation  of  his 
farms,  which  he  accomplished  by  the  most  enlightened 
methods,  Mr.  Whallon  was  eminently  successful  and  to 
their  management  he  still  pays  constant  attention.  The 
deeds  for  the  land  are  now  in  his  possession.  Politically 
Mr.  Whallon  is  a  Republican,  and  in  1913  was  elected 
supervisor  of  his  township.  So  satisfactory  was  the 
manner  in  which  he  performed  his  duties  that  he  is  still 
retained  in  the  office,  his  present  term  expiring  in  1921. 
He  affiliates  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  of 
Mayville. 

Mr.  Whallon  married,  Nov.  20,  1894,  on  the  grounds  of 


the  Chautauqua  Institution,  Mary  G.,  daughter  of  C.  G. 
and  Alice  (Porter)  Herrick,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  one  son,  William,  born  July  6,  1897,  who  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  and  high  school  of  Mayville, 
and  in  the  late  war  enlisted  in  the  army.  He  is  now  the 
assistant  of  his  father  in  the  management  of  the  farms. 
The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whallon  is  one  of  the  most 
attractive  in  Mayville.  During  his  school  days  Mr. 
Whallon  was  quite  an  athlete  and  he  still  takes  a  great 
interest  in  fishing,  hunting,  baseball  and  all  outdoor 
sports. 

Martin  P.  Whallon  is  one  of  the  men  who  count  in 
his  community,  not  only  because  he  is  a  leading  farmer 
and  the  incumbent  of  a  public  office,  but  mainly  because 
in  both  these  capacities  he  has  sought  to  develop  the  best 
interests  of  his  township  and  to  minister  to  the  truest 
welfare  of  his  friends  and  neighbors. 


SIMEON  WILLIS  PARKS,  son  of  Simeon  and 
Elizabeth  (Curtiss)  Parks,  was  born  in  Wells,  Vt.,  Sept. 
18,  1810,  and  died  in  Jamestown,  Aug.  21,  1883.  At  the 
age  of  fourteen  years,  he  came  to  LeRoy,  N.  Y,,  where 
for  six  years  he  made  his  home  with  his  brother,  Elisha 
Parks.  In  1830,  a  youth  of  twenty  years,  he  moved  to 
Mina,  Chautauqua  county,  where  he  became  a  clerk  in 
the  mercantile  establishment  of  J.  R.  &  S.  B.  Keeler; 
he  remained  in  the  employ  of  this  firm  until  1834,  when, 
having  been  licensed  to  preach,  he  resigned  his  position 
and  for  four  years  traveled  a  circuit  as  a  minister  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  At  the  expiration  of  this 
time,  his  health,  never  robust,  became  seriously  impaired, 
and  he  was  forced  very  reluctantly  to  relinquish  his  office. 
In  1838  Mr.  Parks  located  in  Jamestown,  where  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  was  spent.  From  November  of  that 
year  until  1851,  he  was  associated  with  Zalmon  G.  Keeler 
m  general  merchandise  business.  He  continued  dealings 
in  general  merchandise,  clothing  and  furniture,  part  of 
the  time  with  partners  and  part  of  the  time  independently 
until  187S,  when  he  retired  from  active  business  life.  His 
interest  in  public  affairs  was  broad  and  sympathetic.  In 
1855  he  was  supervisor  of  the  town  of  Ellicott.  He  was 
greatly  interested  in  educational  work,  and  for  many 
years  served  as  town  school  commissioner,  and  later  ren- 
dered valuable  assistance  in  the  organization  of  the  pub- 
lic schools,  then  known  as  the  Jamestown  Union  School 
and  Collegiate  Institute,  and  was  frequently  referred  to 
as  the  "father  of  the  Union  School  system"  in  James- 
town. He  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education 
from  the  organization  of  the  school  until  1878,  and  for 
several  terms  was  president  of  the  board.  Mr.  Parks 
was  a  man  of  culture,  keen  and  progressive,  and  in  many 
ways  was  in  advance  of  the  thought  of  his  time.  He 
devoted  both  his  time  and  his  talents  to  the  great  causes 
of  temperance  and  anti-slavery,  and  was  often  heard 
upon  the  lecture  platform  in  support  of  his  views. 

On  June  26,  1838,  Mr.  Parks  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Anna  Maria  Carter,  of  Randolph,  N.  Y.,  who  died 
Jan.  20,  1S89.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children: 
I.  Mary  Elizabeth,  married  Robert  T.  Hazzard  (de- 
ceased) and  resides  at  Lakewood.  N.  Y.  2.  Charles  Ed- 
win, a  resident  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.  3.  Annette  Maria, 
married  C.  Perry  Harris  (deceased)  ;  her  death  occurred 
at  Jamestown,  Nov.  24,  1919.  4.  Willis  Simeon,  died 
May  6,  1881.  5.  Ella  Augusta,  lives  at  the  family  home 
in  Jamestown. 


3-P 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


SHERMAN  B.  VANDERVOORT,  president  of 
the  \'andervoort  Supply  Company,  and  Service  Coal  and 
Coke  Company,  wholesale  coal,  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
which  companies  are  leading  ones  in  the  line  of  building 
supplies  aiid  coal,  has  lived  in  Jamestown  practical!}' 
all  his  life,  being  only  a  year  old  when  his  parents  mo\ed 
to  that  city.  He  was  born  in  Buftalo,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  25, 
iSSi,  the  son  of  Charles  R.  and  Sarah  A.  Vandervoort. 
Lharles  R.  Vandervoort  brought  his  family  to  James- 
town in  1SS2,  and  has  since  been  a  constant  resident  much 
respected  and  responsible.  He  has  been  identified  with 
the  Broadhead  Worsted  Mills  for  many  years. 

Sherman  B.  \'andervoort  received  his  academic  educa- 
tion in  Jamestown  schools,  attending  the  grammar  school 
for  the  elementarj-  grades,  and  eventually  graduating 
from  the  high  school.  He  had  decided  to  take  up  a  pro- 
lessional  life,  and  as  his  natural  inclination  was  to  engi- 
neering he  took  the  technical  course  at  the  Allegany  Col- 
lege, eventually  becoming  a  civil  engineer.  In  1907,  as 
elsewhere  recorded  in  this  historical  work,  he  formed 
business  partnership  with  ^^'alter  Griggs,  of  Jamestown, 
and  as  the  Hollow  Stone  Company  the  partners  began  to 
manufacture  cement  blocks.  Mr.  Vandervoort  acquired 
the  interest  of  Mr.  Griggs  in  the  business  and  incor- 
porated it  under  the  name  of  the  Vandervoort  Supply 
Company,  an  account  of  which  follows.  In  1916  was 
formed  the  Service  Coal  and  Coke  Company,  distributors 
of  anthracite  and  bituminous  coal,  of  which  Mr.  Vander- 
voort is  sole  owner ;  the  business  is  strictly  wholesale ; 
the  enterprise  has  been  verj'  successful,  and  at  the  pres- 
ent time   (1920)   is  handling  a  large  tonnage. 

Mr.  \'andervoort  is  an  excellent  business  man,  and 
has  many  sincere  friends  in  Jamestown.  He  is  always 
ready  to  assist,  personally  or  financially,  in  any  public 
project  having  for  its  object  the  betterment  of  conditions 
within  the  citj-,  or  the  ultimate  advancement  of  the  citj-. 
He  belongs  to  the  Jamestown  Board  of  Commerce,  and 
the  Jamestown  Builders'  Exchange,  of  which  organiza- 
tion he  is  secretar\-.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Jamestown  Club,  and  of  the  Bradford  Club,  at  Brad- 
ford, Pa.  He  is  an  ardent  sportsman,  and  interested  in 
the  conservation  of  game,  and  as  such  is  a  member  of  a 
sportsman's  organization.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Vandervoort 
is  affiliated  with  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks ;  and  religiously,  he  is  an  Episcopalian. 

On  April  I,  1918,  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Vandervoort 
married  Lucile  Baker.  They  have  one  child,  Sherman 
B..  Jr. 


THE   VANDERVOORT   SUPPLY   COMPANY, 

Jamcitown,  X.  V.,  of  which  incorpnrritcd  company  Shir- 
man  B.  V'andcr\-oort  is  president,  and  C.  R.  Vandcrvcjnrt 
h  sccretarj-  and  treasurer,  was  established  in  1907  as  a 
co-f/artncrship  under  the  name  of  the  Hollow  Stone  Cnm- 
p-any  to  mantilacture  and  sell  cement  blocks  for  buiUiing 
pur[;'y^'-s.  The  partners  were  Walter  Griggs  and  Sher- 
man B.  Vandervoort,  and  they  operated  a  plant  on  Cel- 
eron road,  Jamestown.  In  191 1  the  plant  was  removed 
to  the  Eric  Freight  House,  on  East  Second  street,  and 
in  that  year  Mr.  Vandervoort  ac'iuircd  the  interest  of 
Mr.  Origins.  The  conse'iucnt  reconstruction  of  the  firm 
IrouKht  many  chant'fs  ;  the  company  took  on  corporate 
existence,  under  the  trading  designation  of  the  Vander- 
voort Supply   Comfany,  and   with   an  authorized  capital 


of  $5,000.  The  manufacture  of  cement  stone  was  dis- 
continued, and  the  company  aimed  to  considerably  develop 
its  business  in  building  supplies.  In  1912  the  company 
again  moved  its  plant  and  supplies,  locating  at  Monroe 
and  Clinton  streets  and  Isabelle  avenue,  and  in  1915  added 
coal  to  its  line  of  trading.  Since  then  the  company  has 
purchased  the  L.  F.  Shcdd  Estate,  upon  which  is  located 
a  large  coal  elevator,  the  only  one  in  Jamestown,  and  with 
their  two  >'ards  the  company  now  has  the  largest  coal 
yards  in  Western  New  York  State.  The  Vandervoort 
Supply  Company  has  had  satisfactory  development,  and 
in  1916  its  increased  volume  of  trading  caused  its  princi- 
pals to  increase  its  authorized  capital  from  $5,000  to 
$50,000,  which  may  indicate  the  extent  to  which  !Mr.  Van- 
dervoort has  developed  the  business  since  the  direction 
of  its  affairs  passed,  mainly,  into  his  hands. 


EBBIE  PIERSON  SHORES— In  the  little  village 
of  Irving,  in  the  town  of  Hanover,  in  the  extreme  north- 
eastern corner  of  Chautauqua  county,  E.  Pierson  Shores 
was  born,  a  son  of  Ebenezer  Pierson  Shores,  his  birth 
occurring  two  months  after  his  father's  death,  at  Irving, 
a  little  village  on  the  railroad,  and  naturally  the  lad  was 
attracted  to  the  tracks  of  the  Lake  Shore,  and  the  con- 
stant association  implanted  a  desire  to  become  a  railroad 
man,  an  ambition  he  realized ;  at  the  time  of  his  death 
he  was  a  freight  conductor  on  the  Lake  Shore  &  Michi- 
gan Southern  railroad,  meeting  instant  death  while  in 
the  discharge  of  his  duties.  He  was  a  man  highly 
esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him  and  held  the  perfect  con- 
fidence of  the  railroad  officials  under  whom  he  served, 
always  ready,  willing  and  e.xact  in  the  performance  of 
every  duty  assigned  him. 

Ebenezer  Pierson  Shores  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade, 
and  for  several  years  was  postmaster  of  Irving,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  died  in  .^pril,  i8''6.  He 
married  Anna  Insley  Mott,  who  was  born  in  England, 
and  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Shores  was  the 
widow  of  Thomas  M.  Mott.  She  died  at  the  home  of 
her  son,  Ebbie  P.  Shores,  in  Lackawanna,  N.  Y.,  and  is 
buried  in  the  cemetery  at  Hanover  Center.  The  family 
were  attendants  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church. 

Ebbie  Pierson  Shores  was  born  in  Irving,  town  of 
Hanover,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  June  8,  1866,  and 
was  instantly  killed  at  Brocton,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  Aug.  19,  191S.  His  father's  death  antedated  the  birth 
of  his  son  by  two  months,  and  the  absence  of  a  providing 
head  of  the  family  early  threw  responsibilities  upon  the 
lad.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  left  public  school  to  enter 
the  employ  of  the  Lake  Shore  &.  Michigan  Southern  rail- 
load  as  water  boy  with  a  section  gang.  Later,  he  became 
himself  a  section  worker,  and  in  course  of  time  was  made 
a  section  foreman.  On  Aug.  4,  1890,  having  gone 
through  a  course  of  preparatory  study,  he  passed  suc- 
cessfully an  examination  in  Buffalo,  which  qualified  him 
to  act  as  railroad  brakeman.  He  was  a  brnkcman  on 
the  eastern  division  of  the  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan 
Southern  for  twelve  years  until  Nov.  25,  1902,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  the  position  of  freight  conductor  on 
(he  same  division.  For  sixteen  years  he  continued  a  con- 
fluctor,  with  the  exception  of  one  year  as  passenger  con- 
ductor, always  running  freight  trains. 

Mr.  Shores  met  his  death  at  Brocton,  N.  Y.,  instantly 
and    without   warning.     His   crew   were   making   up  his 


\-^%V_)oc^  cy^--^v  V)  o^-</-^\!!^^r 


MR.  AND  MRS.  H.  P.  MIORHS 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


343 


train,  and  duty  calling  him  he  crossed  the  railroad  track 
just  in  time  to  be  struck  by  a  rapidly  moving  freight  car, 
which  was  being  drilled  into  position  in  the  train.  He 
was  taken  to  his  home  in  Silver  Creek,  and  then  laid  at 
rest  in  Glen  wood  Cemetery  there.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Brotherhood  of  Railroad  Trainmen,  and  the  Lake 
Shore  Mutual  Association,  an  attendant  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  church,  and  faithful  to  every  duty  as  he  saw  it. 
Air.  Shores  married,  Sept.  26,  1893,  Margaret  E.  Schnei- 
der, daughter  of  John  B.  and  Mary  Ann  (Zimmerman) 
Schneider,  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shores 
were  the  parents  of  five  children  :  Francella,  married 
Howard  Armbruster,  and  resides  in  Dunkirk,  N.  Y. ; 
Henrietta,  married  Stanley  Boor,  and  resides  at  Silver 
Creek;  Harry;  Ebbie  John;  and  William  N.  Mr.  Shores 
was  devoted  to  his  family  and  was  happiest  in  his  home. 
Mrs.  Shores  and  the  children  are  members  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church  of  Silver  Creek. 


AUGUST  P.  OLSON— This  family  name,  origi- 
nally Olsen,  was  changed  to  Olson  by  August  P.  Olson 
after  his  coming  to  Jamestown,  and  so  he  always  wrote 
it.  In  later  3'ears  his  daughter,  Ellen  J.,  the  talented 
entertainer,  reader,  and  impersonator  of  Shakespearian 
roles,  reverted  to  the  original  spelling,  Olsen.  August  P. 
Olson  was  for  nearly  half  a  century  a  resident  of  James- 
town, N.  Y.,  coming  to  that  city  a  young  man,  thoroughly 
skilled  as  a  cabinet  maker  and  worker  in  wood.  About 
1874  he  entered  Jamestown's  business  life  as  an  exclusive 
manufacturer  of  tables,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
forty-five  years  later,  was  president  of  the  Diamond 
Furniture  Company,  and  recognized  as  one  of  the  able 
business  men  of  his  city,  and  one  who  had  materially 
aided  in  its  upbuilding.  He  was  the  son  of  Jens  Olsen,  a 
farmer,  located  on  the  island  of  Bornholm,  Denmark,  at 
the  time  of  the  birth  of  his  son,  August  P.  Many  Danes 
settled  in  Jamestown  upon  coming  to  this  country  and 
there  aided  in  creating  a  city  of  homes  and  manufactories. 
Although  upon  first  coming  to  the  United  States  Mr. 
Olson  did  not  locate  in  Jamestown,  he  came  a  little  later, 
and  from  his  coming  until  his  death  in  1919,  made  that 
city  his  home  and  business  headquarters.  While  he  be- 
came an  intense  and  patriotic  citizen,  and  served  with  all 
the  zeal  of  a  native  son,  he  never  lost  his  interest  in  and 
love  for  his  native  land. 

August  P.  Olson  was  born  on  the  island  of  Bornholm, 
Denmark,  Aug.  22,  1849,  died  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Aug. 
5,  1919.  He  obtained  a  good  education  in  the  Danish 
schools,  and  learned  the  cabinet  maker's  trade,  continuing 
in  Denmark  until  nineteen  years  of  age.  In  1868  he 
came  to  the  United  States,  locating  in  Titusville,  Pa., 
where  he  was  engaged  at  his  trade  until  his  coming  to 
Jamestown,  where  in  1874  he  began  business  for  himself 
as  a  manufacturer  of  tables.  His  was  the  first  exclusive 
table  manufactured  in  Jamestown,  Mr.  Olson's  little  plant 
being  located  in  the  old  Wood  building  that  stood  upon 
the  site  of  the  later  Warner  building.  Making  tables  of 
a  superior  quality,  the  Olson  tables  quickly  found  a 
place  in  the  furniture  market,  and  in  1878  Mr.  Olson 
found  it  advisable  to  admit  a  partner  and  enlarge  the  scope 
of  his  business.  He  found  the  partner  in  the  person  of 
John  Love,  also  of  Danish  birth,  and  a  man  of  fine 
mechanical  and  business  ability.  The  business  was  con- 
ducted under  the  firm  name  of  A.  P.  Olson  &  Company 
tor  many  years,  and  through  the  good  judgment,  fore- 


sight, and  energy  of  the  partners,  was  a  success.  The 
slogan  of  the  company  was  "best  material  and  workman- 
ship," and  on  that  foundation  a  business  was  built  that 
has  endured  for  nearly  half  a  century,  constantly  increas- 
ing in  volume.  The  little  plant  was  succeeded  by  a  large 
factory  built  at  the  corner  of  Taylor  and  Fillmore  streets, 
and  when  the  business  outgrew  the  resources  of  the  two 
men,  the  Diamond  Furniture  Company  was  incorporated, 
but  was  controlled  by  Mr.  Olson  and  Mr.  Love.  As  a 
corporation"  the  business  has  continued  its  prosperous 
course,  and  although  the  strong  arm  of  the  founder  has 
been  withdrawn,  John  Love,  his  able  associate  of  forty 
years  standing,  retains  the  office  of  vice-president, 
although  he  has  practically  retired.  But  both  men  left 
able  sons,  whom  they  trained  in  the  business,  Louis  A. 
Olson  and  Henry  F.  Love,  the  former  being  trained  in 
the  selling  department,  the  latter  in  the  offices  of  the  com- 
pany, and  both  contributed  largely  to  the  success  of  the 
company. 

Through  their  long  business  career  as  manufacturers, 
Messrs.  Olson  and  Love  maintained  the  most  cordial  and 
satisfactory  relations  with  their  employees,  who,  in  turn, 
were  invariably  loyal  to  the  interests  of  their  employers. 
Each  partner  gave  personal  attention  to  the  details  of 
his  department  and  both  being  men  of  conservative  nature 
and  inspired  by  a  common  interest,  there  was  no  friction 
in  the  management,  but  the  best  of  feeling  always  existed 
between  the  two  men.  Early  in  the  twentieth  century, 
Mr.  Olson  visited  his  old  home  in  Denmark,  and  while 
abroad  informed  himself  as  to  the  actual  conditions  in 
foreign  markets.  He  continued  the  active  executive  head 
of  the  Diamond  Furniture  Companj-  until  his  death. 

Mr.  Olson  married,  in  Jamestown,  Ida  Johnson,  born 
in  Gottenburg,  Sweden,  who  died  April  12,  1896,  daugh- 
ter of  Jesse  Johnson.  They  were  the  parents  of  three 
children  who,  deprived  of  a  mother's  care  when  young, 
found  in  their  father  a  loving  friend  and  tender,  faithful 
guardian.  Children  :  i.  Louis  A.,  who,  after  finishing 
his  education,  became  a  travelling  salesman  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Diamond  Furniture  Company ;  he  now  resides 
in  Detroit,  Mich.  2.  Ellen  J.,  who  was  educated  in  the 
Jamestown  public  schools,  and  the  Curry  School  of  Ex- 
pression in  Boston,  and  became  a  public  reader  and  enter- 
tainer, covering  in  her  varied  repertoire  a  wide  range  of 
subjects  from  the  light  sketch  or  ballad  to  Browning 
and  Shakespeare.  The  principal  numbers  in  her  reper- 
toirs  are:  "Julius  Caesar;"  "The  Merchant  of  Venice;" 
"Much  Ado  About  Nothing;"  Browning's  "A  Blot  in  the 
'Scutcheon  ;"  and  Lovell's  "Ingomer."  She  impersonates 
the  leading  characters  in  these  plays,  and  every  recital  is 
given  from  memory,  entirely  without  the  use  of  notes. 
Miss  Olson  married,  May  8,  1913,  Alfred  Holmes,  born 
in  Copenhagen,  Denmark,  who  came  to  Jamestown,  N. 
Y.,  in  October,  190Q,  and  is  an  architect.  They  are  the 
parents  of  a  son,  Ernest  L.  Holmes.  3.  Evel.vn  Isabel 
Olson,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Jamestown  (N.  Y.)  High 
School,  class  of  1906,  and  was  her  father's  housekeeper 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death;  she  is  now  associated  with 
the  Art  Metal  Construction  Company  and  resides  at  the 
old  home,  No.  63  Barrett  avenue.  Jamestown. 

The  Jamestown  "Journal,"  at  the  time  of  the  death  of 
Mr.  Olson,  said  editorially: 

Death  has  removed  another  Important  flg-ure  in  the 
development  of  the  Industries  of  Jamestown,  August 
P.  Olson,  the  head  of  the  Diamond  Furniture  Company, 


344 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


who  has  been  honest  and  earnest  in  his  eftorts  for  the 
betterment  of  the  conditions  of  the  men  in  his  employ, 
and  for  the  advancement  of  the  best  interests  in 
Jamestown  as  an  industrial  centre  and  a  place  of  resi- 
dence. The  community  has  lost  an  earnest  worker 
and  a  good  man  in  the  passing-  of  A.  P.  Olson. 


HENRY  SALEM  EDMUNDS,  M.  D.— There  are 
few  names  so  well  known  in  the  medical  profession, 
especially  among  the  younger  and  rising  physicians,  as 
that  of  Dr.  Henry  Salem  Edmunds,  of  Fredonia,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y..  who  has  established  himself  in 
the  forefront  of  his  profession  in  this  region  and  has 
won  the  respect  and  admiration  alike  of  his  professional 
colleagues  and  the  community-at-large. 

Dr.  Edmunds  was  born  Feb.  8,  1883,  on  a  farm  at 
Sheridan,  N.  Y.,  and  is  a  son  of  Walter  A.  and  Minnie 
E.  (Daniels)  Edmunds,  old  and  highly  respected  resi- 
dents of  Sherman,  where  the  former  is  the  owner  of 
the  Sherman  Steam  Mills,  one  of  the  largest  concerns  of 
its  kind  in  the  western  part  of  the  State.  The  Edmunds 
family  is  an  exceedingly  ancient  one,  not  only  in  this 
countn-  but  in  the  Old  World,  the  members  of  the 
family  being  able  to  trace  their  descent  back  to  the 
time  of  William  the  Conqueror,  their  ancestor  having 
come  over  with  that  Monarch  from  Normandy  to  Eng- 
land in  the  year  1066.  A.  D. 

The  elder  Mr.  Edmunds  located  at  Sherman,  N.  Y., 
when  his  son  was  about  nine  years  of  age,  the  latter 
having  begun  his  elementary  education  at  the  public 
schools  of  Sheridan.  He  continued  his  studies  at  the 
similar  institutions  of  Sherman  and  graduated  from  the 
High  School  there  in  the  class  of  1902,  having  been 
prepared  for  college.  He  had  by  that  time  determined 
upon  the  medical  profession  as  a  career  in  life,  and  with 
this  end  in  view  entered  the  medical  department  of  the 
University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor,  from  which  he 
v,-as  graduated  with  the  class  of  1908,  taking  his  meaical 
degree.  He  then  entered  the  hospital  in  connection 
with  the  University  of  Michigan,  where  he  served  for  a 
time  as  interne,  and  later  held  the  same  position  at  the 
Shcnango  Valley  Hospital  at  Newcastle,  Pa.  Upon 
completing  this  period  of  apprenticeship,  he  returned  to 
his  native  region  and  began  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  Sinclairville,  Chautauqua  county,  where  he 
remained  six  years  and  made  for  himself  an  enviable 
reputation.  His  next  move  was  to  Cassadaga,  where 
he  practiced  medicine  until  the  entrance  of  America  into 
the  World  War.  He  volunteered  his  services  in  April, 
1917.  being  one  of  the  first  physicians  to  do  so,  and 
was  commissioned  on  June  30,  following.  Dr.  Edmunds 
was  then  sent  to  Fort  Benjamin  Harrison,  where  he 
s,tudic']  at  the  Officers'  Training  Camp  for  five  weeks, 
and  was  then  ordered  to  Kelley  Field,  San  Antonio, 
Tex.,  the  famous  aviation  camp.  After  remaining  four 
weeks  there,  he  brought  his  squadron  to  Mincola,  L. 
I.,  where  after  remaining  three  weeks  they  embarked 
for  England.  Here  they  were  quartered  at  South- 
hampton until  their  removal  to  France,  the  unit  landing 
at  Havre  in  that  country.  From  Havre  they  were  sent 
to  Clermont,  where  Dr.  Edmunds  was  apjiointcd  sur- 
geon to  the  Seventh  Aviation  Center,  where  he  super- 
intended the  building  of  the  Rase  Hospital.  He  was 
next  ap7)ointed  surgeon  to  the  Officers'  Training  Camp 
Hospital  and  for  some  time  occupied  the  position  of 
chief  surgeon  at  this  post.  From  there  he  was  sent  to 
Valbonnc,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Lyons,  where  he  was 


connected  with  the  Valbonne  Hospital,  and  still  later 
was  sent  to  Advance  Depot  No.  i,  in  Isle-Sur-Tille. 
At  the  latter  place  he  superintended  the  construction  of 
a  1,000  bed  hospital.  He  alsosawserviceonmanyoperating 
teams  and  remained  at  this  point  until  he  himself  became 
a  casual,  having  been  gassed  in  March,  1918.  He  was 
not,  however,  seriously  injured  on  this  occasion  and  was 
soon  at  work  again,  but  was  once  more  gassed,  Sept.  22, 

1 918,  this  time  with  almost  fatal  results,  and  was  sent 
to  Base  Hospital  No.  17,  at  Dijon,  where  he  remained 
from  Sept.  22,  to  Oct.  3.  On  the  latter  date  he  was  sent 
to  Base  Hospital  No.  20  at  Beau  Dessert,  where  he  was 
also  a  casual.  By  this  time,  however,  he  was  back  in 
active  duty  and  so  great  was  the  press  of  work  that  it 
was  necessary  for  him  to  operate  and  care  for  the 
wounded  in  spite  of  his  own  hurt,  the  hospital  being 
crowded  at  that  time  with  the  injured  from  the  front. 
He  had  charge  of  two  of  the  largest  wards  in  the  hos- 
pital and  remained  actively  employed  there  until  he  was 
finally  sent  back  to  the  United  States  as  adjutant  in 
charge  of  2,500  wounded  men.  He  landed  at  Hoboken, 
N.  J.,  Dec.  17,  1918,  and  was  sent  to  the  Base  Hospital 
at  Camp  Merritt,  where  he  did  Evacuation  Hospital 
Work,  in  charge  of  the  sending  out  of  the  wounded  men 
to  their  various  State  hospitals  when  they  were  able  to 
be  moved,  although  still  a  casual  himself.  Dr.  Edmunds 
was  then  sent  to  the  United  States  Army  Hospital  No. 
:,  as  a  casual,  and  received  a  thirty-day  furlough,  and 
spent  the  inonth  of  Jan.  6  to  Feb.  6,  igig,  at  home.  He 
then  reported  back  to  Base  Hospital  No.  i  and  was 
honorably  discharged  from  the  army  there  on  Feb.  15, 

1919.  He  was  sent,  however,  by  the  Federal  Board 
of  Rehabilitation  to  New  York  City,  where  he  remained 
under  observation  until  July  21,  1919.  On  Sept.  i,  1919, 
he  came  to  Fredonia,  and  has  here  purchased  a  beauti- 
ful house  on  Teinple  street.  He  has  once  more  resumed 
practice  and  has  already  won  wide  recognition  for 
himself.  Dr.  Edmunds  specializes  in  surgery,  in  which 
his  work  at  the  front  has  given  him  such  wide  experi- 
ence, and  he  is  familiar  with  all  the  latest  surgical 
methods,  many  of  which  have  been  developed  purely  as 
a  result  of  that  experience.  Dr.  Edmunds  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  in  politics  is  an 
independent  Republican.  He  is  affiliated  with  a  number 
of  important  organizations  here,  fraternal  and  otherwise. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Legion,  composed  of 
the  veterans  of  the  Great  War;  Silivan  Lodge,  No.  303, 
Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Sinclairville ; 
Buffalo  Chapter,  Royal  .'Xrch  Masons;  Council,  Royal 
and  Select  Masters;  Commandery,  Knights  Templar; 
Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine;  and  Buffalo  Consistory,  Sovereign  Princes  of 
the  Royal  Secret,  and  has  taken  his  thirty-second  degree 
in  Free  Masonry.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  holds  the  rank  of 
past  noble  grand  of  Cassadaga  Lodge.  Besides  his 
private  practice.  Dr.  Edmunds  holds  the  position  of 
medical  examiner  for  the  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany, the  New  York  Life  Insurance  Company,  the 
Metropolitan  Life  Insurance  Company  of  New  York 
City,  the  Prudential  Life  Insurance  Company  of  New- 
ark, the  Order  of  Maccabees,  the  National  Protective 
League,  the  Northwestern  Life  Insurance  Company, 
and  a  number  of  beneficial  companies  in  this  region. 

Dr.    Edmunds   married    (first)    Kathrine   Francis,   by 


A^/^ 


I 

1 

I 


oL^. 


y, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


345 


whom  he  had  two  children,  Frances  Helen  and  Mar- 
garet. He  married  (second)  Nov.  24,  1909,  at  Corry, 
Pa.,  Mable  A.  Mead,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  James  and 
Sada  (Bushnell)  Mead,  old  and  highly  respected  resi- 
dents of  that  place,  where  Dr.  Mead  died  Dec.  13,  1918. 
Two  children  have  been  born  of  this  union,  as  follows : 
Richard  Mead  and  Dorothy. 


HARRY  BROWN  THOMPSON— The  Forestville 
"Free  Press,"  the  medium  through  which  Harry  B. 
Thompson  has  made  himself  best  acquainted  with  Chau- 
tauquans,  was  founded  by  Edward  L.  Husted  in  Febru- 
ary, 1891,  Mr.  Husted  having  previously  founded  the 
Sinclairville  "Spectator."  Twelve  years  later  the  "Free 
Press"  passed  under  the  control  of  Harry  B.  Thompson, 
who  has  successfully  guided  its  destinies  as  editor  and 
publisher  for  seventeen  years,  1903-1920.  Mr.  Thompson 
began  his  career  in  journalism  with  the  opening  of  the 
present  century,  his  early  experiences  as  a  reporter  being 
a  fitting  preparation  for  the  post  he  has  ably  filled.  He 
is  a  son  of  De  Hart  and  Orlantha  (Brown)  Thompson, 
his  father  formerly  a  well  known  merchant  of  Sinclair- 
ville, N.  Y. 

Harry  Brown  Thompson  was  born  in  Sinclairville, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  March  23,  1874.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  Sinclairville  grade  and  high  schools.  Chamberlain 
Academy,  Randolph,  N.  Y.,  Alleghany  College,  Mead- 
ville.  Pa.,  and  Erie  Business  College,  Erie,  Pa.  He 
was  variously  emploj'ed  during  his  early  manhood 
years,  but  in  1900  entered  upon  his  career  as  a  journalist 
as  a  reporter  on  the  Randolph  "Register,"  at  Randolph, 
N.  Y.  He  spent  three  years  as  a  reporter  with  the 
"Register,"  then  was  for  a  time  otherwise  engaged, 
but  in  1903  became  editor  and  publisher  of  the  Forest- 
ville "Free  Press,"  a  weekly  publication  foimded  in  1891 
and  conducted  by  Edward  L.  Husted  through  its  first 
twelve  years  of  life. 

The  "Free  Press"  under  the  editorial  and  business 
management  of  Mr.  Thompson  has  steadily  grown  in 
circulation  and  influence,  and  circulates  freely  in  the 
four  townships  of  Arkwright,  Villenova,  Sheridan  and 
Hanover,  while  in  Forestville  it  is  a  welcome  visitor 
in  three-fourths  of  the  village  homes.  It  is  an  eight 
page  newspaper,  appearing  every  Friday  from  a  well 
equipped  printing  plant,  which  also  includes  a  job  print- 
ing department.  In  politics  the  "Free  Press"  is  Repub- 
lican. The  local  reporters  and  assistants  are  Mrs.  H. 
B.  Thompson  and  Helen  R.  Barnard. 

Mr.  Thompson  is  also  the  head  of  another  prosperous 
business,  writing  fire,  life,  liability,  theft,  auto  and 
tornado  policies,  known  as  the  Forestville  Insurance 
Agency.  This  business  was  established  in  1865  by  S. 
W.  Reynolds  and  now  represents  such  leading  companies 
as :  The  Hartford,  Home.  Aetna,  Continental,  Great 
.A.merican,  Globe;  London,  Liverpool  and  Globe,  North 
America,  Phoenix,  Franklin,  Connecticut,  Springfield 
Fire  and  Marine,  and  the  National  Liberty.  The  busi- 
ness of  the  agency  has  greatly  increased  under  Mr. 
Thompson's  management  and  is  the  leading  business  of 
its  kind  in  that  section  of  the  county.  He  is  also  inter- 
ested in  the  Commercial  and  Improvement  Association 
of  Forestville,  which  he  serves  as  secretary. 

Mr.  Thompson  married,  at  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  April  30, 
1901,  Elnora  A.  Coe,  daughter  of  George  and  Sarah 
Ann  (Mixer)  Coe,  of  an  old  Steamburg,  Cattaraugus 
county,  family. 


JOSEPH  NELSON— The  business  which  Joseph 
Nelson  and  his  brother  Robert  founded  in  Dunkirk,  N. 
Y.,  in  1850,  under  the  trade  name,  Joseph  Nelson  & 
Company,  wholesale  jewelry  and  silverware  dealers, 
is  notable  as  the  oldest  in  its  particular  line  of  all  firms 
in  the  United  States  operating  under  a  firm  name. 
Joseph  Nelson,  after  his  brother's  resignation  from  the 
firm,  continued  the  business  until  his  retirement  late 
in  life.  His  three  sons-in-law,  Henry  F.  Vander  Voort, 
James  Lyman  van  Buren  and  J.  Franklin  Gilbert,  were 
taken  into  the  business  by  Mr.  Nelson  during  later  years. 
Mr.  Vander  Voort  resigned  from  the  business  before 
Mr.  Nelson's  death  and  went  to  Buffalo  to  conduct  a 
similar  business  of  his  own.  After  Mr.  Nelson's  death 
the  two  sons-in-law,  Messrs.  van  Buren  and  Gilbert, 
continued  the  business  until  their  own  death  and  since 
that  year,  1916,  the  name  of  this  well  known  firm  became 
e.xtinct.  This  house  operated  all  those  years  under  the 
same  name,  Joseph  Nelson  &  Company.  Joseph  Nelson 
built  into  warp  and  woof  a  name  and  reputation  for  the 
house,  and  for  himself  a  character  beyond  reproach. 

Of  ancient  Scotch  Covenanter  blood,  his  Nelson  fore- 
bears fled  from  Scotland  in  the  days  of  religious  perse- 
cution and  settled  in  the  North  of  Ireland,  whence  came 
that  famed  Scotch-Irish  people,  so  many  of  whom  came 
in  early  days  to  the  American  colonies.  Joseph  Nelson's 
grandmother  was  a  descendant  of  John  Knox,  Scotland's 
great  reformer.  His  parents  were  Joseph  and  Mary 
Jane  (Gilbert)  Nelson,  of  Dromore,  County  Down, 
and  Banbridge,  Ireland.  Joseph  Nelson,  the  father,  was 
a  noted  clock  maker,  his  specialty  the  olden  time  "Grand- 
father's clock,"  many  of  which  were  sent  to  the  United 
States.  He  was  also  a  manufacturing  jeweler,  and 
taught  the  business  to  his  sons.  His  wife,  Mary  Jane 
Gilbert,  was  the  daughter  of  a  divine  of  the  Scotch 
Covenanter  church.  Rev.  .A.dam  Gilbert,  D.  D.,  who 
became  a  Presbyterian  after  the  merger  of  the  denomi- 
nations. Joseph  and  Mary  Jane  (Gilbert)  Nelson  were 
the  parents  of  four  children:  Robert,  Ann,  Joseph  and 
Gilbert.  Robert  and  Joseph  came  to  the  United  States, 
as  did  their  sister  Ann,  this  review  following  the  career 
of  Joseph. 

Joseph  (2)  Nelson  was  born  in  Dromore,  County 
Down,  Ireland,  Aug  7,  1832,  died  in  Dunkirk,  N.  Y., 
June  28,  1909.  He  obtained  a  good  education,  and  from 
an  early  age  was  allowed  to  become  familiar  with  the 
details  of  his  father's  business,  displaying  marked 
aptitude.  After  the  death  of  Joseph  and  Mary  Jane 
(Gilbert)  Nelson,  their  children,  Robert,  Ann,  Joseph 
and  Gilbert,  disposed  of  the  jewelry  business  and  all 
other  property  pertaining  to  the  estate  and  came 
to  the  United  States,  arriving  in  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  May 
4,  1850.  The  brothers  at  once  established  in  business 
along  the  same  lines  their  father  had  so  successfully 
followed  in  Ireland  and  for  several  years  they  prospered, 
but  as  retailers  only.  They  then  decided  to  become 
wholesale  jewelry  dealers  and  dissolved  partnership, 
Robert  establishing  in  Toledo,  Ohio,  Joseph  continuing 
under  the  firm  name,  Joseph  Nelson  &  Company.  The 
latter  built  up  a  strong  business  house,  admitting  later 
his  sons-in-law,  Vander  Voort,  van  Buren  and  Gilbert, 
but  he  continued  himself  the  active  head  of  the  business 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 

For  more  than  half  a  century  he  was  a  pillar  of 
strength  to  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Dunkirk, 
although   he   was   reared   in   the   Presbyterian   faith   of 


346 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


his  moiher.  But  he  liberally  supported  all  Christian 
organizations  and  benevolences,  and  was  most  public- 
spirited  and  progressive,  supporting  all  forward  move- 
ments, civic  and  moral.  He  was  devoted  to  his  home 
and  family,  belonging  to  neither  club  nor  fraternity. 
He  was  a  man  who  won  public  confidence  to  an  un- 
usual degree,  and  when  the  time  came  to  show  him  a 
tinal  mark  of  respect  all  business  houses  of  the  city 
stood  closed  during  the  funeral  hour. 

Joseph  Xelson  married,  in  the  town  of  Sheridan, 
Chautauqua  county.  X.  Y.,  June  29,  1858,  Julia  Ann 
Bartholomew,  bom  in  Sheridan,  Dec.  12,  1S40,  daughter 
of  Henry  and  Isabella  (Patterson)  Bartholomew,  her 
father  of  Xew  England  birth  but  from  boyhood  a  resi- 
dent of  Chautauqua  county.  Joseph  and  Julia  Ann 
(Bartholomewl  X'elson  were  the  parents  of  four 
daughters,  as  follows :  I.  Isabelle  Bartholomew,  married 
John  Franklin  Gilbert,  whom  she  survives  (q.  v.).  2. 
Leah,  married  Henry  \"ander  Voort,  and  has  three 
children ;  Hildegarde,  Joseph  Xelson,  Henrj'  Ferdinand 
\  ander  \"oort.  3.  Julia,  married  James  Lyman  van 
Buren.  whom  she  survives  (q.  v.).  4.  Josephine,  died  in 
infancy.  Mrs.  Xelson,  Mrs.  Gilbert  and  Mrs.  van 
Buren  continued  their  residence  in  Dunkirk  after 
widowhood.  Mrs.  Julia  Ann  (Bartholomew)  N'elson 
survives  her  husband,  and  resides  at  Dunkirk  where  she 
is   held  in  the  highest  esteem. 

(The   Bartholomew   Line). 

This  surname  was  derived  from  the  ancient  Hebrew 
or  Syriac  personal  name  Bartholmai,  modified  in  Greek 
and  Roman  spelling.  Like  the  other  names  of  Christ's 
.■\postles.  Bartholomew  came  into  use  as  a  baptismal 
name  in  every  Christian  country  even  before  the  use 
of  surnames. 

The  Bartholomew  family  in  England  appears  to  date 
back  to  the  origin  of  the  use  of  surnames.  The  ancient 
coat-of-arms :  Argent  a  chevron  en.?railed  between 
three  lions  rampant  sable.  One  branch  of  the  family 
bears  this:  Or  three  goats'  heads  erased  sable.  Crest: 
.\  demi-goat  argent  gorged  witli  a  chaplct  of  laurel  vert. 

John,  Robert  and  Richard  Bartholomew  were  living 
about  1:50,  in  Warborough.  Oxfordshire,  England. 
Robert  and  Richard  were  brothers,  and  from  the  fact 
that  John's  son  was  an  overseer  of  Richard's  will  it  is 
infercd  that  John  was  a  brother  also.  They  were  land 
owners,  church  wardens  and  men  of  consequence  in  the 
community.  They  frequently  used  the  term,  "alias 
Martyn,"  after  Bartholomew,  presumably  having  adopted 
the  name  of  a  maternal  ancestor,  as  was  frequently  the 
case,  to  secure  an  inheritance.  Oliver  Cromwell's  name 
is  K\v':n  in  early  records  alias  Williams,  his  maternal 
ancestors  boing  of  the  Williams  family. 

CI)  John  Bartholomew  lived  in  Warborough.  England. 
He  married  there  Alice  Scuttor,  who  was  probably  his 
second  wife. 

(U)  John  (2)  Bartholomew,  son  of  John  (i)  Bar- 
tholomew, married  in  Warborough,  Margaret  Joyes. 
He  wa<i  made  overseer  of  his  uncle  Richard's  estate  in 
1:77,  His  four  sons  apparently  all  settled  in  the  neigh- 
boring towns  of  Oxford  and  i'urford.  Children  :  John, 
baptized  June  19,  1356.  married  Ales  Vicarage;  Row- 
land, baptized  Dec.  5,  i;Or,  died  I.387;  Richard,  twin  of 
Rowland,  buried  in  Burford,  April  29,  1632;  William, 
of  whom   further. 


(III)  William  Bartholomew,  son  of  John  (2)  Bar- 
tholomew, was  baptized  in  Warborough,  Feb.  7,  1567, 
and  buried  May  6,  1634.  He  settled  in  Burford,  where 
he  was  a  mercer,  a  dealer  in  silks  and  woolens.  His  will 
was  dated  April  25,  1634.  He  married  Friswide,  daugh- 
ter of  William  Metcalfe,  mayor  of  New  Woodstock,  a 
neighboring  town.  She  was  buried  in  Fulbrooke,  Dec. 
10,  1647.  Children  :  Mary,  married,  June  28,  1620,  Richard 
Tidmarsh;  John,  inherited  his  father's  estate  and  busi- 
ness, and  died  Nov.  15,  1639;  William,  of  whom  further; 
Henry,  born  1606-07,  died  Nov.  22,  1692,  in  Salem, 
Mass. ;  Richard  supposed  to  have  died  in  London,  or 
on  a  return  trip  from  London  to  Massachusetts ;  Francis, 
baptized  in  Burford,  Feb.  13,  1613-14;  Thomas,  baptized 
June  30,  1616;  Abraham,  died  in  Burford,  March  22, 
1646-47;  Sarah,  baptized  .-^pril  14,  1623. 

(IV)  William  (2)  Bartholomew,  son  of  William  (i) 
Bartholomew,  was  born  in  Burford,  England,  1602-03. 
He  received  a  good  education.  He  went  to  London, 
and  married  Anne,  sister  of  Robert  Lord,  afterward  his 
ne.xt    neighbor    in    Ipswich,    Mass.      Before    September, 

1634,  he  had  entertained  the  famous  Anne  Hutchinson 
at  his  London  home.  On  Sept.  18,  1634,  he  arrived  in 
Boston,  Mass.,  in  the  ship,  "Griffin,"  in  the  same  com- 
pany with  Anne  Hutchinson,  Rev.  John  Lothrop  and 
others.  He  was  admitted  a  freeman,  March  4,  1634-35, 
and  at  the  same  time  was  given  permission  to  trade  with 
vessels  at  Ipswich,  where  he  settled.  He  received 
several  grants  of  land  there  in  163S,  and  was  deputy  to 
the  General  Court  the  same  year,  serving  again  in 
1636-37-41-47-50.  He  was  often  on  the  jury,  was  com- 
missioner, town  clerk,  assessor,  selectman,  treasurer  of 
tlie  county,  and  often  on  important  committees.  He 
removed  to  Boston  about  1660,  and  in  1662  was  overseer 
of  the  mill  of  William  Brown,  of  Boston.  He  is  called 
a  merchant  of  Boston.  He  died  in  Charlestown,  at  the 
home  of  Jacob  Green,  Jan.  18,  1680-81.  His  grave  is 
in  the  Phipps  Street  Cemetery,  Charlestown,  near  that 
of  John  Harvard,  the  founder  of  Harvard  College.  His 
wife  Anne  died  in  Charlestown,  Jan.  29,  1682-83,  and 
her  gravestone  is  still  standing.  Children :  Mary, 
married  (first)  in  Gloucester,  Dec.  24,  1652,  IMatthew 
Whipple,    (second)    Jacob   Greene;   Joseph,   born   about 

1635,  resided  in  London,  England,  in  1693;  William,  of 
further  mention. 

(V)  Lieutenant  William  (3)  Bartholomew,  son  of 
William  (2)  Bartholomew,  was  born  at  Ipswich,  1640-41, 
and  died  in  the  spring  of  1697.  He  learned  the  trade  of 
carpenter,  and  settled  first  in  Ro.xbury.  He  sold  his 
Roxbury  land  in  1676-77,  and  removed  to  Deerfield, 
Mass.,  where  he  bought  the  home  lot  of  Peter  Wood- 
ward. At  the  time  of  the  raid  of  the  Indians  on  Hat- 
field, Sept.  19,  1677,  he  was  there  with  his  family.  His 
daughter  Abigail,  aged  four,  was  among  tlie  captives 
taken  to  Canada  and  was  ransomed  eight  months  later. 
In  1679  he  removed  lo  Branford,  Conn.,  where  he  was 
granted  twenty  acres  of  land,  built  a  saw  mill  and  kept 
an  ordinary  inn.  He  was  elected  surveyor  and  fence 
viewer.  In  1687  the  town  of  Woodstock  requested  him 
to  build  a  mill  in  their  town  and  offered  him  a  grant  of 
land.  He  was  commissioned  ensign  of  the  new  Rox- 
bury crjmpaiiy,  as  Woodstock  was  then  called,  July  13, 
168/),  and  in  1691  became  lieutenant.  In  1692  he  was 
the  first  deputy  to  the  General  Court  from  Woodstock. 
He  died  in  Woodstock,  in   1697.     He  married,  in  Rox- 


K'.  -Y( 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


347 


bury,  Dec.  17,  1663,  Mary  Johnson,  born  April  24,  1642, 
daughter  of  Captain  Isaac  and  Elizabeth  (Porter) 
Johnson,  granddaughter  of  John  Johnson,  who  held 
the  title  of  "Surveyor  of  all  ye  King's  armies  in  Amer- 
ica." Her  father  was  killed  in  the  Narragansett  fight, 
Dec.  19,  1675,  as  he  was  leading  his  men  over  the 
bridge  (a  fallen  tree)  into  the  enemy's  fort.  Children: 
Isaac,  born  Nov.  i,  1664,  died  Oct.  25,  1727;  William, 
born  Oct.  16,  1666;  Mary,  born  Oct.  26,  1668;  Andrew, 
of  further  mention;  Abigail,  bom  Dec.  8,  1672,  married 
(first)  Jan.  11,  1691-92,  Joseph  Frizzel,  (second)  1709, 
Samuel  Paine,  died  1732;  Elizabeth,  born  March  15, 
1674-75,  married,  Nov.  21,  1699,  Edmund  Chamberlain; 
Benjamin,  born  about  1677;  John,  born  about  1679; 
Joseph,  bom  about  1682. 

(VI)  Andrew  Bartholomew,  son  of  Lieutenant 
William  (3)  Bartholomew,  was  baptized  Dec.  11,  1670, 
in  Roxbury.  He  managed  his  father's  mills  in  Branford 
after  the  latter's  removal  to  Woodstock,  and  after  his 
father's  death  owned  and  operated  them  in  company 
with  his  brother  Benjamin.  On  Jan.  11,  1711-12,  the 
property  was  divided  and  Andrew  bought  large  quanti- 
ties of  land  in  Branford,  Wallingford  and  adjoining 
towns.  He  removed  to  Wallingford  before  1729,  and 
continued  there  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  a 
leading  citizen,  and  often  held  positions  of  trust.  He 
was  admitted  to  the  church  there  in  17GI.  He  married 
Hannah  Frisbie,  who  died  Feb.  2,  1741,  daughter  of 
Samuel  Frisbie,  of  Branford.  Children :  i.  William, 
born  Feb.  2,  1699.  2.  Susannah,  bom  Feb.  4,  1 701-02.  3. 
Hannah,  bom  Aug.  17,  1704;  married,  Nov.  19,  1724, 
Joseph  Barker.  4.  Samuel,  born  Sept.  12,  1706,  died 
1795-  5-  Daniel,  born  Oct.  16,  1708,  died  Oct.  25,  1777. 
6.  Rebecca,  born  March  28,  1712;  married,  Oct.  19,  1732. 
Peter  Hall;  died  Oct.  3,  1791.  7.  Rev.  Andrew,  bom 
Nov.  7,  1714;  graduated  at  Vale  College,  1731  :  was 
settled  minister  at  Harwinton,  Conn.,  Oct.  4,  1738,  and 
continued  as  pastor  thirty-five  years.  8.  Timothy,  born 
Feb.  28,  1716-17,  died  April  27,  1749.  9.  Joseph,  of 
further  mention.  10.  John,  born  Feb.  8,  1723-24.  11. 
Martha. 

(VII)  Lieutenant  Joseph  Bartholomew,  son  of 
Andrew  and  Hannah  (Frisbie)  Bartholomew,  was  bom 
in  Branford,  Conn.,  May  6,  1721,  and  died  in  Walling- 
ford, Conn.,  Oct.  27,  1781.  He  marched  on  the  Lexing- 
ton Alarm  of  April  19,  1775.  and  served  eight  days.  His 
commission  of  lieutenant  from  the  General  Court  placed 
him  in  command  of  all  the  men  in  town  subject  to 
military  duty.  He  married  Jan.  13,  1741,  Mary  Sexton. 
Children  :  Hannah,  Andrew  ;  Joseph,  died  young  ;  Jona- 
than ;  and  Joseph,  of  further  mention. 

(VIII)  Joseph  (2)  Bartholomew,  son  of  Lieutenant 
Joseph  (i)  and  Mary  (Sexton)  Bartholomew,  was  bom 
in  Wallingford,  Conn.,  in  1748,  and  died  .April,  1821. 
His  farm  was  on  what  was  called  "Whirlwind  Hill," 
now  known  as  East  Farms,  in  Wallingford,  a  large  part 
being  yet  owned  in  the  family.  He  married  (first) 
Martha  Morse,  who  died  about  1781  ;  married  (second) 
about  1784,  Damarius  Hall,  who  died  Nov.  6,  T819. 
Children,  first  three  by  first  wife:  Isaac,  married  Lydia 
Curtiss;  Levi  Moss,  married  (first)  Lucy  Ives,  (second) 
Pamelia  Potter;  Joseph,  of  further  mention;  Samuel, 
married  (first)  Sylvia  Hood,  (second)  Hannah,  widow 
of  Stoddard  Neal;  Ira.  married  Eunice  Hall;  Orrin, 
married  his  second  cousin,  Emmeline  Bartholomew. 


(IX)  Joseph  (3)  Bartholomew,  son  of  Joseph  (2) 
Bartholomew,  was  born  in  Wallingford,  Conn.,  settled 
in  New  Vork  State,  first  at  Sheridan,  where  he  was  an 
early  settler.  The  tract  of  land  he  purchased  was  virgin 
wilderness,  but  he  erected  a  log  cabin,  cleared  a  farm 
and  prospered.  He  lived  and  labored  there  the  remain- 
der of  his  life.  He  married,  March  18,  1804,  Julia 
Howd.  Children:  l.  Eliza,  married  Harry  H.  Parker. 
2.  William,  died  aged  nineteen  years.  3.  Polly,  married 
Harry  Hall.  4.  Sylvia  Ann,  married  Ives  Andrews.  S- 
Stephen  Decatur,  died  young.  6.  Almon,  died  aged 
nine  years.  7.  Henry,  of  further  mention.  8.  Joseph, 
a  prominent  dry  goods  merchant  of  Dunkirk;  married 
(first)  Cornelia  Horton,  (secotid)  Elizabeth  Pearson. 
9.  Nelson,  built  and  managed  the  Dunkirk  Opera  House ; 
died  unmarried.  10.  William  A.,  died  unmarried.  11. 
Stephen  Decatur   (2),  married  Julia  E.  Allen. 

(X)  Henry  Bartholomew,  eldest  son  and  seventh 
child  of  Joseph  (3)  and  Julia  (Howd)  Bartholomew, 
was  born  in  Wallingford,  Conn.,  June  7,  1818,  and  died 
in  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  3,  1871.  He  came  to  Sheridan, 
N.  v.,  with  his  father,  and  for  several  years  followed 
farming.  He  then  removed  to  Dunkirk,  where  he  was 
a  successful  manufacturer  of  boxes  of  various  kinds. 
In  his  later  years  he  retired  from  business  and  returned 
to  Sheridan,  residing  on  a  farm  of  about  300  acres, 
where  his  last  years  were  spent,  afterwards  dying  in 
Dunkirk.  He  married  Isabella  Patterson,  lxir:i  in 
Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  July  7,  1819,  died  1854.  Children: 
A  son  dying  in  infancy,  and  three  daughters,  namely : 
I.  Julia  Ann,  married  Joseph  Nelson,  (q.  v.)  2.  Mary, 
married  (first)  Wilham  A.  Post,  a  captain  in  the  Civil 
War,  killed  while  employed  on  the  Erie  railroad  as 
engineer;  child,  William  A.  (2)  Post;  she  married 
(second)  Charles  Van  Wagner.  3.  Helen  Isabella, 
married  William  L.  Slater,  of  Dunkirk,  now  a  resident 
ot   Jamestown. 


JOHN  FRANKLIN  GILBERT— Although  born  in 
Ohio,  Mr.  Gilbert  spent  his  adult  years  in  Dunkirk,  N. 
Y.,  where  from  the  age  of  eighteen  he  was  connected 
with  one  of  the  sterling  business  houses  of  the  city, 
Joseph  Nelson  &  Company.  He  was  a  grandson  of  Samuel 
and  Susannah  Gilbert,  of  Cornwall,  England,  who  came 
to  the  United  States,  he  in   1840,  and  his  wife  in  1843. 

Henry  Gilbert,  son  of  Samuel  and  Susannah  Gilbert, 
learned  the  cabinetmaker's  trade  in  Cornwall,  England, 
where  he  was  born  about  181 5.  He  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1842,  settling  first  in  Ravenna,  going  thence 
to  Loudonville,  Ashland  county,  Ohio.  In  Loudonville 
he  was  councilman  and  member  of  the  School  Board, 
and  about  1850  there  married  Elizabeth  Sprague,  bom 
in  Loudonville,  daughter  of  William  Jasper  and  Rebecca 
(Jones)  Sprague.  They  were  the  parents  of  a  large 
family,  their  second  child  a  son,  John  Franklin  Gilbert, 
whose  career  is  herein  reviewed. 

John  Franklin  Gilbert  was  bom  in  Loudonville.  Ohio. 
June  30.  1854,  and  was  there  educated.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen  he  located  in  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  where  he  secured 
a  position  in  the  wholesale  jewelry  house  of  Joseph 
Nelson  &  Company.  He  rose  rapidly  to  a  responsible 
position  with  that  house,  and  until  his  death  was  closely 
identified  with  it,  it  being  one  of  the  oldest  in  Dunkirk 
and  for  many  years  the  only  wholesale  house  in  the 
city.     After    his  marriage  in  1896  Mr.  Gilbert  was  ad- 


34- 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


I 


mined  to  a  partnership,  and  from  IQIO  until  his  death  in 
1910  he  was  head  of  the  firm.  He  was  an  excellent  busi- 
ness man.  sterling  in  character,  and  universally  liked 
and  esteemed.  His  life  was  a  successful  one,  and  his 
years  of  manhood  were  years  of  usefulness.  Mr.  Gil- 
ben  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  affiliated  with 
Dunkirk  Lodge,  No,  ;D,  Free  and  .\ccepted  Masons; 
Dunkirk  Chapter,  Xo.  25,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Dunkirk 
Council,  Royal  and  Select  Masters ;  Dunkirk  Com- 
mandery,  Xo.  ~.  Knights  Templar;  and  Ismailia  Temple, 
.\ncient  .\rabic  Order  Xobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine. 

Mr.  Gilbert  married,  at  Dunkirk,  Oct.  15,  1896,  Isabella 
Bartholomew  Xelson,  eldest  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Julia  -A.nn  (Bartholomew')  Xelson,  of  Dunkirk  (q.  v.). 
Mr.  Gilbert  died  in  Dunkirk,  July  2S.  1916,  aged  sixty- 
two  years  and  one  month.  Mrs.  Gilbert  survives  her 
husband.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Christ 
(. Scientist ~>,  having  joined  the  Mother  Church  in  Boston 
in  lOor,  after  experiencing  a  healing  from  a  severe 
nervous  condition  which  had  caused  her  great  suffering 
for  years  and  baffled  the  best  physicians  of  New  York 
and  Paris.  She  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  First 
Church  of  Dunkirk;  was  for  several  years  its  First 
Reader,  and  her  example  and  influence  has  aided  in 
building  up  a  strong  church  in  Dunkirk. 


JAMES  LYMAN  VAN  BUREN— Although  the 
career  of  James  L.  van  Buren  closed  at  the  age  of 
forty-three  years,  they  had  been  from  boyhood  years  of 
constant  activity,  and  he  had  attained  unusual  business 
prominence  and  was  one  of  Dunkirk's  substantial  and 
highly  esteemed  citizens.  He  was  a  son  of  James  Henry- 
van  Buren,  and  a  grandson  of  Henry  Broadhead  van 
Buren,  the  last  named  a  native  of  Pompey,  N.  V.,  who 
in  1825  located  in  Dunkirk,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 
James  H.  and  Henry  B.  van  Buren,  young  men,  estab- 
lished a  mercantile  business  in  1826  or  27,  and  were  long 
well  known  general  merchants  of  Dunkirk.  In  1S27 
they  moved  into  the  east  store  of  a  new  brick  block, 
subsequently  becoming  interested  in  a  line  of  boats 
from  Dunkirk.  Henry  B.  van  Buren  was  the  first 
insurance  agent  in  the  village,  and  there  died,  in  1872, 
aged  sixty-nine. 

James  Henry  van  Buren  was  born  in  Dunkirk  in 
18.31.  and  there  spent  his  life,  and  died  ."Xug.  9,  1889. 
He  was  associated  with  his  father  in  the  insurance 
business  and  later  became  general  agent  for  one  of  the 
leading  Xew  York  companies,  a  position  he  held  for 
over  a  quarter  of  a  century,  being  one  of  the  oldest 
general  agents  in  the  State.  He  was  also  general  agent 
for  the  Connecticut  Fire  Insurance  Company  of  Hart- 
ford, for  the  State  of  Xew  York.  A  Presbyterian  in 
religion,  he  served  the  church  in  Dunkirk  as  an  elder, 
and  in  his  political  faith  was  a  Republican. 

Mr.  van  iJurcn  married,  in  1856,  Lydia  I'cechcr  Cole- 
man, born  June  8,  18,37,  'I'd  '^ct.  8,  1872,  daughter  of 
Tnieman  Rowley  Coleman,  born  in  Connecticut,  later 
a  merchant  of  EllicMtville,  in  Cattaraugus  county,  treas- 
urer of  the  county,  i84''>-47;  moved  to  Dunkirk  in  1854, 
and  e<itabli>.h'd  the  Lake  Shore  Bank,  of  which  he  was 
president  until  his  death,  Aug.  18,  1884.  Mr.  Coleman 
married,  at  F.llicottville,  April  21,  i8,V,  Sophia  M. 
I'cechcr,  and  their  fourth  child  was  Lydia  Becchcr 
0<l'-man,  wile  of  James  Henry  van  Buren.  .She  was  a 
meml^cr  of  the  Kpiscopal  church. 


James  Lyman  van  Buren  was  born  in  Dunkirk,  N. 
Y.,  April  S,  1867,  died  at  his  home  on  Central  avenue, 
in  his  native  city,  Feb.  26,  1910,  and  was  buried  in  Forest 
Hill  Cemetery,  Fredonia.  He  was  educated  at  Dunkirk 
.-Vcademy,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  began  his  business 
career  as  a  clerk  in  his  father's  insurance  offices.  In 
18S8  he  had  so  developed  as  an  underwriter  that  he  was 
admitted  to  partnership,  and  when  a  year  later  his 
father  passed  away  the  son  succeeded  him  as  head  of  the 
business  and  largely  increased  the  lines  carried,  repre- 
senting at  one  time  eighteen  companies,  life,  fire,  accident 
and  liability.  Finally  he  withdrew  from  the  insurance 
field  and  became  associated  with  his  father-in-law,  Joseph 
Nelson,  of  Joseph  Nelson  &  Company,  wholesale  jewelers, 
i\Ir.  van  Buren  developed  strong  qualities  as  a  merchant, 
and  to  his  energy  and  ability  the  success  of  the  company 
was  in  a  large  measure  due.  After  the  death  of  Joseph 
Nelson  the  business  was  continued  by  Mr.  van  Buren  until 
his  own  death  in  igio.  He  died  in  the  prime  of  his  splen- 
did manhood,  honored  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 
As  a  mark  of  respect  and  a  testimonial  to  the  high 
regard  in  which  he  was  held  by  his  fellowmen,  the 
business  houses  of  Dunkirk  were  closed  during  the 
hours  of  Ills  funeral.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Sons  of 
the  American  Revolution ;  a  director  of  the  Board  of 
Trade,  and  of  several  other  organizations  of  the  city, 
and   a   member  of   the   Presbyterian   church, 

Mr.  van  Buren  married,  June  II,  1890,  Julia  Nelson, 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Julia  \.  (Bartholomew)  Nelson 
(q.  v.),  Mr.  and  Mrs.  van  Buren  were  the  parents  of 
si.x  children :  Josephine,  married  George  R.  Nixon,  and 
resides  in  Dunkirk;  Nellie,  married  George  Patterson 
Crandall,  of  Westfield,  N,  Y. ;  James  Henry  (2),  a 
merchant  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y. ;  Joseph  Nelson,  engaged  in 
mercantile  business  in  Buffalo,  married  Mary  Mac  Leod, 
of  Versailles,  Ky, ;  James  Lyman,  residing  at  home; 
Robert,  died  aged  two  years. 

The  three  sons  served  in  the  World  War,  James 
Henry  and  Joseph  N.  in  the  Aviation  Corps  of  the 
United  States  army,  and  James  Lyman  in  the  navy. 
Mrs.  van  Buren  survives  her  husband  and  continues 
her  residence  at  the  old  home  on  Central  avenue,  Dun- 
kirk, her  aged  mother,  Mrs.  Joseph  Nelson,  residing 
with  her. 


SETH  W.  THOMPSON— In  a  review  of  his  own 
life  and  family  written  by  himself  and  finished  under 
date  of  Jan.  s,  1914,  he  thus  concludes: 

This  simple  tale  I  dedicate  to  my  posterity  on  Janu- 
.ary  5,  1014,  my  seventy-eijarlitli  birtliday,  and  my  wife 
wlio  is  now  liere  by  me  joins  witli  me.  Slie  is  now 
sevent.y-flve  years  old  and  we  are  enjoying  life  and 
our   fatuities   to   a   good   degree   tor  people   of  our  age. 

May  tlie  Good  Father  who  gives  us  our  life  and  all 
manifold  blessings  bless  and  keep  you  always.  My 
abiding  faith  and  trust  is  that  in  the  great  and  eternal 
future  we  shall  all  In  some  mysterious  and  wonderful 
w;iy  which  we  cannot  comprehend  be  united  in  another 
existence. 

Four  years  after  writing  the  above,  Mr.  Thompson 
was  a!)le  to  comprehend  that  "mysterious  and  wonderful 
way,"  and  but  a  year  later  husband  and  wife  were 
united  in  another  sphere.  Three  of  their  children  are  as 
follows:  John  F.  and  Charles  C.  Thompson,  of  New 
York  City,  and  Mrs.  Carrie  T.  West,  of  Jamestown,  In 
this  review  of  the  life  of  Mr.  Thompson  his  own 
account  will  be  relied  upon   for  the  facts. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


349 


Seth  W.  Thompson  was  a  son  of  John  and  Pamelia 
(Bush)  Thompson,  who  about  1833  settled  on  a  farm  of 
fifty  acres  within  half  a  mile  of  Ellington  Center, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  The  parents  of  JohnThomp- 
son  were  born  in  Maine,  but  later  lived  in  Madison 
county,  N.  Y.,  where  his  father  worked  at  the  carpenter's 
trade.  Later  he  went  West  to  work  upon  the  Erie  canal, 
and  never  returned  to  his  family,  being  stricken  by  a 
fever  which  proved  fatal.  John  Thompson,  a  boy  of 
eighteen  when  his  father  died,  and  his  youngest  brother 
Seth  aided  their  mother,  and  they  were  able  to  keep 
the  family  together,  John  remaining  single  until  thirty 
years  of  age,  then  taking  his  mother  and  two  unmarried 
sisters  into  his  home.  He  married  Pamelia  Bush,  about 
1827,  and  began  married  life  on  a  little  farm  of  forty 
acres  in  Aladison  county,  N.  Y.,  where  they  lived  until 
about  1834.  when  he  sold  his  farm,  and  with  his  mother, 
wife  and  three  little  daughters.  $500  in  cash,  with  his 
household  possessions  loaded  in  a  heavy  wagon  drawn 
by  a  two-horse  team,  started  West.  Their  journey  of 
perhaps  200  miles  ended  in  the  town  of  Ellington,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y..  where  John  Thompson  bought  a 
farm  of  fifty  acres  on  which  was  a  log  house  and  stable. 
The  pine  timber  had  been  almost  entirely  taken  from  the 
tract,  but  by  hard  work  he  removed  the  stumps  and  pine 
tops  from  a  small  amount  of  land,  and  the  following  fall 
was  rewarded  by  a  good  crop.  His  wife,  a  tailoress, 
aided  with  her  needle,  and  in  course  of  time  a  certain 
degree  of  prosperity  was  attained.  In  speaking  of  his 
boyhood  and  his  parents,  Mr.  Thompson  writes : 

We  always  had  comfortable  clothing  and  an  extra 
suit  for  Sunday  and  church,  which  was  always  at- 
tended, although  we  lived  on  a  farm  four  and  a  half 
miles  from  the  church.  They  were  always  generous 
to  the  poor,  and  no  one  ever  went  from  their  door 
hungry,   friend  or  stranger. 

About  1840  the  little  farm  was  sold,  and  another  of 
150  acres  was  bought.  Until  1851  the  family,  then  con- 
sisting of  seven  children,  lived  in  the  old  log  house,  but 
for  several  years  had  been  getting  lumber  together,  and 
in  1851  a  new  frame  house  was  finished.  With  this 
house  completed  the  hardships  of  pioneer  days  may  be 
said  to  have  ended  for  the  Thompson  family,  and  the 
fortunes  of  Seth  W.  Thompson  will  alone  be  followed. 

Seth  W.  Thompson  was  born  in  the  log  cabin  on 
the  home  farm  in  Ellington,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
in  1836,  the  fifth  child  of  his  parents.  He  was  educated 
in  the  district  school,  and  in  the  winter  of  1853-54  he 
taught  school  in  Ohio,  four  miles  south  of  Madison,  his 
married  sister,  Frances  Turney,  engaging  the  school  for 
him.  The  next  winter  he  taught  the  district  school 
west  of  the  old  farm  in  the  town  of  Ellington,  the 
same  school  which  he  had  attended  when  a  small  boy. 
He  taught  in  Chautauqua  county  each  winter  until  that 
of  1860-61,  which  was  his  last.  His  salary  was  from 
$16  monthly  the  first  winter  to  $26  the  last  winter, 
and  at  all  the  schools  except  the  last  in  the  village  of 
Ellington,  he  boarded  around.  He  was  a  successful 
teacher,  ever  looking  back  upon  the  winters  he  taught 
with  great  pleasure. 

During  my  school  days  in  the  winter  of  1S55-56,  I 
made  the  acquaintance  of  Miss  Emma  L.  Pratt,  a 
sprightly,  black-eyed  girl,  with  whom  I  fell  in  love. 
She  also  taught  several  terms  of  school,  her  last  term 
being  in  the  Union  School  at  Dunkirk.  New  York,  On 
October    2,    1S59,    after    nearly    four    years    of    pleasant 


courtship,  we  were  married.  Our  life  has  been  a  very 
pleasant  one  and  we  have  been  unusually  favored  in 
niany  ways.  We  have  no'w  passed  our  forty-first  anni- 
versary (they  were  married  fifty-nine  years  ere  death 
dissolved  this  happy  marriage).  We  have  been  fairly 
successful  in  business  ventures,  and  wonderfully 
blessed  in  our  children  who  have  always  been  and  are 
still  to  us  a  blessing  which  we  cannot  express,  meas- 
ure or  weigh. 

In  May,  1861,  John  M.  Farnham,  tlie  hardware  merchant 
of  Ellington,  offered  Mr.  Thompson  a  partnership,  which 
was  accepted.  -In  the  fall  of  1861  he  bought  out  a  tin 
and  stove  shop  in  Cattaraugus,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Thompson 
taking  charge  of  that  branch,  Oct.  28,  1861,  and  two 
weeks  later  his  wife,  and  son  John,  then  fifteen  months 
old,  arrived  with  their  household  goods.  The  next 
year  his  father  and  mother  joined  their  son  in  Cattar- 
augus, and  in  1866  they  all  moved  into  a  fine  house.  In 
1869  that  house  was  sold,  and  in  December,  i86g,  a 
new  house  was  occupied  for  the  first  time.  In  1870, 
through  a  combination  of  circumstances,  the  firm,  S.  W. 
Thompson  Company,  sold  out  and  a  new  partnership 
was  entered  into  with  Henry  Chaffee,  Mr.  Thompson 
remaining  in  charge  of  the  Cattaraugus  store,  Mr. 
Chaffee  taking  charge  of  the  firm's  business  in  Randolph. 
About  1872  the  Cattaraugus  store  was  sold,  Thompson 
&  Chaffee  then  concentrating  all  their  energy  on  the 
larger,  better  store  in  Randolph,  which  later  they  sold 
to  Knapp  &  Son.  Shortly  afterward  Mr.  Thompson 
sold  his  interest  in  a  patent  milk  pan  business  in  which 
he  had  been  engaged  for  some  time,  and  he  entered  into 
partnership  with  J.  M.  Farnham,  who  had  been  his  first 
partner  in  the  tin  shop  in  Cattaraugus.  Mr.  Farnham 
was  head  of  a  large  hardware  business  in  Jamestown, 
and  after  settling  up  his  affairs  in  Randolph  Mr. 
Thompson  joined  him,  his  department  being  the  manage- 
ment of  the  office.  Before  removing  his  family  and 
irrevocably  committing  himself  to  the  partnership,  he 
found  that  the  business  was  not  as  he  expected  to  find 
it,  and  by  mutual  consent  the  partnership  was  not  con- 
summated. He  returned  to  Randolph  and  some  time 
afterward  he  became  partner  in  a  hardware  store  that 
I'.ad  been  started  after  Thompson  &  Chaffee  had  sold 
out.  He  conducted  a  prosperous  business  for  six  years, 
then  sold  out  and  took  a  partnership  in  a  tannery  at  East 
Randolph,  which  he  retained  for  about  three  years.  He 
was  next  interested  with  Amos  Dow  in  a  private  bank- 
ing business  in  East  Randolph,  the  business  being  con- 
ducted under  the  firm  name,  Dow  &  Thompson,  bankers. 
They  continued  a  quiet,  prosperous  banking  business  for 
four  years,  and  in  1878  he  exchanged  his  interest  in  the 
bank  for  a  general  country  store  in  East  Randolph 
owned  by  his  partner,  Amos  Dow.  Mr.  Dow  and  he  had 
previously  lost  some  money  in  the  oil  fields  of  Pennsyl- 
vania through  fire,  but  this  loss  Mr.  Thompson  recouped, 
and  during  the  eight  years  that  he  operated  the  general 
store  he  added  $15,000  to  his  capital  through  the  profits 
from  the  store.  In  1880  Mr.  Thompson  toured  Cali- 
fornia, where  his  only  brother  and  a  sister  were  living, 
and  became  enamored  of  the  great  West.  In  December, 
1885,  his  mother  passed  away,  and  in  June,  1886,  his 
father  passed  away  in  his  eighty-eighth  year.  The  lad 
promised  his  parents  not  to  remove  West  so  long  as 
they  lived,  and  having  ministered  to  them  and  provided 
for  their  every  need  during  their  old  age  he  could  con- 
sider a  western  removal  with  a  clear  conscience. 


"y^O 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Going  West,  he  bought  a  tract  of  600  acres  of  farm 
land  at  Luverne.  Rock  comity.  Minn.,  and  the  next  day 
purchased  an  additional  lOO  acres.  In  May.  1SS7,  he 
sold  his  store  in  East  Randolph  and  availed  himself  of 
an  offer  to  secure  an  interest  in  the  First  National  Bank 
of  Luverne.  His  son  Charles  C.  Thompson,  then  with 
the  Seaboard  National  Bank  of  New  York  City,  was 
given  important  position  in  tlie  bank,  and  with  his  wife 
and  daughter.  Carrie  T.,  Mr.  Thompson  arrived  in 
Luverne.  in  September.  18S7. 

Although  Charles  C.  Thompson  had  been  elected 
cashier  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  probably  the  youngest 
man  ever  elected  to  that  important  office,  he  felt  that 
a  small  Minnesota  town  did  not  offer  sufficient  induce- 
ments for  the  future,  and  after  four  years  in  Luverne 
he  accepted  an  offer  to  return  to  the  Seaboard  National 
Bank.  New  York  City,  of  which  his  brother,  John  F., 
was  cashier.  In  Luverne,  the  only  daughter  of  the 
family,  Carrie  T..  married  Henry  Brennan,  a  young 
man  from  Smethport,  Pa.,  they  returning  East.  The 
loss  of  their  children  decided  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson 
to  return  East,  and  within  another  year  he  sold  the 
home  he  had  built  in  Luverne  and  his  stock  in  the  bank, 
but  retained  his  farms  on  which  he  had  good  tenants. 

On  his  return  he  located  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  his  son, 
Charles  C.  who  had  returned  to  Minnesota  in  January, 
1892.  and  brought  back  with  him  a  bride,  Emily  Brown, 
making  his  home  vs'ith  his  parents.  In  August,  iSga, 
Mr.  Thompson  returned  to  Minnesota  to  look  after  his 
farm  interests,  and  stopping  at  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  was 
offered  by  his  old  friend,  Mr.  Charles  Dow,  a  position 
in  the  Jamestown  National  Bank.  He  removed  to  James- 
town in  the  fall  of  1802,  and  in  March,  1893,  moved 
into  a  comfortable  brick  house  on  Lakeview  avenue, 
where  he  resided  until  death.  His  position  at  the 
bank  was  in  the  loan  department,  his  business  being 
to  interview  applicants  for  loans  and  to  determine 
whether  they  as  individuals  and  the  security  they  offered 
were  worthy.  He  resigned  that  position  after  four  years' 
service,  and  for  two  years  held  an  interest  in  the 
Southern  Lumber  Company,  operating  in  Southeastern 
Missouri.  This  was  his  last  active  connection  with  the 
business  world,  although  he  had  large  private  interests 
in  many  enterprises.  He  was  a  man  of  quiet,  domestic 
tastes,  and  in  his  last  years  his  home,  garden,  and  family 
ties  had  for  him  the  greatest  joy  and  brought  him 
unlimited  happiness.  His  business  life  was  a  financial 
success,  and  he  saw  his  children  all  well  settled  and 
leading  useful  lives.  He  had  been  instrumental  in 
starting  several  young  men  in  business,  and  in  his  quiet 
way  had  ever  had  a  helping  hand  for  others.  From 
whatever  angle  viewed,  his  life  was  a  success,  and  he  lift 
to  posterity  a  name  unsullied  and  honor  untarnished. 
He  died  in  Jamestown.  N.  Y.,  .April   15,   1918. 

Emma  L.  f  Pratt  I  Thompson  was  born  in  Hinsdale, 
N.  Y.,  Dec.  15,  1838,  and  died  at  the  Thompson  homo. 
No.  'rry  Lakeview  avenue,  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  .April  30, 
t'/i'j.  daughter  of  Homer  and  I%lccta  A.  fNewcomb) 
Pratt,  who  at  the  time  of  the  birth  of  their  daughter 
wcrr  enfiutc  from  Madison  county,  N.  Y.,  to  Missouri. 
Subsequently  the  Pratts  settled  in  Ellington,  Chautauqua 
county.  N,  Y,,  where  Mr.  Pratt  conducted  a  store  until 
hi%  death  in  18^)3.  Mrs.  Pratt  rlicd  at  the  home  of  her 
daughter,  Mr$.  Thompson,  in  Jamestown,  in  the  spring 


of  1S03,  aged  eighty.  Mrs.  Thompson  was  educated  in 
Ellington  .\cademy,  and  for  several  terms  prior  to  her 
marriage.  Oct.  2,  1859,  taught  school.  Mrs.  Thompson 
was  a  woman  of  broad  culture  and  charming  manner. 
Essentially  a  home-maker,  she  found  her  greatest 
enjoyment  in  the  family  circle.  She  was  active  in  the 
work  of  the  First  Congregational  Church,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  New  Century  Art  Club,  Jamestown 
Chapter,  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  and 
the  Warner  Home  for  the  Aged.  She  was  a  gifted 
writer  and  had  prepared  many  papers  of  note  for  the 
various  organizations  with  which  she  was  connected. 
During  the  war  with  Germany  Mrs.  Thompson  was 
an  active  Red  Cross  worker  and  rendered  other  patri- 
otic service. 

Seth  W.  and  Emma  L.  (Pratt)  Thompson  were  the 
parents  of  two  sons  and  a  daughter:  i.  John  F.,  bom  at 
the  home  farm  in  Ellington,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  July  12,  i860;  he  was  educated  in  Chamberlain 
Institute.  Randolph,  and  Allegheny  College  (one  term), 
then  began  business  life  as  a  clerk  with  the  private  bank- 
ing firm.  Dow  &  Thompson ;  he  has  continued  in  the 
banking  business  ever  since,  having  been  teller  of  the 
Bradford  National  Bank  of  Bradford,  Pa.,  cashier  of 
the  Seaboard  National  Bank  of  New  York  City,  and  in 
1003  became  vice-president  of  the  Bankers'  Tru-^t  Com- 
pany, a  position  he  resigned  from  four  years  later  on 
account  of  failing  health;  he  then  made  his  home  on  the 
Island  of  Jamaica,  British  West  Indies,  where  he 
bought  4,000  acres,  and  became  deeply  interested  in 
tropical  fruit  farming;  he  married,  in  18S0,  Hattie  Dow, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  five  children.  2.  Charles 
C.  born  at  Cattaraugus.  N.  Y.,  Aug.  16.  1868;  he  was 
educated  in  the  public  school  and  Chamberlain  Insti- 
tute, but  at  the  age  of  fourteen  left  school  to  take  a  posi- 
tion in  a  bank  at  Bolivar,  of  which  his  brother  John  F. 
was  cashier;  after  two  years  with  his  brother  he  went 
with  his  father  in  his  store,  later  going  to  the  Seaboard 
National  Bank,  of  New  York  City;  he  remained  with 
that  bank  until  18S7,  when  he  joined  his  father  in 
Luverne,  Minn.,  where  for  four  years  he  was  cashier 
of  the  Luverne  National  Bank,  being  but  nineteen  when 
elected ;  he  then  returned  to  the  Seaboard  National 
Bank  in  New  York,  filling  the  position  of  assistant 
cashier  until  succeeding  his  brother  as  cashier,  then 
serving  in  that  position  until  1013,  when  he  was  elected 
vice-president;  he  married  Emily  Brown,  of  Luverne, 
Minn.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  one  son,  Seth  Waldo. 
3.  Carrie  T.,  born  in  Cattaraugus,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  16,  1870; 
she  married  (first)  in  Luverne,  Minn.,  Henry  Brennan, 
of  Smethport,  Pa.,  who  died  leaving  five  children:  i. 
Mildred  E.  Brennan,  married  her  cousin,  John  Stuart 
Thompson,  and  has  three  sons,  John  D.,  Philip  Brennan, 
and  Charles  H.  Thompson;  ii.  Ruth  Marion  Brennan, 
married  Fred  E.  Hatch,  Jr..  of  Janicstfiwn,  and  has  three 
children,  Katherin  T.,  Marjorie  C,  and  Mildred  Hatch; 
iii.  John  Thompson  Brennan,  married  Vivian  Evans, 
who  died  Oct.  26,  1018,  leaving  two  children,  John 
Thompson  (2)  and  Janet  L.  Brennan;  iv.  Theodoria 
Brennan  ;  v.  Carolyn  E.  Brennan,  both  attending  school. 
After  the  death  of  her  husband,  a  prosperous  business 
man,  Mrs.  Brennan  moved  to  her  home  in  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.,  prepared  for  her  by  her  parents,  and  was  the 
great  comfort  of  their  declining  years,  her  home  being 


BIOGRAPHICAL  A  ^  0"^"7fV> 


351 


near  theirs.  She  married  (second)  Julius  E.  West,  of 
Jamestown,  and  they  reside  on  Lakeview  avenue,  James- 
town. 


JAMES  KNAPP— For  more  than  a  decade  of  the 

last  years  of  his  life,  James  Knapp  was  an  honored 
resident  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  a  man  of  wealth  and 
enterprise,  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him.  He 
was  always  deeply  interested  in  family  history,  and 
during  liis  lifetime  carefully  traced  his  own  descent 
from  Nicholas  Knapp,  who  came  with  Winthrop's 
fleet  in  1630.  The  family  was  transplanted  from  Con- 
necticut to  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y,,  in  1821,  John 
Knapp.  grandfather  of  James  Knapp,  settling  in  the 
town  of  Harmony  in  November  of  that  year.  James 
Knapp  married  Ellen  Lewis,  of  the  Vermont  branch  of 
the  Lewis  family,  who  survives  him.  continuing  her 
residence  in  Jamestown,  she  and  her  son,  Lewis  D. 
Knapp,  the  only  survivors  of  the  family. 

(I)  Nicholas  Knapp  was  born  in  England,  and  died 
ir  Stamford,  Conn.,  April  16,  1670.  He  settled  in  Water- 
town,  in  1630,  and  was  there  listed  a  proprietor  in 
1636-37,  and  in  1648  moved  to  Stamford,  Conn.,  where 
three  generations  of  his  descendants  in  the  branch 
lived.  His  first  wife  Eleanor,  the  mother  of  all  his 
children,  died  in  Stamford,  June  16,  1658.  Their 
children  :  Jonathan,  Timothy,  Joshua.  Caleb,  Sarah,  Ruth 
and  Hannah  were  born  in  Waterford.  Closes  and  Lydia, 
it  is  thought,  were  born  after  the  removal  to  Stamford. 
Descent  to  James  Knapp  is  traced  through  Caleb,  the 
fourth  son. 

(II)  Caleb  Knapp,  son  of  Nicholas  and  Eleanor 
Knapp,  was  born  Jan.  20,  1637,  and  in  1648  was  taken 
to  Stamford  with  the  family.  His  will  is  dated  Oct. 
3.  1674.  and  in  it  is  named  his  wife  Hannah,  and 
children :  Caleb,  John,  Moses,  Samuel,  Sarah  and 
Hannah.  Descent  in  this  branch  is  through  the  second 
son  John. 

(III)  John  Knapp,  son  of  Caleb  and  Hannah  Knapp, 
was  born  in  Stamford,  Conn.,  July  25,  1664,  and  there 
spent  his  life.  He  married,  June  10,  1692,  Hannah 
Ferris,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  five  children : 
Samuel,  John  (2),  Hannah,  Charles,  Deborah.  This 
line  traces  through  John  (2),  the  second  son. 

(IV)  John  (2)  Knapp,  son  of  John  (i)  and  Hannah 
(Ferris)  Knapp,  was  born  in  Stamford,  Conn.,  Aug. 
14,  1697.  He  married  and  among  his  children  was  a 
son  John  (3). 

(V)  John  (3)  Knapp,  son  of  John  (2)  Knapp,  was 
born  about  1730.  and  settled  in  Danbury,  Conn.  In  the 
history  of  Stamford  he  is  named  as  having  served  for 
223  days  in  the  Revolutionary  army,  during  the  year 
1776.  He  married  Ruth  Gregory,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  seven  children:  Samuel,  Elizabeth,  Jehu, 
Ruth,  John,  Chloe  and  Levi.  With  John,  the  fifth  child, 
Connecticut  ceased  to  be  the  family  seat,  he  settling  in 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 

(VI)  John  (4)  Knapp,  son  of  John  (3)  and  Ruth 
(Gregory)  Knapp,  was  born  Nov.  17,  1767.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1821.  he  settled  on  lot  No.  49  in  the  town  of  Har- 
mony, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  is  buried  in 
Panama  in  the  same  town.  He  married  Lois  Wood, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of  ten  children :  Noah,  who 
came  to  Harmony  with  his  father  in  1821,  settled  on  the 


adjoining  lot.  No.  41,  and  later  inherited  the  homestead 
farm;  Lucy,  married  a  Mr.  Kilpatrick ;  Levi;  Lucinda, 
married  a  Mr.  Haines,  and  lived  in  Panama ;  Nancy, 
married  a  Mr.  Joslyn  ;  John,  who  died  in  Auburn,  N.  Y. ; 
Darius,  of  whom  further;  Orrin,  who  moved  to 
Michigan;  Cyrus,  who  was  killed  by  a  falling  tree; 
Harriet,  married  Hiram  Smith. 

(VII)  Darius  Knapp,  seventh  child  of  John  (4)  and 
Lois  (Wood)  Knapp,  was  born  April  24,  1805,  and  died 
Jan.  24,  1866.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  school, 
and  spent  his  life  as  a  farmer.  He  was  a  land  owner 
and  a  substantial  citizen  of  Panama,  Chautauqua  county, 
and  held  some  of  the  offices  of  the  town  of  Harmony. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  in 
politics  was  a  Republican.  He  married  Polly  Edwards, 
born  Nov.  3,  1807,  and  died  Dec.  5,  1877,  daughter  of 
Kbenezer  and  Sibyl  (Seeley)  Edwards.  They  were  the 
parents  of  five  children:  Ebenezer,  died  young;  Elpha, 
died  young;  Charles,  born  May  16,  1838,  married  Alice 
Berry,   and   died    Sept.    10,    1868;    Mary,  born   May   31, 

1840,  married  Henry  C.  Steward;  James,  of  whom 
further. 

(VIII)  James  Knapp,  youngest  child  of  Darius  and 
Polly  (Edwards)  Knapp,  was  born  at  the  farm  in  the 
town  of  Harmony,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  23, 

1841,  and  died  in  Jamestown,  in  the  same  county,  March 
20,  1910.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  and 
spent  his  youth  upon  the  farm,  his  father's  assistant,  and 
after  the  death  of  Darius  Knapp  in  1866  he  succeeded  to 
the  ownership  and  management  of  the  estate.  He 
resided  in  the  village  of  Panama  and  there  conducted 
farming  operations  until  1889,  when  he  moved  to  James- 
town, which  was  his  home  until  death,  twenty-one 
years  later.  In  Jamestown  he  engaged  in  the  real  estate 
business  and  in  the  care  of  his  personal  estate.  He  was 
a  capable  business  man,  and  to  his  inherited  wealth 
made  substantial  additions.  He  was  kindly-hearted  and 
generous,  public-spirited  and  deeply  interested  in  public 
affairs.  He  was  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  an  attend- 
ant on  the  services  of  the  Baptist  church.  He  was  a 
man  of  quiet  domestic  tastes,  devoted  to  his  home  and 
family,  eschewing  club  and  fraternity  life.  His  life  was 
a  useful  and  honorable  one,  and  he  passed  away  deeply 
regretted.     He  is  buried   in  Lakeview  Cemetery. 

James  Knapp  married,  at  Panama,  Jan,  6,  1869,  Ellen 
Lewis,  born  in  Panama,  Oct.  24,  1846,  who  survives  her 
husband,  a  resident  of  Jamestown.  Mrs.  Knapp  is  a 
daughter  of  Perrin  Lewis,  and  a  granddaughter  of 
Emos  Lewis,  born  in  April,  1773,  and  died  April  26, 
1861,  a  resident  of  Rutland  county.  Vt.  His  wife  Eunice 
was  born  in  1772,  and  died  May  15,  1862.  Their  son, 
Perrin  Lewis,  was  born  in  Rutland  county,  Vt.,  April  2, 
1803,  and  died  Jan.  29,  1890.  He  was  a  cabinetmaker  by 
trade,  and  until  1832  resided  in  Vermont,  then  came  to 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  worked  at  his 
trade  and  operated  a  farm.  Perrin  Lewis  married 
(first)  Oct.  27,  1825,  Emily  Frances,  born  Nov.  30,  1806, 
died  Nov.  25,  1826.  He  married  (second)  Feb.  7,  1827, 
Lury  Cook,  born  Dec.  8.  1803,  died  Jan.  30,  1892, 
daughter  of  Francis  and  Susanna  Cook,  of  Hamburg, 
Erie  county,  N.  Y.  Francis  Cook  died  in  1810,  leaving 
a  widow  and  seven  children  who  lived  in  Hamburg. 
During  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain  the  Cook 
home  was  visited  by  the  Indians  and  Lury  was  sent  by 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


her  mother  to  obtain  aid.  She  could  not  return,  and 
i:  was  not  until  after  the  burning  of  Buffalo  in  1814 
that  the  Indians  departed  and  the  Cook  family  were 
reunited.  Perrin  and  Lur\-  (Cook")  Lewis  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children :  Emily,  died  at  the 
age  of  eleven  years:  Cherlina.  married  (tirst)  Dr. 
John  R.  Bush,  (second")  William  Walrodt;  Martha, 
married  Moses  Bush :  Eunice,  died  at  the  age  of  two 
years:  Alta.  married  Rev.  Austin  D.  Bush:  Eunice  (2), 
died  young:  William  Henry,  removed  to  Iowa;  Ellen, 
bom  Oct.  24.  1S46,  now  the  widow  of  James  Knapp; 
Charles  .\lbert,  moved  to  Michigan. 

James  and  Ellen  (Lewis')  Knapp  were  the  parents  of 
two  children  :  i.  Lewis  D.,  born  in  Panama,  N.  Y.,  Oct. 
S,  1872;  he  was  educated  in  the  grade  and  high  schools 
of  Jamestown,  finishing  at  Jamestown  Business  College ; 
he  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in  Jamestown  for  five 
years,  but  has  for  many  years  devoted  himself  to  the 
management  of  the  family  estate ;  he  is  a  Republican  in 
politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  2.  Mabel, 
born  Feb.  2S,  1S74,  died  .-Vpril  16.  IQ03:  she  was  educated 
in  the  Jamestown  grade  and  high  schools:  she  became 
the  wife  of  Royal  C.  Bumham,  Sept.  14,  1893;  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bumham  had  a  son  Kenneth,  born  Oct.  9,  1894; 
they  reside  in  Lancaster.  Cal. :  she  was  a  devoted  member 
of  the  Baptist  church,  and  a  woman  of  gentle,  lovable 
Christian  nature. 


DR.  MATTHEW  S.  MOORE— Placed  in  these 
pages  as  a  memorial  to  Dr.  Moore,  this  record  has 
especial  value  from  the  fact  that  the  greater  part  of 
its  text  is  quoted  from  the  writings  of  a  close  personal 
friend  of  Dr.  Moore's,  the  Hon.  Oscar  W.  Johnson. 
Many  years  have  passed  since  Dr.  Moore  went  in  and 
rut  of  Chautauqua  county  homes  on  his  missions  of 
ministration  to  bodily  ills,  but  the  influence  of  a  life 
such  as  his  can  never  be  lost,  and  the  example  of  a 
man  who  used  his  opportunities  to  a  splendid  end  will 
long  stand  as  an  inspiration  and  example  to  those  who 
follow  him. 

Dr.  McKTjre's  family  has  been  prominent  in  the  history 
of  South  Carolina  for  a  number  of  generations.  His 
grandfather,  Kiichard  Richardson,  and  in  more  recent 
jears  his  cousins,  James  Richardson,  John  L.  Manning, 
and  Richard  Manning,  each  served  as  governors  of  the 
State.  The  family  is  connected  by  both  blood  and 
marriage  to  George  McDufFie,  Wade  Hampton,  the 
war  governor  of  Reconstruction  Days,  the  Pinckneys,  a'.l 
01  whom  took  prominent  part  in  the  early  history  of 
the  nation.  His  cousin,  .•\ngclica  Singleton,  married 
the  son  of  Martin  Van  Buren,  and,  the  wife  of  Prcsideni 
\  an  Buren  being  then  deceased,  she  i)re:ided  as  lady 
of  the  White  House  during  his  administration. 

Matthew  Singleton  Moore  was  born  in  .Aiken,  S.  C. 
He  received  his  literary  education  at  the  University  of 
\'irt'iniri,  and  his  professional  education  at  Jefferson 
Medical  College,  Philadelphia.  He  was  an  only  child, 
and  his  father  died  in  infancy.  lie  inherited  about 
-.'f/t  acres  of  cotton  bearing  lanrls.  which  gave  him  an 
income  b<-yond  his  wants  or  desires,  but  tliis  did  not  pre- 
vent his  practicin>(  his  profession,  which  he  loved  as  a 
means  <A  alleviating  human   suffering. 

.•\t  the  commencement  of  the  Civil  War,  he  was 
appointed  surgeon  of  the  Eirst  South  Carolina  ,\rlillcry 
and   was  stationed  at  Fort   Sumter   from  the  surrender 


of  General  .-X.nderson  to  the  close  of  the  war.  When  the 
war  closed,  his  wealth  had  vanished;  his  plantations 
were  a  barren  waste ;  his  associates  and  friends  had 
been  scattered  like  leaves  in  the  tempest ;  the  tax 
gatherer  made  demands  he  could  not  meet;  a  large 
family  demanded  protection  and  support.  He  resolved 
to  come  North  and  prepare  a  new  home  for  them.  The 
advice  of  Dr.  Strong,  of  Westfield,  an  early  friend,  led 
him  to  visit  Fredonia  in  1867,  He  called  upon  many 
of  our  citizens,  and  with  a  characteristic  frankness 
told  them  of  the  part  he  had  taken  in  the  war,  of  his 
desire,  if  they  could  welcome  him  as  a  man  and 
physician,  regardless  of  the  past,  to  cast  his  lot  among 
them.  He  asked  no  charity  that  he  did  not  give.  From 
the  hour  of  this  meeting  all  were  his  friends.  They 
recognized  a  brave  and  magnanimous  man,  struggling 
against  adversity.  If  they  thought  he  had  erred  they 
knew  he  had  never  sinned  against  his  own  convictions. 
In  about  two  years  he  removed  his  family. 

The  incidents  in  the  life  of  Dr.  Moore  are  easily 
written,  but  when  we  attempt  to  describe  the  man,  as 
he  seemed  to  us,  v/e  feel  inadequate  to  the  task.  In 
head  and  heart  he  was  an  exemplification  of  true  man- 
hood. He  was  a  man  of  broad  and  liberal  culture, 
whose  thoughts  and  studies  were  not  bounded  by  the 
limits  of  professional  investigation.  His  mind  was 
enriched  by  books  and  by  a  close  observation  of  life 
in  many  forms.  The  northern  and  the  southern  heart 
had  been  opened  to  him;  he  had  been  tried  by  prosperity 
and  adversity.  He  was  distinguished  for  his  courtesy, 
not  the  courtesy  that  is  prescribed  by  rules,  but  that 
which  comes  from  the  eye,  that  is  quick  to  see,  and 
the  heart  overflowing  with  kindness  and  generous  im- 
pulses toward  all  humanity.  As  a  physician  he  was  the 
acknowledged  peer  of  the  ablest  in  Western  New  York. 
His  cheerful  nature  and  genial  sympathy  endeared  him 
to  every  family  he  visited.  His  cheerfulness  was  won- 
derful, and  it  did  not  desert  him  when  he  was  con- 
scious that  disease  was  upon  him  and  that  "he  was 
walking  in  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death."  He 
said  to  the  writer  that  he  did  not  fear  to  die,  that  he 
had  been  face  to  face  with  death  until  it  had  lost  all 
terrors,  but  he  shrank  from  the  long  suffering  and 
helplessness  which  sometimes  attended  his  disease  and 
which  no  human  skill  could  alleviate.  All  this  was 
mercifully  spared  him,  as  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye 
death  affixed  its  seal  upon  the  features  where  his 
accustomed  smile  still  lingered. 

Dr.  Moore  had  a  heart  large  enough  for  the  North 
and  the  South  and  he  loved  them  both,  and  after  the 
whirlwind  of  war  had  passed  would  have  given  his 
life  that  they  should  remain  "one  and  inseparable" 
forever.  He  chose  to  sleep  his  last  sleep  among  his 
Northern  friends,  not  forgetting,  however,  his  child- 
hood's home  in  the  sunny  South  or  the  graves  of  gener- 
ations of  his  kindred  with  whom  he  had  once  hoped  to 
rest.  He  had  as  nnich  of  his  practice  and  as  many 
friends  in  Dunkirk  as  in  Fredonia.  At  his  funeral 
services,  which  were  held  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
church,  hundreds  of  families  from  both  places  were 
represented,  and  the  exhibition  fif  sorrow  was  as  if 
death  had  smilten  one  in  every  household.  As  his 
affections  and  sympathies  and  charities  were  broader 
than  any  school,  class  or  sect,  so  from  all  sources  alike 
came  the  tributes  of  respect  to  his  true  and  loyal  nature. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


353 


Surely  in  his  earlier  home,  friends  with  tenderer  hands 
and  warmer  hearts  could  not  have  borne  him  to  his  last 
resting  place  or  felt  a  more  assured  hope  that  it  will 
be  well  with  him  hereafter. 

Dr.  Matthew  Singleton  Moore  and  his  wife,  Martha 
Screven  (Murray)  Moore,  were  the  parents  of  eleven 
children  :  Matthew  S.,  Jr.,  Elizabeth  B-,  John  I.,  Sarah 
R.,  Arthur  Rose;  Samuel  M.;  Martha  and  Screven, 
twins;  Mary  C,  Burchell  R.,  and  MacDonald.  Dr. 
Moore  died  Jan.  6,   1884,  aged   fifty-six  years. 

Mrs.  Moore  is  a  descendant  of  John  Hart,  who  came 
from  England  to  Pennsylvania  with  William  Penn  in 
1682,  and  in  1683  married  Susanna  Rush,  of  Byberry, 
near  Philadelphia.  John  Hart  was  the  eldest  son  of 
Christopher  and  Mary  Hart.  From  John  and  Susanna 
Hart  the  descent  is  as  follows:  Their  eldest  son,  John 
Hart,  married  Eleanor  Crispin;  their  fifth  son,  Oliver 
Hart,  married  Sarah  Brees,  of  Bucks  county,  Pa. ;  their 
eldest  daughter,  Eleanor  Hart,  married  Thomas  Screven, 
March  6,  1770,  he  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary  Screven, 
of  Charleston,  S.  C;  their  eldest  daughter,  Martha 
Screven,  married  Benjamin  Bonneau,  Feb.  26,  1/95; 
their  only  child,  Elizabeth  Vanderhorst  Bonneau, 
married  Samuel  J.  Murray,  May  25,  1820;  their  fourth 
child,  Martha  Screven  Murray,  born  Dec.  18,  1826, 
married  Dr.  Matthew  Singleton  Moore. 


ARTHUR  ROSE  MOORE— For  thirty-five  years, 
1885-1920.  Arthur  R.  Moore  has  been  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law  in  Fredonia,  N.  Y.,  having  opened  offices 
there  immediately  upon  his  admission  to  the  bar.  The 
years  have  brought  him  the  rewards  of  his  profession  as 
well  as  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-townsmen,  and  he  is 
most  highly  regarded  both  as  a  professional  man  and  as 
a  citizen. 

Arthur  Rose  Moore  was  born  in  Slateburg,  Sumter 
county,  S.  C,  Jan.  i,  1855.  He  was  named  for  a  college 
friend  of  his  father.  Dr.  Arthur  Rose,  of  Charleston, 
S.  C.  He  spent  the  first  fourteen  years  of  his  life  in 
his  native  place,  being  under  the  tuition  of  governesses 
and  private  instructors.  After  coming  to  Chautauqua 
county.  N.  Y.,  he  attended  Westfield  Academy  for  two 
years,  then  pursued  the  classical  course  at  the  State 
Normal  and  Training  School,  Fredonia,  for  four  years, 
following  his  classical  course  with  two  years'  study  in 
medicine  in  his  father's  office.  But  the  medical  pro- 
fession did  not  appeal  to  him  and  he  discontinued  study 
thereof  to  begin  the  study  of  law  under  the  preceptor- 
ship  of  Norris  &  Lambert,  Fredonia,  N.  Y.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  New  York  bar  at  Buffalo  in  January, 
1885.  and  at  once  began  practice  in  Fredonia  and  so 
continues  to  the  present  (1920).  In  February,  1885. 
he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  District  Court  of  the 
United  States  for  the  Northern  District  of  New  York, 
and  on  Jan.  25,  1895,  on  motion  of  Senator  David  B. 
Hill,  of  New  York,  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States.  While  his  practice 
is  general  in  character,  Mr.  Moore  has  given  particular 
attention  to  probate,  corporation  and  real  estate  law,  and 
has  often  been  appointed  by  the  courts  to  important 
receiverships  which  were  managed  and  closed  success- 
fully and  most  satisfactorily.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Bar  Association  of  Northern  Chautauqua  and  New  York 


State  Bar  Associations,  and  is  held  in  high  esteem  by 
his  brethren  of  the  profession. 

A  Democrat  in  politics,  Mr.  Moore  was  elected  to  that 
strongly  Republican  body,  the  Chautauqua  County 
Board  of  Supervisors,  in  1886,  representing  the  town  of 
Pomfret  for  one  term.  He  was  elected  president  of  the 
Fredonia  Village  Corporation  in  1895,  and  while  holding 
that  office  was  appointed  by  President  Grover  Cleveland 
postmaster  of  Fredonia  to  fill  out  an  unexpired  term. 
That  appointment  was  made  in  March.  1895,  and  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1896,  was  followed  by  appointment  for  a  full 
term  of  four  years.  Upon  the  expiration  of  his  term 
in  February,  1900,  the  Republicans  not  being  able  to 
agree  upon  a  successor,  he  held  over  until  the  end  of  the 
year,  about  ten  months.  It  being  contrary  to  the  law 
to  hold  the  office  of  postmaster  in  connection  with  any 
other  public  office,  Mr.  Moore  resigned  his  office  of  pres- 
ident of  the  village,  but  the  trustees  refused  to  accept 
it.  The  post  office  department  ruled  that  inasmuch  as  he 
had  resigned  he  had  complied  with  the  law  and  advised 
that  he  take  no  further  action.  He  continued  as  village 
president  until  the  expiration  of  his  term,  then  of  course 
declined  reelection.  In  1894-95,  he  was  chairman  of  the 
Chautauqua  County  Democratic  Committee;  from  1900 
to  1907,  inclusive,  member  of  the  board  of  managers  of 
the  State  Normal  and  Training  School,  Fredonia.  secre- 
tary-treasurer of  that  board,  1904  and  1905.  and  chair- 
man, 1906-1907,  inclusive.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order  and  a  past  master  of  Forest  Lodge,  No. 
166,  of  Fredonia,  having  been  master  of  that  lodge  in 
1890-1891.  He  is  a  member  and  senior  warden  of 
Trinity  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  Fredonia. 

Mr.  Moore  married,  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  June  6,  1895, 
Sally  Doom  MacLeod,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  L. 
(Doom)  MacLeod,  her  father  a  prominent  railroad  and 
bridge  engineer.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  are  the  parents 
of  five  children :  Matthew  Singleton,  who  died  July  22,, 
1913.  aged  sixteen  years;  John  MacLeod,  Arthur  Rose, 
Jr..  Mary  Elizabeth,  Sally  MacLeod. 

From  boyhood  a  resident  of  the  village  which  has 
ever  since  been  his  home  and  place  of  business.  Mr. 
Moore  has  won  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  his 
townsmen  to  a  remarkable  degree,  and  in  return  has 
given  them  his  best  efforts  as  a  professional  man,  a 
public  official,  and  is  found  in  support  of  all  movements 
tending  to  Fredonia's  good.  Public-spirited,  courteous 
and  efficient,  he  has  a  wealth  of  friends  whom  he  loyally 
serves   as   opportunity   permits. 


ZATTU  GUSHING — .\  great  deal  of  pioneer  his- 
tory centers  around  Zattu  Gushing,  born  in  Plymouth, 
Mass.,  in  1770.  His  father  losing  his  fortune  by  the 
depreciation  of  Continental  money,  Zattu  Gushing  was 
apprenticed  to  a  Boston  ship  carpenter,  with  whom  he 
served  his  full  time.  He  moved  from  Boston  to  Sara- 
toga county,  tlience  to  Oneida  county,  N.  Y., 
where  he  cleared  a  farm.  In  1779  he  was  employed  to 
'build  a  vessel  at  Presque  Isle,  now  Erie,  Pa.,  and  on 
his  way  back  to  Oneida  county  he  stopped  over  night 
in  the  wilderness  of  Fredonia,  and  was  so  pleased  that 
he  resolved  to  make  the  place  his  home.  In  February, 
1805,  he  left  Oneida  county  for  this  purpose  with  his 
wife  and  children.     Two  sleds,  each  drawn  by  a  yoke 


354 


CHALTTAUQUA  COUNTY 


of  oxen,  carried  his  family  and  worldly  goods.  They 
were  three  weeks  performing-  the  journey  which  now 
i?.  by  the  flyer  on  the  railroad,  performed  in  seven 
hours.  They  started  from  BufTalo  on  the  ice  to  go  up 
the  lake.  At  night  a  terrible  tempest  came  unexpect- 
edly. They  feared  to  move,  as  there  were  points  where 
the  ice  was  broken.  The  judge  blew  the  old-fashioned 
dinner  horn  at  intervals,  thinking  it  might  attract  some 
settlers.  Two  men  heard  it,  and  taking  it  for  a  signal 
of  distress,  came  with  lanterns  and  piloted  them  ashore 
near  the  mouth  of  Eighteen  Mile  creek.  Before  day- 
light the  ice  had  receded  miles  from  the  shore.  When 
he  reached  Canadaway  he  found  the  lot  he  designed 
for  a  home  had  been  taken  up  by  Thomas  McClin- 
tock.  hut  fortunately  he  found  a  partly-built  log  house, 
which  made  them  a  home  for  the  winter.  He  drove 
four  cows,  and  brought  a  barrel  of  salt,  a  half-bushel 
of  apple  seeds,  and  two  men  to  assist  in  chopping.  His 
apple  seeds  were  the  germs  of  the  oldest  orchards  in 
Chautauqua.  He  procured  potatoes  for  planting  from 
the  Indians.  Zattu  Gushing  was  eminently  a  pious 
man.  His  first  thought  when  he  came  into  the  wilder- 
ness was  to  establish  a  church.  This  he  did  with  the 
help  of  eight  others,  two  of  whom  were  women.  Thus 
the  first  Baptist  church  was  organized,  and  services 
held  in  his  barn,  which  was  the  most  spacious  edifice 
in  the  community.  He  was  a  licensed  preacher,  and  for 
years  held  regular  meetings  in  the  back  settlements, 
men  coming  for  miles  to  listen  to  him. 

Up  to  1S07  all  the  county  was  the  township  of  Chau- 
tauqua, with  the  town  meetings  at  the  Cross  Roads, 
now  Westfield.  Judge  Gushing  rallied  all  the  voters 
of  his  part  of  the  county  to  go  to  Westfield,  and  they 
voted  the  town  meeting  here.  This  caused  the  creation 
of  Pomfret.  At  its  first  town  meeting  he  was  elected 
overseer  of  the  poor.  In  1808  he  was  appointed  one 
of  the  judges  of  Niagara  county,  of  which  Erie  county 
was  a  part,  and  tried  and  sentenced  to  prison  the  first 
convict  from  Buffalo.  At  the  organization  of  Chautau- 
qua county  in  1811,  he  was  appointed  first  judge.  Law- 
yers from  Buffalo  would  come  and  stay  with  him  over 
Sunday,  and  on  Monday  they  would  go  on  horseback 
through  the  woods  to  Mayville.  He  served  as  a  private 
in  the  War  of  1812.  He  was  delivering  a  Fourth  of 
July  oration  when  news  came  of  the  landing  of  some 
British  soldiers  at  the  mouth  of  the  Canadaway.  For 
a  wonder,  the  orator  hastened  to  the  scene  of  danger 
more  rapidly  than  his  audience.  James  Mullett  and 
Daniel  W.  Douglass  in  their  haste  undertook  to  ride 
one  horse,  which  fell  with  them  and  left  them  help- 
less at  the  roadside.  Seldom  in  the  history  of  ivar 
hai  the  whole  cavalry  of  an  army  been  rendered  use- 
less by  a  single  accident.  The  two  heroes  were  covered 
with  mud  instead  of  glory. 

In  1H17  a  law  was  passed  to  aid  agricultural  societies, 
which  were  to  Ijc  organized  at  the  court  house  in  the 
respective  counties.  Two  or  three  days  before  the 
time,  the  judge  rode  from  house  to  house  as  far  as 
Cattaraugus  creek  and  notified  every  man  to  rally  for 
Mayville.  The  judge  headed  the  procession  of  several 
hundred.  There  were  not  as  many  horses  as  men,  so 
«omc  would  ride  a  certain  distance  and  tie  the  horse 
to  give  the  footman  behind  a  chance.  At  the  appointed 
hour   they   emerged   from   the    forest,    fdled    the   court 


house,  organized  with  Judge  Gushing  as  chairman,  and 
voted  the  "Fair"  to  Fredonia.  Premiums  remitted  for 
the  purpose  formed  the  nucleus  for  the  Fredonia  Acad- 
emy Library. 

In  1826.  just  after  the  opening  of  the  Erie  canal, 
Judge  Gushing  built,  in  company  with  others,  a  canal 
boat  within  the  limits  of  Fredonia,  using  the  tools  he 
used  to  build  the  "Good  Intent"  at  Erie  thirty  years 
before.  The  boat,  named  "The  Fredonia  Enterprise," 
was  drawn  to  Dunkirk  by  one  hundred  yoke  of  oxen, 
loaded  with  wheat  by  Todd  &  Douglass,  and  towed  to 
Buffalo  by  the  steamer  "Lake  Superior."  This  was 
the  first  wheat  ever  shipped  from  Chautauqua  to  the 
New  York  market. 

In  181 6  the  wife  of  Judge  Gushing  died.  Up  to 
that  time  many  of  the  residents  had  never  attended  a 
funeral  in  Chautauqua  county.  They  came  on  foot 
and  on  horseback  and  with  ox-teams  from  the  remotest 
towns  to  pay  the  last  tribute  of  respect  to  the  dead. 

In  the  hard  season  of  1816,  blessed  with  ample 
means.  Judge  Gushing  would  not  sell  his  grain,  but 
loaned  it  to  be  returned  when  harvests  should  come  to 
the  borrower.  When  his  family  remonstrated  with 
him  for  indiscriminate  benevolence,  he  told  them  it  was 
better  to  aid  ten  hypocrites  than  to  turn  away  one  that 
was  needy. 

In  1822,  after  fourteen  years  of  service,  he  retired 
from  the  bench  with  the  reputation  of  an  upright,  dig- 
nified, and  clear-headed  judge.  He  was  a  peacemaker. 
Men  gathered  around  his  deathbed  for  a  council.  His 
influence  was  not  in  his  words  as  a  preacher,  but  in 
the  heroic  Christian  life  back  of  it.  He  died  in  1839, 
respected,  honored,  even   reverenced,  by  his   fellow-men. 

Six  hundred  acres  of  land  converted  from  the  wilder- 
ness to  cultivated  fields  attested  his  energy.  He  was 
an  ardent  patriot,  but  to  him  the  vision  of  the  great 
struggle  to  be  waged  for  the  life  of  the  Republic,  and 
in  which  the  heroism  of  his  grandson  was  to  make  the 
name  of  Gushing  immortal  in  history,  did  not  come. 

At  the  first  term  of  court  held  after  the  death  of 
Judge  Gushing,  Jan.  13,  1839,  the  bar  of  Chautauqua 
county  procured  his  portrait,  as  the  first  judge  of 
Chautauqua  county,  to  be  hung  in  the  court  house  over 
the  judge's  bench.  By  vote  of  the  supervisors  of 
Chautauqua  county,  a  group  of  photographs  of  his 
four  heroic  grandsons  are  now  fittingly  placed  beneath 
this  portrait. 


THE  GUSHING  BROTHERS— Dr.  Milton  Buck- 
ingham Gushing,  son  of  Judge  Zattu  and  Rachel  (Buck- 
ingham) Gushing,  was  burn  at  Paris,  N,  Y.,  July  20, 
1800,  and  died  at  Gallipolis,  Oliio,  April  22,  18.17.  He 
was  a  physician  and  a  merchant,  and  an  energetic, 
clear-sighted,  persevering  Ijusiness  man  of  high  char- 
acter and  vigorous  intellect,  influential  and  public- 
spirited. 

Dr.  Gushing  married  (first)  Abigail  Browning  Tup- 
pcr,  who  died  in  Zancsville,  Ohio,  daughter  of  Col. 
Tuppcr,  grandson  of  Gen.  Tuppcr  of  the  Revolution; 
her  mother,  a  daughter  of  Gen.  Rufus  Putnam.  There 
were  three  children  born  of  this  marriage:  Bciijamm 
Tuppcr,  a  law  partner  of  Salmon  P.  Chase,  in  Colum- 
bus, Ohio,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-five; 
Edward  Anselni,  a  physician,  who  died  before  reach- 


f  ^SeiVULama  t.Brn 


/'ir^  ^Z)u^^^^^   .   CO^t-H.^^, 


cc^c^-ooO^^ , 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


335 


ing  his  twenty-fifth  year;  Rowena  Sophia,  married  Asa 
Brown,  and  died  in  Wilmington,  N.  C. 

Dr.  Milton  B.  Gushing  married  (second)  in  Colum- 
bus, Ohio.  Mary  Barker  Smith,  of  Boston,  born  in 
Salem.  Mass..  Sept.  24,  1S07,  died  at  the  home  of  her 
only  surviving  child,  Mrs.  E.  H.  Bouton.  in  St.  Joseph, 
Mo.,  March  26,  1891.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Elisha 
Smith,  a  lineal  descendant  of  John  Alden,  and  related 
to  John  Adams,  the  Hancock,  Madison  and  Phillips 
families.  She  used  to  relate  that  her  earliest  recollec- 
tion was  of  attending  the  funeral  of  her  grandfather, 
Josiah  Smith,  member  of  Congress,  and  said  that  the 
carriage  of  President  John  Adams  (a  cousin)  headed 
the  funeral  procession.  Seven  children  were  born  of 
this  second  marriage  of  Dr.  Milton  B.  Cushing. 

The  first  son  of  Dr.  Milton  B.  Cushing  was  Milton 
Buckingham  (2),  bom  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  April  20, 
i8,!7,  died  in  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  i,  1886.  He  was  a 
paymaster  in  the  United  States  army,  serving  with 
distinction.  He  married,  in  1868,  Ellen  Delia  Gros- 
venor.  who  died  in  Dunkirk.  May  31,  1898,  daughter  of 
Judge  Thomas  P.  Grosvenor. 

The  second  son.  Howard  B.  Cushing,  was  bom  in 
Milwaukee.  Wis.,  Aug.  22,  1838,  and  killed  in  Arizona, 
May  5,  1871,  by  Cachise,  the  noted  Apache  chief.  He 
was  then  a  first  lieutenant  in  the  Third  Regiment, 
United  States  Cavalry.  A  monument  was  erected  to 
the  memory  of  Lieut.  Cushing  by  the  citizens  of  Tuc- 
son. Ariz. 

The  third  son.  Col.  Alonzo  Hereford  Cushing,  was 
born  Jan.  19,  1841,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg,  July  3,  1863.  His  birthplace  was  Dela- 
field,  Wis.  His  father  dying,  the  family  came  to  Fre- 
donia  to  live,  and  Alonzo  H.  was  appointed  to  the 
Military  Academy  at  West  Point  through  Hon.  F.  S. 
Edwards,  member  of  Congress  of  the  Tliirty-first  Dis- 
trict of  the  State  of  New  York.  He  entered  the  acad- 
emy July  I,  1857,  and  was  graduated  Jan.  24,  1861,  as 
second  lieutenant,  and  commissioned  first  lieutenant, 
Fourth  Artillery,  June  24,  1861,  breveted  captain  Dec. 
13.  1S63.  for  gallant  and  meritorious  service  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Fredericksburg,  Va.  He  was  made  major  May 
2.  1863.  for  like  ser\-ice  at  the  battle  of  Chancellors- 
ville,  \'a.,  and  promoted  to  lieutenant-colonel  July  i, 
1S63,  for  conspicuous  gallantry  at  the  battle  of  Gettys- 
burg, Pa.,  where  he  was  killed.  After  graduating,  he 
was  first  of  his  class  ordered  into  the  field,  and  was 
assigned  to  the  duty  of  instructing  volunteer  regiments 
preparatory  to  the  move  on  Manassas,  in  which  move- 
ment he  commanded  a  section  of  a  regular  battery  and 
was  with  General  McClellan  as  chief  of  ordnance  on 
General  Sumner's  staff,  with  the  rank  of  captain,  par- 
ticipating in  ever}'  battle  of  the  Peninsular  campaign. 
For  a  time  he  was  transferred  to  the  Topographic 
Corps,  and  while  here  he  made  a  map  of  the  Antietam 
battlefield.  His  favorite  arm  of  service  was  the  artil- 
lery, to  which  he  was  returned  at  his  own  request,  and 
was  assigned  to  the  command  of  Battery  .-V  of  the 
Fourth  Regiment.  His  battery  was  placed  under  Gen- 
eral Hancock  in  the  Second  Corps  in  the  campaign  into 
Pennsylvania ;  and  at  Gettj-sburg,  in  the  face  of  that 
last  wild  charge  of  Pickett's  division,  he  was  placed 
with  Battery  A  at  Cemetery  Ridge,  a  crucial  point  on 
the  battlefield,  with  nothing  to  mask  his  position,  men, 


guns  and  horses  standing  out  in  bold  relief  against  the 
sky.  After  all  his  men  had  been  shot  down  and  every 
gun  of  his  battery  dismounted  but  one.  he  stood  among 
his  dead  and  dying  men,  himself  mortally  wounded, 
and  with  the  foe  not  thirty  feet  away  pulled  the  lanyard 
and  fired  his  last  gun  upon  the  charging  columns  of  the 
enemy,  saying  to  an  officer  who  was  riding  up  with 
reinforcements:  "We  will  give  them  one  more  shot, 
General  Webb,"  and  fell  back  dead,  his  work  of  de- 
fense accomplished,  the  tide  of  battle  there  turning 
toward  victory   for  the   Union   army. 

The  fourth  son,  William  Barker  Cushing,  will  have 
further  and  extended  mention. 

The  youngest  and  last  survivor  of  this  family,  Mary 
Isabel  Cushing,  was  born  in  Chicago,  111.  She  mar- 
ried, in  Fredonia,  N.  Y.,  June  11,  1867,  E.  F.  Gayle,  of 
Salem,  Mass.  She  married  (second)  April  ig.  1S81, 
E.  H.  Bouton,  of  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  but  later  of  Chicago, 
111.     The  other  children  died  young. 

When  Dr.  Milton  B.  Cushing  died,  Mrs.  Cushing 
was  left  with  the  care  of  five  young  children,  and  with- 
out means.  Nobly  she  responded  to  the  task  allotted 
her,  and  her  four  sons,  even  when  quite  young  and  in 
school,  testified  their  appreciation  of  her  labors  by  aid- 
ing in  furnishing  the  family  purse  outside  of  school 
hours.  She  removed  to  Fredonia,  N.  Y.,  to  be  near  her 
husband's  relations,  and  opened  a  school  in  her  own 
home  on  Green  street.  No  words  can  express  the  great 
nobility  of  her  character ;  no  mother  was  more  faithful 
to  her  fatherless  ones;  and  no  Spartan  mother  braver 
in  sacrificing  her  sons  to  her  country's  welfare.  She 
was  a  woman  of  refinement  and  culture,  mentally  and 
morally  strong,  simple  and  unaffected  in  manner. 


COMMANDER  WILLIAM  BARKER  CUSH- 
ING, U.  S.  N. — Three  supremely  great  names  in  the 
naval  history  of  the  American  Republic  are  those  of 
John  Paul  Jones,  Oliver  Hazard  Perry,  and  William 
Barker  Cushing.  Cushing  is  as  completely  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  highest  naval  strategy  and  the  type  of 
the  greatest  individual  daring  of  the  great  Rebellion 
as  were  Perry  and  Jones  of  the  earlier  naval  wars. 

William  Barker  Cushing  was  born  in  Wisconsin, 
Nov.  4,  1842,  youngest  son  of  Milton  B.  and  Mary  B. 
(Smith)  Cushing.  He  was  descended  from  an  old 
Puritan  family  of  New  England,  his  grandfather. 
Judge  Zattu  Cushing,  born  in  Plymouth,  Mass.,  and 
one  of  the  leading  figures  among  the  pioneers  of  Chau- 
tauqua county,  serving  its  courts  of  justice  from  their 
organization  until  1824.  Judge  Cushing's  son.  Milton 
B.  Cushing,  married  Mary  B.  Smith,  a  near  relative  of 
Rear  Admiral  Smith,  and  removed  to  Wisconsin, 
where  he  died,  leaving  four  young  sons.  Mrs.  Cush- 
ing returned  to  Fredonia  so  that  her  children  might 
enjoy  good  educational  advantages,  but  after  the  close 
of  the  Civil  War,  bereft  of  her  sons,  she  went  back  to 
the  West,  where  she  died  March  26,   1891. 

William  Barker  Cushing  received  his  early  education 
at  Fredonia,  and  in  1857  was  appointed  to  the  U.  S. 
Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis,  Md.,  but  resigned 
March  23.  1861.  In  May  of  the  same  year  he  volun- 
teered and  was  appointed  master's  mate  on  the  U.  S. 
Ship   "Minnesota,"   and   on   the  day   of   her   arrival  at 


"^O 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Hampton  Roads  captured  the  "Delaware  Farmer,"  a 
tobacco  schooner,  the  first  prize  of  the  war.  He  was 
attached  to  the  Xorth  .-\thntic  Blockading  Squadron 
durinc:  the  war,  served  part  of  the  time  on  the  South 
.\tl3ntic  coast,  and  repeatedly  distinguished  himself 
by  acts  of  bravery. 

He  was  commissioned  lieutenant  July  16.  iS6j.  and 
in  November  of  the  same  year  he  was  ordered  to  cap- 
ture Jacksonville.  Fla..  intercept  an  important  mail, 
and  destroy  the  Xew  Juliet  salt  works.  He  captured 
the  mail,  took  prizes,  and  shelled  a  Confederate  camp, 
but  was  unable  to  cross  the  bar  to  Jacksonville.  He 
then  served  on  the  Blackwater  and  in  the  sounds  of 
North  Carolina,  where  he  distinguished  himself  upon 
several  occasions.  During  1S63  he  added  to  his  repu- 
tation for  daring  bra\ery  and  good  judgment  by  an  ex- 
pedition up  the  Cape  Fear  and  Little  rivers,  and  his 
operations  on  the  Nansemond.  It  is  not  possible  to 
give  in  detail  all  of  his  brilliant  exploits,  distinguished 
services  and  hair-breadth  escapes.  His  most  brilliant 
exploit  and  which  made  world-wide  his  then  already 
national  reputation,  was  the  destruction  of  the  Confed- 
erate iron-clad  ram  "Albemarle"  on  the  night  of  Oct. 

The  ".Mbemarle"  had  successfully  encountered  a 
strong  fleet  of  Union  gunboats  and  fought  for  several 
hours  without  sustaining  material  damage.  There  was 
nothing  able  to  cope  with  her  in  the  Sounds,  and  grave 
apprehensions  were  entertained  of  the  Union  iron-clads 
being  able  to  prevent  her  from  sweeping  everything 
before  and  shelling  the  principal  Northern  seaport 
cities.  Cushing  volunteered  to  destroy  her  and  van- 
ish the  nightmare  of  terror  which  her  presence  cast 
upon  the  Union  fleets.  With  a  steam  launch  and  a 
volunteer  crew  who  fully  realized  the  importance  and 
danger  of  the  mission  upon  which  they  were  going, 
he  a.^cendcd  the  Roanoke  river  towing  an  armed  cut- 
ter. The  river  was  lined  with  Confederate  pickets  to 
"Ttiard  against  just  such  an  attack  as  this:  but  Cush- 
ing's  phenomenal  good  luck  did  not  desert  him.  and  he 
was  within  a  few  yards  of  the  "Albemarle"  before  he 
was  discovered.  Casting  off  the  boat  he  had  in  tow, 
with  orders  to  attack  a  picket  post  nearby,  he  drove 
the  launch  straight  at  the  hugh  bulk  of  the  iron-clad, 
whose  crew  rushed  to  quarters  and  at  once  opened  a 
hea\->-  fire  on  their  a<lvancing  foe.  The  launch  replied 
eflfcctivcly  with  her  howitzer  until  Cushing  reached 
the  raft  of  heavy  logs  which  had  been  built  around  the 
ram.  Over  this  the  launch  was  driven,  and  by  the  time 
she  received  her  death  wound  from  the  ".'Mbemarle's" 
guns.  Cushing  had  coolly  swimg  the  torpedo  boom 
under  the  great  ship's  overhang  and  exploded  the 
charge.  A  large  hole  was  blown  in  tlie  iron-clad's  side, 
and  she  sank  at  her  moorings. 

Cushing  left  his  sinking  boat  and  '^\vam  down  stream 
a  half  mile,  where  he  reached  the  river  bank  thoroughly 
exhausted.  Wlvn  he  recovered  strength,  he  plunged 
into  a  dfmse  sw.'imp,  and  after  hours  of  tedio'is  wading 
came  out  on  the  shore  of  a  creek  where  he  found  a 
Union  picket  ti'jat.  He  and  only  one  other  of  his  com- 
panion--.  escaped.  For  the  sinking  of  the  "Albemarle" 
he  received  the  thanks  of  Congress,  and  was  shortly 
afterward-j  elevated  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant-com- 
mander, his  'ommi^sion  being  dated  Oct.  27,  1864. 


.•\t  Fort  Fisher  he  buoyed  out  the  channel  in  a  small 
skifT  and  completed  his  work  in  six  hours.  In  the 
final  assault  on  its  frowning  wall  he  led  a  force  of 
sailors  and  marines  from  the  "Monticello"  in  an  attack 
on  the  sea  front  of  the  fort,  and  amid  an  unceasing 
fire  at  short  range  which  cut  down  his  inen  in  wind- 
rows, he  crossed  one  hundred  rods  of  sand,  rallied  his 
men.  and  gave  such  efficient  support  to  the  land  forces 
that  before  midnight  the  fort  was  surrendered. 

During  the  war  he  received  five  commendatory  let- 
ters from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  and  at  the  close 
of  the  struggle  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the 
"Lancaster"  in  the  Pacific  squadron.  In  1868  he  was 
placed  in  command  of  the  "Maumee,"  and  for  four 
years  was  attached  to  the  Atlantic  Squadron.  On  the 
return  of  the  "Maumee"  to  the  LTnited  States,  Lieut.- 
Com.  Cushing  was  advanced  to  the  rank  of  commander, 
to  date  from  Jan.  i,  1872.  he  being  at  that  time  the 
youngest  officer  of  that  rank  in  the  navy.  He  was 
allowed  leave  of  absence,  but  his  health,  which  had 
been  impaired  by  over-exertion,  failed  completely,  and 
he  died  of  brain  fever  in  Washington,  D.  C.  Dec.   17, 

1874. 

As  during  the  Civil  War,  Cushing  was  noted  for 
finding  opportunities  for  upholding  the  honor  of  the 
navy  and  the  flag,  so  in  times  of  peace  his  intense  pa- 
triotism kept  him  ever  alert  to  enhance  the  glory  of  his 
beloved  country.  A  notable  instance  occurred  in  No- 
vember.  187,1. 

Cushing  was  in  command  of  the  U.  S.  S.  "Wyoming" 
at  Aspinwall,  when  an  urgent  telegram  was  received 
from  the  U.  S.  Consul  at  Kingston,  Jamaica,  telling  of 
the  "need  of  a  warship,  and  describing  the  capture,  on 
the  high  seas,  of  the  steamer  'Virginius,'  and  the  shoot- 
ing as  pirates  of  her  captain  and  part  of  her  crew  at 
Santiago  de  Cuba  by  order  of  the  Spanish  Governor- 
General  Burriel,  and  that  more  .'American  lives  were  in 
peril." 

Believing  it  his  duty  to  lose  no  time  in  representing 
his  government,  Cushing  sailed  at  once  for  the  scene, 
without  waiting  for  orders,  and  arrived  at  Santiago, 
November  15.  The  British  frigate  "Niobe"  was  in 
the  harbor.  Her  commander.  Sir  Lambert  Lorraine, 
liad  made  an  earnest  protest  to  the  Governor,  demand- 
ing that  no  more  British  subjects  be  shot.  Gen.  Bur- 
riel had  ignored  the  letter,  and  two  days  before  Cush- 
ing appeared,  had  shot  twenty-eight  more  men,  six- 
teen of  whom  were  said  to  be  British  subjects.  Imme- 
diately upon  Cushing's  arrival,  he  despatched  a  letter 
of  protest  to  the  Governor,  and  followed  it  up  by  a 
personal  call,  accompanied  by  some  of  his  officers.  Re- 
fusing to  take  the  general's  oft'crcd  hand,  he  looked  him 
squarely  in  the  eye  and  demanded  that  not  another 
Iirisoner  shoidd  be  shot,  for  if  any  more  executions 
took  place,  he  would  better  remove  the  women  and 
children,  as  he  (Cushing)  should  bombard  the  town. 
Awed  and  impressed  by  the  words  and  bearing  of  the 
American  officer.  Gen.  Burriel  gave  the  desired  prom- 
ise— and  kept  it. 

The  following  year  a  joint  resolution  (House  Reso- 
lution No.  .SX)  was  introduced  in  the  American  Con- 
gress, "tendering  the  thanks  of  Congress  to  Sir  Lam- 
bert Lorraine  of  the  British  navy,  for  his  humane  and 
generous  interposition  at  Santiago  de  Cuba  in  protect- 


COMMANDED    WILLIAM    BARKER    GUSHING 
America's    X;i\:il    Ht-ii.    from    Ch:uit:niqiia    Count> 


llllS.    MAl;"!     B.    CLSHIXi; 
Motlirr    (jf    Coniini'iid*-!-    Ciisliing 


(  jL^ryX  ^^/ihyU<z.^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


357 


ing  the  lives  of  the  survivors  of  the  Virginius  expedi- 
tion." etc.  The  Committee  on  Foreign  Affairs,  to 
whom  the  resolution  was  referred,  reported  that  upon 
investigation  they  were  pleased  to  add  it  was  Com- 
mander W.  B.  Gushing,  and  not  Sir  L.  Lorraine,  who 
had  caused  the  executions  to  cease,"  and  "your  commit- 
tee believe  that  said  joint  resolution  ought  not  to  pass." 
"It  fully  appears  that  Capt.  Gushing  did  his  duty  com- 
pletely and  gallantly  in  asserting  the  rights  of  the 
American  government  and  its  citizens,  and  upholding 
the  honor  of  the  .American  flag."  Gushing,  when  only 
a  junior  officer,  received  the  thanks  of  Congress  in 
1864  for  the  "Albemarle"  exploit,  but  there  were  those 
who  felt  he  had  earned  it  a  second  time — which,  if 
granted,  would  have  been  an  unprecedented  occurrence. 

A  few  days  after  Commander  Cushing's  protest  to 
Gen.  Burriel,  the  U.  S.  S.  "Juanita,"  commanded  by 
Commander  D.  L.  Braine,  arrived  from  New  York, 
sent  to  adjust  matters,  and  Gushing  returned  to  his 
station  at  Aspinwall. 

That  a  hero's  name  and  deeds  arc  not  forgotten,  it 
should  perhaps  be  recorded  that  so  recently  as  1915 
two  notable  events  in  remembrance  of  this  gallant  offi- 
cer took  place.  The  first  was  the  launching  of  the 
second  torpedo  destroyer  to  be  called  "Gushing,"  at 
Quincy,  Mass.,  his  daughter,  Marie,  giving  it  the  cher- 
ished name.  In  the  late  World  War  the  "Gushing" 
was  the  flagship  of  the  torpedo  destroyer  fleet  sent  to 
England. 

The  second  event  in  the  same  year  was  the  unveil- 
ing of  a  splendid  granite  monument  by  his  younger 
daughter,  Katharine,  at  his  birthplace  at  Delafield, 
Waukesha  county,  Wis.  The  State  of  Wisconsin  ap- 
propriated a  large  sum  of  money  and  in  connection 
with  the  Waukesha  County  Historical  Society  erected 
the  stately  shaft  in  a  park  of  eight  acres  of  the  original 
farm  where  Alonzo  and  William  were  born.  Howard 
was  also  born  in  the  State,  at  Milwaukee,  so  the  park 
is  called  "The  Gushing  Memorial  Park."  As  it  now 
belongs  to  the  State  Park  System,  it  will  be  cared  for 
in  perpetuity. 

Commander  Gushing  married,  Feb.  22,  1870,  Kath- 
erine  Louise  Forbes,  daughter  of  Col.  D.  S.  Forbes,  of 
Fredonia.  To  them  were  born  two  daughters,  Mary 
Louise,  and  Katherine  A.  Mrs.  Gushing,  a  woman  of 
taste  and  refinement,  yet  resides  with  her  daughters  in 
her  pleasant  home  in  Fredonia. 

The  memory  of  William  B.  Gushing  has  been  hon- 
ored by  the  various  Grand  Army  posts  in  Wisconsin 
and  other  States  of  the  Union  named  after  him;  while 
on  the  water  the  seagoing  torpedo  boat  "Gushing" 
suggests  by  its  character  the  daring  of  him  for  whom 
the  vessel  was  named.  A  thousand  pens  have  written 
of  him  and  his  deeds,  and  among  the  just  and  deserved 
tributes  recorded  in  honor  of  his  achievements  the 
following  are  selected: 

"A  country  and  the  navy  may  be  proud  of  this  most 
adventurous  of  their  heroes."  "Gushing,  by  repeated 
daring  and  successful  achievements,  has  rivaled  the 
fame  of  Paul  Jones  and  Perry,  and  associated  his 
name  with  theirs  in  immortality." 

"That  intense  earnestness  of  purpose,  that  wonder- 
ful spirit  of  daring,  md  that  supreme  contempt  of 
death  "which  characterized  the  heroes  of  the  great 
Rebellion,  as  well  as  the  cool  and  deliberate  calcula- 
tions of  its  great  leaders  and  master  spirits,  were 
qualities  possessed   by  Gushing  in   the  higrhest   degree; 


while  in  addition  to  all  this  he  was  gifted  with  a  mili- 
tary ability,  a  futility  of  invention  and  all-powerful 
■will,  which  places  him  among  the  greatest  naval 
heroes  of  all  time." 

"No  Cleopatra  of  ease  ever  lured  Gushing  from  any 
action  of  life  and  no  thought  of  death  ever  cast  a 
shadow  of  fear  upon  any  enterprise,  however  danger- 
ous, which  he  had  conceived.  He  was  always  in  the 
battle  where  the  iron  hail  fell  the  thickest  and  his 
place  in  the  picture  was  where  the  blaze  of  the  cannon 
was    the   brightest." 


ROBERT    HOUGHWOUT    JACKSON— In    the 

year  igi,s  Robert  H.  Jackson  was  enrolled  among  the 
practicing  lawyers  of  the  Chautauqua  county  bar,  he 
having  chosen  Jamestown  as  a  location  and  there  set- 
tled immediately  after  receiving  his  degree  from 
the  Albany  Law  School.  The  subsequent  years  have 
brought  him  success  in  his  professional  work,  and  he 
is  firmly  established  among  the  rising  young  men  of 
the  Chautauqua  bar.  Robert  H.  Jackson  is  a  son  of 
William  Eldred  Jackson,  now  deceased,  who  at  the 
time  of  the  birth  of  his  son  was  engaged  in  lumbering 
and  farming  in  Spring  Greek  township,  Warren 
county.  Pa.  The  Jacksons  were  the  earliest  settlers  in 
Spring  Creek  township,  Elijah  Jackson,  great-grand- 
father, being  the  first  settler.  William  E.  Jackson 
married  .A-ngelina  Houghwout,  of  Farmington  town- 
ship. Pa.,  and  shortly  after  the  birth  of  their  son,  they 
moved  to  Frewsiburg,  in  the  town  of  Carroll,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  where  William  E.  Jackson  died, 
and  his  widow  yet  resides  (1920)  as  do  Mr.  Jackson's 
sisters:     Ella,  now  Mrs.  Erie  J.  Springer,  and  Helen. 

Robert  H.  Jackson  was  born  on  the  farm  cleared 
by  his  great-grandfather  in  Spring  Creek  township, 
Warren  county,  Pa.,  Feb.  13,  1892.  He  began  his  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  of  Frewsburg,  finishing 
with  graduation  from  high  school  in  1909.  He  was  a 
student  in  Jamestown  High  School,  and  during  that 
period  represented  the  school  in  several  interscholastic 
debates.  He  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1910, 
and  then  began  the  study  of  law  with  Dean,  Mott  & 
Armstrong,  of  Jamestown,  and  a  year  later  entered 
Albany  Law  School,  Union  University,  whence  he  was 
graduated  LL.  B.,  class  of  1913.  Immediately  after 
graduation  he  began  practice  at  Jamestown  and  con- 
tinued with  great  success  until  1917,  when  he  went  to 
Buffalo  and  became  temporarily  associated  with  Nor- 
ton, Penny  &  Killeen,  a  leading  law  firm  of  that  city, 
representing  many  large  corporation  interests.  Mr. 
Jackson's  work  there  was  as  trial  counsel,  represent- 
ing principally  the  International  Railway  Company.  In 
this  work  he  was  very  successful,  but  preferring  the 
more  general  practice  and  the  environment  of  the 
smaller  city  he  returned  to  Jamestown  in  1918  and 
resumed  practice  as  the  junior  member  of  the  law 
firm.  Dean,  Edson  &  Jackson.  He  enjoys  the  confi- 
dence of  a  large  clientele,  among  which  are  public  util- 
ity and  industrial  corporations.  As  a  trial  lawyer  he  is 
a  familiar  figure  in  the  courts  of  Western  New  York. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  New  York  State  Bar  Associa- 
tion, the  Jamestown  Bar  Association,  and  the  Buf- 
falo Lawyers'  Club.  In  business  life  he  is  a  director 
of  the  Bank  of  Jamestown,  the  Warren  &  Jamestown 
Street  Railway  Company,  and  of  several  other  cor- 
porations. 

In   politics    Mr.   Jackson   is   an    independent    Demo- 


35? 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


crat  and  was  formerly  prominent  in  the  activities  of  that 
party.  He  served  two  terms  upon  the  Democratic 
State  Committee,  hut  in  lOiS  declined  to  become  a 
candidate  for  reelection  and  has  since  taken  no  active 
part  in  the  party  orsranization.  though  still  an  alert 
and  active  participant  in  public  affairs,  but  never  a 
candidate  for  any  office.  He  was  for  one  term  the 
Democratic  member  of  Jamestown  civil  service  com- 
mission, resigning  that  honor  in  igiS.  In  that  year  he 
was  appointed  by  Mayor  Carlson  acting  corporation 
counsel.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Moon  Brook  Country 
Club.  Jamestown  Club,  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  and  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles,  having 
served  the  last  named  one  term  as  president.  He  is 
deeply  interested  in  literary,  political  and  economic 
questions,  belonging  to  the  University  Club,  also  a 
founder  and  the  first  president  of  the  Saturday  Night 
Club.  To  both  these  organizations  he  has  contributed 
papers  on  various  subjects  and  is  a  frequent,  forceful 
and  eloquent  public  speaker. 

Mr.  Jackson  married,  .April  24,  iqi6,  at  St.  Peter's 
Episcopal  Church,  .Albany.  N.  Y..  Irene  .Alice  Ger- 
hardt.  of  that  city.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jackson  are  the 
parents  of  a  son.  William  Eldred,  born  July  ig,  1919. 


ROBERT  BURTIS  BLANCHARD,  M.  D.— There 

is  no  better  known  or  more  popular  physician  in 
Jamestown.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  than  Dr.  Rob- 
ert Burtis  Blanchard,  of  No.  8  East  Second  street,  a 
native  of  this  city,  where  his  birth  occurred  March  27, 
1S83.  Dr.  Blanchard  is  a  son  of  Dr.  R.  Newland 
Blanchard.  and  a  grandson  of  Flint  Blanchard,  the 
elder  a  well  known  agriculturist  of  Ellicott,  Chautauqua 
county.  His  father  was  one  of  the  pioneer  physicians 
of  Jamestown.  He  married  Belle  Burtis,  who  sur- 
vives him,  and  continues  to  make  her  home  in  James- 
town at  the  present  time. 

Dr.  Robert  Burtis  Blanchard  attended  as  a  lad  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  town,  graduating  from  the 
high  school  in  the  year  1902,  where  he  was  prepared 
for  college.  He  then  attended  the  medical  school  of 
the  University  of  Buffalo,  where  he  took  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  and  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  iqo6.  Fol- 
lowing his  studies  at  this  institution.  Dr.  Blanchard 
acted  as  interne  in  the  Erie  County  Hospital  for  one 
year,  and  in  1907  began  the  practice  of  his  profession 
at  Jamestown.  Since  that  time  he  has  developed  a 
large  practice  here  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
leaders  of  his  profession.  Dr.  Blanchard  is  promi- 
nent in  social  and  fraternal  circles  at  Jamestown,  and 
is  a  member  of  various  Masonic  bodies,  including  Mt. 
Moriah  LrAgc,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons:  Western 
Sun  Chapter,  Royal  .Arch  Masons:  and  Jamestown 
Council,  Royal  and  Select  Masters.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Order  of  Eagles  and  was  for  some  years 
the  phy?.ician  of  this  society.  He  is  affiliated  with  the 
Jamestown  Medical  Society,  the  Chautauqua  County 
Medical  Sr^iefy,  the  New  Vork  State  Medical  Associa- 
tion, and  the  Amr-rican  Medical  Association.  Besides 
his  private  prarticc,  fJr.  Blanchard  is  medical  examiner 
for  the  John  H.Tncock  Life  Insurance  Company,  the 
NorlhweMcrn  .Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company,  the 
Connecticut  G'neral  Life  Insurance  Comjvany,  the 
Union  Central   Insurance   Company,  and  the  Bankers' 


Life  Insurance  Company.  In  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  for  eight  years  held  the  important  post  of 
city  physician  of  Jamestown. 

Dr.  Blanchard  was  united  in  marriage,  June  25, 
1914,  with  Lorene  A.  Rogerson,  a  daughter  of  David 
and  Alberta  M.  Rogerson,  highly  respected  residents 
of  Jamestown.  Two  children  have  been  born  to  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Blanchard,  as  follows:  Robert  Burtis,  Jr., 
.Aug.  0.  1915;   and  Roger  Newland.  Dec.  18,  1917. 


WILLIAM  H.  MARVIN— Son  of  a  Chautauqua 
farmer  and  reared  on  one  of  the  fertile  farms  of  the 
town  of  Hanover,  Mr.  Marvin  early  felt  the  call  of  a 
business  life,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  left  the  farm 
for  the  shop,  and  since  1886  has  been  associated  with 
Forestville's  commercial  interests.  Since  1898  he  has 
been  in  business  under  his  own  name  and  has  built 
up  a  solid,  substantial  trade.  Furniture  and  under- 
taking have  been  the  lines  followed,  and  under  dif- 
ferent firm  names  his  has  become  the  leading  estab- 
lishment of  the  town.  William  H.  Marvin  is  a  son 
of  Henry  Floyd  and  Mary  (Devinney")  Marvin,  his 
father  a  farmer  of  Smith's  Mills,  Hanover,  Chautau- 
qua county.     Mr.  and   Mrs.   Mar\'in  were  the   parents 

of  four  children:     Josephine,  married  Clark,  of 

Cuba,  N.  Y. ;  Chester  E.,  of  Cuba,  N.  Y.;  Jennie, 
married  Daniel  A.  Dye,  of  Forestville;  and  William 
H.,  of  further  mention. 

William  H.  Marvin  was  born  at  Smith's  Mills,  Han- 
over, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  ,1,  1869.  He  was 
educated  in  the  district  public  schools,  and  until  Feb. 
18,  1886,  remained  on  the  farm,  his  father's  assistant. 
He  moved  to  Forestville,  in  his  home  town,  on  the 
date  mentioned,  and  at  once  found  employment  in  the 
furniture  and  undertaking  business  with  F.  D.  Ellis. 
For  about  a  dozen  years  he  continued  an  employee, 
becoming  very  proficient,  then  in  partnership  with 
Daniel  A.  Dye  he  began  business  on  his  own  account, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Marvin  &  Dye.  They  pros- 
pered abundantly  and  conducted  the  business  until 
191 5,  when  Marvin  &  Dye  sold  their  business  to  Bury 
&  Williams,  of  Springfield.  Later,  Mr.  Mar\'in  bought 
the  Williams  interest,  and  in  partnership  Marvin  & 
Bury  conducted  the  business  until  1919,  when  he 
bought  Mr.  Bury's  interest,  the  business  now  being 
known  as  William  H.  Marvin. 

The  farm  has  never  been  without  its  attraction  for 
Mr.  Marvin,  and  he  has  been  for  several  years  an 
extensive  grape  grower  and  general  farmer.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  order,  holding  the  thirty-second 
degree  of  the  Ancient  Accepted  Scottish  Rite;  member 
of  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star,  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  and  the  Silver  Creek  Motor  Boat  Club. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  during  the  years 
1916-17-1K  he  served  as  the  duly  elected  sheriff  of 
Chautaui|ua  county.  In  religious  affiliation  he  is 
connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In 
1920  he  was  elected  president  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Forestville,  of  which  he  was  an  organizer  and 
incorporator. 

Mr,  Marvin  married,  Sept.  7,  1898,  in  Forestville, 
Alice  L.  Reynolds,  ilaughler  of  Sylvester  and  Frances 
(Goidd;   Reynolds,  of  Forestville. 


w///^. 


^^i/VUiJ 


^^^^'-Z'^tO^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


359 


LAWRENCE  WARREN  WILTSIE— In  1875, 
Mr.  Wiltsie  was  admitted  to  practice  at  the  New 
York  bar,  and  the  same  year  he  settled  in  Jamestown, 
in  his  native  Chautauqua  county.  There  during  the 
forty  years  which  have  since  intervened,  he  has  con- 
tinuously been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession, his  standing  high  with  a  large  and  influential 
clientele.  Mr.  Wiltsie  is  a  descendant  of  an  ancient 
Dutch  Colonial  family  founded  in  New  Amsterdam 
(New  York),  by  Phillippe  Martin  Wiltsee.  a  soldier  in 
the  Dutch  army,  who  came  in  the  ship  "New  Nether- 
lands," with  his  wife,  two  children  and  two  servants. 
He  was  one  of  those  detailed  to  build  Fort  Orange 
(Albany),  but  when  the  Indians  forced  the  first  Colon- 
ists at  Fort  Orange  to  return  to  New  Amsterdam, 
Phillippe  M.  Wiltsee  and  his  family  settled  at  Waal 
Bogt,  N.  Y.  Later  he  and  his  sons,  Pierre  and  Hen- 
drick,  were  killed  by  Indians  at  Swaanendael.  His 
wife  was  Sophie  (Ter  Bosch)  Wiltsee,  born  in  Hol- 
land, who  after  the  death  of  her  husband  is  believed 
to  have  returned  to  Holland  with  the  younger  members 
of  the  family.  Descendants  settled  all  along  the  Hud- 
son Valley  from  New  York  to  Albany,  and  thence 
west  along  the  Mohawk  Valley,  radiating  eventually 
through  all  Western  New  York  counties,  this  branch 
settling  in   Chautauqua   county. 

Mr.  Wiltsie  is  a  great-grandson  of  John  Owens,  a 
soldier  of  the  French  and  Indian  War  and  the  Revo- 
lution, whose  daughter,  Elsie  Owens,  in  i8o6,  married 
George  W.  Fenton,  the  father  of  Rueben  E.  Fenton, 
once  Congressman,  Governor  of  New  York,  and 
United  States  Senator.  John  Owens  was  born  in 
Windsor,  Conn.,  who,  after  his  Revolutionary  War 
service,  left  New  England,  and  in  1808  settled  in  the 
town  of  Carroll,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  He  kept 
a  tavern  in  Carrol!  for  the  entertainment  of  lumber- 
men and  travelers  all  over  the  State  road  from  Chau- 
tauqua county  into  Pennsylvania.  He  also  operated  a 
private  ferry  over  the  Conewango,  and  died  in  Car- 
roll, Feb.  6,  1843,  at  the  wonderful  age  of  one  hun- 
dred and  seven,  probably  the  oldest  citizen  who  ever 
lived  in  the  county.  His  military  service  was  with  the 
English  army  under  General  Wolfe  at  the  capture  of 
Quebec,  and  with  Ethan  Allen  at  the  taking  of  Ticon- 
deroga.  He  was  a  jovial,  story-loving  man,  and  his 
house  was  very  popular  with  the  weary  raftsmen  who 
sought  his  hospitality  when  tied  up  for  the  night. 

Lawrence  Warren  Wiltsie,  son  of  David  and  Jane 
P.  (Hadley)  Wiltsie,  was  born  at  the  home  farm  in 
Carroll,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  March  30,  1850,  his 
father  a  farmer  and  lumber  dealer  at  Frewsburg.  He 
attended  the  public  schools  of  Frewsburg,  and  the 
Union  School  of  Jamestown,  later  studied  law,  and  on 
April  9,  187s,  was  admitted  to  the  New  York  bar  at 
Rochester.  He  opened  law  offices  in  Jamestown  the 
same  year,  rose  rapidly  in  his  profession,  and  is 
rated  one  of  the  strong  men  of  the  Chautauqua  county 
bar.  Mr.  Wiltsie  is  a  member  of  the  Chautauqua 
County  Bar  Association,  the  New  York  Bar  Associa- 
tion, Sons  of  the  American  Revolution,  and  is  affili- 
ated with  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge,  Western  Sun  Chapter, 
and  Jamestown  Commandery  of  the  Masonic  order.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  been  the  party  stand- 
ard bearer  in  several   campaigns,  but  the  normal   ad- 


verse   Republican    majority   is    rarely   overcome   by   a 
Democratic   candidate  in  Jamestown. 

At  Olean,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  31,  1883,  Mr.  Wiltsie  married 
Caroline  P.  Ahrams,  who  died  March  ig,  1918.  leaving 
a  son,  David  Hadley  Wiltsie,  born  in  Jamestown, 
March  13,  18S8.  He  was  educated  in  Jamestown  grammar 
and  high  schools ;  Phillips  Exeter  Academy,  Exeter, 
N.  H.;  Yale  University,  A.  B.,  class  of  1912;  and  the 
University  of  Berlin,  being  a  student  there  in  1914, 
when  the  world  was  fanned  into  a  flame  of  war 
through  the  action  of  Germany.  Mr.  Wiltsie  had  a 
hard  time  in  getting  out  of  Germany,  but  finally 
reached  England,  his  health  seriously  effected.  He 
returned  to  Jamestown,  where  he  died  July  3,  1920. 


FRED  VICTOR  ANDERSON,  an  alderman  of  the 
city  of  Jamestown,  and  assistant  cashier  of  the  Liberty 
National  Bank,  is  a  native  of  Jamestown,  born  Jan.  i, 
1886,  a  son  of  John  A.  and  Emma  C.  (.'\brahamson) 
Anderson,  both  of  whom  are  now  living.  The  elder  Mr. 
Anderson  is  at  the  present  time  connected  with  the 
firm  of  .A-brahamson-Bigelow  Company,  the  owners 
of  the  largest  department  store  in  Jamestown,  an  asso- 
ciation which  has  existed  for  many  years. 

Fred  Victor  Anderson  received  his  education  as  a 
boy  in  the  local  public  schools,  completing  his  studies  in 
the  grammar  grades  and  continuing  for  two  years  in 
the  high  school.  Being  ambitious  to  begin  the  active 
business  of  life,  he  then  gave  up  his  studies  with  that 
institution  and  entered  the  Jamestown  Business  Col- 
lege, where  he  took  a  commercial  course  and  was  grad- 
uated in  the  year  1904.  Upon  completing  his  studies 
there,  he  at  once  secured  a  position  in  the  Bank  of 
Jamestown,  where  he  remained  for  about  thirteen 
years,  gaining  in  the  meantime  an  intimate  know- 
ledge of  banking  and  business  methods  generally.  For 
one  year  following  his  connection  with  the  Bank  of 
Jamestown,  Mr.  Anderson  was  associated  with  the 
International  Flag  Company,  but  retired  from  that 
position  in  order  to  accept  the  offer  made  to  him  by  the 
Liberty  National  Bank  to  become  its  assistant  cashier. 
He  has  continued  in  this  office  ever  since  and  has 
made  himself  exceedingly  useful  to  this  concern.  Mr. 
Anderson  has  been  exceedingly  active  in  local  public 
affairs,  and  is  a  very  prominent  member  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  in  the  county,  his  voice  being  heard  in  all 
their  councils.  It  was  in  the  year  1917  that  he  was 
elected  to  the  Board  of  Aldermen  of  Jamestown  and 
still  serves  on  that  body,  having  proved  himself  a 
most  capable  and  disinterested  public  servant.  He  has 
also  participated  prominently  in  the  war  work  of  the 
community,  and  is  chairman  of  the  finance  committee 
of  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  positions  of  great  responsi- 
bility for  so  young  a  man.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr. 
Anderson  is  a  Lutheran  and  attends  the  First  Luth- 
eran Church  at  Jamestown.  He  possesses  an  unusual 
talent  for  music,  and  at  the  present  time  is  choir  direc- 
tor of  the  Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  pos- 
sessing himself  a  fine  and  well-trained  baritone  voice. 
His  love  for  music  induced  him  to  take  a  full  course  in 
that  art  at  the  Jamestown  Conserxatory  of  Music,  so 
that  he  is  thoroughly  educated  in  this  line,  and  for 
three  years  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  quar- 


-.6o 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


tfttc  here.  Mr.  Antierson  is  a  member  of  Mt.  Moriah 
Loiige.  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  is  now 
passing  through  the  chairs  of  this  lodge.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  Mt.  Tabor  Lodge,  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  of  which  he  is  past  noble  grand,  of  the 
Xorthern  Club,  of  the  Scandinavian-American  Founda- 
tion ^charter  member),  and  a  director  of  the  Young 
Men's   Christian   .Association. 

Fred  \'ictor  .\nderson  was  united  in  marriage  June 
4.  I0!J.  at  Jamestown,  with  Elma  E.  Sandburg. 


CARL  FRANKLIN  STRATFORD,  the  well 
known  and  popular  citi.ten  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  is  secretary  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion, is  a  native  of  St.  Thomas,  Ontario,  Canada,  where 
he  was  born,  .\ug.  31,  18S0.  He  is  a  son  of  Eli  T. 
and  Minnie  (Moore)  Stratford,  his  father  having  been 
a  railroad  worker  upon  coming  to  the  United  States, 
and  was  also  engaged  as  a  sub-contractor.  \\'hile  Carl  F. 
Stratford  was  still  an  infant,  his  parents  moved  to 
Buffalo.  X.  Y..  where  the  family  resided  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  and  it  was  here  that  he  received  his  pre- 
liminary education,  attending  the  grammar  schools  and 
later  the  Buffalo  High  School,  He  was  but  twelve 
years  of  age  when  he  became  interested  in  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  work,  and  after  leaving 
high  school,  Mr.  Stratford  continued  his  studies  in  the 
schools  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association, 
identifying  himself  and  becoming  acquainted  with  all 
the  details  of  the  work  of  this  splendid  organization. 
Upon  reaching  the  age  of  nineteen,  Mr.  Stratford  was 
gi\  en  his  first  official  appointment  in  the  employ  of  the 
".Association."  namely,  that  of  assistant  at  the  Buffalo 
Central  "Y."  He  held  this  post  for  a  period  of  two 
years  and  then,  upon  reaching  his  majority,  was  ap- 
pointed secretary  of  the  Lackawanna  branch  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  at  Buffalo.  Mr. 
Stratfr.rd  filled  this  post  with  exceptional  skill,  and  it 
w.-is  flue  to  his  able  management  and  clear  foresight 
that  the  Lackawanna  branch  owes  its  rapid  growth  and 
development.  Mr.  Stratford's  next  appointment  was 
that  of  membership  secretary  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christi.in  .Association  at  Erie,  Pa.,  where  he  continued 
his  brilliant  work.  It  was  not  long  after  receiving  this 
fK.st  that  Mr.  Stratford  was  sent  to  Kane,  Pa.,  there 
to  take  charge  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion work,  and  at  this  city  he  was  given  tlic  position 
of  general  secretary,  a  most  deserving  office.  In  Au- 
tf'ivt.  1017.  h'-  ramr-  to  Jamestown  to  accept  the  office 
of  general  secretary  of  the  "Y"  here,  and  up  to  the 
present  Mr.  Stratford  can  claim  the  honorable  service 
of  eleven  years  with  the  Young  Men's  Christian  .Asso- 
ciation. Mr.  Stratford  may  be  classed  as  a  "miracle 
man"  with  regard  to  the  exceptional  progress  he  has 
m.-id'-  with  the  work  entrusted  to  him.  He  has  a  strong 
p'rson.-dity,  and  an  ability  to  handle  men,  and  at  prcs- 
rnt  has  no  less  than  ten  assistants  who  aid  him  in  his 
important  duties  'onnccted  with  the  "Y"  work.  The 
YounK  Men's  (Jirislian  Asso'ialion  building  here  is  a 
hand-orne  edifice  and  h.is  r'>'im  for  seventy-five  guests. 
It  al-o  rt,n(\iiri>,  ,1  summer  branch  on  Lake  Chautau- 
'I'la.  Mr.  Stratford  enjoys  his  works,  csperi.illy  that 
branch   which   has   always   been  so  attractive  to   him, 


namely,  the  Boys'  Department,  in  which  he  takes  a 
very  active  interest. 

During  the  World  War,  Mr.  Stratford  ser\'ed  as 
publicity  director  for  Chautauqua  county  in  all  the 
Liberty  Loan  drives;  as  campaign  director  for  the 
county  in  the  United  War  Fund  Campaign,  and  local 
director  for  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
and  Red  Cross  drives.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr. 
Stratford  is  a  Presbyterian,  and  attends  the  church 
of  this  denomination  in  Jamestown.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  national  organization  of  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association  workers.  Mr.  Stratford  does  not  take 
an  active  interest  in  politics,  due  to  the  exacting  duties 
connected  with  his  important  post  at  the  "Y."  He 
is  not  affiliated  with  any  party  and  may  be  regarded 
as  an  independent  voter,  preferring  not  to  ally  him- 
self with   any   political   party   whatsoever. 

Carl  Franklin  Stratford  married,  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y., 
-Aug.  22,  1912,  Edith  Thomas,  a  resident  of  that  place, 
and  a  daughter  of  F.  A.  and  Ida  (JefTeries)  Thomas, 
old  and  highly  respected  citizens.  The  Thomas  fam- 
ily originally  came  from  Rochester,  N.  Y.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Stratford  are  the  parents  of  two  children:  Ruth 
Thomas,  and  Thomas  Alanson. 


CHARLES  A.  JOHNSON,  a  well  regarded  and  re- 
sponsible citizen  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  for  more  than 
thirty-five  years,  and  a  leader  among  the  Swedish  peo- 
ple of  that  place,  has  for  thirty  years  been  a  director  of 
the  Atlas  Furniture  Company,  under  that  name  and 
under  its  former  trading  designation,  the  Swedish  Fur- 
niture Company,  and  has  been  vice-president  of  the 
company  for  twenty-four  years.  Charles  A.  Johnson 
is  quite  a  self-made  man,  as  that  term  is  known:  the 
success  which  has  come  to  him  has  been  entirely  by 
his  own  efforts,  by  his  resolute  application  to  study, 
even  after  he  had  begun  his  business  life,  and  by  his 
honesty  of  purpose  and  moral  integrity.  He  applied 
himself  steadily  to  honest  production,  and  that  pro- 
duction in  due  course  brought  an  honest  return.  And 
some  of  his  outside  associations  indicate  that  he  is  a 
man  in  whom  others  have  confidence,  and  that  in  the 
affairs  of  his  fellow-citizens  of  Swedish  antecedents 
he  has  taken  an  active  interest.  He  is  a  director  of 
the  American  National  Bank,  and  is  president  and 
director  of  the  "Scandia,"  a  .Swedish  newspaper. 

Charles  A.  Johnson  was  born  Feb.  2.3,  i860,  in 
Sweden,  and  in  due  course  attended  the  school  of  his 
native  place.  His  father,  now  deceased,  was  Jonas 
Johanson,  and  on  his  father's  farm  Charles  A.  worked 
during  his  boyhood.  He  remained  near  his  parents 
until  he  li.id  reached  the  age  of  twenty-two  years,  but 
then  decided  to  come  to  America,  his  brother  having 
already  gone,  and,  according  to  report,  having  suc- 
cessfully settled  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.  Therefore, 
Charles  A.  came,  and  upon  arrival  in  America  came  to 
Jamestown,  where  ever  since  he  has  remained,  inces- 
santly working,  and  for  the  greater  jjart  of  the  time 
working  amid  associations  of  consequence  or  [jromise 
to  the  city  of  Jamestown.  He  has  taken  appreciable 
part  ill  I  he  maintenance  of  the  city  in  continued  pros- 
I/i-rify  duriuK  llic  last  tliirty  years,  for  the  companies 
with  which  he  has  actively  been  connected,  in  rcspon- 


Oyd^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


361 


sible  capacity,  have  been  steady  producers,  and  steady 
employers  of  labor,  in  the  production  of  a  commodity 
which  has  been  marketed  almost  exclusively  outside 
the  city.  Upon  arriving  in  Jamestown,  in  1S82,  he 
began  to  work  for  the  Jamestown  Banding  Company, 
with  which  company  he  remained  for  five  years.  In 
his  early  years,  he  was  much  handicapped  because  of 
a  poor  understanding  of  English,  and  he  saw  that  in 
other  academic  and  fundamental  subjects  his  Swedish 
schooling  was  deficient.  Therefore,  he  assiduously 
studied  during  the  early  years  of  his  residence  in 
Jamestown,  attending  local  night  schools  for  the  pur- 
pose, but  mainly  studymg  at  home.  He  was  a  young 
man  of  alert  intelligence,  apt  in  most  things,  and  he 
soon  became  a  skilled  workman;  and  his  private  learn- 
ing soon  closed  the  gap  in  his  knowledge  of  general 
subjects.  And  by  steady  attendance  at  his  work,  and 
consistent  thrift,  he  was  able  to  grasp  other  opportuni- 
ties which  came.  In  1887,  he  acquired  an  interest  in 
the  Swedish  Furniture  Company,  which,  under  a  later 
reconstruction,  became  the  Atlas  Furniture  Company, 
under  which  name  it  now  trades.  Charles  A.  Johnson 
has  had  charge  of  the  finishing  and  shipping  depart- 
ments of  that  company  for  the  last  twenty-five  years; 
has  been  director  for  thirty  years,  since  i88g;  and  has 
been  its  vice-president  since  1896;  so  that  he  has  held 
a  sufficiently  responsible  capacity  in  the  affairs  of  a 
substantial  industry  of  Jamestown.  Mr.  Johnson  is  a 
member  of  the  Norden  Club  of  Jamestown,  and  of  the 
"Swedish  One  Hundred  Member  Society."  For  many 
decades  he  has  been  an  earnest  member  of  the  church, 
and  in  Jamestown  attends  the  Swedish  Zion  Church, 
to  which  he  has  given  due  support. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  married,  in  Jamestown,  in  1901,  to 
Hannah  Collin.  They  have  tliree  children:  i.  Lillian, 
who  is  now  a  high  school  undergraduate.  2.  Mildred, 
who  attends  the  elementary  school.  3.  Marion,  who 
also   attends  the  public  school. 


THE    ATLAS     FURNITURE     COMPANY     of 

Jamestown,  now  among  the  large  manufacturers  of  fur- 
niture in  Western  New  York,  was  founded  principally  by 
L.  E.  Erickson  and  Gustave  Holmberg,  and  others,  in 
1883,  under  the  corporate  title  "The  Swedish  Furniture 
Company,"  Gustave  Holmberg,  president;  L.  E. 
Erickson,  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  original  plant 
of  the  company  was  located  on  East  Second  street, 
Jamestown,  but  a  fire  destroyed  that  building  and  new 
quarters  were  found  on  Harrison  street,  which  were 
occupied  until  1887,  when  a  plant  was  purchased  in 
Randolph.  N.  Y.  At  that  time  the  capital  stock  was 
increased  and  about  fifteen  new  stockholders  admit- 
ted. The  officially  active  members  were  and  always 
have  been  but  few  in  number,  and  among  them  are 
F.  O.  Strandberg,  C.  A.  Johnson  and  L.  E.  Erickson. 
At  about  this  time  the  corporate  name  was  changed  to 
the  Atlas  Furniture  Company,  F.  O.  Strandberg,  pres- 
ident ;  C.  A.  Johnson,  vice-president,  and  L.  E.  Erick- 
son, secretary-treasurer;  the  latter  died  in  1905.  Gus- 
tave Holmberg  relinquished  active  part  in  the  new 
organization  in  favor  of  the  new  members,  his  home 
being  too  far  from  Randolph  for  him  to  continue 
active  in  the  management.  The  plant  of  the  company 
in   Randolph  was   occupied   four  years,  then   sold,  and 


a  large  modern  plant  erected  on  the  Allen  street  exten- 
sion in  Jamestown.  This  plant  was  enlarged  as  needs 
required  until  1910,  when  the  Atlas  Furniture  Com- 
pany purchased  the  nearby  plant  of  the  Liberty  Fur- 
niture Company  on  Blackstone  avenue.  The  company 
now  (1920)  employ  about  200  highly  skilled  mechanics 
and  manufacture  high  grade  bedroom  furniture.  The 
present  officers  of  the  company  are:  President,  Frank 
O.  Strandberg:  vice-president,  Charles  A.  Johnson; 
secretary-treasurer,  John  A.  Hagg.  The  directors 
are:  F.  O.  Strandberg,  C.  A.  Johnson,  Andrew  Wal- 
lin,  Gustave  Wallin,  Carl  Nelson,  Andrew  Venman, 
Lester   Strandberg. 

The  Atlas  Furniture  Company  since  its  inception 
has  enjoyed  remarkable  success  and  prosperity.  Its 
products  are  well  known  in  the  furniture  world  and 
dealers  are  supplied  in  all  parts  of  the  United  States, 
as  well  as  some  in  foreign  countries. 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON    JUDE,    one    of    the 

most  prominent  and  successful  attorneys  of  James- 
town, N.  Y.,  where  he  has  an  office  in  the  Wellman 
building,  is  a  native  of  Chautauqua  county,  his  birth 
having  occurred  there  Feb.  22,  1867.  Mr.  Jude  is  a 
son  of  Joseph  and  Mary  (Graham)  Jude,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  an  old  English  family,  his  ancestry  having  held 
an  important  position  in  the  community  where  they 
lived.  The  elder  Mr.  Jude  followed  the  occupation 
of  farming  for  many  years  in  this  region,  and  is  now 
deceased,  as  is  also  his  wife. 

George  Washington  Jude  attended  as  a  lad  the  dis- 
trict country  school,  and  at  the  same  time  assisted  his 
father  with  the  work  on  the  latter's  farm.  Later  he 
became  a  pupil  of  the  Sugar  Grove  Seminary  at  Sugar 
Grove.  Pa.,  where  he  was  prepared  for  college.  He 
then  matriculated  at  Otterbein  University,  Westerville, 
Ohio,  from  which  he  graduated  with  the  class  of  1891, 
taking  at  the  same  time  his  degree  as  Bachelor  of 
Arts.  After  completing  his  general  education.  Mr. 
Jude  taught  in  Sugar  Grove  Seminary,  and  then  went 
to  the  University  of  Chicago,  where  he  took  a  number 
of  special  post-graduate  courses.  The  following  two 
years  were  spent  as  a  teacher  in  the  same  school,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  determined  to  follow  the  profession 
of  law  as  a  career,  and  with  this  end  in  view  entered 
the  law  office  of  Green  &  Woodbury,  prominent  attor- 
neys of  Jamestown,  where  he  pursued  his  legal  studies 
to  such  good  purpose  that  he  was  admitted  to  the 
Chautauqua  county  bar  in  July,  1899.  Mr.  Jude  had 
during  this  time  been  obliged  to  engage  in  remunera- 
tive occupations  of  one  kind  or  another  in  order  to 
pay  for  his  tuition  in  the  various  institutions  of  learn- 
ing which  he  had  attended.  LIpon  his  admission  to  the 
bar,  he  opened  a  law  office  in  Jamestown  and  since 
that  time  has  been  active  in  the  general  practice  of  his 
profession  here.  Mr.  Jude  has  proven  himself  particu- 
larly well  qualified  for  his  legal  practice  and  has  built 
up  for  himself  an  enviable  reputation,  both  on  account 
of  his  ability  and  the  high  standard  of  professional 
ethics  which  he  has  maintained.  He  has  now  one  of 
the  largest  clienteles  in  the  city  and  handles  a  great 
deal  of  important  litigation  in  the  region.  Mr.  Jude 
is  also  active  in  the  general  life  of  Jamestown,  and  is 
a  member  of  a  number  of  important  organizations  here. 


362 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


He  i?  keenly  interested  in  local  politics  and  classes 
himself  as  an  independent  Republican,  having  been 
elected  to  a  number  of  public  offices  on  the  ticket  of 
that  party.  Although  entirely  unambitious  for  politi- 
cal preferment,  he  has  held  the  office  of  judge  of  the 
Police  Court  for  one  term  and  has  served  on  the 
Board  of  Education  for  three  years.  He  also  repre- 
sented Jamestown  in  the  State  Legislature  in  1913,  and 
in  all  these  capacities  has  proved  himself  a  most  able 
and  disinterested  public  servant.  Mr.  Jude  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge.  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons;  Jamestown  Lodge.  Scottish  Rite  Masons; 
Mt.  Tabor  Lodge.  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows:   and  the  Sons  of  St.  George. 

George  Washington  Jude  was  united  in  marriage, 
Dec.  29.  1002,  with  Lyda  Pearl  Boardman,  a  daugh- 
ter of  .-Mphonso  M.  and  .Mice  (Kay)  Boardman,  old 
and  highly  respected  residents  of  Bradford,  Pa.  One 
child  has  been  bom  of  this  union,  Robert  Boardman, 
Nov.  S.  1906. 


JARED  HEWES,  well  known  as  an  agriculturalist 
and  man  of  affairs,  is  one  of  the  prominent  figures  in 
the  agricultural,  industrial,  business  and  social  life  of 
Chautauqua  county.  He  has  for  thirty-five  years  been 
a  director  and  for  thirty  years  secretary  of  the  Patrons' 
Fire  Relief  .Association  of  Chautauqua  counti. .  N.  Y., 
and  has  seen  the  growth  of  this  association  from  a 
small  beginning  to  one  carrying  an  outstanding  insur- 
ance at  the  present  time  amounting  to  $15,931,130, 
insured  on  property  exclusively  within  Chautauqua 
county.  .And  his  identity  has  meant  much  to  the 
material  increase  in  the  Order  of  the  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry, as  well  as  other  things  which  he  has  been  iden- 
tified with. 

Jared  Hewes.  son  of  Daniel  H.  and  Abigail  CIrwin) 
Hewes.  was  born  July  23.  184S,  in  Chautauqua  county. 
His  birthplace  was  on  the  ground  which  was  later 
occupied  by  the  well  known  Chautauqua  Institution. 
Hi?  father,  native  of  the  East,  came  from  Saratoga 
Springs.  N.  Y.,  and  was  amongst  the  first  pioneers  of 
Chautauqua  county,  and  here  became  a  prosperous 
farmer,  stock  dealer  and  butcher.  He  was  prominent 
in  local  affairs,  being  a  supervisor  of  the  town  of 
Chautauqua,  and  during  the  Civil  War  was  an  agent 
for  the  L'nited  -States  Government,  his  duty  being  to 
purchase  horses  for  army  service. 

In  his  youth,  Jarcd  Hewes  attended  the  rtjmmon 
schools  of  his  town,  after  which  he,  with  his  brothers, 
assisted  his  father  in  farming  .Tiid  the  butcher  busi- 
ness. The  meat  business  in  which  they  engaged  became 
the  well-known  firm  of  Daniel  H.  Hewes  &  Sons,  and 
for  many  years  supplied  people  on  the  Chautauqua 
Grounds.  When  still  quite  a  young  man  Jarcd  Hewes 
taught  school  for  five  winter  terms,  and  by  his  con- 
sistent effort  he  prospered,  and  as  a  result  he  acquired 
a  farm,  about  f876,  consisting  of  50  acres  of  unim- 
proved land  and  later  added  lo  this  150  acres.  He 
cultivated  and  did  much  to  develf)i>  his  farm,  and  thus 
earned  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  county's 
best  know  farmers.  He  remained  in  the  pursuit  of  a 
farmer  for  a  number  of  years,  and  in  1918  ^old  his  land 
and  establi<ihrd  a  home  at  Cheney's  Point  on  Lake 
Chautauqua. 


The  Patrons'  Fire  Relief  Association  was  organized  in 
1S77.  and  he  being  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry insured  his  farm  property  in  the  association, 
the  first  insurance  he  ever  carried  of  any  kind.  He 
took  an  active  interest  in  this  organization  in  connec- 
tion with  his  farm  work,  and  in  1885  was  elected  a 
director,  and  in  iSgo  succeeded  Walter  C.  Gilford  as 
secretary.  Both  positions  he  ably  filled  until  his  retire- 
ment in  1920.  While  Mr.  Hewes  was  secretary,  he 
originated  an  accounting  system  for  the  association's 
records,  which  was  one  of  the  most  simplified  methods 
that  could  be  employed  in  the  large  field  of  insur- 
ance. He  devoted  the  greater  portion  of  his  time  to 
the  duties  of  his  office,  and  was  a  regular  attendant  at 
the  meetings  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  attended 
exclusively  by  farmers,  and  with  them  Jared  Hewes 
was  one  of  the  ardent  workers.  He  represented  the 
Patrons'  Fire  Relief  Association  at  the  annual  meet- 
ings of  the  New  York  Central  Organization  of  Co- 
operative Fire  Insurance  Companies,  and  in  igig  was 
chairman  of  the  memorial  committee.  As  a  member  of 
the  legislative  committee  of  the  New  York  State  Cen- 
tral Organization,  which  represented  one  hundred 
twenty  companies  of  the  State,  he  did  much  to  pro- 
mote good  understanding  and  relations  in  the  insur- 
ance world.  Besides  the  foregoing  activities,  he  was 
able  to  identify  himself  with  other  important  inter- 
ests, being  a  director  of  the  Bank  of  Jamestown  upon 
its  organization  in  1903  and  until  his  resignation  in 
1920;  director  of  Jamestown  Metal  Furniture  Com- 
pany from  its  organization  until  the  sale  of  this  com- 
pany to  the  Art  Metal  Construction  Company;  an  offi- 
cer in  the  Federal  Land  Bank  and  the  United  States 
Treasury  Department  as  an  appraiser  of  farms,  with 
headfiuarters  at  Springfield,  Mass.  He  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Chautauqua  County  Farm  Bureau, 
the  third  of  its  kind  in  New  York  State,  of  which  he 
served  as  president  for  five  years.  A  Republican  in 
politics,  Mr.  Hewes  represented  the  town  of  Harmony 
in  the  Chautauqua  County  Board  of  Supervisors,  1890- 
189s,  inclusive,  succeeding  Loren  B.  Session,  who  held 
the  office  continuously  from  1873  to  1889;  at  numerous 
Congressional,  State,  and  County  conventions  he  has 
represented  his  party  as  a  delegate.  He  was  one  of  the 
charier  members  of  Stedman  Grange,  No.  241,  Patrons 
of  Husliandry;  the  Harmony  Farmers'  Club,  and  an 
attendant  of  the  United  Brethren  Church  of  Chau- 
tauqua. 

Mr.  Hewes  married,  in  the  town  of  Chautauqua, 
N.  Y.,  Dec.  2-),  1871,  Lorilla  Wicr,  born  April  17,  1846, 
in  Washington  county,  N.  Y.,  died  in  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  April  7,  1915,  daughter  of  Hiram  and 
Maria  (GifTord)  Wier,  both  of  Washington  county, 
N.  Y.,  and  later  of  Chautauqua  county.  Two  children 
were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hewes;  i.  Clara,  born 
.April  23,  1873,  educated  in  the  district  schools,  May- 
ville  High  Sciiool,  and  Pratt  Institute,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.; 
married  Jesse  F..  Ford,  of  Harmony,  and  to  this  union 
there  are  two  children,  Helen  L.,  and  Jared  H.  2. 
Walter  W.,  born  .Sept.  23,  1875,  educated  in  the  district 
schools  and  Jamestown  High  School;  married  Edith 
C.  Cowles,  and  to  them  were  born  two  children.  Cath- 
erine C,  and  Warren  J. 

jared   Hewes  conies    from   a   long   line   of   descent;   a 


(9^v:u  .     c^  . 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


363 


number  of  his  forebears  were  amongst  the  first  colon- 
ists into  America,  his  great-grandfather,  George  R.  T. 
Hewes,  who  died  at  the  age  of  one  Inmdred  nine  years 
and  two  months,  was  the  last  survivor  of  the  old  Bos- 
ton Tea  Party,  and  Joseph  Hewes  was  among  the 
signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 


JOHN  SHIRLEY  EDDY— The  Eddys  came  to 
the  town  of  Harmony,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
about  1830,  from  Rutland  county,  Vt.,  settling  on  a 
farm  at  Watts  Flats,  which  John  Eddy  bought.  He 
left  a  son,  Jonathan  Eddy,  born  in  Rutland  county,  Vt., 
who  married  Bessie  B.  Holbrook,  born  in  Hamburg, 
Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  and  they  were  the  parent?  of  John 
Shirley  Eddy,  who  lives  on,  owns  and  cultivates  the  old 
homestead  farm,  bought  from  the  Holland  Land 
Company  by  his  wife's  father,  Lucius  Button. 

John  Shirley  Eddy  was  born  on  the  farm  at  Watts 
Flats,  town  of  Harmony,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
July  1,  184s,  and  resides  near  Panama,  seventy-five 
years  later,  a  successful,  substantial  agriculturist.  He 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  district,  and 
from  youth  has  been  familiar  with  farm  labor  and  man- 
agement. He  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry, a  Baptist  in  religious  faith,  and  a  Republican 
in  politics. 

Mr.  Eddy  married,  in  Panama,  Chautauqua  county, 
N,  Y,,  Feb.  9,  1867,  Mercy  M.  Button,  born  April  12, 
1847,  in  Panama,  daughter  of  Lucius  and  Almira 
(Lamb)  Button,  her  parents  born  in  Rutland  county, 
Vt.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eddy  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren: I.  Lucius  Button,  born  Feb.  18,  1869,  married 
Bertha  Sherwood,  and  has  three  children:  Shirley  T., 
Neta,  and  Ruth.  2.  Eugene  R.,  born  April  3,  1878; 
married  Inez  Eddy,  and  has  one  child,  Beth;  the  fam- 
ily resides  in  the  State  of  Washington.  3.  Martin  C, 
born  March  7,  1S81 :  farmer  and  resides  on  the  farm 
adjoining  that  of  his  father;  married  Eugenia  Swart, 
and  has  four  children:  Edith,  Dorothy,  Clemons,  and 
Robert.  4.  Almira  May,  born  Dec.  2,  1884;  married 
W.  W.  Towne,  and  has  three  children:  Allison  Hol- 
brook, Bruce  Eddy,  Alma  Marie  Towne;  they  reside 
in  the  State  of  Washington. 


CHARLES  EMIL  ANDERSON,  of  the  firm  of 
Anderson  &  Drake,  and  one  of  the  best  known  dentists 
in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  has  been  in 
practice  for  upwards  of  thirty  years,  is  a  native  of 
Sweden,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  that  country, 
May  6,  1864.  His  childhood  was  passed  in  his  native 
land,  and  he  there  began  his  education,  attending  for 
that  purpose  the  local  public  schools. 

Dr.  Anderson  is  a  son  of  John  B.  and  Mary  Ander- 
son, and  when  a  mere  lad  was  brought  by  them  to  the 
United  States,  the  family  coming  direct  to  Jamestown, 
where  he  continued  his  education  and  was  prepared  for 
college.  He  entered  the  Philadelphia  Dental  College 
and  there  took  the  regular  course  in  dentistry,  gradu- 
ating from  that  institution  with  the  class  of  18S8,  and 
at  the  same  time  receiving  his  degree.  He  at  once 
returned  to  Jamestown  and  formed  a  partnership  with 
Dr.  E.  J.  Swetland,  under  the  firm  name  of  Swetland 
&  Anderson,  and  here  carried  on  his  profession  with  a 


high  degree  of  success.  This  association  continued 
uninterruptedly  until  the  year  1915,  when  Dr.  Swet- 
land retired  from  active  practice.  Dr.  Anderson  then 
took  Dr.  L.  R.  Drake  as  a  partner  and  the  business 
is  still  continued  under  the  name  of  .Anderson  & 
Drake.  A  large  and  high-class  clientele  has  been 
built  up  by  this  firm,  which  is  now  recognized  as  one 
of  the  leading  concerns  of  its  kind  in  Jamestown,  and 
Dr.  Anderson  is  personally  the  possessor  of  an  en- 
viable reputation  both  for  ability  and  for  the  high 
standards  of  professional  ethics  maintained  by  him. 
Dr.  Anderson  has  always  been  keenly  interested  in  the 
general  welfare  of  his  profession,  and  is  a  member  of 
the  Jamestown  Dental  Society,  the  New  York  State 
Dental  Society,  and  the  National  Dental  Association. 
He  is  also  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  general  life  of 
the  community,  and  affiliated  with  a  number  of  impor- 
tant organizations  here,  both  social  and  fraternal, 
among  which  should  be  mentioned,  the  Ancient  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  Royal  and 
Select  Masters,  Knights  Templar,  and  Ancient  Arabic 
Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  In  addition  to 
these  Masonic  bodies,  he  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Jamestown  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  has  been  very 
active  in  promoting  the  general  material  welfare  of 
the  community  in  this  capacity.  His  club  is  the  Nor- 
den,  which  claims  a  large  and  distinguished  member- 
ship among  the  numerous  citizens  of  Swedish  birth 
and  origin  in  these  parts. 

Dr.  Anderson  was  united  in  marriage,  June  26,  1889, 
at  Jamestown,  with  Henrietta  C.  Johnson,  a  daughter 
of  Gust.  A.  and  Mary  Johnson,  of  Jamestown.  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Anderson  are  the  parents  of  one  daughter, 
Sherleigh  Anderson,  who  became  the  wife  of  D.  H. 
Mitchell,  of  Santa  Paula,  Cal. 


T.  HENRY  BLACK— In  reviewing  the  past  history 
of  any  individual  it  is  often  necessary  to  touch  upon 
their  antecedents  as  bearing  directly  on  the  character 
and  make-up  of  the  person  described.  Thomas  Henry 
Black,  subject  of  the  present  sketch,  is  a  well  known 
photographer  and  business  man  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
and  has  been  prominently  identified  in  his  profession 
for  many  years,  being  one  of  the  leading  photograph- 
ers of  Chautauqua  county.  He  numbers  among  his 
patronage  many  important  personal,  commercial  and 
landscape  subjects  of  the  city  and  surrounding  coun- 
try. The  studio  which  Mr.  Black  conducts  is  known  to 
be  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  county,  being  in  existence 
for  many  years  before  his  coming  to  Jamestown  in 
1884.  Originally  this  building  was  a  hotel,  but  in 
1871  it  was  remodeled  into  a  studio,  the  entrance  being 
directly  from  the  side  street.  In  those  days  it  was 
operated  by  veteran  photographers  who  made  their 
own  photographic  plates  and  paper,  and,  in  fact,  Mr. 
Black  has  a  number  of  valuable  negatives  made  by 
these  photographers  that  are  marvels  of  workman- 
ship. These  negatives  depict  many  of  the  residents 
back  in  the  early  days  of  Jamestown's  history.  Mr. 
Black  had  his  photo  taken  in  this  studio  many  years 
ago  as  a  small  boy  in  knee  pants  and  it  is  treasured  by 
him  as  a  unique  souvenir  of  photography  in  those  days. 

Thomas  Henry  Black,  son  of  Thomas  and  Eliza 
(Gormley)  Black,  is  a  native  of  Toronto,  Canada,  born 


364 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Nov.  2-.  IS^,-.  His  father  came  from  the  North  of 
Ireland.  likewise  his  mother,  and  it  was  in  their  native 
land  that  the  parents  of  Thomas  Henrj-  first  met. 
They  were  mairied  in  Ireland  in  iS6,^.  and  shortly 
afterwards  emijn^ted  to  Canada,  locating  in  Toronto. 
Thomas  Black,  the  father,  was  a  remarkably  talented 
man  in  many  ways,  and  was  widely  noted  as  a  land- 
scape crardener.  his  services  beincr  freqviently  sought  to 
oversee  the  work  of  laying  out  large  estates.  He  spent 
a  number  of  years  in  Toronto,  and  about  1S71  he  came 
to  the  United  States,  bringing  with  him  his  family, 
going  direct  to  Titusville,  Pa.,  during  the  oil  excit 
ment.  His  brother  John  had  preceded  him  there,  and 
together  they  built  a  home  for  their  respective  families. 
It  was  while  living  in  Titusville  that  Mr.  Black  met 
Henry  Harley.  then  the  country's  oil  king,  and  Mr. 
Harley  made  a  flattering  proposition  to  him  to  go  to 
Long  Point,  on  Chautauqua  Lake,  and  take  complete 
charge  of  Mr.  Harley 's  countn,'  estate  at  that  place. 
This  commission  was  accepted,  and  in  1875  Mr.  Black 
and  his  family  became  residents  of  Chautauqua  county. 

While  at  Long  Point,  Mr.  Harley  gave  him  cartr 
bhinclu-  over  the  entire  estate  and  during  the  following 
nine  years  the  development  of  horticulture  and  agri- 
culture made  of  Long  Point  one  of  the  model  show 
places  and  farms  on  the  lake.  It  was  here  that  his 
son,  Thomas  Henry  Black,  spent  his  early  boyhood, 
and  attended  the  district  school  at  West  Ellery,  some 
considerable  distance  from  home.  In  fact,  it  was  the 
remoteness  of  Mr.  Black's  home  from  schooling  facili- 
ties that  influenced  him  to  come  to  Jamestown  in  1884, 
and  so.  with  regret,  his  resignation  was  tendered  to 
Mr.  Harley  in  that  year. 

The  subsequent  years  were  spent  in  Jamestown,  with 
the  exception  of  a  short  period  in  the  South  as  fore- 
man over  a  large  plantation,  and  in  a  part  of  this  city, 
then  called  Dexterville,  he  operated  a  successful  truck 
farm,  and  later  managed  the  estate  of  the  late  Gov. 
R.  E.  Fenton.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  engaged 
by  Frank  Edward  Gifford,  president  of  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank.  Honesty,  simplicity  and  a  desire  to  serve 
were  the  prevailing  characteristics  of  this  man,  who  by 
earnest  toil  carved  for  himself  an  enduring  place  in 
the  hearts  of  all  who  knew  him.  His  death,  in  1890, 
came  as  an  extreme  loss.  Thomas  and  Eliza  (Gorm- 
ley)  Black  were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  of  whom 
Thomas  Henry  is  the  only  surviving  one. 

Very  early  in  life  Thomas  Henry  Black  showed  a 
remarkable  talent  for  art,  and  was  able  to  sketch  in 
freehand  drawings  objects  of  interest.  He  was  never 
tired  oi  drawing  pictures  of  scenery,  and  frequently 
adorned  the  blackboard  in  the  district  school  with 
accurate  reproductions  of  local  scenes.  In  fact  his 
pencil  was  more  frequently  employed  in  drawing  pic- 
tures than  in  fi^ring  sums,  and  as  a  result  his  lessons 
were  frc'iuently  neglected.  As  he  grew  older  his 
natural  talent  ior  drawing  was  augmented  by  his  desire 
to  write,  and  had  he  received  proper  encouragement  at 
this  period  in  life  along  these  lines,  he  would  have 
later  'li  tingiiished  hims'lf  as  an  artist  or  a  litterateur. 
Hi^  parents,  however,  had  other  aims  in  view  and  so 
after  leaving  school  he  went  into  business,  drifting 
from  one  thing  to  another  in  quest  of  his  ideals  until 
finally  he  sailed  into  the  harbor  of  photography,  where 
he  anchorf-d  for  life. 


.\s  has  been  stated,  his  boyhood  days  were  spent  on 
the  farm  at  Long  Point.  The  year  1884  marked  the 
real  beginning  of  his  literary  life,  and  on  March  4, 
1SS4,  he  began  writing  a  diary  and,  remarkable  as  it 
may  seem,  kept  a  constant  record  of  his  life  for  thirty- 
five  consecutive  years.  This  practice  gave  him  experi- 
ence in  writing  so  that  he  was  able  to  contribute  to 
various  newspapers  and  magazines.  In  fact  he  was 
the  editor  of  the  first  news  publication  in  the  old 
Jamestown  Union  School  in  1886.  In  1893  he  was 
interested  in  newspaper  work  and  got  out  a  creditable 
Chautauqua  Lake  edition  to  the  Jamestown  "Sunday 
Sun." 

Although  Mr.  Black  never  made  use  of  his  literary 
ability  as  an  asset,  he  is  gifted  with  a  poetic  sense  and 
has  written  some  creditable  poems.  These  are  char- 
acteristics of  the  man  which  are  not  generally  known, 
but  which  serves  to  show  his  artistic  and  literary  ten- 
dencies. 

Mr.  Black's  early  training  in  his  chosen  profession 
was  with  B.  E.  Prudden,  one  of  Jamestown's  best 
photographers  in  those  days.  This  was  in  1893.  In 
1S90  young  Black's  father  died  and  he  was  left  with  his 
widowed  mother  to  battle  with  life's  problems.  Dur- 
ing this  time  he  essayed  writing  short  stories  and  did 
considerable  newspaper  work  up  to  the  time  he  began 
traveling  for  the  North  American  Portrait  Company, 
at  that  time  a  progressive  and  thriving  enterprise  of 
Jamestown.  For  several  years  he  represented  this 
house  on  the  road.  In  iSg,'!  he  made  his  first  venture 
into  business  and  bought  out  a  third  interest  in  the 
Loucks  Aristotype  Company,  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y. 
This  company,  composed  of  Tom,  George  and  Will 
Loucks,  manufactured  printing-out  paper  for  the  use 
of  photographers.  Later  in  this  same  year  Mr.  Black 
exchanged  his  interest  in  this  company  for  the  photo 
studio  which  is  still  conducted  by  him.  In  1895  he 
conducted  a  branch  studio  in  the  village  of  Sinclair- 
ville  for  over  a  year.  In  1899  the  big  convention  of  the 
Photographers'  Association  of  American  was  held  at 
Celoron,  N.  Y..  in  which  Mr.  Black  was  prominently 
identified,  and  he  captured  one  of  the  prize's  for  good 
workmanship.  In  1905  Mr.  Black  traveled  extensively, 
visiting  New  York  City,  Boston,  Philadelphia,  and 
other  large  cities  in  quest  of  e.xperience  in  his  chosen 
work.  The  year  1914  marks  a  sad  period  in  the  life 
of  Mr,  Black,  as  it  was  in  this  year  he  lost  his  mother, 
a  sainted  woman,  whose  influence  for  good  was  felt 
by  all  who  knew  her.  This  irreparable  loss  cast  a 
gloom  over  the  events  immediately  after,  and  a  series 
of  misfortunes  attended  every  step.  It  was  in  the 
latter  part  of  this  year  that  Mr.  Black  ventured  into 
the  moving  picture  business  while  also  conducting  his 
photo  studio,  but  owing  to  mismanagement  of  those 
he  employed  to  run  his  moving  picture  business,  this 
venture  came  to  grief.  This,  however,  taught  him  a 
lesson,  since  which  time  he  has  confined  his  entire  time 
and  attention  to  his  photographic  affairs.  As  a  result 
he  has  succeeded  in  bringing  the  business  to  its  pres- 
ent high  degree  of  success  and  efficiency. 

Mr.  [{lack  is  identified  with  numerous  social  organi- 
zations of  the  city,  lie  belongs  to  the  Fraternal  Order 
of  Eagles,  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose,  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  the  Jamestown 
Board  of  Commerce.     During  his  early  life  in  James- 


',5/ 


^^-t-<J 


?^:j: 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


365 


town,  he  took  an  active  interest  in  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  just  then  starting;  and  in  1886 
was  confirmed  in  the  Episcopal  church,  and  was  for 
several  years  librarian  of  the  Sunday  school. 

Modest  and  retiring  in  disposition,  earnest  and  con- 
scientious in  his  work,  it  is  but  natural  that  he  is  get- 
ting the  recognition  he  deserves,  and  future  history 
will  record  the  name  of  Black  as  among  those  who 
worked  and  won.  As  an  example  of  Mr.  Black's  liter- 
ary efforts  in  his  early  days,  the  writer  submits  the  fol- 
low poems : 

JIOONLIGHT  ON  CHAUTAUQUA. 

Pray  come  with  me,  those  who  have  never  tried 
The  sweet  enjoyment  ot  a  moonlight  ride 
Upon  Chautauqua,  sparkling  in  the  light 
Of  Luna,  lovely  Goddess  of  the  night. 

The  dipping  oars  so  gently  move  the  boat, 
The  silver  moon  reflected,  seems  to  float 
Beneath   the   clear  calm  surface  of  the  lake 
And  sheds  soft  radiance  o'er  the  rippling  wake. 

The  quiet  stillness,  which  o'er  all  prevails, 
Emhues  our  nature  with  responsive  thrills. 
We're  lost  in  thought,  scarce  moves  the  oars  apace, 
And  silence  reigns  supreme  in  every  place. 

What  are  our  thoughts  as  o'er  the  lake  we  glide. 
Surrounded   by   the  peaceful  eventide? 
Are  they  of  love,  or  hate,  or  philosophic  lore, 
Of  present,  future,  or  of  days  no  more? 

Nay.  none  of  these,  we  think  of  nature  fair. 
More  lovely  far  than  artist's  pictures  rare, 
O.  rapturous  beauty  of  the  silent  night. 
Clothed  in  voluptuous  robes  of  pale  blue  light. 

CHAUTAUQUA  CHIMES. 

Dedicated  to  the  Bells  at  Chautaqua.  in  the  vear  1SS8, 
by  T.  Henry  Black. 

Chautauqua  Chimes,   Chautauqua  Chimes, 
Methinks  I  hear  them  now  at  times, 
Filling  my  soul  with  melody, 
Inspiring  thoughts  of  poetry. 

Hark!  in  the  chambers  of  my  brain 

Again  I  hear  that  sweet  refrain. 
And  with  it  happy  thoughts  of  yore 
Come   drifting  through  my   memory's  door. 

Blissful  the  walks  beneath  the  trees. 
Fanned  by  the  cooling  evening  breeze. 
While  clear  the  notes  ring  from  the  bells 
In  silvery  tones  the  cadence  swells. 

AUTUMN. 

Autumn  is  here,  the  time  of  year 

When    Dame   Nature    doth    appear 

In   a   twofold  character. 

Sad,   though  gay,  she  seems  to  say, 

I'll   rejoice,  then  die  away. 

The  autumn  breeze  sighs  through  the  trees 

Adorned    with    many   colored   leaves. 

Which,  blown  around,  lie  on  the  ground. 

In  every  nook  and  corner  found. 

Rustling  now  beneath  our  feet. 

Trampled  in  the  muddy  street. 

Floating   lazily  through   the  air. 

Suggesting  sadness  everywhere. 

Flushed,  though  faded,  there  they  lie. 

The  cymbol   of  a   summer  sigh. 

The  birds  are  gone,  we  miss  their  song 

At  eventide,  and  at  the  dawn, 

As   flying  round  from  tree  to  tree 

They   filled    the   air   with    melody. 

The  crickets,  too.  which  chirped  all  through 

The   summer  days,   have   bid   adieu; 

Likewise  the  bee  no  more  "we  .'^ee. 

Nor  the  butterfly  floating  idly. 

For  silence  reigns  throughout  the  land. 

Touched  by  autumn's  withering  wand. 


ABRAHAM    LINCOLN    GLEASON— During   his 

lifetime  A.  Lincoln  Gleason  built  up  a  high  reputation  as 
a  breeder  of  pure  Holstein  cattle,  as  a  dealer  and  ship- 
per of  live  stock,  and  as  the  owner  of  Apple  Grove 
Farm,  apples  being  a  specialty  with  him  for  many 
years.  He  was  well  known  far  and  near  as  a  thor- 
oughly modern,  progressive  farmer,  a  reliable,  ener- 
getic business  man  and  as  a  man  of  upright  life  and 
high  principles.  He  was  a  son  of  Rufus  and  Marie 
Etta  (Northrop)  Gleason,  his  father  a  farmer  who 
came  from  Connecticut  and  early  settled  in  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y. 

A.  Lincoln  Gleason  was  born  at  the  home  farm. 
Open  Meadows,  town  of  Harmony,  Chautauqua  coimty, 
N.  Y.,  Aug.  I,  1866,  and  died  on  a  farm  in  the  same 
town,  May  21,  1920.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  and  adopted  his  father's  calling,  beginning  his 
farming  and  stock  growing  operations  when  a  young 
man.  At  his  death  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  he  was  the 
owner  of  a  fine  farm  consisting  of  250  acres  of  well 
improved  land,  his  apple  orchard  the  most  extensive 
in  the  county.  He  was  an  enthusiastic  breeder  of  Hol- 
steins,  his  pure  bred  nearly  white  cattle  being  a  prize 
herd.  He  dealt  heavily  in  live  stock,  and  was  one  of 
the  best  known  shippers  in  the  county.  Apple  Grove 
Farm,  named  for  its  orchards,  was  equally  well  known 
in  the  produce  market,  the  annual  shipment  of  fruit 
being  very  large.  Mr.  Gleason  was  a  member  of  the 
Patrons  of  Husbandry,  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  in  politics  a  Prohibitionist. 

Mr.  Gleason  married,  Nov.  26,  1903,  at  Open 
Meadows,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Johanna  Peterson, 
born  in  Denmark,  March  28,  1882,  daughter  of  Peter 
and  Johanna  (Swanson)  Peterson,  her  parents  of 
Swedish  birth.  Children:  Ellen  Maryetta,  born  Sept. 
16,  1904;  Eva  Hazel,  born  July  25,  1906;  Ethel  Mar- 
tin, born  March  7,  1908;  Abraham  Lincoln,  Jr.,  born 
Sept.  14,  1911;  John  Samuel,  born  Feb.  21,  1913; 
Richard  Norman,  born  Dec.  18,  1918.  Mrs.  Gleason 
survives  her  husband  and  continues  the  management 
of  Apple  Grove  Farm. 


JOHN  EVELEN  CANEEN,  M.  D.,  graduate  of 
the  University  of  Buffalo,  medical  department,  in  1883, 
has  passed  many  years  of  his  professional  practice  in 
Ripley,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  even  though  from 
1901  to  1918  he  was  in  medical  practice  in  Nebraska. 
From  1887  until  1901,  Dr.  Caneen  practiced  success- 
fully in  Ripley,  to  which  place  he  returned  in  1918 
to  resume  his  practice. 

John  Evelen  Caneen  is  a  native  of  New  York,  bom 
in  Cattaraugus  county,  Aug.  20,  1855,  the  son  of 
Thomas  and  Dollie  (Cooper)  Caneen.  His  father  was 
a  successful  merchant,  having  extensive  business  in 
that  part  of  the  State,  and  the  son  was  given  good 
educational  opportunities.  For  primary  instruction  he 
attended  the  district  schools,  later  taking  a  preparatory 
course  in  the  Rudolph  Academy,  and  subsequently 
entering  the  State  Normal  School,  from  which  he  grad- 
uated in  due  course.  Then  he  proceeded  to  the  Uni- 
versity of  Buffalo,  and  became  an  undergraduate  in 
the  medical  department.  After  proper  application  to 
the  study  of  medical   science   for  the   requisite  period. 


;66 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


he  srraduated.  thus  gaining  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Medicine.  That  was  in  iS8,i.  He  began  to  practice  as  a 
general  practitioner  in  that  year  at  Cherry  Creek, 
Chautauqua  county.  N.  Y.,  removing  to  Ripley  in  1S87, 
and  there  practicing  continuously  until  iqoi,  when  he 
went  to  Nebraska,  there  engaging  in  professional  work 
until  lOlS.  when  he  returned  to  Ripley  and  resumed 
liis  practice. 

Dr.  Caneen  is  well  regarded  in  Ripley,  and  in  Chau- 
tauqua county  generally,  and  during  his  earlier  prac- 
tice in  this  State  had  good  place  among  his  profes- 
sional confreres.  He  has  held  membership  in  the 
American  Medical  Association,  the  New  York  State 
Medical  Association,  the  Chautauqua  County,  New 
York  Medical  Association,  and  the  Nebraska  Medical 
Association.  Religiously,  Dr.  Caneen  is  a  Baptist,  and 
fraternally  he  belongs  to  the   Odd   Fellows. 

Dr.  Caneen  married  (.first)  Minerva  Graham,  of 
Olean.  N.  Y.,  by  whom  there  was  issue,  a  daughter, 
Ethel,  who  now  is  Mrs.  George  Mcintosh.  He  mar- 
ried (second)  Bertha  S.  Stilson,  of  Cheiry  Creek, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  to  whom  also  one  child 
has  been  born,  Dorothy  Kathryne,  who  attends  school 
in  Ripley. 


FRANCIS  GEER— At  a  ripe  old  age,  Samuel  Geer, 
a  pioneer  of  the  Fredonia  district  of  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  died,  leaving  a  son  Francis  Geer,  born  in  Fre- 
do:iia,  .\pril  19,  1812,  who  died  in  Jamestown,  Aug.  8, 
lb«S7.  He  grew  to  manhood  at  the  home  farm  and 
attended  the  district  school,  remaining  his  father's  assist- 
ant until  coming  of  age,  then  learned  the  tanner's  trade, 
which  he  followed  for  several  years.  He  then  located 
in  Jamestown,  where  he  learned  furniture  finishing  and 
became  an  expert  in  that  line.  He  was  well  known  in 
the  furniture  trade,  and  continued  in  business  in  James- 
town until  his  death.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church,  and  a  Republican  in  politics,  coming  to  that 
party  upon  the  collapse  of  the  Whig  party.  He  was  a 
man  of  quiet,  domestic  tastes,  temperate  in  all  his  habits, 
never  using  tobacco,  and  was  of  most  correct,  upright, 
moral  life.    He  is  buried  in  Lakeview  Cemetery. 

Francis  Geer  married,  in  Jamestown,  Julia  Marsh, 
born  in  Kiantonc.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  daughter 
of  .Asa  B.  and  Delia  f Davis)  Marsh.  Mrs.  Geer  was 
a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  a  woman  highly 
esteemed.  She  died  July  16,  iH'M,  and  is  buried  beside 
her  husband  in  Lakeview  Cemetery.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geer 
were  the  parents  of  eight  children  :  Judson  Francis,  a 
Union  soldier  in  the  Civil  War,  who  died  in  the  army; 
ThC'dorc  Orlando,  also  a  soldier  of  the  Union,  who 
died  in  the  service;  Isadore,  married  Joseph  Hegeman, 
both  deceased,  she  a  teacher  in  Jamestown  prior  to  her 
marriase;  Lester  Clement,  deceased;  Delia  Elmira,  died 
agfd  twelve  years;  Louise  E.,  of  further  mention; 
Emerson  E.,  deceased;  Adalaide,  a  resident  of  James- 
town; Emma,  died  in  youthful  womanhood. 

Louise  E.  Geer  was  born  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  where 
she  was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  finishing  with 
his;h  school  ({raduation.  After  a  special  course  in  the 
normal  department,  she  began  teaching  in  the  Fairmount 
public  =rhool;  she  remained  here  for  one  year.  This 
wa5  follov.ed  by  a  long  term  of  service  in  the  public 
schools  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y. ;  this  was  preceded  by  five 


years  with  the  school  at  Sinclairville,  as  well  as  a 
number  of  district  schools.  In  1888,  she  began  her 
career  as  an  educator  in  Jamestown,  as  principal  of  the 
Central  School,  succeeding  Mrs.  Ella  Lakin.  For  thirty 
years  Miss  Geer  continued  head  of  Central  School, 
retiring  in  1917,  after  forty  years  of  able,  faithful 
service  as  an  educator.  The  good  which  has  come  to  the 
youth  who  have  come  within  her  sphere  of  influence  as 
teacher  and  principal  cannot  be  reputed,  but  her  friends 
are  legion,  and  she  is  rich  in  the  love  and  respect  of 
thousands  of   former  pupils. 

Miss  Geer  continues  her  residence  in  Jamestown.  She 
is  a  member  of  the  County  and  State  Teachers'  Associa- 
tion and  other  societies,  a  communicant  of  the  Baptist 
church  since  1870,  and  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday  school 
for  about  the  same  period,  and  an  interested  Christian 
worker.  In  1912,  she  toured  Europe,  visiting  the  differ- 
ent Capitols  and  thoroughly  enjoying  the  opportunities 
olTered  to  a  lady  of  her  culture  and  refinement  to  enjoy 
the  art  treasures  and  senic  wonders  of  the  countries 
visited. 


NORMAN  R.  THOMPSON— The  Thompsons  came 
to  the  town  of  Stockton,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  at 
an  early  date,  Abel  Thompson  erecting  the  first  house  in 
the  town.  Newell  C.  Thompson,  son  of  .'\bel  Thompson, 
and  father  of  Norman  R.  Thompson,  was  born  in  Cen- 
tral New  York,  in  1811,  and  was  brought  to  Stockton 
by  his  parents  in  1813.  He  married  Saniantha  Bailey, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  two  of  whom, 
George  M.  and  Norman  R.,  are  now  (1920)  residing  in 
Jamestown,  N.  Y.  Abel  Thompson,  upon  coming  to 
Stockton  in  June,  1812,  purchased  100  acres  of  lot  29, 
and  178  acres  of  lot  37,  his  land  extending  west  beyond 
the  creek  and  north  to  and  including  a  part  of  the  village 
of  Delanti.  His  house  was  square,  built  of  logs,  with 
a  split  log  floor.  In  the  spring  of  1813,  while  the  snow 
was  yet  deep  and  covered  with  a  crust,  he  brought  his 
familv,  using  an  ox  team  for  the  purpose.  He  died  in 
1831. 

Newell  C.  Thompson,  aforementioned,  was  a  tailor  by 
trade,  a  Republican  in  politics,  held  several  town  offices, 
and  died  in  the  faith  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
The  children  of  Newell  C.  and  Samantha  (Bailey) 
Thompson  were:  Harriet  C,  became  the  wife  of  W.  W. 
Seeley ;  Byron  W.,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  wounded 
in  battle,  married  Louisa  Bissell;  Frederick;  Almedia ; 
Sarali  J.,  died  young;  Ella  M.,  became  the  wife  of 
Samuel  Riddle;  Mary  F.,  became  the  wife  of  Hiram 
Hart;  George  M.,  married  Harriet  Miller;  Eva;  and 
Norman  R.,  of  whom  further. 

Norman  R.  Thompson,  son  of  Newell  C.  and  Samantha 
C Bailey)  Thompson,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Stockton, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  10,  1837,  and  since 
1883  has  been  a  resident  of  Jamestown,  his  present  home 
(1920)  No.  50  Allen  street.  He  was  educated  in  the 
district  school  and  Westfield  Academy,  and  after  a 
short  period  as  a  farmer  began  teaching  school,  a  pro- 
fession he  only  abandoned  after  teaching  forty  consecu- 
tive terms.  In  March,  1876,  he  was  appointed  by  J.  P. 
Wickensham,  Pennsylvania  Superintendent  of  Public 
Instruction  to  fdl  a  vacancy  in  the  office  of  County 
Superintendent  of  Schools  for  Warren  county,  and  for 
two  years   continue'!   in   that   office   under  appointment. 


«^y^£^.        ^^^tZ^^^'^^^i^^c 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


367 


He  was  then  elected  by  the  people  for  a  full  term  and 
served  until  its  close  with  efficiency  and  fidelity.  In 
1883  he  moved  to  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  and  until  1890  was  engaged  as  a  bookkeeper.  In 
that  year  he  was  appointed  treasurer  of  the  city  of 
Jamestown,  an  office  he  held  continuously  for  eight 
years.  In  1899  Mr.  Thompson  was  appointed  to  a 
position  in  the  office  of  the  adjutant-general  at  Albany, 
N.  Y.,  his  duty  the  compiling  of  Civil  War  records  of 
New  York  State  men.  In  that  capacity  he  compiled  the 
officers'  records  for  the  work,  "New  Work  in  the  Civil 
War."  He  remained  in  that  position  for  twelve  years, 
1899-1911. 

When  a  young  man  of  twenty-three  years,  on  Aug. 
21,  1S61,  Mr.  Thompson  enlisted  at  Stockton  in  the 
Union  Army  to  serve  three  years.  He  was  mustered 
into  the  United  States  service  on  Aug.  30  following,  as 
corporal  of  Company  G,  49th  Regiment,  New  York  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  and  went  to  the  front.  Colonel  Daniel 
D.  Bidwell  commanded  the  regiment,  and  Captain 
Jeremiah  C.  Drake  commanded  Company  G.  The  49th 
was  a  fighting  regiment,  and  with  that  command  Mr. 
Thompson  saw  three  years  of  strenuous  military  life. 
He  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  sergeant,  Dec.  26,  1861, 
was  wounded  in  action  at  the  battle  of  Antietam,  Sept. 
17,  1862,  and  at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  May  12, 
1864.  On  July  30,  1864,  he  was  promoted  regimental 
commissary  sergeant,  and  on  Oct.  18,  1864,  was  honor- 
ably discharged  and  mustered  out  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  Two 
monuments  mutely  testify  to  the  valor  of  the  49th,  one 
on  the  battlefield  of  Gettysburg,  erected  by  the  State 
of  New  York,  another  marks  the  "Bloody  Angle," 
erected  by  the  survivors  of  the  regiment  near  Spottsyl- 
vania  Court  House,  Virginia,  erected  in  1902  by  the  then 
surviving  members  of  the  regiment,  Norman  R.  Thomp- 
son being  a  member  of  the  committee  in  charge  of  the 
raising  of  funds.  The  monument  was  dedicated  on  Oct. 
9,  1902.  At  the  ceremonies  attending  the  dedication  of 
the  Gettysburg  monument,  July  2,  1893,  Mr.  Thompson 
was  one  of  the  speakers.  He  is  an  official  of  the  Forty- 
ninth  Regimental  Association,  and  in  1920  was  one  of 
the  thirteen  survivors  who  attended  the  annual  reunion 
at  Kennedy.  N.  Y. 

Mr.  Thompson  is  a  member  of  James  M.  Brown  Post, 
No.  285,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  of  the  Union 
Veteran  Legion.  He  has  recently  been  elected  quarter- 
master-general of  the  National  Union  Veteran  Legion 
for  the  seventh  time.  He  is  also  a  Master  Mason  of 
Mount  Moriah  Lodge,  Jamestown,  and  a  member  of 
other  beneficial  and  fraternal  orders.  In  religious  faith 
he  is  liberal,  and  in  politics  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Thompson  married,  Aug.  18.  1S68,  Kate  F.  Swift, 
daughter  of  Gordon  and  Hannah  M.  Swift;  the  former 
was  born  in  Vermont,  and  the  latter  in  Worcester,  N. 
Y.,  but  later  were  residents  of  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  residing  in  Carroll  and  Jamestown.  The  only  son 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson,  Carl  Gordon,  born  in  1870, 
died    in    June,    1900. 

This  brief  record  reveals  Mr.  Thompson  as  a  good 
soldier  and  a  good  citizen.  He  has  never  sought  prefer- 
ment or  public  position,  every  honor  which  has  been 
conferred  upon  him  coming  unsought.  He  has  won  the 
commendation  of  his  superiors  in  office  and  rank,  in 
peace   and    in   war,    every   duty   having   been    ably   and 


honorably  fulfilled.  His  long  life  has  been  a  useful 
one  and  he  holds  the  confidence  and  respect  of  all  who 
know  him. 


CHARLES      PETER      DAHLSTROM— Western 

New  York,  and  particularly  Chautauqua  county,  owes 
much  of  its  prosperity  to  the  activities  of  a  number  of 
distinguished  citizens  of  Swedish  birth  or  ancestry,  mem- 
bers of  this  n'ation  having  settled  here  in  large  numbers 
during  a  considerable  period.  Among  these  distin- 
guished citizens  none  is  better  known  than  the  late 
Charles  Peter  Dahlstrom,  who  was  for  many  years 
identified  prominently  with  the  industrial  interests  of 
the  community,  and  who  as  head  of  the  Dahlstrom 
Metallic  Door  Company  of  Jamestown  won  a  position 
high  in  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens  and  did  much 
to  promote  the  material  advancement  of  the  region. 

The  Dahlstrom  family  is  of  Swedish  origin,  and  Mr. 
Dahlstrom  himself  was  born  on  the  Island  of  Gotland 
in  that  country,  Sept.  4,  1872.  He  was  a  son  of  Lars 
Peter  Dahlstrom,  likewise  a  native  of  the  Island  of 
Gotland,  Sweden,  and  a  man  of  culture  and  education. 
For  many  years  he  held  a  high  rank  in  the  Swedish 
military  organization,  and  acted  as  practical  instructor 
for  the  army.  After  his  retirement  from  this  position 
he  returned  to  his  native  land,  to  the  old  Ducker  Farm, 
which  has  been  in  possession  of  the  family  for  over 
two  centuries,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  is  a  prom- 
inent member  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church.  At  one 
time  the  elder  Mr.  Dahlstrom  paid  a  long  visit  to  his 
son  in  the  United  States,  but  eventually  returned  to 
Sweden.  Lars  Peter  Dahlstrom  married  Jacobina 
Strom,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Olga,  who  became  the  wife  of  Captain  Hjelmer 
Osterman,  to  whom  she  bore  two  children,  Ehrich  and 
Shea ;  Charles  Peter,  with  whose  career  we  are  here 
especially  concerned;  Andries  Frederick,  born  in  1875, 
died  in  1907;  Ervid,  born  in  1S79,  died  in  1907;  and 
Laura. 

Charles  Peter  Dahlstrom  passed  his-  childhood  in  his 
native  land,  and  attended  the  public  schools  of  Gotland 
until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  twelve  years.  He  then 
became  a  student  in  a  school  of  technology  at  Stockholm, 
where  he  completed  his  education.  After  graduation 
from  the  latter  institution,  he  served  an  apprenticeship 
in  the  trade  of  tool  and  die-making,  and  immediately 
afterwards,  in  the  year  1890,  came  to  the  United  States. 
He  was  an  exceedingly  skillful  mechanic  and  had  made 
a  reputation  for  himself  for  inventive  genius  and  the 
skill  he  had  in  devising  improvements  on  machinery 
and  the  construction  of  new  mechanisms  adapted  to 
special  uses.  When  he  first  came  to  this  country  he 
settled  in  Buffalo  and  secured  employment  there  at  his 
trade.  After  several  years  spent  in  that  city,  three  of 
which  were  passed  as  an  employee  of  the  Spalding 
Machine  &  Screw  Company,  where  he  invented  a  num- 
ber of  devices  and  took  out  several  patents,  he  went  to 
Chicago  and  worked  in  the  same  line  in  that  city  and  in 
Milwaukee.  His  old  employers,  however,  valued  his 
services  so  highly  that  they  persuaded  him  to  return  to 
Buffalo  and  again  enter  their  service.  Mr.  Dahlstrom, 
however,  was  anxious  to  find  new  openings  for  himself, 
and  after  a  short  period  with  the  old  concern,  left  them 
a  second  time  and  went  to   Pittsburgh,  where  he  was 


368 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


given  a  position  witli  the  Westinghouse  Electric  & 
Maiiuiactiiring  Company.  While  thus  associated,  Mr. 
Dalilitrom  was  brought  to  the  attention  of  George 
Westinghouse,  the  remarkable  inventor  and  scientist, 
and  the  two  men  formed  a  close  personal  friendship, 
which  continued  until  the  time  of  the  former's  death. 

It  was  in  the  year  iSoo  that  Mr.  Dahlstrom  first  came 
to  Jamestown.  X.  Y..  and  in  this  city  he  first  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Art  Metal  Construction  Company, 
with  which  concern  he  signed  a  live  years'  contract. 
During  his  employment  by  this  company,  Mr.  Dahl- 
strom invented  a  metalic  door,  the  great  possibilities  of 
which  he  was  quick  to  realize,  so  that  on  the  expiration 
of  his  contract  he  at  once  withdrew  from  his  associa- 
tion with  the  Art  Metal  Construction  Company  and 
organized  the  Dahlstrom  Metallic  Door  Company,  of 
which  he  was  the  head.  At  first  the  concern  was  a 
small  one.  with  a  plant  at  Jamestown  occupying  but  a 
single  floor  of  the  old  Gokey  building,  but  his  door  met 
with  such  instant  favor  among  architects  and  builders 
that  his  business  grew  by  leaps  and  bounds.  The  Dahl- 
strom Metallic  Door  is  especially  adapted  for  use  in 
high  buildings  and  hotels,  where  its  fireproof  qualities 
render  it  invaluable,  since  by  its  use  fires  may  be  con- 
fined entirely  to  the  room  in  which  they  started,  thus 
saving  immense  loss  in  life  and  property.  It  was  not 
long  before  Mr.  Dahlstrom  found  it  necessary  to  in- 
crease his  quarters,  and  with  this  end  in  view  he  erected 
a  four-storj'  brick  plant  on  Buffalo  street,  Jamestown. 
At  the  time  this  building  was  first  designed,  it  appeared 
adequate  to  the  needs  of  the  company  for  some  years, 
yet  so  rapid  was  the  increase  of  his  business  that  even 
before  its  completion  extensive  additions  were  planned 
and  begim.  The  Dahlstrom  door  has  been  adopted 
almost  exclusively  by  construction  companies  in  this 
countr>'.  and  an  enormous  number  of  them  are  now 
disposed  of  throughout  the  United  States.  Its  advan- 
tages have  recommended  it  beyond  the  confines  of  this 
country-,  however,  and  it  is  now  extensively  used  in 
Canada  and  even  in  Europe.  The  whole  of  this  great 
growth  occurred  under  the  direct  management  of  Mr. 
Dahlstrom  himself  who.  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  .Xpril  lo,  TOOO,  continued  as  its  active 
head,  and  it  was  his  genius  both  as  an  inventor  and 
business  man  which  is  responsilile  for  the  enormous 
proportions  to  which  the  concern  has  grown. 

Mr.  Dahlstrom  always  took  a  keen  interest  in  the 
public  affairs  of  Jamestown,  and  was  a  Republican  in 
politics,  but  the  tremendous  demands  upon  his  time  and 
cnerg>'  made  by  the  huge  development  of  his  business 
interests  rendered  it  impossible  for  him  to  take  that 
part  in  the  general  life  of  the  community  for  which  his 
talents  and  abilities  so  admirably  fitted  him.  He  was, 
however,  exceedingly  public-spirited  and  always  dis- 
charged to  the  full  his  duties  as  a  citizen  as  well  as 
supporting  liberally  every  movement  undertaken  for  the 
public  wellfare.  It  has  sometimes  been  held  that  men 
f)05sessing  unusual  inventive  genius  lack  the  practical 
power  necessary  to  market  the  results  of  that  genius 
successfully,  but  certainly  this  theory  has  not  been  justi- 
fied in  many  American  inventors  who  have  reaped 
durins"  their  lives  the  fruit  of  their  genius,  and  especially 
was   it   not   justified   in   the   career   of   Mr.   Dahlstrom, 


whose  invention  was  placed  before  the  public  so  suc- 
cessfully that  almost  over  night  it  became  a  universal 
public  necessity.  In  addition  to  his  inventive  genius 
and  to  his  practical  grasp  of  affairs,  Mr.  Dahlstrom 
had  another  quality  which  undoubtedly  played  a  part 
in  shaping  his  success.  He  was  a  man  of  most  genial 
and  warm  hearted  personality  and  possessed  in  an  un- 
usual degree  the  power  of  making  and  keeping  friends. 
Nowhere  was  this  ability  more  conspicuously  shown 
than  in  his  relations  with  his  employees,  over  whom  he 
exercised  a  most  extraordinary  influence.  The  men 
who  worked  in  his  plant  felt  him  to  be  their  friend  and 
held  him  in  the  highest  esteem  and  warmest  aft'ection. 
On  the  occasion  of  his  death  they  petitioned  to  be 
allowed  to  refrain  from  work  in  order  to  attend  his 
funeral  in  a  body,  and  otherwise  showed  the  deep 
devotion  which  they  had  for  him.  The  factory  of  the 
Dahlstrom  Metallic  Door  Company  was  perhaps  the 
most  important  industrial  establishment  in  Jamestown, 
and  was  an  important  factor  in  the  industrial  develop- 
ment of  the  community.  ]\Ir.  Dahlstrom  was  also  a 
prominent  figure  in  the  social  and  fraternal  circles  of 
the  community,  and  was  affiliated  with  Mt.  Tabor  Lodge, 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Jamestown 
Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias.  In  his  religious  belief  he 
was  a  Lutheran  and  attended  the  First  Lutheran  Church 
of  that  denomination  in  Jamestown. 

Charles  Peter  Dahlstrom  was  united  in  marriage, 
Oct.  20,  igoo,  at  Jamestown,  with  Anna  Elfrida  Phillips 
Petersen,  like  himself  a  native  of  Sweden,  where  she 
was  born  at  Stockholm,  March  lo,  1873,  a  daughter  of 
John  Phillips  and  Matilda  (Fagerstrom)  Petersen.  Mr. 
Petersen  was  born  in  Sweden.  May  i,  1839,  and  died 
Aug.  27,  1878.  He  was  a  stone  mason  by  trade,  highly 
respected  in  the  community  where  he  dwelt,  and  a  prom- 
inent member  of  the  Lutheran  church  there.  He  married, 
in  1863,  Matilda  Fagerstrom.  born  Dec.  21,  1841,  died 
April  2,  1904.  Mrs.  Petersen  was  a  woman  of  many 
virtues  and  was  a  most  devoted  mother  and  wife.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Petersen  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Augusta,  who  became  the  wife  of  John  Burk- 
land,  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  to  whom  she  bore  two 
children,  Mar.garet  and  Vivian ;  Anton  Phillips,  who 
married  .A.ugusta  Ax,  by  whom  he  has  had  two  children, 
Burdette  and  Rose;  Amanda,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Charles  Johnson,  of  Jamestown,  and  the  mother  of  two 
children,  Norman  and  Chester;  Anna  Elfrida  Phillips, 
who  became  Mrs.  Charles  P.  Dahlstrom,  as  mentioned 
above;  and  Alma,  who  was  a  nurse  in  the  Women's 
Christian  .Association  Hospital  of  Jamestown ;  she  died 
April  7,  1919.  These  children  of  John  Phillips  Petersen, 
after  coming  to  the  United  States,  dropped  their  family 
name  and  are  now  known  by  their  father's  middle  name 
of  Phillips.  Anna  Elfrida  Phillips  (Petersen)  Dahl- 
strom received  her  education  at  the  schools  of  her  native 
city  of  .Stockholm,  and  after  coming  to  the  L'nited 
States  took  a  special  course  in  English.  She  is  a  woman 
of  strong  Christian  character,  and  is  a  prominent  figure 
in  the  life  of  Jamestown,  where  she  enjoys  the  highest 
esteem  and  regard.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dahlstrom  became 
the  parents  of  two  children,  as  follows:  Phyllis  M;itilda 
Margarette,  born  July  13,  nioi  ;  and  Frederick  Phillips, 
born   Sept.  7,   i'X)3. 


/vbC  j^^c^^-^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


369 


HERBERT  B.  VINCENT— Long  passed  from 
mortal  view,  Herbert  B.  \'incent  lives  in  the  memory 
of  his  many  friends  in  Jamestown,  where  his  widow  yet 
resides.  He  was  one  of  the  men  who,  when  clouds  of 
war  broke  over  our  land,  rallied  to  the  defence  of  the 
old  flag  and  maintained  a  government  of  free  people. 
He  Hved  long  and  well,  his  record  and  his  life  unspotted. 
His  parents,  Edward  F.  and  Lucinda  (Boise)  Vincent, 
resided  at  Warren,  Pa.,  on  a  farm,  finally  moving  to 
Hesperia,  Mich.,  where  Mr.  Vincent,  Sr.,  continued 
farming  operations  until  his  death. 

Herbert  B.  Vincent  was  born  in  Warren,  Pa.,  Jan.  3, 
1836,  and  died  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  14,  1905.  He 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  the  district,  and 
upon  arriving  at  a  suitable  age  learned  the  harness- 
maker's  trade,  worked  at  it  several  years,  and  established 
a  business  of  his  own.  Later  he  sold  out  and  moved  to 
Spottsylvania  Court  House,  Va..  where  he  purchased 
a  farm  which  he  operated  for  five  years.  He  traded 
off  his  Virginia  property  for  a  farm  in  McKean  county. 
Pa.,  locating  there,  where  he  remained  for  five  years. 
Here  he  "struck  oil."  He  then  traded  this  farm  and 
oil  field  for  a  farm  in  Chautauqua  county.  He  lived  in 
Jamestown  one  year,  then  went  to  the  farm  for  four 
years,  after  which  he  moved  back  to  Jamestown  and 
retired,  residing  there  until  his  death. 

Mr.  Vincent  enlisted  in  Company  I,  109th  Regiment, 
New  York  Volunteer  Infantry,  Dec  2,  1S61,  serving 
under  Captains  A.  W.  Alvord  and  S.  R.  Jones,  Colonels 
B.  F.  Tracy,  and  Coxlen,  the  regiment  part  of  the  1st 
Brigade,  3rd  Division,  gth  Army  Corps,  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  Until  April,  1864,  Mr.  Vincent  was  on  guard 
duty,  later  was  engaged  at  the  battles  of  the  Wilderness, 
Spottsylvania,  Ann  River.  Cold  Harbor,  Bethesda 
Church,  Petersburg,  Welden  railroad.  Reams  Station, 
Hatcher's  Run,  and  witnessed  the  surrender  of  General 
Lee,  April  9,  1865.  On  May  31,  1865,  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  Company  I,  51  st  Regiment,  New  York  Inlan- 
try,  Capt.  W.  W.  Hatch,  Col.  J.  J.  Wright,  and  was 
mustered  out  June  3,  1865.  He  was  held  at  Washington, 
D.  C,  and  at  Alexandria,  Va.,  on  special  service, 
finally  receiving  honorable  discharge  at  Alexandria,  July 
25,  1865.  All  his  after  life  Mr.  Vincent  retained  a  lively 
interest  in  his  war  comrades  and  was  long  a  member  of 
McKean  Post,  No.  347,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic 
of  Smethport,  Pa.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order,  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks.    He  is  buried  in  Lakeview  Cemetery. 

Mr.  Vincent  married,  April  17,  1859,  Julia  A.  Ogden, 
born  June  9,  1839,  in  Apalachin,  Tioga  county,  N.  Y., 
daughter  of  Isaac  and  Julia  (Jewett)  Ogden,  who  yet 
survives  her  husband,  residing  in  Jamestown,  active 
and  well  preserved,  her  friends  many  and  devoted  to 
her.  Children :  i.  William,  born  Aug.  23,  i860,  died  Nov. 
24,  1864,  2.  Susan  E.,  born  Feb.  23,  1863 ;  married, 
April  2,  1883,  at  Jamestown,  J.  A.  Yerdon,  and  has  a 
son,  Herbert  B.  3.  Robertine,  born  Aug.  16,  1865; 
married,  June  17,  1890,  Daniel  Bacon,  and  has  three 
children  :  Ivan  Julia,  born  Sept.  4,  1892 ;  Ellen,  born  Oct. 
21,  1893,  died  Oct.  16,  1918;  and  Margaret,  born  Jan.  22, 
1905.  4.  Willard  E.,  born  Nov.  13,  1875,  now  engaged  in 
the  drug  business  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y. ;  married  Clemen- 
tine Crum,  of  Indianapolis,  Ind.     5.  Edith,  bom   Sept. 


I,  1877,  died  Sept.  17,  1877.  6.  Earl  R.,  born  March 
18,  1879;  married  Grace  Waller,  and  resides  in  Indian- 
apolis, Ind.     He  has  one  daughter  Margarett. 


DANIEL  A.  SULLIVAN,  who  was  for  many  years 
one  of  the  most  prominent  figures  in  the  lumber  interests 
of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  whose  death  at  his 
home  in  Jamestown,  May  17,  1904,  was  felt  as  a  severe 
loss  by  the  entire  community,  was  a  native  of  County 
Cork,  Ireland,  where  his  birth  occurred  April  12,  1863,  a 
son  of  Michael  and  Susan  Sullivan.  He  was  but  two 
years  of  age  when  his  parents  removed  with  him  to 
England  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Olewitch,  where  they 
made  their  home  for  about  four  years.  They  had  in  the 
meantime,  however  determined  to  come  to  the  United 
States,  and  in  1869  set  sail  for  this  country,  and  after  a 
long  voyage  reached  the  port  of  New  York  City.  It  is 
probable  that  their  destination  had  already  been  deter- 
mined upon  before  leaving  England,  as  they  did  not 
tarry  in  the  metropolis,  but  came  on  at  once  to  the 
city  of  Salamanca,  N.  Y.,  where  they  have  since  made 
their  home. 

Daniel  A.  Sullivan  was  but  six  years  of  age  at  that 
time,  and  his  childhood  and  early  youth  were  spent  at 
Salamanca,  where  he  attended  the  local  public  schools 
and  obtained  his  education.  He  was  still  young,  how- 
ever, when  he  gave  up  his  studies  and  went  to  the 
village  of  Red  House  and  there  secured  employment 
with  Daniel  Griswold,  who  was  one  of  the  pioneer  lum- 
bermen of  the  region.  Mr.  Sullivan  was  sent  to  work  as 
a  woodman  in  this  region,  and  for  a  time  worked  in 
that  capacity  for  Mr.  Griswold.  He  was  exceedingly 
ambitious,  however,  to  become  independent  in  business, 
but  realized  that  further  education  would  be  a  valuable 
asset  to  him  before  embarking  on  an  enterprise  of  his 
own.  Acordingly,  he  became  a  member  of  Mr.  Gris- 
wold's  household  in  Jamestown  and  there  attended  the 
high  school  until  he  had  qualified  himself  as  a  teacher. 
Mr.  Sullivan  then  was  appointed  to  take  charge  of  a 
school  near  his  old  home  at  Salamanca,  and  taught  in 
that  institution  for  one  year.  He  was  keenly  interested 
in  his  profession  and  decided  to  study  further  in  order 
to  perfect  himself  in  that  line.  About  this  time,  how- 
ever, his  attention  was  forcibly  called  to  the  great  oppor- 
tunities offered  by  the  lumber  business,  and  by  the  time 
he  had  completed  his  course  of  study  at  the  Fredonia 
Normal  School,  Fredonia.  N.  Y.,  he  had  practically 
decided  to  take  up  this  occupation.  For  two  years  he 
rafted  lumber  for  a  Mr.  Quinn  on  the  Allegheny  river, 
below  Corydon,  transporting  the  rough  logs  down  that 
stream  to  the  southern  market,  where  he  disposed  of 
them  for  his  employer.  During  this  time  he  made  the 
acquaintance  of  Mr.  Robert  Carson,  of  Randolph,  and 
entered  his  employ,  opening  for  him  a  general  store 
at  Quaker  Bridge.  He  also  looked  after  the  lumber 
interests  of  Mr.  Carson,  and  continued  thus  occupied 
until  the  spring  of  1893,  making  his  home  at  Quaker 
Bridge  in  the  meantime.  In  that  year,  however,  he 
severed  his  connection  with  his  employer  and  came  to 
Jamestown,  N.  Y.  Here  he  formed  a  copartnership 
with  C.  A.  Breed  and  D.  D.  Hazeltine,  under  the  name 
of  the  Union  Lumber  Company,  and  began  operations 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


here.  In  tlie  year  1S94  Messrs.  Breed  and  Hazeltine 
retired  from  the  business,  leaving  Mr.  Sullivan  the  sole 
proprietor  thereof,  who  continued  it  under  the  old  name 
until  1S07.  He  then  admitted  M.  D.  Stone  into  the  con- 
cern as  a  partner,  who  remained  with  him  until  1903, 
after  which  Mr.  Sullivan  became  once  more  the  sole 
proprietor  of  the  company.  His  business  developed  to 
large  proportions  under  his  exceedingly  capable  manage- 
ment, and  he  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  Jamestown,  his  home  there,  which 
was  situated  at  Xo.  314  West  Fifth  street,  being  one  of 
the  handsomest  in  the  place.  He  was  very  active  in 
the  general  life  of  the  community,  and  was  especially 
prominent  in  Masonic  circles,  being  a  member  of  all 
the  Masonic  bodies  in  the  city.  He  was  also  affiliated 
with  the  Jamestown  Club,  and  was  a  director  of  the 
bank  in  Jamestown  for  many  years.  The  Masonic 
bodies  with  which  Mr.  Sullivan  was  connected  were 
as  follows :  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons ;  Western  Sun  Chapter,  Royal 
.Arch  Masons :  Jamestown  Council.  Royal  and  Select 
Masters;  Jamestown  Commandery,  Knights  Templar; 
Ismailia  Temple,  .Vncient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine;  Buffalo  Consistory,  Sovereign  Princes 
of  the  Royal  Secret;  and  the  Jamestown  Lodge  of  Per- 
fection. He  was  also  a  member  of  Jamestown  Lodge, 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 

Daniel  .A.  Sullivan  was  united  in  marriage.  May  0, 
18SS,  with  Mary  Elizabeth  Grunder,  of  Warren,  Pa.,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  two  children;  Irene  S.,  who 
resides  at  the  family  home  at  Jamestown,  and  Paul 
Revere,  who  is  mentioned  at  length  below.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sullivan  were  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
and  are  buried  in  Lakeview  Cemetery  here,  the  death 
of  the  latter  occurring  Feb.  27,  1919. 

Paul  Revere  Sullivan,  only  son  of  Daniel  A.  and 
Mary  Elizabeth  (Grunder)  Sullivan,  was  born  at  James- 
town. Dec.  4,  1894.  He  attended  as  a  lad  the  public 
schools  of  this  city,  and  later  the  Military  .'\cademv  at 
Poughkecpsie,  N'.  Y.,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1914.  He  then  took  a  commercial  course 
at  the  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College  at  Buffalo, 
upon  completing  which  he  returned  to  Jamestown, 
whore  he  became  interested  in  the  automobile  business. 
He  continued  in  thi.?  line  until  the  entrance  of  the  United 
States  into  the  great  World  War,  when  he  enlisted  as 
a  m'-mber  of  the  Reserve  Force  Aviation  Service,  con- 
nected with  the  United  States  navy.  He  served  therein 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  was  retired  with 
the  rank  of  cnsipi.  Upon  receiving  his  honorable  dis- 
chari;c,  Mr.  Sullivan  reentered  the  automobile  business 
and  has  already  met  with  considerable  success  in  this 
line.  He  is  a  Presbyterian  in  his  religious  belief  and 
attends  the  church  of  that  denomination  in  Jamestown. 

Paul  Revere  Sullivan  married.  May  10,  1919,  at 
Jamestown,  Ursula  Jones,  a  daughter  of  Cyrus  E. 
and  Mary  fBcebe)  Jones,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  Jamestown. 

.■\t  the  time  of  the  death  of  Daniel  A.  Sullivan,  there 
was  printed  a  Ion?  obituary  article  dealing  with  his 
life,  in  the  course  of  which  the  following  appears: 

A I  Ih^  llmo  of  bin  'Ir;ath  ho  w-ih  at  the  hfia'J  of  thfi 
Vnlon  I..ijrnber  Company  an'I  hlH  bunlniBs  .iMIIiIik  won 
for  him  a  rfjcojcnlze'l  plarc  amontf  the  lumhcr  f]<;iI(,rH 
of    ih<;    country,      .lu«t   an'I    honorahlo    In    hl«    <l<;allnK«, 


grenerous  and  considerate  to  associates,  gentle  and 
kind-hearted  in  his  family  relations,  his  death  will 
he  regretted  by  all  who  knew  liim,  and  his  family  will 
have  the  sympathy  of  the  community  In  their  great 
bereavement. 


JOHN  H.  TOUSLEY— Among  the  prominent  busi- 
ness men  and  merchants  of  Jamestown,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  the  name  of  John  H,  Tousley,  whose 
death  occurred  Aug.  3,  1909,  stands  high.  Mr.  Tousley, 
who  had  nearly  completed  his  seventy-ninth  year  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  was  a  native  of  Madison  county,  N. 
Y.,  his  birth  occurring  in  the  town  of  Morrisville,  Dec. 
28,  1827.  The  family  is  of  old  New  England  stock,  and 
Mr.  Tousley's  father,  William  Tousley,  was  a  native 
of  Connecticut  and  came  to  New  York  State  in  early 
manhood.  He  located  at  Morrisville,  Madison  county, 
where  he  followed  the  occupation  of  farming  and  was 
also  a  successful  blacksmith  until  the  close  of  his  life. 
He  married  Charlotte  Houghton,  a  daughter  of  John 
Houghton,  who  came  from  England  as  a  young  man 
and  settled  in  this  country  before  the  Revolution.  John 
Houghton  was  impressed  in  General  Burgoyne's  army, 
but  eventually  escaped  and  joined  the  Colonial  troops 
and  supported  the  American  cause  to  the  end  of  that 
momentous  struggle.  William  Tousley  and  his  wife 
were  the  parents  of  six  children,  the  youngest  of  whom 
was  John  H.,  of  whom  further. 

John  H.  Tousley  passed  his  childhood  and  early  youth 
in  his  native  town  of  Morrisville.  and  as  a  lad  attended 
the  local  district  schools,  but  abandoned  his  studies  at  an 
early  age  in  order  to  learn  the  trade  of  carpenter,  which 
he  continued  to  follow  until  1855.  In  that  year  he 
opened  a  bakery  and  confectionery  store  at  Rush  ford, 
N.  Y.,  but  in  1864  removed  from  that  town  to  James- 
town, where  he  engaged  in  the  wholesale  and  retail 
bakery  and  confectionery  business,  opening  an  estab- 
lishment on  East  Third  street.  For  a  quarter  of  a 
century  thereafter  Mr.  Tousley  was  successfully  engaged 
in  that  business,  and  built  up  one  of  the  largest  estab- 
lishments of  its  kind  in  the  entire  region.  He  enjoyed 
an  enviable  reputation  for  integrity  and  fair  business  ■ 
methods,  and  was  one  of  the  leading  figures  in  the  busi- 
ness world  here. 

John  H.  Tousley  was  united  in  marriage,  Jan,  16, 
1855,  with  Mary  Elizabeth  Parker,  a  native  of  Rushford, 
N.  Y.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tousley  celebrated  their  golden 
wedding,  Jan.  16,  1905;  the  following  6th  of  December 
Mr.  Tousley  died.  Mrs.  Tousley  survived  her  husband 
for  a  number  of  years,  her  death  occurring  Sept.  26, 
191 7.  She  was  prominent  in  the  social  circles  of  the 
city,  and  was  a  member  of  St.  Luke's  Episcopal  Church. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tousley  were  the  parents  of  three  child- 
ren, as  follows:  I.  Charles,  who  died  at  La  Junta, 
Colo.,  and  who  married  Adeline  Furlow,  by  whom  he 
had  one  child,  Doris.  2.  John  H.,  a  successful  merchant 
in  Jamestown,  where  he  married  Mayme  McGinn,  by 
whom  he  has  three  children:  John  M.,  Howard  J.,  and 
Laurence  Charles.  3.  Ruth  C,  who  is  well  known  as  a 
public  school  teacher  in  Jamestown,  where  she  has 
t;ingli(   for  more  than  thirty-six  years. 


EDWARD  E,  DUFFEE— .\  man  of  varied  experi- 
enr<-,  having  been  engaged  in  a  great  many  widely  diver- 
gent lines  of  business,  lidward  E.  Duffee  is  what  might 


"T 


^^rr^y^ 


:V.. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


371 


be  truly  called  a  self-made  man.  From  his  boyhood  up 
to  the  present  time,  his  life  has  had  very  little  playtime 
in  it,  for  as  soon  as  one  occupation  came  to  an  end, 
another  was  at  once  adopted  to  take  its  place. 

Edward  E.  Duffee,  was  bom  in  Buckley,  Schuylkill 
county.  Pa.,  April  30,  1853,  his  parents.  Neil  Duffee  and 
his  wife,  Nancy  (Schmidt)  Duffee,  living  in  the  oil  field 
regions  at  that  time,  his  father  being  actively  engaged 
in  oil  production.  Neil  Duffee  is  now  deceased,  as  is 
also  his  wife. 

Edward  E.  Duffee  was  given  a  good  common  school 
education,  attending  both  grammar  and  high  schools  in 
Oil  City,  Pa.,  until  sixteen  years  old.  though  he  did  not 
graduate  from  the  high  school.  His  first  step  on  the 
business  ladder  was  as  clerk  in  the  general  department 
store  of  Shcppard.  Son  &  Stone  Company,  where  he 
continued  for  seven  years.  He  then  became  interested 
in  oil  and  in  1878  started  prospecting  and  operating  in 
that  line  in  Clarion  county,  Pa.,  later  going  to  McKean 
field,  continuing  in  the  oil  business  from  1888  to  1891. 
In  December,  1891,  he  went  to  Jamestown  and  opened  a 
dr>'  goods  store  in  the  Broadhead  block.  No.  16  South 
Main  street,  remaining  there  until  1899,  when  he  moved 
to  the  New  Arcade.  Eighteen  months  later  he  moved 
again  to  the  White  block,  where  he  carried  on  his  busi- 
ness until  igo6;  then  Mr.  Duffee  sold  out  and  moved 
to  Pittsburgh,  going  into  the  real  estate  business.     In 

1907  he  returned  to  Jamestown,  and   in   the   spring  of 

1908  started  to  operate  the  Excelsior  Furniture  Com- 
pany, having  built  the  factory  for  that  purpose.  After 
some  time  spent  in  this  occupation,  he  sold  his  interests 
in  the  furniture  line  and  bought  a  half  interest  in  the 
dry  goods  business  of  Charles  Samuels ;  seventeen 
months  later  he  bought  the  other  half,  conducting  the 
business  alone.  This  proved  very  satisfactory,  but  a 
short  time  after  the  transfer  was  effected,  the  building 
caught  fire  and  he  was  burned  out.  Three  months  later 
business  was  resumed,  only  to  be  destroyed  by  another 
fire  in  less  than  a  year.  But,  like  the  Phoenix,  Mr. 
Duffee's  business  arose  from  the  ashes,  and  on  Dec.  15, 
igio,  he  opened  his  present  store,  the  E.  E.  Duffee  dry 
goods,  cloaks,  suits,  carpets  and  drapery  business,  which 
has  proven  to  be  a  most  successful  concern.  Mr.  Duffee 
is  a  Republican  in  political  faith,  and  is  interested  in 
the  work  of  his  party,  though  he  has  seldom  held  any 
public  office.  At  one  time  he  was  a  member  of  the 
School  Board,  from  1906  to  1909.  He  is  a  Free  Mason 
having  passed  through  all  degrees  up  to  the  thirty-second, 
and  is  a  Knights  Templar.  In  religion  Mr.  Duffee  is 
a  Presbyterian,  he  and  his  family  attending  that  church. 

Edward  E.  Duffee  married  Ella  E.  Vossard,  in  Oil 
City,  Jan  II,  1887.  They  have  four  children:  I.  Oppo, 
now  the  wife  of  W.  G.  Eckman.  2.  Floss  G.,  who 
married  William  Gokey,  Jr.  3.  Fleda  F.,  living  at  home. 
4.  Diege  D.,  also  at  home.  Mrs.  Duffee  is  a  very  efficient, 
capable  woman,  and  in  addition  to  the  care  of  her  home 
and  family,  assists  her  husband  in  the  store,  the  business 
having  grown  so  large  as  to  require  constant  supervision 
by  one  or  the  other  of  them.  Mr.  Duffee  is  ranked 
among  the  successful  men  of  Jamestown. 


Anderson,  who  has  been  for  many  years  one  of  the  most 
prominent  farmers  of  the  district  and  a  man  who, 
through  his  long  career,  has  earned  the  high  esteem  and 
admiration  of  his  associates  and  the  community-at- 
large.  Mr.  .Anderson  is  a  son  of  Edwin  and  Catherine 
Ann  (Crosby)  Anderson,  the  former  a  farmer  at  Elling- 
ton, and  a  native  of  that  place,  where  his  birth  occurred 
April  7,  1858.  .As  a  lad  he  attended  the  high  school  at 
Chamberlain,  N.  Y.,  and  upon  completing  his  studies  at 
that  institution  took  up  the  occupation  of  farming  which 
he  has  followed  ever  since  with  a  high  degree  of  suc- 
cess. Mr.  Anderson  is  also  interested  in  the  financial 
affairs  of  Ellington  and  Jamestown  and  is  affiliated 
with  the  Jamestown  National  Bank.  He  takes  a  keen 
interest  in  local  politics  and  is  a  strong  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party,  of  which  he  has  been  a  member  for 
many  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  local  grange  and  is 
well  known  as  having  done  much  to  promote  the  farm- 
ing interests  of  the  community.  In  his  religious  belief 
Mr.  Anderson  is  a  Methodist. 

James  Brace  .Anderson  was  united  in  marriage.  June 
18,  1884,  at  Salamanca,  N.  Y.,  with  Cora  Sarah  Ewing, 
a  native  of  that  city,  where  her  birth  occurred  Oct. 
-"■  1857.  Mrs.  Anderson  is  a  daughter  of  Henry  and 
.Augusta  Loraine  (Willis)  Ewing.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ander- 
son are  the  parents  of  the  following  children  :  .Archi- 
bald, born  Feb.  22,  1887,  and  died  July  26.  1896;  Sada 
Loraine,  born  Aug.  27,  1889;  Harriett  Louise,  born 
March  19,  1892;  Frank  K.  Henry,  born  Dec.  24,  1897, 
enlisted,  Dec.  24,  1917,  in  Company  I,  4th  Regiment  of 
Infantry,  in  the  regular  army  of  the  United  States,  and 
served  until  May  28,  1919,  with  the  .American  Expedi- 
tionary Force  in  France,  a  period  of  fourteen  months 
in  all,  during  which  he  saw  action  in  three  great  battles 
of  the  war;  and  Emmons  Edwin,  born  Oct.  30,  1901. 


JAMES  BRACE  ANDERSON— There  is  no  figure 
better  known  in  the  agricultural  world  of  Ellington, 
Chautauqua   county,    N.   Y.,   than   that  of  James   Brace 


DELMAR  T.  FREDRICKSON,  president  of  the 
Fredrickson  Brothers  Veneer  Mill,  Basket  Factory  and 
Saw  Mill,  was  born  in  Stockton,  N.  Y.,  June  6,  1888. 
He  was  a  son  of  .Alfred  D.  and  Matilda  (.Anderson) 
Fredrickson.  Alfred  D.  Fredrickson  is  a  farmer  and  a 
strong  ally  of  the  Prohibition  party.  Three  sons  have 
been  bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fredrickson :  Delmar  T., 
of  further  mention ;  Paul  W. ;  Albin  L.,  whose  sketch 
follows  this  work. 

Delmar  T.  Fredrickson  was  educated  in  the  grammar 
and  high  schools  of  his  native  place.  After  leaving 
school  he  served  an  apprenticeship  to  the  plumber's 
trade  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  later  going  to  Kane.  Pa.,  where 
he  was  employed  in  a  glass  factory  for  a  short  period. 
He  then  became  associated  with  Charles  .A.  Hall,  who 
owned  a  large  steam  power  plant  for  basket  making.  In 
1912.  together  with  Otto  S.  Bussing,  Mr.  Fredrickson 
bought  this  mill  and  the  business  was  continued  until 
1919,  when  Paul  W.  Fredrickson  and  .Albin  L.  Fred- 
rickson, brothers  of  Delmar  T.  Fredrickson,  bought  the 
Bussing  buildings  and  added  them  to  the  already  exten- 
sive plant,  making  this  one  of  the  largest  enterprises  of 
its  kind  in  Chautauqua  county.  Logs  are  bought  from 
nearby  woodlands  and  the  entire  process  of  the  making 
of  the  fruit  baskets  is  done  at  this  plant,  where  85  men 
and  girls  are  employed  for  this  purpose.  In  politics  Mr. 
Fredrickson  is  a  Republican,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Stockton    School    Board.     He   affiliates   with   the   Inde- 


37^ 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


pendent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church,  of  Stockton,  of  which  he  is  also 
a  trustee. 

On  Sept.  ;:5.  1015.  Mr.  Fredrickson  married  Pearl  L. 
Johnson,  of  lohnsonburg.  Pa.,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  one  child.  Lillian  O. 


ALBIN  L.  FREDRICKSON,  vice-president  of 
Fredrickson  Brothers  \eneer  Mill,  Basket  Factory  and 
Saw  Mill,  is  a  native  of  Stockton.  N.  Y.,  where  his  hirth 
occurred  Jan.  31.  1800.  Mr.  Fredrickson  is  the  son  of 
Alfred  D.  and  Matilda  (.Anderson)  Fredrickson. 

The  education  of  Albin  L.  Fredrickson  was  obtained 
in  the  schools  of  his  native  place,  and  after  graduating 
from  the  Stockton  High  School  he  secured  a  position  in 
the  basket  factor)-  of  Charles  Hall,  but  remained  there 
for  a  short  time  only,  going  thence  to  Jamestown-  N. 
Y.,  where  he  served  an  apprenticeship  as  a  metal  cabinet- 
maker in  the  .\rt  Metal  Construction  Company.  He 
next  established  himself  in  the  business  of  basket  mak- 
ing and  was  thus  engaged  until  July  10,  iQlS,  wdien  he 
enlisted  in  the  United  States  Army.  After  being  at 
Camp  Dix  for  a  month  he  sailed  for  France  with  Com- 
pany H,  346th  InfantTT.-.  After  eight  months  of  service 
he  returned  to  the  United  States  and  received  his 
honorable  discharge  at  Camp  Upton,  April  II,  1919. 
Upon  his  return  to  Stockton  he  became  associated  with 
his  brothers,  Delmar  T.,  and  Paul  W.,  in  Fredrickson 
Brothers  Basket  Factory  and  was  made  vice-president 
of  the  organization.  Albin  L.  Fredrickson  is  a  man  of 
good  judgment  and  business  foresight,  and  he  has  done 
much  towards  making  this  enterprise  one  of  the  largest 
of  its  kind  in  this  region.  Although  possessed  of  wide 
popularity  and  the  respect  and  esteem  of  his  fellow- 
citizens.  Mr.  Fredrickson  has  not  taken  any  prominent 
part  in  local  affairs  nor  has  he  entered  politics.  He 
affiliates  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
and  with  Lodge  No.  851,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons. 

On  Nov.  15,  1919,  Mr.  Fredrickson  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Ellen  Unsworth,  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y. 


REV.   JOHN   EMMANUEL   HILLBERG— Since 

November,  1^52,  the  date  of  its  organization,  the  First 
Swedish  Methodist  Church  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  has 
had  twenty  settled  pastors,  the  first.  Rev.  Olof  Hamrin, 
scTving  the  church  from  June,  1853,  until  July,  1834, 
the  rule  of  the  itinerancy  then  limiting  a  pastor's  term 
to  one  year.  The  twentieth  pastor  of  the  church 
preached  his  first  sermon  to  the  congregation  in  October, 
1917,  succeeding  Rev.  Eric  Philip  Swan,  who  was  pastor 
from  1912  to  1917.  The  founder  of  the  church.  Pastor 
O.  G.  Hc-dstrom,  watched  over  the  little  congregation 
until  the  arrival  of  its  first  stationed  pastor.  Rev.  Olof 
Hamrin.  A  history  of  the  church  published  in  the 
Swedish  language  in  1912,  commemorating  its  sixtieth 
birthday,  gives  photographs  of  its  first  nineteen  pastors, 
and  of  the  first  six  all  arc  dead  except  the  fourth,  T'tcv. 
Bongt  .■Xiigu'.t  Carls'u,  who  served  the  church  from 
October  18''/).  until  iHOj.  He  is  now  living  in  Stockholm, 
Sweden,  and  is  in  his  eighty-seventh  year.  The  present 
paitor,  R»",-.  John  E.  Hillberg,  is  a  graduate  of  the 
South'rn  .Academy  in  Stockholm,  Sweden,  and  of 
Evanifon  Theological  Seminary,  Evanston,  III.,  his 
pastoral    work   beginning    in    New    York    in    iHij^,    was 


broken  by  a  term  of  five  years  as  professor,  and  one  of 
six  years  as  editor-in-chief  of  a  religious  journal 
"Sandebudet"  (The  Messenger).  Since  his  return  to 
the  ministry  in  1917,  he  has  served  the  First  Swedish 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Jamestown  with  great 
acceptability. 

The  first  church  building  erected  by  the  First  Church 
was  begun  in  1S57,  on  Centre  street,  and  was  dedicated 
to  the  service  of  God.  Jan.  i,  i860.  A  Sunday  school 
was  organized  in  1872,  and  in  189S  that  church  building 
was  removed  to  Chandler  street,  rebuilt,  and  on  Sept. 
15  of  that  year  was  re-dedicated.  In  iSgo  the  present 
beautiful  structure  was  finished  and  dedicated,  and  in 
1804  the  present  parsonage,  the  third  in  order,  was 
erected.  In  1919  a  "Memorial  Hall"  was  added  to  the 
property  as  a  meeting  place  for  the  returning  soldiers. 
It  is  a  beautiful  room.  Seventy-eight  men  had  stars  on 
the  service  flag  of  the  church.  Three  stars  turned 
golden.  The  church  is  finely  furnished,  and  in  all 
respects  a  worthy  home  for  the  large  congregation  it 
accommodates,  the  present  membership  being  700. 

Rev.  John  E.  Hillberg,  twentieth  pastor  of  the  First 
Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Jamestown, 
"Forsta  Svencka  Metodist  Forsamlingen,"  was  born  in 
Malmkoping,  Sweden,  Dec.  9,  1S73,  son  of  Rev.  John 
and  Emma  Ulrika  Oscaria  (Molin)  Hillberg,  his  father 
a  clergyman.  John  E.  Hillberg  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Gothenburg  and  Stockholm,  Sweden,  and  is 
a  graduate  of  Southern  Latin  Academy,  in  Stockholm. 
He  then  spent  two  years  at  the  Institute  of  Technology 
in  Stockholm,  and  three  years  with  an  engineering  firm 
in  the  same  city,  coming  to  the  L'nited  States  in  1892. 
After  coming  to  this  country  he  studied  for  the  ministry, 
and  in  1895  was  graduated  from  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary, Evanston,  III.  He  was  ordained  a  minister  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  1896,  became  a  member 
of  The  New  York  East  Conference,  and  began  pastoral 
work  in  New  York  State  in  1895.  His  first  charge  was 
at  Mt.  \'ernon,  N.  Y..  and  between  1895  and  1906  he 
was  pastor  in  charge  of  Mt.  Vernon,  Bridgeport,  Conn., 
and  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  at  that  time  the  largest  Swedish 
church  in  the  denomination. 

In  1906  he  accepted  a  professorship  in  Swedish  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  Evanston,  III.,  and  until  191 1  filled  the 
chairs  of  history  and  languages  at  that  institution.  He 
then  resigned  to  accept  a  position  as  editor-in-chief  of 
the  Swedish  religious  paper,  "Sandebudet"  (The 
Messenger),  a  post  he  ably  filled  until  1917,  when  he 
returned  to  the  active  ministry  and  was  appointed  to  the 
pastorate  of  the  First  Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  of  Jamestown.  The  churcli  has  progressed 
under  his  leadership,  and  each  department  is  faithfully 
prosecuting  its  especial  line  of  work. 

Rev.  John  E.  Hillberg  married,  in  Worcester,  Mass., 
Jime  7,  1807,  Hannah  Christine  Lundgren,  daughter  of 
John  and  Edla  Christine  Lundgren.  They  have  an 
adopted  daughter,  Emma  Louise,  born  in  Sweden,  Nov. 
30,  191 1.  During  the  summer  of  1920,  Rev.  Hillberg 
visited  Sweden  in  the  capacity  of  speaker  for  the  Choral 
Club  of  Chicago,  then  touring  abroad.  King  Gustav 
then  conferred  upon  him  the  Knighthood  of  the  Order 
of  Vasa.  During  the  war  he  also  paid  a  visit  to  said 
country  at  the  invitation  of  the  government  of  Sweden. 
Hf  served  our  co\mtry  in  the  World  War  as  speaker 
on  the   Bureau  of   I'liblic  lnformatir)n. 


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BIOGRAPHICAL 


v?y 


AXEL  E.  ANDERSON— As  Jamestown  is  a  center 

for  manufacturing,  it  follows  naturally  that  shoe  stores 
in  plenty  may  be  found  there.  Among  them  is  the  shoe 
emporium  of  Axel  E.  Anderson,  at  No.  io8  Main  street. 
For  more  than  twenty  years  Mr.  Anderson  has  en- 
deavored to  keep  the  feet  of  the  Jamestown  people 
comfortable  and  trimly  fitted  with  foot-covering,  and 
that  he  has  met  with  considerable  success  may  be  taken 
as  a  fact  as  he  was  compelled  to  move  from  the 
original  place  of  business  to  a  more  commodious  loca- 
tion a  few  years  ago. 

Mr.  Anderson  is  a  Swede  by  birth,  but  as  he  has  lived 
in  this  country  ever  since  his  infancy  his  interests  are 
all  American.  Born  Feb.  I,  1871,  in  Sweden,  the  child 
met  with  a  serious  misfortune  when  only  two  weeks  old, 
his  father  dying  at  that  time.  His  mother  came  to  the 
United  States  with  her  baby,  and  having  married  for 
the  second  time,  the  boy  became  known  by  the  name  of 
his  step-father,  Anderson.  His  early  education  was 
obtained  at  the  village  school  of  EUery,  N.  Y.,  taking  a 
course  afterwards  at  the  business  college  at  Jamestown. 
During  the  time  he  attended  school  young  Anderson 
worked  at  whatever  his  hands  found  to  do,  having  a 
morning  paper  route,  delivering  goods,  etc. 

When  nineteen  years  of  age  the  young  man  obtained 
regular  employment  in  the  shipping  department  of  the 
Jamestown  Lounge  Company,  remaining  with  them  five 
years,  and  in  1S94  went  with  the  Jamestown  Desk  Com- 
pany, also  as  shipping  clerk.  A  year  later  he  accepted 
a  position  with  the  Chautauqua  Steamboat  Company, 
but  after  two  years  with  that  company  he  entered  the 
shoe  store  of  J.  F.  Peterson  as  salesman.  For  four 
years  he  continued  in  Mr.  Peterson's  employ  and  then, 
having  learned  the  business,  Mr.  Anderson  started  a 
shoe  store  of  his  own  at  No.  305  Main  street.  For  three 
years  he  conducted  this  alone,  then  the  business  having 
grown  rapidly,  he  felt  the  need  of  assistance,  so  in 
1901  formed  a  partnership  with  Charles  Sandburg.  This 
was  a  most  satisfactory  arrangement,  continuing  for 
several  years,  but  the  trouble  on  the  Mexican  border 
requiring  the  services  of  the  National  Guard,  necessitated 
the  departure  of  Mr.  Sandburg  for  the  scene  of  action, 
he  being  a  member  of  the  guard.  Mr.  Anderson  bought 
out  his  partner's  share  in  the  business  and  continued  it 
alone.  Later  Mr.  Sandburg  volunteered  in  the  United 
States  army  for  the  term  of  the  World  War,  his  rank 
being  that  of  major.  Mr.  Anderson  was  at  that  time 
occupying  his  present  quarters  at  No.  108  Main  street, 
having  moved  there  after  Mr.  Sandburg  entered  the 
firm  in  1901.  He  has  the  agency  for  the  Stetson  shoe, 
also  the  Justright  shoe. 

Mr.  Anderson's  political  principles  are  those  of  the 
Republican  party,  though  he  does  not  trouble  himself 
greatly  with  the  trials  and  worries  of  politics.  In 
religious  belief  he  is  a  Baptist,  being  clerk  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church  of  Jamestown.  He  is  afiiliated  with  the 
local  lodge  of  the  Order  of  Maccabees. 

.Axel  E.  Anderson  married,  in  Jamestown,  Dec.  29, 
1892,  Edith  May  Kingman,  of  that  city,  the  daughter 
of  J.  Frank  Kingman.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson 
two  children  were  bom;  i.  Grace  Margaret,  who  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Jamestown,  later  taking 
a  course  in  elocution  at  the  University  of  Syracuse. 
At  the  present  time  she  assists  her  father  in  the  shoe 
store.    2.  Wilton  H.,  also  educated  in  the  public  schools 


of  Jamestown  and  afterward  went  to  the  University  of 
Illinois,  serving  in  the  Student's  Training  Corps  there. 
The  young  man's  ambition  is  to  enter  Colgate  Univer- 
sity at  Hamilton,  N.  Y. 

As  a  citizen  Mr.  Anderson  is  highly  respected ;  as 
a  business  man  he  has  the  confidence  of  his  customers, 
and  he  is  a  devoted  husband  and  father. 


H.  RALPH  WILLSE,  M.  D.,  graduate  in  medicine 
of  the  Buffalo  University,  and  for  the  last  eighteen  years 
a  well  regarded  and  successful  medical  practitioner  in 
Westheld,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  widely  known 
throughout  that  section  of  the  county,  was  born  at 
South  Columbia,  Herkimer  county,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  30, 
1875.  the  son  of  Dr.  Hudson  G.  and  Frances  (Vrooman) 
Willse.  His  father,  Dr.  Hudson  G.  Willse,  is  one  of  the 
oldest  practicing  physicians  in  Western  New  York,  and 
is  still  in  active  practice  at  North  Bay,  N.  Y.,  notwith- 
standing that  he  is  now  more  than  seventy  years  old. 
Dr.  Hudson  G.  Willse  is  also  a  graduate  in  medicine 
of  Bufi^alo  University,  and  it  is  noteworthy  that  his 
entry  into  medicine  came  by  his  own  resolute  determi- 
nation, for  he  had  to  work  his  way  through  Buffalo 
University,  graduating  in  1883. 

His  son,  H.  Ralph  Willse,  in  due  course  attended  for 
primary  instruction  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
place,  and  later  became  a  student  at  the  New  Berlin, 
N.  Y.,  High  School,  graduating  therefrom  in  1893. 
To  prepare  himself  further  for  academic  credits  when 
he  ultimately  took  up  the  study  of  medicine,  he  took 
post-graduate  high  school  work  for  a  while  at  Richfield 
Springs,  N.  Y.,  but  in  1896  he  entered  Buffalo  University 
as  a  medical  student,  and  like  his  father  also  worked 
his  way  through  without  outside  assistance,  and  in  1900 
was  creditably  placed  among  the  graduates  in  medicine 
of  that  year,  receiving  in  due  course  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine.  For  one  year  prior  to  graduation 
he  was  connected  with  a  hospital,  observing  much 
clinical  work,  and  for  one  year  after  gaining  his  degree 
he  was  resident  physician  of  the  Emergency  Hospital, 
of  Buffalo.  He  was  thus  well  fitted  by  actual  experi- 
ence in  extensive  and  varied  practice  to  enter  confidently 
into  private  practice,  and  as  a  general  medical  practi- 
tioner he  opened  an  office  in  Westfield,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  in  1901.  Since  that  year  he  has  been  in 
constant  practice  in  that  neighborhood,  and  now  has  a 
very  extensive  practice.  Dr.  Willse  is  a  member  of 
many  professional  organizations,  of  County,  State,  and 
National  operation ;  his  college  fraternity  is  the  Alpha 
Omego  Delta ;  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Dunkirk 
branch  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
and  of  the  Westfield  encampment  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Politically,  Dr.  Willse  is  a  Re- 
publican, but  he  gives  his  time  and  thought  to  pro- 
fessional matters  and  not  to  political. 

His  wife,  whom  he  married  in  Westfield,  N.  Y.,  April 
21,  1903,  was  Lillian  Day,  daughter  of  Professor  Day, 
a  well  known  educator  in  Canada,  and  founder  of  a 
noted  school,  the  Day  Institute,  in  Toronto,  Canada. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Willse  have  three  children:  Hudson  Day, 
born  Jan.  26,  1904;  .Allen  Ray,  born  Jan.  6.  IQ05; 
Lillian  Edith,  born  April  7,  1908.  The  family  attend  the 
Presbyterian  church  at  Westfield.  and  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Willse  take  appreciable  part  in  community  affairs. 


374 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


ARCHIBALD  D.  FALCONER— The  family  and 
village  of  Falconer  have  been  closely  associated  for 
many  years,  the  village  being  named  in  honor  of  the 
family  which  was  foimded  in  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
v..  by  Robert  Falconer,  a  Scotch  gentleman  of  means, 
who  arrived  in  Jamestown  in  1S17.  He  is  remembered 
in  the  Lake  Chautauqua  region  by  the  steamer,  "Robert 
Falconer."  which  was  one  of  the  earliest  steamboats  to 
be  launched  on  the  lake,  and  he  was  the  man  responsible 
for  the  coming  of  the  first  Swedes  to  Jamestown.  His 
kind  heart  led  him  to  adopt  two  little  Swedish  girls 
whom  he  found  with  their  parents  in  Buffalo,  and  after 
they  were  safely  sheltered  in  his  home  in  Sugar  Grove, 
Pa.,  he  brought  their  parents  there  and  found  Ihem 
empIoNTTient.  This  family  attracted  others  and  from  the 
little  Sugar  Grove  settlement  came  the  two  women  who 
were  the  first  actual  Swedish  settlers  of  Jamestown. 
.\rchibald  D.  Falconer,  a  twentieth  century  representa- 
tive of  the  family,  is  a  grandson  of  Robert  Falconer, 
and  a  son  of  William  Falconer,  whose  business  life  was 
spent  in  Kennedy  in  the  town  of  Poland,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y. 

Rol^ert  Falconer  was  born  at  Inveraven,  Scotland, 
Dec.  22.  1780.  and  died  at  Sugar  Grove.  Pa.,  Oct.  2^,  1852, 
scion  of  an  ancient  and  honorable  Scottish  clan.  He 
spent  years  of  his  minority  in  Scotland,  and  in  the  year 
1800  he  was  graduated  from  .Aberdeen  University,  his 
object  being  to  pursue  a  professional  career  in  his  na- 
tive land.  Having  wealth  at  his  disposal,  he  decided  to 
visit  the  L'nited  States,  and  he  is  first  found  located  in 
New  York  City,  where  he  traded  in  cotton,  shipping  to 
Liverpool  and  Glasgow  raw  cotton,  his  shipinents  be- 
ing filled  from  Charleston,  S.  C.  and  New  York  City. 
The  War  of  1812  seriously  interfered  with  his  ship- 
ments, and  after  his  marriage  he  retired  from  the  cot- 
ton business  and  came  to  Western  New  York,  arriving 
in  Jamestown  in  1817.  Shortly  afterward  he  took  up  a 
large  tract  of  land  at  Sugar  Grove.  Pa.,  but  in  1819  he 
came  again  to  Jamestown  and  settled  on  the  property 
purchased  two  years  earlier.  Jamestown  was  his  home 
for  ten  years,  and  during  that  period  he  became  identi- 
fied with  several  enterprises,  notably  lake  navigation, 
and  one  of  the  earlier  steamboats  bore  his  name. 

In  i82'>.  Robert  Falconer  moved  to  Warren,  Pa., 
where  he  engaged  in  banking,  becoming  the  first  presi- 
dent of  the  Lumbermans'  Bank  of  Warren.  He  remained 
in  Warren  until  1840,  then  went  to  Sugar  Grove,  where 
•he  last  ten  years  of  his  life  were  spent.  He  was  a 
man  of  kindly  heart,  strong,  upright  character,  and  one 
of  the  valued  citizens  of  his  day.  He  married,  in  1812, 
F.liza  F.lliot,  who  died  in  1810,  leaving  three  sons, 
Robert,  Patrick,  and  William  T.  Robert,  the  eldest, 
located  in  Sugar  Grove,  Pa.,  where  he  became  a  prom- 
inent lumberman.  Patrick,  the  second,  became  a  lawyer 
and  wa'i  a  mcrnber  of  the  law  firm  of  Hazeltinc  &  Fal- 
coner. In  1843.  his  father  needing  his  assistance  in  the 
mansK'-ment  of  his  business  enter[)ris(f.  Patrick  Falconer 
alrandoned  law  practice,  and  until  his  death  in  Falconer, 
F'b  17.  1887,  he  was  identified  with  the  business  interests 
of  thr  village  and  of  Jamestown. 

William  T.  Falconer  the  young'st  son  of  Rfjbcrl  and 
F.liza  CFIliot>  F'alroner,  was  born  in  Sugar  Grove,  Pa., 
April  I,  1825,  and  died  at  Kennedy,  Chautauqua  county, 
.*.'.    Y„   Jan.    16,    i8>'/,,    aged    <,ixty-three.      He    was    left 


motherless  when  but  two  years  of  age,  and  was  yet  a 
minor  when  his  father  died.  He  was,  however,  named 
as  an  e.xecutor  of  the  will,  special  legislation  being 
required  to  enable  him  to  act.  He  was  well  educated, 
and  although  not  keen  to  be  known  as  a  money  maker 
conducted  a  large  business  in  Kennedy,  having  grist 
mills,  lumber  mills  and  a  general  store.  He  was  a 
large  land  owner,  having  over  1000  acres  in  the  town  of 
Poland,  where  he  located  about  1850.  He  was  free- 
handed and  generous,  his  kindness  of  heart  leading  him 
into  business  indiscretions,  and  he  lost  a  large  amount  of 
money  through  endorsing  paper  for  friends  and 
acquaintances.  He  was  the  donor  of  sites  upon  which 
to  build  the  three  churches  of  Kennedy,  but  was  not  a 
member.  In  politics  he  was  a  Republican,  and  repre- 
sented the  town  of  Poland  in  the  Chautauqua  County 
Board  of  Supervisors  during  the  years  1859-60-61-62-63. 

Mr.  Falconer  married  Helen  J.  Dailey  at  Waterville, 
N.  Y.,  June  19,  1831,  and  she  died  at  Jamestown,  N. 
Y.,  Oct.  31,  1904;  she  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Falconer  were  the  parents  of  two 
sons:  Archibald  D.,  of  whom  further;  and  Frank  M., 
born  Sept.  10,  1872.  died  Tan.  12,  1901. 

-Archibald  D.  Falconer,  son  of  William  T.  and  Helen  J. 
(Dailey)  Falconer,  was  born  in  Kennedy,  Chautauqua 
county.  N.  Y.,  Oct.  12,  1869.  After  graduation  from 
Hillsdale  College,  Hillsdale,  Mich.,  he  began  the  study 
of  law  in  the  offices  of  Cook,  Fisher  &  Wade,  of  the 
Chautauqua  county  bar,  and  was  later  admitted  to 
practice.  He  opened  offices  in  Jamestown,  where  he 
remained  until  IQ18,  when  he  moved  to  his  present 
offices  in  the  First  National  Bank  building.  Falconer. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order,  and  interested  in  various  other  activities,  busi- 
ness and  social. 

Mr.  Falconer  married,  Oct.  20,  1896,  Abbie  Lillian 
Brown,  a  fellow  student  at  Hillsdale  College.  They  are 
the  parents  of  three  children :  Robert,  Frank  and 
Catherine.  The  family  home  is  at  No.  32,  Prospect 
street,  Jamestown. 


EDWIN  FORREST  SAMPLE— As  a  contractor 
and  builder,  Edwin  F.  Sample  is  well  known  in  the 
towns  of  Ellery  and  Jamestown,  his  life  from  boyhood 
having  been  associated  with  the  building  business,  fol- 
lowing in  the  footsteps  of  his  honored  father  under 
whom  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade.  In  social  life 
and  fraternity  affairs  Mr.  Sample  takes  an  active  part 
and  lends  his  influence  to  all  movements  that  tend  to 
uplift  and  advance  the  standard  of  right  living.  Edwin 
F.  Sample  is  a  son  of  Hugh  and  Dorothy  (Keil)  Sample, 
who  were  residents  of  Warren,  Pa.,  that  State  being 
the  birthplace  of  their  son. 

Hugh  and  Dorothy  Sample  came  from  Pennsylvania 
to  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  in  1874,  when  Edwin  F. 
was  but  a  youn,';  boy.  They  resided  at  several  places 
in  the  town  of  Ellery  and  in  1884  located  on  a  farm  in 
the  town  of  Ellery,  near  the  village  of  Ellery  Center, 
and  there  established  the  family  home.  Hugh  Sample 
was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  in  addition  to  the  culti- 
vation of  his  farm  did  a  good  deal  of  building  in  his 
scrlion.  Hugh  Samph;  was  a  member  of  Company  E, 
F'ifth  United  .States  Light  Artillery,  ami  was  in  many 
engagements  during  the  Civil  War,  being  cited  for  his 


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tV     X^!^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


375 


brave  conduct.  The  children  of  Hugh  and  Dorothy 
(Keil)  Sample  were  as  follows:  Lydia  A.;  Edwin  F., 
mentioned  below;  Elizabeth  L.,  Lona  D.,  and  Frank 
T.  The  two  oldest  were  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  the 
remainder  were  born  in  the  town  of  Ellery. 

Edwin  F.  Sample  was  born  in  Newmanville,  Clarion 
county,  Pa.,  Jan.  ii,  1872.  When  very  young  his  parents 
moved  to  Chautauqua  county  and  here  Edwin  F.  attended 
the  district  schools  and  acquired  a  good  education.  In 
youth  he  was  taught  his  father's  trade  and  became  a 
skilled  carpenter,  later  adding  to  his  activities  the  busi- 
ness of  contractor.  His  reputation  as  a  reliable  builder 
is  well  established,  and  along  the  shores  of  Lake  Chau- 
tauqua there  are  many  houses  that  stand  as  monuments 
to  his  skill  and  integrity.  He  has  executed  contracts  in 
different  towns  of  the  county  and  in  the  city  of  James- 
town, and  he  also  built  school  house  No.  13  in  the  town 
of  Ellery.  In  connection  with  his  building  he  specializes 
in  the  asbestos  "Century  Shingle,"  which  is  fast  attain- 
ing popularity  as  a  roofing  material.  Mr.  Sample  was  the 
first  to  introduce  this  shingle  in  this  county  and  has 
since  sold  many  carloads  of  them. 

Mr.  Sample's  home  on  the  lake  road  in  the  town  of 
Ellery  is  surrounded  by  fruit  orchards  and  gardens, 
making  him  quite  eligible  to  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  Jamestown  Lodge,  No.  105, 
Loyal  Order  of  Moose,  of  which  he  is  a  charter  member; 
Chautauqua  County  Historical  Society;  the  Saturday 
Night  Club;  the  Protective  Home  Circle;  and  was  vice- 
president  of  the  Fluvanna  Free  Library  Association, 
and  now  secretary,  an  institution  which  has  added  greatly 
to  the  enjoyment  and  education  of  the  younger  genera- 
tion as  well  as  benefiting  their  elders.  In  politics  Mr. 
Sample  is  a  Republican,  and  in  religious  affiliation  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Brotherhood. 

Mr.  Sample  married,  at  Bemus  Point,  N.  Y.,  July  2, 
1902,  Edith  May  Griffith,  who  died  Nov.  27,  1910,  the 
only  child  of  Guy  S.  and  Carrie  (Messenger)  Griffith, 
old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  Ellery.  Two 
children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sample  in  Ellery: 
Hazel  A.,  born  Jan.  8,  1904;  and  Merton  R.,  born  Sept. 
18.  1906.  Both  are  graduates  of  the  Fluvanna  public 
school  and  now  (1920)  are  students  of  Jamestown  High 
School. 


THE  FLINT  FAMILY— One  of  the  founder- 
families  of  Portland,  Chautauqua  county,  is  that  repre- 
sented in  this  generation  by  the  brothers  who  own  and 
keep  in  splendid  production  the  bulk  of  the  tract  of 
wild  land  first  owned  by  their  grandfather,  Abial  Flint, 
in  1S17.  The  form,  as  it  is  today,  is  one  of  the  best 
maintained  acreages  in  the  district,  and  presents  an 
altogether  different  appearance  to  what  it  did  when  the 
pioneer  ancestor  first  set  about  the  stupendous  task 
of  winning  it  from  the  wilderness.  Its  present  con- 
dition represents  the  grit,  the  steadfastness,  the  resolute 
persistence  in  the  pioneer  work,  despite  hardships  and 
discouragements,  of  three  generations  of  the  Flint 
family,  and  the  place  of  respect  the  family  holds  in  the 
community  to-day  is  the  result  of  useful  lives  well  lived. 

Abial  Flint,  the  pioneer  ancestor  of  the  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  branch  of  the  Flint  family,  was  born  at 
East  Windsor.  Conn.,  Sept.  5,  1768,  the  son  of  Arkalis 
and  Betsey   (Elmer)   Flint.     He  appears  to  have  come 


into  New  York  State  in  early  manhood,  for  it  was  in 
Rome,  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  that  he  married,  Sept.  26, 
1802,  Mary  Brown,  who  was  born  in  Coventry,  Conn., 
Nov.  30,  1780.  About  the  year  1812  Abial  Flint  brought 
his  wife  and  family  of  three  children  into  Chautauqua 
county  and  settled  at  Priestville.  About  1817  he  bought 
a  tract  of  fifty  acres  of  wild  land  in  Portland  and 
moved  his  family  to  that  land.  He  was  by  trade  a 
tanner  and  currier,  and  also  a  shoemaker,  but  the  desire 
to  own  his  own  home  and  sufficient  land  for  the  susten- 
ance of  his  family  proved  irresistable,  and  he  entered 
upon  the  great  task  of  clearing  the  wilderness  from  his 
land  with  resolute  purpose  and  cheerful  spirit.  His  wife 
ably  and  courageously  assisted  him,  withstanding  all 
the  rigors  that  came  to  them,  both  of  them  buoyed  up  by 
the  prospect  of  having  eventually  a  home  wrought  by 
their  own  hands  from  the  wilderness.  That  was  the 
inspiration  that  softened  all  their  labors,  that  gave  them 
renewed  courage  when  all  seemed  dark,  and  when  it 
appeared  that  it  would  be  barely  possible  that  they  could 
live  to  the  time  when  their  tract  would  be  sufficiently 
cleared  to  afford  them  more  than  a  sparse  living.  They 
experienced  most  of  the  trials  and  hardships  which 
have  been  the  lot  of  most  pioneers,  and  they  manifested 
the  same  resolute  spirit  that  has  been  shown  by  so  many 
of  the  great  pioneers  of  this  country.  And  notwith- 
standing everything  they  prospered,  and  raised  a  family 
of  eight  children  in  the  original  log  house  Abial  Flint 
built.  For  twenty-one  years  the  family  lived  in  a  log 
house,  as  it  was  not  until  1S33  that  Abial  Flint  built  a 
frame  house,  their  youngest  child  at  that  time  being 
ten  years  old.  Mrs.  Flint  died  fifteen  years  later,  on 
May  5,  1849,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years,  but  her 
husband  lived  to  reach  the  venerable  age  of  ninety-one 
years,  his  death  not  coming  until  Jan.  15,  i860.  Both 
were  buried  in  Evergreen  Cemetery,  and  were  honored 
as  pioneers  of  the  district,  and  as  good  people.  They 
were  Methodists,  of  earnest  spirit,  and  took  part  in  the 
formation  of  the  first  church,  both  being  members  of 
the  first  class  formed  in  Portland.  Politically  Abial 
Flint  was  a  Whig  and  in  general  was  a  man  of  strong, 
upright  character.  He  lived  on  his  Chautauqua  county 
farm  for  forty-three  years,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of 
seeing  it  mostly  cleared  and  in  cultivation  before  his 
death.  To  those  of  this  generation  who  consider  farm- 
ing an  arduous  occupation  it  must  seem  almost  incon- 
ceivable that  men  should  voluntarily  take  upon  them- 
selves the  life  time  task  of  excessively  hard  labor  that 
the  clearing  of  a  large  acreage  of  wilderness  must  repre- 
sent; but  it  was  by  much  valiant  effort  that  practically 
the  whole  of  the  present  rich  territories  that  compri-^e 
the  United  States  were  won  for  civilization ;  and  much 
of  the  stalwart  and  rugged  characteristics  of  the  pioneer 
ancestors  has  descended  to,  and  is  evident  in  the  suc- 
ceeding generations  of  the  old  American  families.  The 
descendants  of  Abial  Flint,  of  Portland,  have  been 
many  but,  in  general,  those  descendants  have  done  well 
in  life,  the  immediate  family  of  Abial  and  Mary 
(Brown)  Flint  reflecting  in  their  lives  the  wholesome 
ruggedness  of  their  early  life  in  the  log  house.  The 
eight  children  of  Abial  and  Mary  (Brown)  Flint  were: 
I.  Daniel  E.,  born  .Aug.  22,  1805,  and  eventually  married 
Eliza  Goddard ;  he  settled  in  Shipman,  111.,  in  1863.  2. 
Mary  B.,  bom  April  23,  1807,  and  married  John  Wilbur, 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


in  Portland.  Chautauqua  county,  subsequently  going 
with  her  husband  to  Elgin,  111.,  where  he  took  a  farming 
property.  3.  Jonathan  T.,  born  Nov.  30,  1S09;  married 
Harriet  Shuniway.  in  Genesee  county,  N.  Y.,  and 
settled  in  Buffalo,  in  1S40.  4.  Abial,  Jr.,  born  May  25, 
1S13:  married  Jane  Cook,  in  Portland,  Chautauqua 
county,  and  settled  in  Missouri,  in  1857.  5.  Henry,  of 
whom  further.  6.  Harriet,  born  Oct.  6,  1816,  and  now 
lives  in  Hanover,  N.  V..  having  married  James  Wilson, 
of  that  place.  7.  John  VV.,  born  Aug.  26.  iSiQ;  married 
Lovina  McGaffan.  of  Youngstown,  N.  Y.,  and  eventually 
settled  in  Brant,  Erie  county.  8.  Caroline,  born  Dec.  3, 
1S23;  married  Ephraim  Ballard,  of  Westfield,  and 
settled  in   Silver  Creek,  Chautauqua  county. 

Henry  Flint,  fifth  child  of  Abial  and  Mary  (Brown) 
Flint,  and  father  of  the  brothers,  Virgil  Henry  and 
Byron  Herbert  Flint,  who  now  own  the  ancestral  prop- 
ertv,  was  born  Jan,  18,  1S15,  He  received  such  education 
as  was  possible  in  that  sparsely  populated  section  in  the 
days  of  his  boyhood,  and  after  leaving  school  gave  his 
whole  time  to  his  father,  to  assist  him  in  the  cultivation 
of  the  land  already  cleared,  and  in  the  clearing  of  the 
remainder.  Eventually  he  married  Nancy  A.  Hall,  of 
another  pioneer  family  of  Portland,  and  they  lived  the 
whole  of  their  married  life  upon  the  Flint  homestead, 
which  eventually  passed  into  his  possession.  When 
public  improvements  and  the  development  of  the  town 
made  it  necessarj-  to  run  a  street  through  part  of  the 
Flint  property,  Henry  Flint  sold  an  acre,  so  that  he 
would  not  have  divided  land,  and  subsequently  pur- 
chased twenty-five  acres  of  adjoining  land  from  Charles 
Van  Gasbeck.  To  Henry  and  Nancy  A.  (Hall)  Flint 
were  born  thirteen  children,  a  worthy  family  and  char- 
acteristic of  the  earnestness  of  their  lives.  The  children, 
in  order  of  birth,  were:  I.  Helen.  2.  Effie,  who  event- 
ually entered  the  teaching  profession.  3.  Mary,  who 
married  Mark  Haight,  of  Portland.  4.  Abial.  5.  Carlos 
Hall,  who  now  lives  in  Fredonia.  6.  Burnell,  now  de- 
ceased, who  went  to  South  Dakota,  and  there  married 
Elsie  Clark.  7.  Julia.  8.  Cora.  9.  Virgil  Henry,  of 
whom  further.  10.  Elmer,  now  deceased.  11.  Hattie, 
who  is  a  bookkeeper  in  New  York  City.  12.  Byron 
Herbert,  of  whom  further.     13.  Kate  Irene. 

Virgil  Henry  and  Bryon  Herbert  Flint,  ninth  and 
twelfth  bom  children  of  Henry  and  Nancy  A.  (Hall) 
Flint,  have  worthily  continued  in  good  cultivation  the 
ancestral  home  of  the  Flint  family.  The  farm  is  one  of 
the  best  kept  in  the  district,  and  well  adapted  to  the 
purpose,  general  and  dairy  farming,  and  grape  growing, 
to  which  it  is  put  by  the  brothers.  They  are  proving 
themselves  to  be  enterprising,  progressive  and  up-to-date 
farmers,  have  some  good,  pure-bred  Holstein  cattle,  and 
have  about  fourteen  acres  of  grape  vineyard,  which 
gives  them  good  returns.  The  brothers  are  unmarried, 
are  industrious,  and  have  executed  many  improvements 
upon  the  property.  The  house,  barn,  and  other  build- 
ings are  modern,  and  were  all  built  by  them.  They 
interest  themselves  actively  in  public  movements  in  their 
community,  and  have  very  many  friends,  being  generally 
well  regarded.  They  have  reason  to  be  satisfied  with 
their  personal  records,  and  with  the  place  the  Flint 
family  has  in  the  founding  and  development  of  that 
section  of  the  county. 


THE  UNION  FURNITURE  COMPANY,  which 

today  and  for  many  years  has  been  an  industrial  enter- 
prise of  consequence  to  the  city  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
had  its  inception  in  1903  in  the  enterprise  of  four  mem- 
bers of  the  Nord-Norquist  family  of  that  city.  Edward 
C.  Nord,  August  F.  Nord,  Alfred  A.  Nord,  and  F.  O. 
Norquist,  all  substantial  business  men  of  experience  in 
wood  working,  and  the  manufacture  of  furniture, 
formed  partnership  to  enter  into  the  manufacture  of  high 
grade  dining  room  suites.  They  erected  a  factory  build- 
ing, four  stories  in  height,  250  feet  long  and  60  feet 
wide,  at  No.  234  Crescent  street,  Jamestown,  and 
equipped  it  with  such  modern  machinery  as  they  deemed 
necessary  and  commenced  to  produce  the  line  of  furni- 
ture proposed. 

Satisfactory  development  came,  and  in  1904  the  organ- 
izers sought  corporate  powers,  eventually  being  em- 
powered to  trade  under  its  original  name  of  the  Union 
Furniture  Company,  by  which  name  the  enterprise  has 
since  been  known.  As  the  company  developed  markets, 
the  original  plant  became  inadequate  for  their  opera- 
tions, and  recently  it  was  decided  to  erect  a  five-story 
brick  structure,  which  is  now  completed  and  has  floor 
space  of  100,000  square  feet  in  addition  to  the  65,000 
square  feet  in  its  old  building  adjoining.  The  old  as 
well  as  the  new  building  is  equipped  with  individual 
electric  motors  and  most  modern  machinery.  The 
results  of  these  new  installations  will  be  for  purposes  of 
economy  and  safety.  The  motive  power  of  the  old  and 
new  plant  is  electric,  which  is  developed  on  the  com- 
pany's grounds. 

The  success  which  has  come  to  the  Union  Furniture 
Company,  at  which  steady  employment  is  provided  for 
about  300  people,  reflects  credit  upon  the  executives  who 
have  directed  its  affairs  since  its  original  establishment. 
The  present  officials  and  stockholders  are :  August  F. 
Nord,  president;  Alfred  A.  Nord,  vice-president;  and 
Edward  C.  Nord,  treasurer  and  secretary.  The  company 
is  represented  on  the  Jamestown  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
the  Manufacturers'  Association  of  Jamestown,  and  the 
Merchants'  and  Manufacturers'  Association  of  New 
York  State.  The  product  of  this  company  has  remained 
the  same,  high  grade  dining  room  suites,  and  its  market 
is  in  all  parts  of  this  country  and  the  firm  enjoys  a 
well   earned   reputation  in  the  furniture  world. 


AUGUST    F.    NORD,   well    known   business    man, 

manufacturer,  and  president  of  the  Union  Furniture 
Company,  was  born  in  Smoland,  Sweden,  July  2,  1868. 
His  father  was  a  farmer,  and  the  boy  grew  up  on  the 
farm  assisting  in  the  work  at  home.  He  attended  the 
common  schools  of  the  village  and  received  a  good, 
elementary  education. 

When  he  was  twenty  years  old  he  determined  to 
come  to  the  United  States,  having  a  brother,  John  Nord, 
in  this  country  who  had  done  well  in  a  business  way. 
The  young  man  went  directly  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  after 
landing,  his  brother  being  employed  there  in  the  carving 
room  of  the  A.  C.  Norquist  Company.  August  F.  Nord 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Norquist  Company  in  the 
finishing  room,  and  continued  with  them  for  eleven 
years,  then  became  associated  with  the  Nord  Furniture 


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BIOGRAPHICAL 


377 


Company  on  Second  street,  of  which  he  was  a  stock- 
holder, remaining  there  for  three  years,  taking  an  active 
part  in  the  business.  He  then  sold  out  his  interest  in 
the  firm  to  his  brother.  John  Nord,  in  order  to  start 
with  his  other  brothers,  Edward  and  Alfred,  the  Union 
Furniture  Company.  In  the  beginning  of  the  concern 
Mr.  Nord  was  made  vice-president,  but  was  later  elected 
president  of  the  company.  Besides  his  otificial  position, 
his  share  of  the  work  of  the  corporation  is  to  superin- 
tend the  output  of  the  factory. 

Mr.  Nord  is  a  member  of  the  Norden  Club  and  of  the 
Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in  which  he  is 
greatly  interested,  being  a  steward  of  that  church  body. 
He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  American  National  Bank, 
and  a  member  of  the  Republican  party.  Of  a  quiet  and 
reserved  temperament,  Mr.  Nord  has  not  become  inter- 
ested in  the  public  life  of  Jamestown,  though  he  is  well 
known  among  the  Swedish  residents  of  the  city,  having 
many  friends  in  their  midst. 

.\ugust  F.  Nord  married  Anna  E.  Sandburg,  in  1894, 
in  Jamestown,  and  they  have  the  following  children:  I. 
AUdor,  born  Nov.  15,  1898;  educated  in  Jamestown 
public  and  high  schools,  and  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
2.  Elsie,  born  Nov.  8,  1901  ;  educated  in  Jamestown 
public  and  high  schools,  now  a  student  of  Wellesley 
College  for  women.  3.  Gladys,  born  July  10,  1905 ; 
educated  in  Jamestown  public  and  high  schools,  now 
preparing  for  college.  4.  Frances,  born  Feb.  9,  1912 ; 
now  attending  Jamestown  grade  schools. 


EDWARD  C.  NORD,  who  has  been  a  resident  in 

the  city  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y..  for  twenty-nine  years,  a 
young  man  without  much  means  and  little  education 
at  the  time  of  his  coming  to  this  country,  but  by  dint 
of  perseverance,  study,  industry,  and  natural  ability  as 
a  man  of  business,  he  steadily  advanced  in  prosperity 
until  today  he  is  among  the  leading  citizens  here.  He  is 
one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Union  Furniture  Company, 
of  which  he  has  been  secretary,  treasurer  and  genera! 
manager  since  its  organization. 

Edward  C.  Nord  was  born  in  Sweden,  May  9,  1871, 
the  son  of  Andrew  M.  Nord.  He  was  given  the  public 
school  education  customarily  afforded  to  a  boy  of  his 
station,  and  assisted  his  father  on  the  home  farm.  In 
1801  the  family  came  to  America,  and  settled  in  James- 
town, where  some  of  their  relatives  were.  The  Nor- 
quists  of  Jamestown,  so  well  known  in  the  city,  and  so 
successful  in  business  during  the  last  few  decades, 
belong  to  the  Nord  family,  of  Sweden,  the  name  "Nord" 
being  the  derivative,  the  termination  "quist"  simply 
meaning   "branch   of." 

For  three  years  after  coming  to  Jamestown,  Edward  C. 
Nord  found  employment  in  the  furniture  factory  of  the 
A.  C.  Norquist  Company.  Then  he  helped  to  organize, 
and  became  a  stockholder  in  the  Nord  Furniture  Com- 
pany, which  opened  a  store  on  East  Second  street, 
Jamestown,  for  the  retailing  of  furniture  and  allied 
lines.  Edward  C.  Nord  with  his  brother,  John  Nord, 
conducted  the  store  for  eight  years,  and  in  1903  he  sold 
his  interests  to  his  brother  and  in  conjunction  with 
August  F.  Nord,  Alfred  A.  Nord,  and  Frank  O.  Nor- 
quist, formed  partnership  to  establish  a  firm  for  the 
manufacture  of  dining  room  furniture,  thus  was  the 
organization  of  the  Union  Furniture  Company  of  James- 


town. The  history  of  the  Union  Furniture  Company 
as  shown  in  a  preceding  narrative  indicates  the  active 
interest  Edward  C.  Nord  has  taken  in  this  company. 
He  has  given  most  of  his  time  to  the  affairs  of  his 
company,  and  has  taken  interest  in  other  movements 
wherever  time  would  permit,  especially  in  the  civic 
welfare  of  Jamestown.  He  is  a  member  of  the  James- 
town  Board   of   Commerce  and  the   Norden   Club. 

Mr.  Nord-  is  identified  with  the  following  organiza- 
tions as  director :  The'  American  National  Bank,  of 
which  he  was  one  of  the  organizers ;  Jamestown  Marble 
Iron  Company;  Jamestown  Mutual  Insurance  Company; 
and  he  was  on  the  board  of  the  Vinculo  Sugar  and 
Kealty  Corporation  of  Cuba,  which  had  large  holdings  on 
the  island.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Republican  party  in 
which  he  is  a  firm  believer.  He  has  been  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
Jamestown,  since  he  came  here,  and  has  been  one  of  its 
trustees,  for  many  years. 

Mr.  Nord  married,  in  Jamestown,  1896,  Rose  H. 
Ogren,  of  this  city.  They  have  three  children:  i.  Carol 
B.,  born  Jan.  16,  1899;  educated  in  the  Jamestown  public 
and  high  schools,  now  studying  at  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania.  2.  Olive  H.,  born  Sept.  10.  1902 ; 
educated  in  the  Jamestown  public  and  high  schools,  now 
preparing  for  college.  3.  Helen  E.,  born  May  21,  1909; 
now  attending  school  in  Jamestown. 


ALFRED  A.  NORD,  well  known  in  the  furniture 
industry  at  Jamestown,  and  vice-president  of  the  Union 
Furniture  Company,  a  busy  corporation  formed  by 
the  Nord  brothers,  was  born  in  Smoland,  Sweden, 
Feb.  18,  1875.  The  family  lived  on  a  farm  and  this  son, 
like  the  others,  was  brought  up  to  assist  in  the  farm 
work,  and  here  he  attended  the  village  school.  When 
Alfred  A.  Nord  was  sixteen  years  old  he  came  to  Amer- 
ica, in  company  with  his  father,  mother,  and  others  of  the 
family.  The  boy  went  at  once  to  Jamestown,  where  he 
had  brothers,  and  obtained  employment  with  the  New- 
man Bed  Spring  Company;  later  he  became  employed 
in  the  A.  C.  Norquist  Company,  in  1892,  in  the  machine 
department.  Here  he  remained  for  a  time  and  learned 
the  wood  carving  trade.  He  subsequently  followed  the 
wood  carving  trade  with  the  Atlas  Furniture  Company, 
Empire  Case  Goods  Company,  and  Jamestown  Mantle 
Company,  and  then  returned  to  the  A.  C.  Norquist  Com- 
pany. In  1902,  he  with  his  brothers,  August  F.  and 
Edward  C,  founded  the  Union  Furniture  Company,  a 
sketch  of  which  appears  herewith.  It  is  much  to  Mr. 
Nord's  credit  that  while  he  worked  at  his  trade  he 
studied  evenings  at  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion night  school  where  he  acquired  considerable  learn- 
ing. Alfred  A.  Nord  was  made  vice-president  and 
has  continued  as  such  almost  since  the  organization  of 
the  company.  His  special  part  in  addition  to  his  official 
duties  is  to  oversee  the  output  of  the  cabinet  department. 
Mr.  Nord  is  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  of  Jamestown,  also  a  member  of  the  official 
church  board.     He  is  a  staunch  Republican  in  politics. 

Mr.  Nord  married,  in  Jamestown,  March  i,  1905, 
Esther  Ogren,  of  that  city.  Of  this  union  were  born 
four  children:  i.  Wesley  Alfred,  bom  April  2,  1907; 
educated  in  the  Jamestown  public  schools,  now  prepar- 
ing for  high  school.     2.  Jeanette  Ester,  born   Sept.   12, 


37S 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


uxV?:  now  attending  public  school.  3.  Kermit  John, 
bom  Tan.  jo.  1013 :  now  attending  public  school.  4. 
Charles  Lowell,  bom  Feb.  4.  ipKi'. 


NATHAN  E.  BEARDSLEY,  M.  D.— Any  history 
01  the  medical  profession  of  Chautauqua  county  would 
be  incomplete  without  the  name  of  Dr.  Nathan  E. 
Beardsley.  who  for  nearly  thirty  years  has  been  engaged 
in  the  active  practice  of  his  profession  at  Dunkirk,  N.  Y. 
Dr.  Beardsley  is  prominently  identified  with  the  life  of 
his  community,  being  respected  and  valued  as  a  con- 
scientious, public-spirited  citizen,  no  less  than  an  able 
and  devoted  physician. 

Nathan  E.  Beardsley  was  bom  March  23,  1S67.  in 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  the  son  of  the  late  Noah 
and  Esther  M.  (RandalD  Beardsley.  His  primary 
education  was  received  in  the  public  schools  of  South 
Dayton,  N".  Y.,  and  Gowanda  High  School,  which  latter 
school  he  left  at  the  end  of  his  second  year,  to  com- 
mence the  study  of  medicine  with  his  uncle,  C.  C. 
Johnson,  a  practicing  physician  at  Gowanda,  N.  Y. 
.\fter  ayear  and  a  half  spent  pursuing  a  course  of  medical 
reading  under  the  guidance  of  his  uncle,  he  entered  the 
medical  department  of  Buffalo  University,  from  wliich 
he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine 
in  iSoo.  After  serving  his  intemeship  of  one  year  at  the 
ButTalo  General  Hospital,  he  entered  upon  the  practice 
of  his  profession  in  May,  1891,  and  has  ever  since,  with 
occasional  intervals  of  aliscnces,  made  his  home  in 
Dunkirk,  and  there  achieved  his  great  professional  suc- 
cesses. He  has  done  post-graduate  work  in  the  medical 
universities  of  New  York  City,  Bonn  and  Frankfort, 
Germany,  and  has  also  attended  the  Heidelberg  Univer- 
sity. He  belongs  to  the  American  Medical  Association, 
the  New  York  State  Medical  .Association,  the  Chautau- 
qua Medical  Society,  and  the  Dunkirk-Fredonia  Med- 
ical Society.  He  is  on  the  medical  stafif  of  the  Brooks 
Memorial  Hospital,  and  is  medical  officer  at  St.  Mary's 
Orphan  .-Xsylum.  In  everything  relative  to  the  welfare 
of  his  home  city.  Dr.  Beardsley  takes  a  keen  and  active 
interest,  and  is  an  interested  member  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce.  He  is  a  Mason,  affiliating  with  the  blue 
l''d!.'e.  chapter,  and  commandery.  He  attends  the  Bap- 
tist  church   at   Dunkirk. 

Dr.  Beardsley  married,  April  12.  1892,  Rose  Coxe, 
'■i  Wyoming  county,  N.  Y.,  and  they  were  the  parents 
ri  a  child,  Ru!h  Esther,  a  school  teacher  of  Redlands, 
Cal.    Mrs.  Beardsley  passed  away  May  3,  1910. 

Strength  of  character,  tenacity  of  purpose,  breadth 
<•  f  mind,  and  liberality  of  sentiment,  these  are  the 
qualities  that  have  been  strikingly  manifested  through- 
out iJr.  Bcardsley's  career.  With  a  thorough  knowledge 
o!  human  nature,  tolerance  of  its  weakness,  and  ajjprc- 
ciation  of  all  that  it  has  of  good;  ardent  and  loyal  in  his 
attachments,  he  numbers  his  friends  by  the  legion  both 
in  and  out  of  his  profession. 


OTTO  E.  WALTER— A  native  son  of  Dunkirk, 
.Mr.  V.'all'-r  had  th<rc  parsed  the  years  of  his  useful 
life,  which  h'gaii  Juni!  22,  ifW.  but  closed  with  his 
accidcnial  death,  June  13,  lOM-  Otto  E.  Walter  was  of 
German  parenla;fc,  his   father  dying  soon  after  coming 


to  Dunkirk,  leaving  his  widow,  Ernestine,  with  a  family 
to  care  for. 

Otto  E.  Walter  was  but  three  years  of  age  when  his 
father  died,  but  his  mother  gave  him  all  the  advantages 
of  the  public  schools,  which  he  attended  until  he  was 
fourteen.  He  then  became  an  apprentice  in  the  boiler 
department  of  the  Brooks  Locomotive  Works  of  Dun- 
kirk, and  after  becoming  proficient  continued  there  as  a 
journeyman  for  several  years.  He  left  the  locomotive 
works  to  accept  an  appointment  as  a  member  of  the 
Dunkirk  police  force,  on  which  he  served  for  si.x  years. 
He  again  entered  the  employ  of  the  Locomotive  Works, 
and  later  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  foreman  of 
the  boiler  department,  a  position  he  filled  most  capably 
for  nineteen  years.  Ill  health  then  compelled  him  to 
resign  his  post  to  accept  the  lighter  work  of  an  inspector 
in  the  same  department  of  the  works,  and  in  that  position 
he  continued  until  his  death.  Mr.  Walter  was  a  member 
of  Dunkirk  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons ;  the 
Lutheran  church,  and  in  politics  an  independent  Republi- 
can. He  was  well  known  in  Dunkirk  and  was  highly 
regarded  as  a  man  of  honor,  public-spirited  and  enter- 
prising. He  served  under  Charles  J.  Wirtner  as  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  Fire  and  Police  Commissioners, 
was  for  a  time  assistant  chief  of  the  Fire  Department, 
and  in  all  things  measured  up  to  all  the  requirements 
of  good  citizenship. 

Death  came  to  Mr.  Walter  without  warning,  June  13, 
1914.  He  with  his  brother-in-law,  Frederick  G.  Bird, 
the  latter's  son,  George  Bird,  and  others,  were  on  their 
way  to  Wesleyville  in  an  automobile  when  they  suddenly 
found  themselves  on  the  railroad  track  at  Forsythe 
crossing  near  Ripley,  in  front  of  a  rapidly  approaching 
Eastern  Express.  There  was  no  time  to  do  more  than 
realize  the  danger  before  the  train  struck  the  car,  Mr. 
Walter,  Mr.  Bird  and  his  son  George,  being  killed  in 
the  collision.  Mr.  Walter  is  buried  in  Forest  Hill 
Cemetery,   Fredonia. 

Otto  E.  Walter  married,  in  Dunkirk,  Millie  Ludwig, 
daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Schulte)  Ludwig,  her 
parents  both  bom  in  Germany,  but  old  residents  of 
Dunkirk.  FVcdcrick  G.  Bird,  brother-in-law  of  Mrs. 
Walter,  was  born  in  Dunkirk  and  for  many  years  was  a 
foreman  in  the  Brooks  and  American  Locomotive  works 
at  Dunkirk  and  at  Schenectady,  N.  Y..  being  general 
foreman  of  the  Dunkirk  works  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
June  13,  1914.  Mr.  Bird  married  (first)  Elizabeth 
Paxton,  mother  of  George  Bird,  who  was  killed  with  his 
father  and  uncle.  He  married  (second)  Carrie  Ludwig, 
sister  of  Mrs.  Walter,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  a 
daughter  Mildred.  Mr.  Bird  was  a  member  of  Dunkirk 
Lodge,  l''rer  and  Accepted  Masons.  Both  Mrs.  Walter 
and  Mrs,   I'.ird  continue  to  reside  in  Dunkirk. 

MICHAEL  J.  RATKOWSKI— Among  the  promi- 
iiint  liti/rns  of  f(jreign  Ijirlli  residing  in  the  town  of 
|)nnl:iik,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  has 
],i  conir  :i  conspicuous  figure  in  the  mercantile  life  of  the 
conirnunity,  is  Michael  J.  Ratkowski,  a  self-made  man  in 
the  best  sense  of  the  term,  who  by  his  own  efforts  has 
attained  a  respected  position  and  the  high  esteem  of  his 
fellow-townsmen. 

Mr.   Ivatkowski    w.as   born   Aug.   27,    1R73,   in   Poland, 


-^o  JU-<L^i^^^^  Jl .  QoOC<y(^(:^oc<A 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


379 


and  is  a  son  of  Michael  and  Mary  Ratkowski,  residents 
of  that  country.  The  elder  Mr.  Ratkowski -died  about  the 
time  of  his  son's  birth,  and  shortly  after,  his  wife  came 
to  the  United  States  bringing  her  child  with  her,  then 
but  five  years  of  age.  They  settled  at  Dunkirk,  N.  Y., 
and  it  was  there  that  the  earliest  associations  of  the  lad 
were  formed  and  there  that  he  gained  his  education  as 
he  grew  older,  attending  for  this  purpose  the  parochial 
school  of  St.  Hyacinth's  Catholic  Church.  His  mother's 
circumstances  being  none  too  good,  he  worked  as  a  lad 
on  the  fruit  farms  of  the  neighborhood  picking  fruit 
Upon  completing  his  studies,  he  secured  a  position  in 
the  local  planing  mill  of  Alcott,  Ross  &:  Skelley,  and 
worked  in  that  establishment  for  three  years.  His  next 
position  was  in  the  grocery  store  of  D.  Scannell,  where 
he  served  successively  as  order  boy,  delivery  man,  and 
was  eventually  put  in  charge  of  the  delivery  department 
of  the  business.  He  tlien  left  Dunkirk  for  a  time  to 
take  a  place  as  salesman  for  the  wholesale  grocery 
house  of  W.  H.  Granger  &  Company,  of  Buffalo,  and 
was  on  the  road  for  this  concern  about  eighteen 
months.  From  the  time  of  his  first  employment  as  order 
boy  young  Mr.  Ratkowski  had  taken  a  keen  interest  in 
his  work,  and  up  to  the  time  of  his  resignation  from 
the  Buffalo  house  had  devoted  himself  with  the  most 
commendable  industry  and  ambition  to  learning  the 
grocery  business  in  all  its  branches,  both  retail  and 
wholesale.  He  was  accordingly  excellently  well  fitted 
to  engage  in  business  on  his  own  account,  when  on 
March  26,  1909,  having  saved  up  sufficient  capital,  he 
returned  to  Dunkirk  and  started  a  grocery  store  of  his 
own.  It  was  not  long  before  he  had  established  an 
enviable  reputation  for  honesty  and  fair  dealing,  and 
his  enterprise  rapidly  grew  in  size  and  importance  until 
igi8,  when  he  opened  another  grocery  store,  which  has 
likewise  prospered.  His  ventures  having  turned  out  so 
well,  Mr.  Ratkowski  decided  to  extend  the  realm  of  his 
operations  into  allied  lines,  and  in  1910  opened  his 
present  meat  market,  also  in  Dunkirk.  He  now  con- 
ducts these  three  flourishing  establishments  and  enjoys 
a  large  and  high  class  patronage  throughout  the  city.  In 
addition  to  his  private  business,  Mr.  Ratkowski  has 
become  interested  in  the  Serv-us-Stores,  a  chain  of 
mercantile  establishments  dealing  in  groceries  with 
branches  in  Dunkirk  and  elsewhere,  where  a  large  and 
growing  business  is  done, 

From  early  manhood  Mr.  Ratkowski  has  actively 
interested  himself  in  local  affairs  and  has  become  an 
influential  figure  in  politics,  being  affiliated  with  the 
Democratic  party,  of  the  principles  and  policies  of  which 
he  is  a  strong  supporter.  In  1920  he  was  elected  fire 
and  police  commissioner  for  Dunkirk  for  a  two  year 
term,  and  is  now  discharging  the  difficult  and  responsible 
duties  of  his  office  with  an  efficiency  and  disinterested- 
ness which  has  commended  him  to  all  classes  of  the 
community.  In  his  religious  belief  he  is  a  Roman  Cath- 
olic and  attends  St.  Hyacinth's  Church  at  Dunkirk, 
serving  the  parish  as  a  member  of  the  finance  committee. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  local  chapter  of  Knights  of 
Columbus  and  of  the  Order  of  Maccabees. 

Michael  J.  Ratkowski  was  united  in  marriage  at 
Dunkirk  with  Florence  Barbara  Kosciuszko,  a  member 
of  one  of  the  most  distinguished  Polish  families,  and 
a   daughter  of   Marcell   and   Staniszewska   Kosciuszko. 


Eight  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rat- 
kowski, as  follows:  Sophia,  Mary,  Helen,  Bernice,  died 
aged   nine   years;   Stesia,   Leon,   Edward,  and   Agnes. 


ARCHIE    VINCENT    PARLATO,    D.    D.    S.— 

Among  the  most  popular  and  successful  of  the  younger 
professional  men  of  Dunkirk,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
v.,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  dentistry, 
is  Dr.  Archie  -Vincent  Parlato,  who  has  recently  opened 
a  handsome  office  here.  Dr.  Parlato  is  a  native  of 
Buffalo,  where  his  birth  occurred,  Nov.  12,  1893,  and  a 
son  of  Vincent  and  Frances  (Barone)  Parlato,  of  that 
city,  the  former  being  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
in  the  neighborhood.  To  Vincent  Parlato  and  his  wife 
seven  children  were  born.  Dr.  Parlato  being  the  only 
son.  As  a  lad  he  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  this 
region  and  attended  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of 
Fredonia.  After  graduation  from  the  latter  institution, 
he  entered  the  Fredonia  Normal  College  and  was  grad- 
uated there  in  1915.  The  young  man  had,  in  the  mean- 
time, decided  to  take  up  dentistry  as  a  profession,  and 
with  that  end  in  view  entered  the  dental  department  of 
the  University  of  Buffalo  as  a  member  of  the  class  of 
1918.  Shortly  after  the  entrance  of  the  United  States 
into  the  great  World  War,  he  left  his  studies  to  enter 
the  artillery  forces  of  the  United  States  army  and  was 
sent  to  Camp  Dix,  where  he  remained  one  month. 
He  was  then  temporarily  discharged  in  order  to  permit 
him  to  complete  his  professional  studies  and  returned  to 
the  University  of  Buffalo,  where  he  was  graduated  in 
1918.  He  also  served  for  six  months  as  demonstrator 
and  instructor  in  pathology  and  bacteriology  at  the 
same  institution,  and  won  an  enviable  reputation  for 
earnest  interest  in  his  work  and  good  scholarship.  He 
reenlisted  in  the  Medical  Reserve  Corps  at  the  time 
of  his  discharge  from  the  artillery  and  held  himself 
ready  to  respond  to  his  country's  call  to  that  branch  of 
the  service.  On  Feb.  12,  1919,  he  opened  his  present 
handsome  office  at  Dunkirk  and  since  that  time  has 
been  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
here.  During  this  brief  period,  Dr.  Parlato  has  built 
up  a  large  practice,  which  is  steadily  growing,  and  is 
already  to  be  numbered  among  the  most  popular  dentists 
of  the  place.  Dr.  Parlato  is  a  Roman  Catholic  in  his 
religious  belief  and  attends  the  St.  Anthony  Italian 
Church  of  that  denomination  at  Fredonia.  He  is  a 
prominent  member  of  the  local  branch  of  the  Order  of 
Knights  of  Columbus.     He  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 


CLESSON  ALLEN  PUTNAM,  a  prominent  citi- 
zen of  Crocton,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  one  of 
the  organizers  and  owners  of  the  Naboth  Vineyards, 
Incorporated,  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Stockton,  N. 
Y.,  where  his  birth  occurred  April  5,  1864,  a  son  of 
Allen  and  Marilla  (Smith)  Putnam,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  that  place. 

Mr.  Putnam  as  a  lad  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Stockton  and  later,  having  determined  to  follow  the 
profession  of  teaching,  entered  the  Fredonia  Normal 
School.  He  did  not,  however,  follow  out  his  intention, 
but  afterwards  took  a  commercial  course  at  the  Cole- 
man Business  School  of  Newark,  N.  J.  Thereafter  he 
was  employed  in  the  railway  mail  service  for  a  number 


^8o 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


of  years,  until  he  met  with  an  accident  in  the  year  1902. 
Upon  returning  to  his  native  region  from  that  city.  Mr. 
Putnam  rented  a  line  00  acre  farm  in  Portland  township, 
Chautauqua  county,  which  he  cultivated  for  a  time.  He 
then  gave  up  this  work,  and  in  association  with  a  number 
of  other  gentlemen  founded  the  Naboth  Vineyards, 
Incorporated.  This  flourishing  organization  was  founded 
in  the  year  1003  with  Franz  C.  Lewis  as  president.  Mr. 
Putnam  as  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  \'ernon  Mathews 
as  vice-president.  It  was  originally  designed  to  manu- 
facture grape  and  other  fruit  juices,  but  has  since  that  time 
been  expanded  into  a  cannery  and  packing  establishment. 
where  all  sorts  of  fruits  are  canned  and  packed  as  well 
as  many  other  farm  products.  A  branch  of  the  business 
which  has  recently  assumed  large  proportions  is  that 
of  the  manufacture  of  tomato  catsup.  It  was  reorgan- 
ized on  April  I,  1919,  with  James  R.  Nicholson,  presi- 
dent. Mr.  Putnam,  secretary,  and  Franz  C.  Lewis  as 
general  manager.  Since  this  time  it  has  carried  on  the 
same  line  of  business  and  increased  greatly  in  size  and 
importance.  The  first  building  erected  for  the  company's 
plant  measured  65  x  40  feet  and  was  five  stories  in 
height,  but  in  1908  two  additions  were  made,  both  five 
stories  in  height  and  measuring  respectively  30  x  70 
feet  and  90  x  90  feet.  There  is  included  in  this  large 
plant  a  complete  steam  power  equipment  as  well  as  all 
kinds  of  modern  machinery  and  devices  for  the  carrying 
on  of  the  work.  At  the  present  time  about  150  men 
are  employed,  and  the  products  of  the  factory  are  sold 
over  the  entire  United  States.  Mr.  Putnam  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church.  He  is  also  affiliated  with  the  Lake  Shore 
Lodge.  Ancient  Free  and  .\ccepted  Masons,  of  which  he 
was  secretary  for  several  years,  and  with  the  local  lodge 
of  Knights  of  P\-thias. 

Clesson  Allen  Putnam  married  (first)  Nov.  27,  1893, 
Persis  Peek,  of  Portland  township,  a  daughter  of  Ashael 
and  Ann  Peek.  Her  death  occurred  in  the  year  1901. 
On  Jan.  4,  1914,  Mr.  Putnam  married  (second)  Jane  V. 
Martin,  of  Brocton,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Lodeska 
(Hall  I   Martin,  of  that  place. 


THE  WELLMAN  FAMILY— It  is  quite  evident 
that  the  Wellman  family  took  its  name  from  the  city 
of  Wells  in  Somersetshire,  England,  which  in  turn 
obtained  its  name  from  a  well  called  St.  Andrew's  Well, 
near  the  Bishop's  palace,  and  from  the  fact  that  the 
foundf:r  of  the  family  had  received  from  one  of  the 
bishops  charge  of  St.  .XTidrow's  Well,  and  had  been 
called  at  first  John  the  Well-man,  or  William  the  Well- 
man,  which  later  became  John  or  William  Wellman. 
The  name  has  been  variously  spelled  as  Wellman,  Well- 
mane.  Wcllmon,  Welmnn.  Welmon,  Wclmin,  Wilman, 
Wilmon.  U'illman,  Willmon,  Willsman,  Wellsman,  and 
Weelman.  In  .America  the  practice  of  spelling  this 
name  as  Wellman  began  quite  early  and  has  increased  in 
practice  until  it  is  nearly  universally  used  by  all  of  the 
family   here. 

The  gen<al'<Ky  and  history  of  the  Wellman  family 
and  its  origin  in  the  Old  World  has  been  made  with 
some  success.  InvcstiKation  in  this  country  seem,  to 
show  that  the  early  immiKrant  Wellmans  were  only 
two  in  number,  Thomas  Wellman  and  William  Wellman. 
However,   family  recollection   p'^ints  to  a  third,  in  the 


person  of  Barnabas  Wellman.  The  name  Barnabas 
has  been  carried  through  several  generations  and  it  is 
thought  that  a  Barnabas  may  have  been  one  of  the 
immigrants,  and  if  not  at  least  one  of  the  sons  of 
William  Wellman.  Thomas  Wellman  was  in  Lynn, 
Mass.,  as  early  as  1640.  He  bought  land,  lived  and 
died  in  Lynn  End  (now  Lynnfield),  Mass.  William 
Wellman  was  in  Marshheld,  Mass.,  as  early  as  1642,  but 
moved  that  j'ear  to  Gloucester,  Mass.,  and  thence  in  1650 
to  New  London,  Conn.,  and  thence,  a  few  years  later,  to 
Killingworth,  Conn.,  where  he  died.  It  was  from  Killing- 
worth,  Conn.,  that  the  following  Wellmans  came. 

There  is  a  line  of  seven  generations  bearing  the 
name  of  Barnabas  Wellman,  but  the  first  of  whom  there 
is  any  information  was  a  Captain  Barnabas  Wellman, 
a  seafaring  man,  who  made  many  voyages  between 
America  and  China.  On  one  of  these  voyages  he  brought 
home  a  set  of  china  dishes,  a  picture  of  his  ship  on  each, 
and  these  were  long  preserved  in  the  family,  another 
Barnabas  Wellman,  who  represented  the  family  in  the 
American  Revolution,  and  last,  a  Barnabas  Wellman 
who  was  an  early  settler  in  Chautauqua  coimty,  N.  Y. 

Barnabas  Wellman,  the  Revolutionary  soldier,  was 
born  Aug.  15,  1756,  in  Killingworth.  Conn.  According 
to  records,  he  was  a  drum  major  in  the  War  of  the 
Revolution.  His  brothers  and  sisters  were:  Freelove, 
bom  May  22,  1753;  Molly,  born  March  13,  1755;  Paul, 
born  April  15,  1757;  and  John,  date  of  birth  unknown. 
Like  Barnabas,  his  brothers  Paul  and  John  fought  in  the 
Revolutionary  army.  He  married  and  had  the  following 
children:  James,  born  Nov.  30,  1783;  Homer,  born 
March  9,  1786;  Barnabas,  born  Sept.  16,  1793,  whose 
sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work;  Ford,  of  whom 
further;  Leander,  born  Oct.  14,  l8oi.  There  were  also 
two  daughters  named  Millie,  and  Hannah. 

Ford  Wellman,  son  of  Bamabas  Wellman,  was  born 
in  Killingworth,  Conn.,  Jan.  3,  1796,  and  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  years,  or  in  1812,  he  was  among  the  first 
pioneers  who  came  into  Chautauqua  county.  He 
followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer  for  many  years, 
and  died  in  the  town  of  Harmony.  He  married  Sally 
Patchin,  by  whom  he  had  the  following  children: 
Harriet,  William  Dighton,  of  whom  further;  Calvin  M., 
Phylander  H.,  Sally,  Alvira  and  Fidelia. 

William  Dighton  Wellman^  son  of  Ford  and  Sally 
(Patchin)  Wellman,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Busti, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  2,  1819.  He  followed 
the  occupation  of  farmer  a  number  of  years,  and  later 
moved  to  Jamestown,  where  he  resided  until  his  death, 
Dec.  s,  1895.  He  was  a  leading  member  of  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  married  Laura  Louisa  Martin,  like  him- 
self a  native  of  Busti,  N.  Y.,  born  Feb.  11,  1825,  a 
daughter  of  George  and  Laura  (Hatch)  Martin. 
William  Dighton  and  Laura  L.  (Martin)  Wellman  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children  :  Warren  Dighton, 
whose  sketch  follows;  Julia  E.,  who  married  H.  N. 
Urmy,  of  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  where  they  now  live ;  Elmer 
Ellsworth,  whose  sketch  follows;  and  Arthur  Martin, 
whose    sketch    follows. 


DR.  WARREN  DIGHTON  WELLMAN,  who  has 

for  many  years  occupied  a  prominent  place  among  the 
active  physicians  of  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Harmony,  in  this  county, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


381 


where  his  birth  occurred  Feb.  15,  1855.  He  is  a  son  of 
William  Dighton  and  Laura  Louisa  (Martin)  Wellman, 
old  and  highly  respected  residents. 

The  childhood  of  Dr.  Warren  Dighton  Wellman  was 
passed  in  his  native  town  of  Harmony,  where  he 
attended  the  local  district  schools.  He  was  later  a  pupil 
at  the  public  schools  of  Sugar  Grove,  Pa.,  and  still 
later  at  the  Jamestown  Union  School  and  Collegiate 
Institute  (now  the  Jamestown  High  School),  where  he 
was  prepared  for  college.  He  then  entered  the  Roches- 
ter Business  University  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1877.  Having  in  the  mean- 
time determined  to  follow  medicine  as  a  profession, 
the  young  man  entered  the  Electric  Medical  Institute 
at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1881,  taking  at  the  same  time  his 
degree  as  Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  then  began  practice 
at  Sugar  Grove,  Pa.,  where  he  remained  a  number 
of  years,  but  in  the  spring  of  1S88  removed  to  James- 
town, where  he  has  been  practicing  his  profession  ever 
since.  In  addition  to  his  professional  activities  Dr. 
Wellman  has  also  become  interested  in  the  business  life 
of  the  community,  and  is  now  the  president  and  a 
member  of  the  well  known  firm  of  Wellman  Brothers, 
Incorporated,  owners  of  the  Jamestown  Sample  Fur- 
niture Company.  He  is  also  a  director  of  the  Liberty 
National  Bank,  and  is  one  of  the  most  influential  citi- 
zens and  business  men  of  Jamestown.  Dr.  Wellman  is 
a  member  of  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons ;  the  Protected  Home  Circle,  the  Jamestown 
Medical  Society,  the  Chautauqua  County  Medical  Soci- 
ety, the  New  York  State  Medical  Society,  and  the  Amer- 
ican Medical  Association.    In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

Dr.  Warren  Dighton  Wellman  was  united  in  marriage, 
July  14,  1886.  at  Merritton,  Ontario,  with  Dora  Phelps, 
a  daughter  of  Noah  and  Adeline  (Loveland)  Phelps. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Phelps  were  natives  of  New  York  and 
Pennsylvania,  respectively,  and  the  former  was  president 
of  the  Lincoln  Paper  Mill  Company,  and  also  engaged  in 
business  as  a  lumberman  in  Ontario.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Wellman  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  as  follows : 
Clarice  Louisa,  a  graduate  of  Simons  College,  Boston, 
and  Syracuse  University;  Donald  P.,  who  is  now  a 
student  in  the  senior  class  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  is  taking  the  usual  classical  course. 


ELMER  ELLSWORTH  WELLMAN,  president  of 
the  Liberty  National  Bank,  of  Jamestown.  Chautauqua 
county.  N.  Y.,  and  one  of  the  well  known  financier.s  of 
the  county,  is  a  member  of  the  old  and  prominent  Well- 
man   family. 

Elmer  Ellsworth  Wellman,  son  of  William  Dighton 
and  Laura  Louisa  (Martin)  Wellman,  is  a  native  of  the 
town  of  Harmony,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  as  a 
lad  attended  the  local  public  schools.  Later  he  was  a 
student  at  the  Tidioute  High  School,  Tidioute,  Pa., 
from  which  he  graduated  with  honors.  He  was  am- 
bitious to  begin  his  business  career,  and  shortly  after 
leaving  school  he  secured  a  position  as  a  traveling  repre- 
sentative for  a  Jamestown  concern,  in  which  he  was 
exceedingly  successful,  and  finally  secured  enough 
capital  to  engage,  with  his  brother,  Dr.  W.  D.  Well- 
man,  in  the  retail  drug  business  on  his  own  account  at 
Sugar    Grove,    Pa.      From    the    outset    Mr.    Wellman 


showed  himself. to  be  a  most  capable  business  man  and 
this  enterprise,  which  they  continued  to  conduct  for 
some  six  years,  was  successful.  He  then  came  to  James- 
town, where  they  opened  a  retail  drug  store  in  1S88, 
and  conducted  the  same  until  1916,  a  period  of  twenty- 
eight  years,  during  which  time  they  had  developed  one 
of  the  largest  and  best  known  drug  establishments  of 
its  kind  in  the  city.  In  the  latter  year  Mr.  Wellman 
sold  his  business  interests  and  organized  the  Liberty 
National  Bank,  which  was  opened  for  business,  July  I, 
1919,  Mr.  Wellman  being  elected  its  president.  This 
bank  has  already  made  an  important  place  for  itself  in 
the  financial  interests  of  the  community,  and  bids  fair 
to  be  one  of  the  most  prosperous  organizations  of  the 
city,  under  the  capable  management  of  its  founder  and 
president.  In  addition  to  his  banking  interests,  Mr. 
Wellman  is  also  a  member  and  vice-president  and  treas- 
urer of  the  firm  of  Wellman  Brothers,  Incorporated,  of 
which  his  brother,  Dr.  Warren  Dighton  Wellman  is  the 
president.  This  concern  is  owner  of  the  Jamestown 
Sample  Furniture  Company,  deals  very  largely  in  fur- 
niture, and  possesses  a  market  for  this  commodity 
throughout  a  very  large  territory  and  to  cities  within 
a  radius  of  hundreds  of  miles. 

Mr.  Wellman  is  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  Republi- 
can principles  and  policies;  although  he  is  well  known 
and  popular,  he  has  consistently  avoided  holding  public 
oflice.  He  is  prominent  in  fraternal  and  club  circles 
here,  and  is  especially  prominent  in  Masonic  circles,  in 
which  he  has  attained  the  thirty-second  degree  of  Free 
Masonry.  He  is  a  member  of  Mount  Moriah  Lodge, 
Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons ;  Western  Sun 
Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons ;  Jamestown  Commandery, 
Knights  Templar;  Jamestown  and  Buff'alo  Consistories; 
and  Ismailia  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of 
the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  also  affiliated  with  the  local 
lodge  of  the  Order  of  Eagles,  with  the  Jamestown 
Board  of  Commerce,  and  the  Sportsman's  Club,  of  this 
city.  In  religious  belief  Mr.  Wellman  is  a  Presbyterian 
and  attends  the  church  of  that  denomination  at  James- 
town. 
Elmer  Ellsworth  Wellman  was  united  in  marriage,  Sept. 
II,  1895,  at  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  with  Bertha  Julia  Fenton, 
a  daughter  of  Elliot  A.  and  Helen  (Leslie)  Fenton, 
both  members  of  old  and  distinguished  New  York  fam- 
ilies. One  child  has  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wellman, 
as  follows :  Robert  Fenton,  who  is  now  attending  high 
school  at  Jamestown. 


ARTHUR    MARTIN    WELLMAN,    well    known 

business  man  and  prominent  member  of  the  Wellman 
Brothers'  interests  of  Jamestown,  is  secretary  of  this 
well  known  concern  and  general  manager  of  the  James- 
town Sample  Furniture  Company. 

Arthur  Martin  Wellman,  son  of  William  Dighton  and 
Laura  Louisa  (Martin)  Wellman,  was  born  Feb.  18, 
1666,  in  Busti,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  He  was 
educated  in  the  district  school  at  Harmony  and  Sugar 
Grove  Union  School.  He  assisted  his  father  at  farm 
work  until  he  was  about  twenty  years  of  age,  and  then 
went  with  his  brothers.  Dr.  Warren  D.  and  Elmer  E., 
as  clerk  in  their  general  store  at  Sugar  Grove,  Pa. 
When  the  two  elder  brothers  came  to  Jamestown  and 
located  their  drug  business  here,  Arthur  M.  Wellman 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


followed  within  a  few  months  afterwards,  and  joined 
his  brothers  in  ;heir  new  undertakincr.  The  W'ellman 
business  gradually  increased,  and  in  iSoS  he  was  officially 
taken  into  the  nmi  partnership  by  his  two  brothers.  The 
subsequent  years  following  and  up  to  the  present  time, 
Mr.  W'ellman  has  entirely  devoted  his  time  to  the  busi- 
nesses conducted  by  the  Wcllman  Brothers,  of  which 
he  is  secretary,  as  well  as  being  general  manager  of  the 
Jamestown  Sample  Furniture  Company.  He  is  also  a 
director  of  the  Liberty  National  Bank,  of  which  his 
brother.  Elmer  E.  W'ellman,  is  president.  Mr.  W'ellman  is 
of  a  retiring  disposition  and  his  club  and  fraternal  life 
is  quite  limited,  being  a  member  of  the  Masons.  Pro- 
tected Home  Circle,  and  the  Rotary  Club.  He  is  a 
staunch  member  of  the  Republican  party. 

He  married,  in  1901,  .\da  Orr,  daughter  of  Austin  J. 
and  Elizabeth  M.  (Nichols)  Orr.  of  Jamestown.  N.  Y. 
To  this  union  were  born  two  children  :  Howard  Q.  D., 
bom  May  3.  1902;  and  Albert  A.,  born  April  23,  1905. 

The  business  romance  of  the  well-known  W'ellman 
Brothers  of  Jamestown,  has  been  one  of  success  from 
its  very  inception.  This  success  was  brought  about  by 
the  consistent  effort  and  practical  views  taken  by  the 
three  brothers  in  all  the  enterprises  in  which  they  en- 
gaged. In  188S.  when  Messrs.  Warren  D.,  Elmer  E.  and 
Arthur  M.  W'ellman  located  in  Jamestown  and  started 
the  W'ellman  Brothers  Drug  Store,  it  was  little  thought 
at  that  time  that  this  enterprise  was  the  nucleus  of  the 
businesses  which  have  followed  and  made  the  Wellman 
name  a  record  in  Chautauqua  county  history.  The  drug 
business  prospered  and  as  larger  quarters  were  needed 
the  W'ellman  building  was  erected  in  1898,  at  the  corner 
of  West  Third  and  Cherry  streets,  and  this  business 
was  conducted  therein  until  their  retirement  from  it  in 
1016.  In  lOio  more  room  was  required  to  meet  the 
demand  for  rentals  and  a  large  addition  was  built  on 
Cherry  street,  adjoining  the  original  Wellman  building. 
These  buildings  now  house  the  Liberty  National  Bank, 
the  W'ellman  Brothers  Store.  Paquin  Jewelry  Store, 
besides  many  suitable  offices  and  the  quarters  of  the 
Jamestown  Chamber  of  Commerce.  The  Jamestown 
Sample  Furniture  Company  conducted  in  this  building 
by  Wellman  Brothers  is  a  very  well  known  concern 
among  the  furniture  dealers  and  consumers,  and  the 
business,  like  all  other  Wellman  enterprises,  is  remark- 
ably increasing  its  sales  from  year  to  year.  The  Liberty 
National  Bank,  of  which  Elmer  E.  Wellman  is  president, 
has  likewise  enjoyed  a  prosperous  era  and  much  cr?dit 
can  be  given  the  Wellman  spirit  in  this  institution. 


ALFRED  TRACY  LIVINGSTON,  M.  D.— Lev- 
ing.  a  Hungarian  noble,  came  to  Scotland  in  the  train 
of  .Margaret,  Queen  of  Malcolm  HI  of  Scotland,  about 
107^,  and  from  him  sprang  the  ancient  and  noble  family 
of  Livingston,  a  corruption  of  "de  Levingstoune," 
adopted  as  surname  by  William,  granrlson  of  Loving. 
In  .Amcrioi  the  name  is  an  honored  one,  and  in  the  State 
capitol  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  their  armorial  bearings  art 
sculptured,  a  mark  of  public  honor.  Eight  Livingstons 
were  in  command  of  troops  at  the  battle  of  .Saratoga; 
Chancellor  Livingston  stands  chief  among  the  chan- 
cellor? of  New  Vork  and  is  honored  with  a  full  figure 
bronze  statue  in  the  State  capitol;  William  Livingston 
was    New   Jersey'.?    famous    war    governor    during    the 


Revolution:  and  all  are  descended  from  Rev.  John 
Livingston,  a  Non-Conformist  clergyman  of  the  twenty- 
tnird  generation  of  tlie  descendants  of  Leving,  the 
Hungarian  noble,  and  the  immediate  ancestor  of  this 
branch  of  the  American  family ;  Dr.  Alfred  T.  Livings- 
ton tracing  from  Rev.  John  Livingston  through  the 
lattcr's  youngest   son  James. 

John  Livingston,  the  founder  of  this  branch  in  Amer- 
ica, and  a  lineal  descendant  of  Rev.  John  Livingston,  of 
Scotland,  came  from  the  county  of  Monaghan,  Iroland, 
to  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.,  about  1764.  Later  he  moved 
to  Salem,  W''ashington  county,  N.  Y.,  and  there  died. 
He  was  called  out  several  times  during  the  Revolution 
and  each  time  rendered  the  service  required.  His  wife, 
who  was  a  Miss  Boyd,  came  with  him  from  Ireland. 

The  line  continues  through  Dr.  William  Livingston, 
son  of  John  Livingston,  founder,  who  was  born  at  Still- 
water, Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  15,  1768,  died  May  8, 
1S60.  He  was  a  physician  of  Hebron,  Washington 
county,  N.  Y.,  and  of  Esse.x  county.  He  came  to  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  in  1828,  but  returned  after  a  few 
years  to  Essex  county.  He  was  a  leading  physician  of 
his  day,  a  prominent  Whig,  and  was  four  times  elected 
to  the  Legislature  from  Washington  county.  He 
married  (first)  Sarah  Tracy,  and  among  their  children 
was  a  son,  John  Jay. 

John  Jay  Livingston  was  born  at  Hebron,  N.  Y'.,  Oct. 
10,  1708,  died  at  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  3,  1890.  He 
came  to  Chautauqua  county  in  1830,  but  in  1832  went  to 
\'enango  county  (later  designated  Clarion  county).  Pa., 
where  for  fifty-four  years  he  was  a  resident  of  Shippen- 
ville  and  Tylersburg.  He  was  a  surveyor  and  civil 
engineer,  and  after  attaining  the  age  of  eighty  per- 
formed professional  field  work  with  his  instruments  for 
twenty-seven  consecutive  days.  He  was  active  to  the 
end  of  his  years,  ninety-two.  He  spent  the  last  years  of 
his  life  in  Jamestown  at  the  home  of  his  son,  Dr.  Alfred 
T.  Livingston.  He  married  (third)  Elizabeth  Jane 
Whitehill,  born  April  8,  1809,  near  Bellefonte,  Pa.,  died 
June  7,  1886,  daughter  of  James  Whitehill,  a  skilled 
smith  who  conducted  a  forge  and  foundry  in  Center 
county.   Pa.,  and  later  in   Clarion  county. 

Alfred  Tracy  Livingston,  only  child  of  John  Jay 
Livingston  and  Elizabeth  Jane  (Whitehill)  Livingston, 
was  born  in  Shippcnville,  Clarion  county.  Pa.,  April  i, 
1849,  now  (1920)  living  retired  at  his  home  at  Driftwood 
on  the  shores  of  Chautauqua  Lake.  He  was  educated  in 
the  Jamestown  public  schools  and  academy  and  Alle- 
gheny College,  graduating  from  the  latter  in  class  of 
:870.  He  then  began  the  study  of  medicine  with  his 
brother,  L!)r.  James  B.  Livingston,  and  later  under  Dr. 
Benton,  at  Tarr  Farm,  Pa.,  going  thence  to  the  medical 
department  of  the  University  of  Buffalo,  receiving  his 
M.  D.  with  the  class  of  1873.  He  Ix'gan  the  practice  of 
his  profession  in  Buffalo,  but  in  the  autumn  of  the 
same  year  accepted  appointment  as  assistant  physician 
at  the  .State  Insane  Hospital,  Utica,  N.  Y.,  there  remain- 
ing five  years.  He  spent  the  nc.\t  eight  years  in  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.,  there  establishing  the  first  Home  Hospital 
for  the  treatment  of  mental  disease.  In  1886  he  removed 
to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.  In  lOO)  he  purchased  a  fruit  plan- 
tation near  Dorado,  Portr>  Kico,  where  he  spends  half 
of  each  year.  He  is  a  nuinbrr  of  the  American  Med- 
ical   Association,    New     Vnrk    State    and    Chautauqua 


f^/^//.a^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


383 


County  Medical  societies,  and  has  written  many  papers 
on  medical  subjects.  He  is  a  member  also  of  the  Amer- 
ican Electro  Therapeutic  Society. 

Dr.  Livingston  married  (first)  Jan.  16,  1879,  Catherine 
Packer,  born  May  13,  1853,  died  July  13,  1883.  He 
married  (second)  June  21,  1899,  Nellie  Elizabeth 
Hallock,  born  Jan.  26,  1862,  daughter  of  Rev.  William 
Allen  and  Clara  M.  (Hall)  Hallock  (q.  v.).  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Livingston  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Clara 
Elizabeth,  born  in  Jamestown,  May  5,  igoo. 


REV.  WILLIAM  ALLEN  HALLOCK  is  an  hon- 
ored and  devoted  minister  of  the  Congregational  church, 
who  spent  a  part  of  his  mature  life  in  Chautauqua 
county. 

Through  his  mother  he  traced  his  descent  to  the 
Pilgrims,  counting  five  ancestors  who  came  over  in  the 
"Mayflower."  His  father's  family  settled  in  Southold, 
L.  I.,  in  1640,  Peter  Hallock  being  the  first  of  the  name 
in  this  country.  Mr.  Hallock's  great-grandfather,  also 
named  William,  married  Alice  Homan,  of  Chilmark, 
Nantucket,  and  about  1766  moved  to  Goshen,  Mass.  He, 
with  his  two  sons,  Jeremiah  and  Moses,  served  in  the 
War  of  the  Revolution. 

The  Rev.  Moses  Hallock  was  graduated  from  Yale 
College  in  178S,  and  on  the  completion  of  his  theological 
studies  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  Congregational 
church  in  Plainfield,  Mass.,  which  he  served  for  forty- 
five  years.  In  addition  to  his  ministerial  duties,  he 
established  in  his  home  a  classical  school  for  boys  in 
which  he  fitted  more  than  300  for  college.  Among 
them  were  seven  of  the  early  missionaries,  more  than 
fifty  clergymen,  and  others  widely  known  including  the 
poet  Bryant,  Marcus  Whitman,  who  saved  Oregon, 
and  John  Brown,  of  Ossowatomie. 

His  wife  was  Margaret  (Allen)  Hallock,  of  Chilmark, 
Nantucket,  a  descendant  of  Thomas  Mayhew,  the  first 
governor  of  Martha's  Vineyard  and  Nantucket,  as  well 
as  a  successful  missionary  to  the  Indians  living  on  those 
islands.  Of  the  four  sons  who  received  their  early 
training  in  the  home  school.  Rev.  William  A.  Hallock, 
D.  D.,  was  for  fifty  years  at  the  head  of  the  American 
Tract  Society;  Gerard,  for  over  thirty  years  editor  of 
the  New  York  Journal  of  Commerce ;  and  Homan,  a 
missionary  printer,  made  the  first  Arabic  type  in  Syria. 
The  remaining  son,  Leavitt  H.  Hallock,  father  of  Rev. 
William  A.  Hallock,  was  born  in  Plainfield,  Jan.  21,  1798, 
where  he  spent  most  of  his  life.  He  was  a  general 
merchant,  for  some  time  a  tanner,  and  a  farmer.  He 
served  several  terms  as  justice  of  the  peace,  was  post- 
master, and  in  1849  was  elected  to  the  Massachusetts 
Legislature.  He  died  Oct.  16,  1877,  at  the  home  of  his 
son,  Rev.  Leavitt  H.  Hallock,  D.  D.,  in  West  Winstead, 
Conn.  In  1829  he  married  Elizabeth  Porter  Snell, 
daughter  of  Ebenezer  and  Deborah  (Porter)  Snell,  of 
Cummington,  Mass.,  her  Aunt  Sarah  being  the  mother  of 
William  CuUen  Bryant.  The  children  of  this  marriage 
v;ere  twin  daughters,  Fanny  and  Eliza ;  Fanny  married 
Rev.  Henry  M.  Hazeltine,  of  Jamestown,  where  she 
died  Jan.  10,  1920;  Eliza  married  Rev.  Thomas  H. 
Rouse,  who  was  pastor  of  the  First  Congregational 
Church  of  Jamestown  from  1856  to  1868;  Rev.  William 
A.   Hallock,   born   in   Plainfield,   Aug.  27,   1832;   also   -i 


younger  brother,  Rev.  Leavitt  H.  Hallock,  D.  D.,  now 
of   Portland,  Me. 

Rev.  William  A.  Hallock  was  graduated  from 
Amherst  College,  in  1855.  He  entered  Yale  Theological 
Seminary,  but  owing  to  an  accident  was  obliged  to  drop 
his  studies.  A  voyage  on  a  sailing  vessel  to  Constan- 
tinople restored  his  health,  and  in  1859  he  was  graduated 
from  the  Hartford  Theo4ogical  Seminary  and  accepted 
the  pastorate,  of  the  Congregational  Church  in  Gilead, 
Conn.,  where  he  remained  for  four  years,  until  a  rail- 
road accident  compelled  him  to  give  up  his  work.  He 
then  moved  to  Jamestown  and  when  his  health  again 
improved  preached  acceptably  in  Kiantone,  Frewsburg, 
Sugar  Grove,  and  Ashville.  In  1877  he  went  to  Con- 
necticut, where  he  served  the  Congregational  church  in 
Bloomfield  for  twelve  years.  He  then  returned  to  James- 
town, N.  Y.,  which  he  considered  his  home  for  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  though  much  of  the  last  years 
were  spent  in  Porto  Rico.  He  died  Sept.  4,  1911,  and 
is  buried  in  Jamestown.  The  funeral  service  was  held  in 
Pilgrim  Memorial  Church,  and  was  unusually  impres- 
sive, his  brother,  Dr.  Hallock,  delivering  a  beautiful 
tribute  of   love  and  appreciation. 

Mr.  Hallock  had  a  strong  character.  He  was  an  able 
pulpit  orator,  abounding  in  energy  and  enthusiasm. 
The  churches  which  he  served  prospered  under  his 
leadership.  In  Jamestown,  after  retiring  from  active 
ministerial  work,  he  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  Sunday 
school  out  of  which  grew  Pilgrim  Memorial  Church, 
and  was  for  some  years  its  superintendent.  He  gave 
the  site  for  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
building  in  Jamestown,  and  his  portrait  hangs  in  the 
library.  Mr.  Hallock  was  active  and  impulsive,  at 
the  same  time  showing  an  unusual  perseverance  in 
carrying  through  any  enterprise  he  undertook. 

He  married,  Sept.  19,  i860,  Clara  M.  Hall,  daughter 
of  William  and  Julia  (Jones)  Hall,  born  in  James- 
town, July  5,  1836,  died  Sept.  17,  1897.  A  son,  William 
Hall,  born  in  1864,  died  in  1894,  after  several  years 
study  in  Germany,  where  he  had  gone  after  completing 
his  college  course  at  Amherst.  A  daughter,  Nellie 
Elizabeth,  graduated  at  Smith  College,  and  on  June  21, 
1899,  married  Alfred  Tracy  Livingston,  M.  D.,  of  James- 
town, who  now  (1920)  has  a  summer  home  at  Drift- 
wood-on-Chautauqua,  but  spends  the  winters  in  Dorado, 
Porto  Rico.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Livingston  have  one  daughter, 
Clara  Elizabeth. 

William  Hall,  father  of  Mrs.  Clara  M.  (Hall) 
Hallock,  was  born  in  Wardsboro,  Vt.,  Aug.  17,  1793, 
died  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  July  6,  1880,  having  been  a 
resident  there  for  sixty-four  years,  son  of  William  and 
Abigail  (Pease)  Hall,  his  father  a  Revolutionary  soldier. 
William  Hall  came  to  Jamestown  in  1816  and  became 
one  of  the  leading  business  men,  a  public-spirited  citizen. 
He  married  Julia  Jones,  daughter  of  Solomon  Jones, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of:  Colonel  William  C.  J. 
Hall;  Rev.  Elliot  C.  Hall;  and  Clara  M.  Hall,  wife  of 
Rev.  William  Allen  Hallock. 


JOHN  CHAMBERLAIN  MASON— From  boyhood 

John  C.  Mason  has  been  identified  with  the  jewelry 
business,  serving  an  apprenticeship  under  his  honored 
father,  Levant  L.  Mason,  a  wonderfully  skilled  jeweler 


3S4 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


and  engraver,  and  Jamestown's  oldest  merchant  at  the 
time  01  his  death  in  ion.  In  the  course  of  time  his  son 
succeeded  him  but  not  in  the  store  which  had  been  their 
mutual  business  home  for  so  long.  John  C.  Mason  mov- 
ing a  block  further  north  to  Ko.  305  Main  street,  his 
present  location.  Xot  alone  as  a  successful  business 
man  is  he  known  in  Jamestown,  the  city  of  his  birth, 
but  as  a  man  of  genial,  social  nature,  gifted  in  mind, 
a  good  entertainer,  and  versatile  writer.  Who  does  not 
recall  his  minstrel  shows  with  their  burlesque  of  the 
Board  of  Aldermen  and  other  local  characters,  written 
by  Mr.  Mason,  full  of  pungent  wit  and  humor,  wit  with- 
out malice  or  sting,  and  humor  clean  and  wholesome. 
The  ladies  of  the  Warren  Home  for  the  Aged  remember 
his  entertainments  in  their  behalf,  and  in  countless  ways 
Mr.  Mason  has  added  to  the  fund  of  humorous  enter- 
tainments. He  is  a  son  of  Levant  L.  and  Eunice 
(Stevens)  Mason,  and  a  grandson  of  Belden  B.  and 
Mercy  (Whitcomb")  Mason,  who  came  to  Jamestown 
from   Erie   county,   N.   Y..   in   1831. 

Levant  L.  Mason  was  born  at  Clarence.  Erie  county, 
\.  v..  Dec.  25.  1S26.  died  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  in  191 1. 
His  parents  came  to  Jamestown  in  1831,  and  that  city 
was  ever  afterward  his  home  with  the  exception  of  the 
years  spent  in  Rochester,  N.  Y..  learning  the  jeweler's 
trade.  He  was  engaged  in  the  jewelry  business  in 
Jamestown,  occupying  several  locations  before  finally 
purchasing  the  building  at  No.  217  Main  street,  where 
he  continued  in  business  until  his  retirement  after  sixty 
years  of  service.  He  served  Jamestown  as  trustee  and 
village  president;  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion for  si.xteen  years ;  and  as  secretary  and  superin- 
tendent of  the  Lake  View  Cemetery  Association  from 
1876  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century.  For  more 
than  half  a  century  he  was  vestryman  or  warden  of  St. 
Luke's  Protestant  Episcopal  Church ;  was  a  past  master 
of  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge.  Free  and  Accepted  Masons  (an 
honor  also  held  by  his  son.  John  C.  Mason)  ;  was  a 
companion  of  Western  Sun  Chapter.  Royal  Arch 
Masons ;  and  a  sir  knight  of  Jamestown  Commandery, 
Knights  Templar. 

Levant  L.  Mason  married,  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  May 
10.  1850.  Eunice  Stevens,  and  on  May  10,  1900.  they 
celebrated  the  golden  anniversary  of  their  wedding  day, 
their  home  during  all  of  that  period  having  been  at  the 
corner  of  Lafayette  and  West  Second  streets.  Mrs. 
Mason  died  Dec.  7,  1903.  They  were  the  parents  of 
three  children :  John  C.,  of  further  mention ;  Caroline, 
married  Henry  S.  Penfield ;  Lucy  H.,  married  Fred- 
erick P.  Hall,  of  Jamestown. 

John  C.  Mason  was  born  in  Jamestown.  N.  \..  Oct.  5, 
1851.  and  there  spent  the  years  of  his  minority.  He  passed 
the  grades  of  Jamestown's  primary,  grammar  and  high 
schrx-jis,  then  served  a  regular  apprenticeship  to  the 
jeweler's  trade  under  his  father,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained until  attaining  legal  age,  in  1872.  In  that  year 
he  opened  a  jewelry  store  in  Mayvillc,  Chautau(|ua 
county  N.  V.,  there  remaining  seven  years.  The  next 
four  years  were  "^pe-nt  in  the  jewelry  business  in  Ran- 
dolph. N.  v.,  then  after  an  absence  of  eleven  years  .Mr. 
Mason  relurn'd  to  Jamestown  and  his  father's  employ. 
They  were  aisoriat'd  in  business  at  No.  217  Main  street 
fr/T  all  the  years  which  intervened  until  Levant  L.  Mason 
retired,  but  not  as  partners,  the  son  a  salaried  man,  but 


carrying  the  heavier  responsibilities.  During  this  period 
John  C.  Mason  perfected  himself  in  the  optician's  art 
by  a  course  in  Cleveland  and  added  that  as  a  special 
department  of  the  business.  Finally  Levant  L.  Mason, 
then  an  octogenarian,  disposed  of  his  stock  at  auction 
and  retired.  John  C.  Mason  then  moving  to  his  present 
location,  No.  305  Main  street,  where  with  new,  fresh 
stock  and  fixtures  he  opened  a  modern  jewelry  store 
with  an  optical  department.  That  was  in  1910  and  there 
he  still  continues,  well-established  and  prosperous.  He 
is  a  member  and  a  former  president  of  the  Jamestown 
Jewelers'  .•\ssociation,  resigning  that  oflice  in  1919. 
Honorable  and  upright  in  his  business  life,  Mr.  Mason 
retains  leading  position  in  the  business  which  has  been 
conducted  in  Jamestown  under  the  Mason  name  for 
over  seventy  years. 

Social  and  genial  in  nature,  Mr.  Mason  has  long  been 
identified  with  leading  fraternal  orders  and  has  recently 
extended  his  connections  by  entering  the  Ancient 
Accepted  Scottish  Rite  of  the  Masonic  order.  He  is  a 
past  master  of  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge,  Free  and  .•\ccepted 
Masons:  past  high  priest  of  Western  Sun  Chapter, 
Royal  Arch  Masons ;  member  of  Jamestown  Council, 
Royal  and  Select  Masters  ;  and  Jamestown  Commandery, 
Knights  Templar.  He  is  also  past  exalted  ruler  of 
Jamestown  Lodge,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks.  The  partisan  preferences  of  earlier  years  have 
given  way  to  a  cooler  view  of  matters  political,  and 
"Independent"  best  expresses  his  present  position.  He 
is  a  member  of  St.  Luke's  Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 

Mr.  Mason  was  for  many  years  interested  in  local 
amateur  theatricals,  his  special  field  little  plays  of  his 
own  composition,  a  burlesque  on  local  politicians  and 
others,  put  on  under  the  guise  of  a  minstrel  show.  He 
frequently  recited  at  lodge  and  social  entertainments 
selections  from  humorous  writings,  but  best  pleased  his 
audiences  by  poems  of  his  own.  bringing  out  good-natur- 
edly the  traits,  sayings  and  characteristics  of  the  local 
"Great  or  nearly  Great."  He  was  a  good  entertainer  and 
has  not  entirely  outgrown  the  pleasures  a  good  entertain- 
ment afl^ords.  He  has  prepared  for  this  work  a  chapter 
on  the  Elks  lodges  of  Chautauqua,  and  in  a  pleasing 
manner  shown  some  of  the  beauties  of  that  order.  His 
recreations  in  his  younger  years  were  those  of  the  out- 
of-doors,  trout  fishing  especially  appealing  to  him. 

Mr.  Mason  married,  in  Randolph,  N.  Y..  Caroline  J. 
Mason,  of  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  a  distant  relative.  They 
are  the  parents  of  a  son  and  daughter:  William  C, 
married  Harriet  Staples  and  they  arc  the  parents  of  a 
son,  Charles :   Eunice  Stevens. 


ARTHUR  WHITE   SWAN— The  business   career 

of  Arthur  W.  Swi'U,  cashier  of  the  National  Chautauqua 
County  Bank,  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  began  in  a  mercan- 
tile house,  but  banking  early  attracted  him  and  for 
twenty-one  years  he  has  steadily  pursued  that  branch 
of  business  activity.  The  position  he  now  ably  fills 
came  to  him  through  a  scries  of  earned  promotions, 
ftjr  he  began  at  the  bottom  and  has  risen  through  merit 
alone.  He  is  a  son  of  Daniel  S.  and  Margaret  E. 
(White)  Swan,  of  R.-mdoIpli.  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y. 
Arthur  W.  Swan  was  Iiorn  in  Randolph,  April  8,  1880, 
and  there  spent  his  youth  and  earliest  manhood.   He  was 


^0x1 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


385 


educated  in  the  public  schools  and  at  Chamberlain  Insti- 
tute, Randolph,  and  when  school  years  were  completed 
he  entered  business  life  as  clerk  in  a  Randolph  store. 
In  1899  he  became  an  employee  of  the  State  Bank  of 
Randolph  and  there  found  his  true  vocation.  Three 
years  were  spent  in  the  Randolph  bank,  then,  at  the  age 
of  twenty-two,  he  came  to  Jamestown  and  in  igoj  be- 
came a  clerk  in  the  National  Chautauqua  County  Bank. 
That  was  eighteen  years  ago  and  from  clerk  he  has 
risen  through  promotions  to  the  cashier's  desk,  having 
held  that  position  since  1916.  He  is  a  young  man  of 
character  and  integrity,  well  versed  in  the  principle  of 
the  business  he  follows,  and  highly  regarded  in  the 
banking  fraternity.  In  his  younger  years  athletic  sports 
strongly  appealed  to  Mr.  Swan,  but  his  out-of-doors 
recreation  now  is  with  rod  and  reel.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Sportman's  Club,  and  his  holidays  are  usually  spent 
on  Chautauqua  Lake,  and  Mrs.  Swan  is  as  enthusiastic 
a  bass  fisherman  as  her  husband.  Mr.  Swan  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Jamestown  Rotary  Club  and  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  lending  his  influence  and  personal  aid  to 
forward  the  work  of  these  two  organizations  of  business 
men  who  are  laboring  for  the  advancement  of  local 
interests.  He  is  a  past  master  of  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge, 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  past  chancellor  com- 
mander of  Crescent  Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias;  a 
member  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  and  in  politics 
an  independent  voter. 

Mr.  Swan  married,  in  Jamestown,  Oct.  4.  1906,  Sadie 
M.  Loucks,  daughter  of  Wallace  and  Mary  E.  Loucks, 
of  Jamestown.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Swan  are  the  parents  of  a 
son,  Daniel  A.,  born  Aug.  16,  1907. 


CLARENCE  A.  HULTQUIST— For  about  forty 
years  Clarence  A.  Hultquist  has  been  a  resident  of 
Jamestown,  and  since  1903  has  been  numbered  among 
the  enterprising,  prosperous  merchants  of  that  city, 
being  proprietor  of  The  Fair,  a  high-class  variety  store, 
and  vice-president  of  the  Jamestown  Upholstery  Com- 
pany, manufacturers  of  upholstered  furniture.  He  is 
one  of  the  successful  business  men  of  Jamestown,  wdiich 
has  long  been  his  home,  and  has  contributed  his  full 
share  to  its  development. 

Clarence  .\.  Hultquist  was  bom  in  Sweden,  June  25, 
1864,  and  there  spent  his  youth.  Some  of  his  relatives 
had  come  to  the  United  States  and  hadMocated  in  James- 
town, N.  Y.,  and  he  decided  to  join  them.  He  arrived 
here  in  1881,  and  after  locating  his  relatives  he  found 
employment,  spending  three  years  with  the  Jamestown 
Worsted  Mills.  Factory  life  held  no  attraction  for  him, 
and  leaving  the  worsted  mills  he  became  connected 
with  J.  B.  Collins,  the  founder  of  The  Fair,  a  variety 
store  at  the  corner  of  Third  and  Main  streets,  James- 
town. There  the  young  man  found  more  suitable  em- 
ployment, and  from  that  year  imtil  the  present  he  has 
been  engaged  in  the  field  of  retail  merchandizing.  He 
began  as  a  clerk  under  Mr.  Collins  and  continued  with 
him  in  constantly  advancing  position  until  1903,  when 
Mr.  Hultquist  made  his  first  venture  as  an  independent 
merchant.  For  one  year  he  operated  a  store  on  Second 
street,  then  opened  his  present  establishment  at  No.  18 
East  Third  street,  which  he  conducts  under  the  same 
name  as  that  of  the  old  store  in  which  he  was  so  long 
a  clerk.  The  Fair  may  properly  be  classed  as  a  variety 
Chau— 25 


store  as  its  lines  are  many,  but  perhaps  crockery  and 
glass-ware  best  describe  it.  A  wonderful  line  of  toys 
and  games  is  carried,  kitchen-ware  of  all  kinds,  the  store 
being  well  arranged  and  stocked  with  an  abundance  of 
standard  and  seasonable  goods.  The  volume  of  business 
has  steadily  increased  with  years,  and  The  Fair  is  con- 
sidered one  of  Jamestown's  foremost  stores.  When  the 
Jamestown  Upholstery  Company  was  organized  by 
former  employees  of  the  Jamestown  Lounge  Company, 
Mr.  Hultquisf  secured  an  interest  which  has  been 
increased,  he  having  been  vice-president  of  the  company, 
his  son,  Carl  A.  Hultquist,  secretary,  another  son.  Earl 
O.  Hultquist,  treasurer.  The  company  manufacture 
upholstered  furniture  at  their  plant.  No.  300  Crescent 
street,  Jamestown.  Fred  A.  Nelson,  one  of  the  incor- 
porators of  the  company,  is  president  (1920).  The 
company  is  a  conservative,  well-managed  corporation 
with  a  modern  factory  plant,  and  has  grown  to  a  con- 
dition  of   prosperity  and   reliability. 

Although  essentially  a  business  man,  Mr.  Hultquist 
has  many  outside  interests,  social,  fraternal,  and  religi- 
ous, which  have  brought  him  much  into  the  public  eye. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Norden  Club,  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Swedish  Brotherhood, 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  and  Lief  Erikson  Lodge,  No. 
26,  Scandinavian  Fraternal  .'Association  of  America.  He 
is  a  long  time  member  of  the  First  Lutheran  Church  of 
Jamestown  and  its  present  treasurer.  In  politics  he  is 
a   Republican. 

Mr.  Hultquist  married,  in  Jamestown,  Carlotta  Matilda 
Peterson,  of  Jamestown.  They  are  the  parents  of 
three  children :  i.  Carl  A.,  secretary  of  the  Jamestown 
LIpholstery  Company;  residing  at  home  with  his  parents. 

2.  Earl  O.,  secretary-treasurer  of  the  Art  Metal  Con- 
struction Company  and  treasurer  of  the  Jamestown 
Upholstery  Company;  he  married  Marguerite  Peterson, 
and  they  reside  at  No.  105  Chandler  street,  Jamestown. 

3.  Bessie  A.,  the  only  daughter,  resides  with  her  parents 
at  the  family  home  No.  839  Prendergast  avenue. 


FRANK  JOHN  KANE,  D.  D.  S.— Among  the  most 
successful  and  prominent  of  the  rising  dentists  of 
Dunkirk,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  is  Dr.  Frank  J. 
Kane,  a  native  of  that  city,  whose  entire  life  up  to  the 
present,  save  for  the  short  period  of  his  college  career, 
has  been  identified  with  its  afifairs.  Dr.  Kane  is  a  son 
of  Daniel  and  Mary  (CliiTord)  Kane,  old  and  respected 
residents  of  Dunkirk,  who  still  reside  there.  The  elder 
Mr.  Kane  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  four 
children,  Julia,  Frank  John,  with  whom  we  are  here  con- 
cerned, Daniel  and  John. 

Dr.  Kane  was  born  at  Dunkirk,  Feb.  26. 1894,  and  passed 
his  childhood  at  the  home  of  his  parents  in  that  city, 
attending,  when  he  became  old  enough,  the  public 
schools.  He  passed  through  the  grammar  grades  and 
later  entered  the  high  school,  where  his  general  educa- 
tion was  completed  and  he  was  prepared  for  a  collegi- 
ate course.  As  a  youth  he  was  ambitious  of  a  profes- 
sional career,  and  accordingly  matriculated  at  the  Dental 
School  of  the  University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  .\rbor. 
There  he  took  the  prescribed  course  and  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1916,  having  established  a  reputation  as 
an  intelligent  and  industrious  student.  In  1916  also  he 
passed  the  examinations  of  the  state  boards  of  Michigan 


386 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


and  Xew  York,  and  for  the  following  year  was  asso- 
ciated with  a  prominent  dentist  of  Detroit.  It  was  in 
1017  that  he  opened  his  own  office  at  Dunkirk  and  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession  there.  His  office  is  one 
of  the  most  perfectly  equipped  in  the  city,  having  all 
the  most  modern  instruments  and  appliances  for  the 
dental  surgeon,  and  his  own  skill  and  knowledge  is 
generally  recognized  so  that  his  practice  has  developed 
in  the  three  years  of  his  activities  here  and  is  still  grow- 
ing rapidly.  Dr.  Kane  has  always  interested  himself  in 
the  general  life  of  the  community  and  takes  a  prominent 
part  therein,  being  a  member  of  a  number  of  organiza- 
tions of  various  kinds.  He  became  a  member  of  the 
t'hi  Psi  Phi  fraternity  during  his  college  days,  and 
since  then  has  become  affiliated  with  the  local  chapter 
of  the  Knights  of  Columbus  of  the  third  degree  and 
the^  .\merican  Preparedness  League.  In  politics  he  is  an 
Independent,  associating  himself  with  no  party  but  pre- 
ferring to  exercise  his  own  judgement  on  all  matters 
of  public  issue  without  regard  to  partisan  considerations 
of  any  kind.  He  is  a  Roman  Catholic  in  religious  belief, 
and  attends  the  Church  of  St.  Mary  of  that  denomina- 
tion at  Dunkirk. 


CHARLES  L.  ECKMAN— Throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  our  country  we  find  men  who  have 
worked  their  way  unaided  from  the  lowest  rung  of  the 
ladder  to  positions  of  eminence  and  power  in  the  com- 
munity, and  not  the  fewest  of  these  have  been  of 
foreign  birth  or  descent.  The  more  credit  is  due  them 
for  the  additional  obstacles  they  had  to  overcome,  and 
the  indomitable  courage  with  which  they  have  been 
possessed.  Financial  affiairs  have  been  especially  bene- 
fited by  this  influx  of  foreign  ideas,  and  those  of 
Swedish  birth  or  descent  have  earned  distinction  to  an 
even  greater  extent  than  those  of  other  nations.  An 
example  in  point  is  the  life  of  Charles  L.  Eckman, 
of  Jamestown,  X.  Y.,  who  was  born  May  9,  1866^  near 
Kaimar,  Sweden,  a  son  of  N.  P.  and  Sophie  Eckman. 
.Mr.  Eckman,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  Sweden,  but  came  to 
this  country  in  1869  and  was  for  many  years  employed 
ir.  the  business  of  refining  petroleum  in  Western  Penn- 
sylvania.   He  is  at  present  living  retired. 

Charles  L.  Eckman  received  his  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Titusville,  Pa.,  and  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and 
after  finishing  his  studies  became  a  telegraph  operator, 
continuing  along  this  line  for  some  time,  then  accepted 
a  position  as  clerk  in  the  Commercial  Bank  of  Titus- 
ville. He  later  became  an  accountant  for  S.  S.  Bryan 
&  Company  of  the  same  city.  In  1894  he  became  suc- 
cessively, secretary,  treasurer  and  general  manager  of 
the  Breed-Johnson  Furniture  Company  of  Jamestown, 
and  some  years  later  Mr.  Eckman,  with  his  brother, 
J.  A.  Eckman,  purchased  the  interests  of  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  firm  and  the  name  was  changed  to  The 
Eckman  Furniture  Company,  of  which  Mr.  Eckman  is 
now  the  head. 

Politically  Mr.  Eckman  is  a  staunch  Republican,  but 
he  has  never  cared  for  the  emoluments  of  office.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  commission  governing  the  O.  E.  Jones 
Ocn'-ral  Hospit'd,  and  was  formerly  on  the  Board  of 
the  Farmers  and  Mechanics  Bank,  but  since  the  organ- 
ization of  the  American  National  Bank  has  been  on  its 
executive  committee,  which  office  he  holds  at  the  present 


time.  Fraternally  Mr.  Eckman  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  bodies ;  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows;  a  member  of  the  Norden  Club,  of  which 
he  was  oite  of  the  founders  and  president  for  some 
time;  was  also  the  first  vice-president  of  the  Board  of 
Commerce  from  its  organization  up  to  1920;  on  the 
executive  committee  of  the  Manufacturers'  Association; 
on  the  Board  of  the  Swedish  Chamber  of  Commerce  of 
New  York;  is  the  chairman  for  this  district  of  the 
American  Scandinavian  Foundation  of  New  York;  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Historical  Society  of  Amer- 
ica. Ever  since  the  Jamestown  Furniture  Market  Asso- 
ciation was  organized  he  has  served  as  its  treasurer. 
Mr.  Eckman  also  had  the  high  honor  of  being  knighted 
by  King  Gustav  V,  of  Sweden,  receiving  the  degree, 
Royal  Order  of  Vasa,  First  Class,  in  1916.  In  religious 
affiliations  Mr.  Eckman  and  wife  are  prominent  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Lutheran  Church  of  Jamestown,  and 
are  active  in  all  its  social  as  well  as  business  afl'airs. 
Mr.  Eckman  is  chairman  of  the  Pension  Committee  of 
the  Lutheran  Augustana  Synod  for  the  Eastern  States. 

On  Aug.  5,  1897,  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Eckman 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Agnes  Branney,  a  daughter 
of  Caroline  Branney.  Mrs.  Eckman  is  a  woman  of  true 
refinement  and  culture  and  is  very  popular  in  the  social 
circles  of  Jamestown.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Education  of  the  city,  secretary  of  the  Visiting  Nurse 
Association,  also  active  in  other  organizations  in  James- 
town as  well  as  elsewhere. 

It  can  be  said  that  the  business  career  of  Mr.  Eckman 
has  been  one  which  he  carved  out  for  himself,  his 
advancement  being  due  to  the  exercise  of  his  powers, 
and  to  the  possession  of  an  industry  which  his  will 
never  allowed  to  falter,  as  well  as  to  a  close  study  of 
business  conditions  and  his  utilization  of  opportunities 
which  others  might  have  employed  had  they  as  carefully 
sought  the  way  to  success.  He  is  a  man  of  progressive 
ideas,  has  been  successful  in  his  business,  and  has  proved 
his  ability  as  manager  of  an  enterprise  which  calls  for 
intelligence,  tact  and  skill.  He  has  long  been  one  of 
Jamestown's  representative  citizens,  ever  ready  to  give 
practical  aid  to  any  improvement  which  he  believes  will 
advance  the  public  welfare.  He  is,  as  all  who  know  him 
can  testify,  a  man  of  pleasing  manners,  and  what  is 
better  still,  he  is  equally  well  known  as  a  man  of  experi- 
ence and  trained  mind.  He  is  a  most  conspicuous 
example  of  the  man  who  wins  the  confidence  and  respect 
of  his  fellowmen  by  strictly  following  the  rules  of  life, 
both  in  a  private  and  business  way. 


HENRY  R.  HOUGHTON— Prominent  among  the 
successful  farmers  of  Chautauqua  county,  N,  Y.,  is 
Henry  R.  Houghton,  born  in  Lewis  county,  N.  Y.,  April 
24,  1849.  the  son  of  Thomas  Bennett  and  Elizabeth 
(Lamphier)  Houghton,  both  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  that  region,  where  the  elder  Houghton 
followed  the  trade  of  painter,  later  turning  his  attention 
to  farming. 

Henry  R.  Houghton  received  his  education  in  the 
district  schools  of  his  n;itivc  place,  but  was  forced  to 
leave  school  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  in  order  to  help 
his  family,  who  were  left  without  support  about  that 
time.  His  father  had  enlisted  in  the  Union  army,  in 
the  Civil  War,  and  there  gave  his  life  for  his  country, 


yiC^^-€^^^^^^-^  X^  ^3^^^ 


A^?Ji-x.^Jk~  u^ ,  ^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


387 


and  his  son  took  up  the  burden  of  caring  for  the  family. 
In  1S63,  Mr.  Houghton  came  to  Ripley  and  began  his 
life  as  a  farmer,  and  has  now  one  of  the  most  prosper- 
ous and  flourishing  farms  in  this  region.  Mr.  Houghton 
is  prominent  in  social  and  fraternal  circles  here,  being 
a  member  of  the  local  lodge  of  the  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons  and  the  Scottish  Rite  bodies  of  this 
place.  He  is  also  past  noble  grand  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  a  member  of  the  encamp- 
ment as  well  as  the  local  grange.  He  is  a  staunch  sup- 
porter of  the  Republican  party,  and  although  he  has 
never  been  desirous  of  holding  public  office  has  taken 
an  intelligent  and  active  interest  in  local  public  affairs 
as  well  as  in  tlie  nation-at-large.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Jlethodist  Episcopal  church. 

Henry  R.  Houghton  was  united  in  marriage  at  Ripley, 
Nov.  5.  1S73,  with  Effie  A.  Rhinehart,  a  native  of  Ripley, 
a  daughter  of  James  and  Jane  (Binder)  Rhinehart,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  three  children,  as  follows:  I. 
Leon  Eugene,  born  Nov.  23,  1S74;  he  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  Ripley ;  married  Lyda  Mattice,  a 
native  of  Canada,  Nov.  26,  1895 ;  they  are  the  parents 
of  two  children:  Harold  E.,  born  Nov.  16,  1890,  enlisted 
in  the  United  States  Army  in  May,  1917,  but  was  shortly 
afterwards  killed  in  a  railway  accident  at  Erie,  Pa. ;  and 
Hazel  L.,  born  March  3,  1898.  now  the  wife  of  Harry 
Swab,  to  whom  was  born  one  child,  Albert,  April  10, 
1918.  2.  James  Bennett,  born  April  6,  1881  ;  was  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  his  native  town ;  has  always 
followed  the  occupation  of  farming ;  like  his  father  he 
is  prominent  in  social  and  fraternal  circles  in  Ripley, 
being  a  member  of  the  local  lodge  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  which  he  is  past  noble  grand, 
also  past  member  of  the  Grand  Lodge;  a  member  of  the 
local  lodge  of  the  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
a  member  of  Ripley  Grange,  No.  65,  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry ;  is  an  active  participant  in  the  affairs  of  the 
Republican  party,  having  been  supervisor  of  elections 
for  twelve  years ;  he  has  held  the  office  of  township 
assessor  for  two  years,  his  present  term  expiring  in 
1921  ;  he  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church ; 
James  Bennett  Houghton  married  Mary  Elizabeth 
Marwood,  of  Franklin,  Pa.,  Feb.  17,  1904;  Mrs.  Hough- 
ton was  formerly  a  resident  of  Ohio,  where  her  birth 
occurred  ;  three  children  have  been  bom  of  this  marriage, 
as  follows  :  Ralph  Marwood,  born  Feb.  20,  1905 ;  Laura 
Jane,  born  Nov.  22,  1906;  both  being  students  in  the 
local  high  school;  Marjorie  E.,  born  March  15,  1910, 
a  student  in  the  public  school  here.  3.  Elizabeth  G., 
lorn  Nov.  10,  1885;  graduated  from  the  Ripley  High 
School  and  later  graduated  from  Allegheny  College; 
she  taught  school  a  few  years ;  was  married.  May  29, 
1912,  to  Joseph  D.  Piper,  also  a  graduate  of  Allegheny 
College ;  one  girl,  Marian  Jane,  was  born  from  this 
union.  Jan.  4,  1918;  Mr.  Piper,  a  resident  of  Derry,  Pa., 
is  an  ordained  Methodist  minister,  who  was  later  made 
chaplain  of  the  137th  Regiment,  88th  Division,  in  the 
World  War. 


to  several  families  which  have  long  been  prominent  in 
this  region,  notably  that  of  Douglas,  the  members  of 
which  have  taken  active  part  in  many  different  callings 
hereabouts. 

George  G.  Crosby  is  a  son  of  Ransom  and  Mary 
(Hunt)  Crosby,  being  one  of  five  children,  namely: 
Eugene,  William,  George  Guion,  Dr.  Birdina  and  Lillian. 
As  a  lad  Mr.  Crosby  attended  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  region.  He  was  quite  young  when  he  began  his 
business  career,  and  for  fifteen  years  was  occupied 
variously.  He  entered  into  his  present  business  of  cattle 
dealing  a  number  of  years  ago  and  later  added  farming 
to  his  occupation.  At  the  present  time  Mr.  Crosby 
manages  a  fine  vineyard  of  fifty-eight  acres  and  has 
done  considerable  to  promote  the  grape-growing  in- 
dustry in  this  part  of  the  county.  He  also  continues 
dealing  largely  in  cattle,  buying  and  selling  on  an  aver- 
age of  200  head  each  year.  He  also  dresses  cattle  for 
market,  which  he  sells  to  local  butchers,  and  does  con- 
siderable private  trade  both  in  wholesale  and  retail 
dressed  beef. 

Mr.  Crosby  has  always  been  keenly  interested  in  the 
general  life  of  the  community,  and  is  a  member  of 
several  important  organizations  at  Brocton.  He  is 
affiliated  with  the  local  lodge.  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  and  Brocton  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons.  In  politics  he  is  an  Independent  Republican, 
and  in  his  religious  belief  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  which  he  has  supported  liberally  here. 


GEORGE  GUION  CROSBY,  who  has  been  prom- 
inently engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  is  also  a 
dealer  in  cattle  at  Brocton,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
is  a  native  of  this  place,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Portland  township,  April  9,  1881.    Mr.  Crosby  is  related 


GEORGE   EDWARD    SMITH,   M.    D.,   who   has 

been  one  of  the  most  prominent  figures  in  medical  circles 
at  Dunkirk.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  has  at  the 
present  time  one  of  the  largest  practices  in  the  city,  is 
a  native  of  Attica,  Wyoming  county,  N.  Y.,  his  birth 
having  occurred  there  May  13.  1863.  His  parents  were 
Howard  Powers  and  Philena  (Nichols)  Smith,  the 
former  for  many  years  engaged  in  the  business  of 
cabinetmaker  and  carpenter  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.  He 
afterwards  became  a  contractor  and  builder  and  was 
very  successful  in  this  line  at  the  same  place.  He  and 
his  wife  were  the  parents  of  three  children,  as  follows: 
George  Edward,  with  whose  career  we  are  here  especially 
concerned;  Elizabeth,  who  died  in  infancy;  and  C.  P., 
who  became  a  prominent  undertaker  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y., 
and  resided  at  that  place  until  his  death. 

George  Edward  Smith  passed  his  childhood  in  a 
num.ber  of  localities  in  Western  New  York,  including 
his  native  town  of  Attica  and  the  city  of  Rochester, 
and  obtained  his  education  at  the  public  schools  of 
Wj'oming  and  Genesee  counties.  He  attended  the 
Wyoming  County  Seminary  for  a  number  of  years  and 
later  the  Attica  High  School,  completing  his  elementary 
education  and  preparing  himself  for  college  at  the  latter 
institution.  He  had  by  this  time  determined  upon  a 
medical  career,  and  with  this  end  in  view  matriculated 
at  the  Medical  School  of  the  LTniversity  of  Buffalo, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  with  his  degree  as  Doctor 
of  Medicine  with  the  class  of  1886.  He  returned  to  New 
York  State  and  established  himself  in  practice  at  Alex- 
ander, where  he  also  took  an  active  part  in  public  life 
and  held  the  office  of  town  clerk  in  1887  and  1888.  After 
a  few  years  spent  in  Alexander  he  removed  to  Busti, 
N.    Y.,    and    from    there    to    Cherry    Creek,    where    he 


3^8 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


served  as  health  officer.  Dr.  Smith  first  came  to  this 
neighborhood  in  the  year  1904,  when  he  moved  to  Fre- 
donia.  where  for  a  short  time  he  continued  in  active 
practice  and  held  the  office  of  town  physician.  Later  he 
opened  h.is  present  office  in  Dunkirk  and  since  that  time 
has  been  practicing  there,  being  now  recognized  as  one 
of  the  leading  members  of  his  profession.  Dr.  Smith 
has  been  prominent  in  the  general  life  of  Dunkirk  and 
is  a  member  of  many  organizations,  professional  and 
otherwise,  including  the  Dunkirk  and  Fredonia  Medical 
Socier\-,  of  which  he  was  at  one  time  president ;  the 
Chautauqua  County  Medical  Society,  of  which  he  is  now 
second  vice-president :  the  New  York  State  Medical 
Societ>- :  and  the  .\merican  Medical  Association.  He  is 
also  affiliated  with  the  Masonic  order  and  the  local 
chapter  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and 
is  past  grand  of  the  latter.  He  is  a  Republican  in 
politics,  and  always  keenly  interested  in  public  questions, 
but  his  professional  duties  prevent  him  from  taking  so 
active  a  part  in  politics  as  his  abilities  fit  him  for.  In 
his  religious  belief  he  is  a  Baptist  and  attends  the  First 
Baptist  Church  at  Fredonia. 

Dr.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage,  July  30,  1890,  with 
Lydia  .-Vnn  Lowell,  of  .\ngelica,  X.  V.,  a  daughter  of 
Daniel  D.  and  Lydia  (Carpenter)  Lowell,  of  that 
place.  They  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Chester  Alan 
Smith,  who  is  now  a  student  at  Dunkirk  High  School. 


FRANKLIN  W.  RICKENBRODE— As  a  farmer 
of  many  years'  standing  and  unusual  success  Mr.  Rick- 
enbrode  easily  holds  a  conspicuous  place  among  the 
agriculturists  of  Chautauqua  county.  His  neighbors  of 
Ripley  know  him  also  as  a  public-spirited  citizen,  active 
in  community  matters  and  greatly  interested  in  fraternal 
affairs. 

Henry  Rickenbrode,  father  of  Franklin  W.  Ricken- 
brode.  was  a  farmer  of  Walton,  Eaton  county,  Mich., 
subsequently  moving  to  Ripley.  He  married  Harriett 
Kinch  and  their  children  were:  Alice  A.,  Franklin  W., 
mentioned  below;  William  W,,  and  Clara  A. 

Franklin  W.  Rickenbrode,  son  of  Henry  and  Harriett 
CKinch  I  Rickenbrode,  was  born  July  24,  1859,  on  his 
father's  farm  at  Walton.  Eaton  county,  Mich.,  and  was 
six  years  old  when  the  family  moved  to  Ripley.  There 
he  was  educated  in  local  schools,  assisting  in  the  labors 
of  the  farm  until  he  attained  his  majority.  He  then 
entered  upon  an  independent  course  of  life  and  a  few 
years  later,  by  going  deeply  into  debt,  he  was  able  to 
purchase  a  farm  of  fifty-six  acres.  This  land  he  now 
devotes  to  (general  f.irming  and  grape  culture  and  has 
cxtf-nsively  improved,  having  erected  two  large  barns 
and  varic-us  outbuildings,  all  of  the  latest  and  best  in 
structurf  and  equipment.  In  his  residence,  which  is  a 
very  fine  old  Colonial  house,  he  has  made  no  alterations 
cxccf>t  such  as  were  necessary  in  order  to  put  it  in 
pcrfft  r'-pair.  In  addition  to  the  care  of  his  own  farm, 
Mr.  Rickenbrode  manages  the  homestead  in  which  his 
brolhfT.  his  sifter  and  himself  each  have  an  interest. 
This  farm,  which  consists  of  .sixty-three  acres,  is  also 
kept  in  a  Kood  state  of  cultivation.  Politically  he  is  an 
indejiendent  voter.  He  b'-longs  to  the  finmgc.  Patrons 
'•f  Husbandry,  affiliates  with  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  beinK  past  noble  granfl  of  his  own  lodge 
and  in  the  Grand  Lodge  holds  membership.    His  religious 


afliliations  have  been  and  are  with  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church. 

Mr.  Rickenbrode  married,  June  4,  1884,  Ella  F., 
daughter  of  Albert  G.  and  Clarrissa  Tillinghast,  and  they 
are  the  parents  of  one  child,  May  Alice,  educated  in 
Ripley,  and  now  at  home  on  the  farm, 

Franklin  W.  Rickenbrode  is  living  a  large  life.  His 
interests  are  many  and  he  neglects  none  of  them.  He 
has  built  up  his  own  fortune  and  in  doing  so  has  ren- 
dered himself  useful  to  his  community,  winning  the 
sincere  respect  and  cordial  liking  of  his  neighbors  and 
fellow-citizens. 


FREDERICK  PERRY  HALL— In  the  year  1876 
the  Jamestown  "Journal"  passed  into  the  hands  of  John 
A.  Hall,  whose  previous  political  contributions  to  the 
press  under  the  pseudonym  of  Paul  Pry  had  given  him 
some  inclination  toward  a  journalistic  career,  but  who 
was  primarily  interested  in  its  purchase  by  his  young- 
est son,  Frederick  Perry  Hall,  then  a  mere  lad  of  six- 
teen years,  who  for  a  year  or  two  previously  had  oper- 
ated an  amateur  printing  outfit.  Taking  his  son  into 
his  employ  as  the  business  manager,  Mr.  Hall,  Sr., 
started  the  "Journal,"  which  had  been  established  in 
1826,  upon  a  successful  career.  He  soon  took  the  son 
into  a  full  partnership,  the  firm  being  known  as  John 
A.  Hall  &  Son  until  the  death  of  the  father  in  1886. 
Frederick  P.  Hall  then  associated  with  him  Fred  W. 
Hyde  and  Walter  B.  Armitage,  as  copartners  in  the 
firm  of  the  Journal  Printing  Company,  which  was  estab- 
lished as  a  corporation  in  1894  with  Mr.  Hall  as  its 
president,  general  manager  and  principal  stockholder. 
The  "Journal"  from  1870  had  both  a  daily  and  weekly 
issue,  the  latter  being  changed  to  a  semi-weekly  in  1892 
and  a  tri-weekly  in  1901.  The  "Journal"  occupies  its 
own  building  at  Nos.  12-14-16  West  Second  street.  Its 
present  officers  are :  Frederick  P.  Hall,  president  and 
general  manager;  J.  A.  Clary,  vice-president  and  man- 
aging editor;  Henri  M.  Hall,  treasurer  and  business 
manager;  and  Levant  M.  Hall,  secretary  and  advertising 
manager. 

Under  the  Hall  management  the  "Journal"  has  grown 
into  closely  intimate  relations  with  Chautauqua  county, 
and  the  name  Hall  is  practically  synonomous  with 
"Journal"  to  Chautauquans,  and  is  apt  to  continue  to  be, 
for  from  1006  a  third  generation  of  this  family  has  been 
associated  in  the  management.  Mr.  Hall  has  been  rated 
in  public  opinion  more  the  publisher  than  the  business 
man.  more  the  journalist  than  the  manufacturer,  the 
banker,  the  public-spirited  citizen,  when  the  facts  are 
that  he  has  long  been  identified  with  a  number  of  other 
successful  enterprises  in  Jamestown,  and  a  prominent 
factor  in  its  social,  political,  fraternal,  philanthropic 
and  religious  circles. 

Frederick  Perry  Hall,  youngest  son  of  John  A.  and 
Emily  (Perry)  Hall,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Busti, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  8.  1850,  and  there  spent 
the  first  twelve  years  of  his  life.  In  1872,  with  his 
parents,  he  moved  to  Jamestown,  where  he  continued  his 
studies  in  the  Jamestown  Union  School  and  Collegiate 
Institute  until  1876,  when  he  gave  up  his  schooling  to 
enter  the  employ  of  his  father,  who  on  May  20,  1876, 
had  purchased  and  taken  over  the  Jamestown  "Journal," 
soon  becoming  a  partner   with  his   father   in   the   piibli- 


-^^C^L^^Jc    /^TTFti-t^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


389 


cation  of  the  "Journal,"  and  after  his  father's  death  in 
1886,  the  controlling  factor  in  the  paper.  Mr.  Hall  has 
devoted  his  business  career  to  the  conduct  of  this  news- 
paper which  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  successful 
and  influential  papers  in  this  end  of  the  State.  Recog- 
nition of  his  standing  among  publishers  is  evidenced  by 
the  fact  that  he  has  been  honored  by  selection  as  presi- 
dent of  the  New  York  State  Press  Association  in  1894, 
of  the  Xew  York  Associated  Dailies  in  1908,  and  a  vice- 
president  of  the  National  Editorial  Association  in  1909, 
at  the  time  its  annual  meeting  was  held  in  Seattle,  Wash. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  executive  committee,  vice- 
president,  and  in  1901  president,  of  the  New  York  State 
Republican  Editorial  Association ;  has  frequently  been  a 
delegate  to  conventions  of  newspaper  men,  and  was 
named  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  new 
State  Association  of  Publishers,  formed  in  1920. 

A  Republican  in  politics,  Mr.  Hall  has  aided  in  the  up- 
building of  a  strongly  Republican  community  (Chautau- 
qua being  a  banner  Republican  county)  not  alone 
through  the  columns  of  the  "Journal"  but  by  personal 
work.  He  was  chairman  of  the  County  Committee  in 
1898-99,  the  county  under  his  leadership  rolling  up  one 
of  its  largest  Republican  majorities,  and  in  1920,  as 
president  of  the  Harding  &  Coolidge  Club  of  Jamestown, 
he  was  a  directing  factor  in  the  effective  campaign  of 
that  year. 

Mr.  Hall's  interests  outside  of  the  "Journal"  have 
been  many.  He  early  became  a  director  of  the  Union 
Trust  Company,  which  was  established  in  Jamestown 
in  1S94,  was  for  years  its  treasurer  and  is  now  a  vice- 
president  of  that  institution.  He  is  also  a  director  of 
the  National  Chautauqua  County  Bank.  He  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Chautauqua  Abstract  Company,  and  has 
been  since  the  company  was  first  organized  and  started 
in  business  at  Mayville,  the  county  seat.  In  1912,  Mr. 
Hall  was  invited  to  become  president  of  the  Salisbury 
Wheel  &  Axle  Company,  a  leading  industry  of  James- 
town, then  at  a  critical  period  of  its  history  on  account 
of  lack  of  working  capital  to  take  care  of  its  rapidly 
expanding  business.  Through  Mr.  Hall's  assistance  the 
affairs  of  the  company  were  placed  on  a  sound  financial 
basis,  the  plant  largely  expanded,  and  the  business  in- 
creased from  a  production  of  a  million  dollars  a  year  to 
approximately  five  millions  a  year.  In  1919  the  plant 
was    sold    to    Eastern    interests. 

A  bronze  tablet  in  the  Furniture  Manufacturers'  nine- 
story  building  at  West  Second  and  Washington  streets 
records  the  fact  that  Mr.  Hall  was  one  of  a  board 
of  five  men  which  formulated  the  plan,  secured  the 
finances,  and  built  the  splendid  structure  which  con- 
tributes much  to  the  success  of  the  furniture  industry 
in  Jamestown.  Mr.  Hall  has  been  the  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  company  from  its  beginning. 

Few  men  have  taken  a  more  interested,  a  more  in- 
fluential, or  a  more  useful  part  in  the  various  com- 
munity interests  of  Jamestown  than  Mr.  Hall.  Since 
1883  he  has  been  a  director  of  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian .\ssociation,  since  1887  a  vestryman  of  St.  Luke's 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  He  succeeded  his  father 
as  a  trustee  of  Lakeview  Cemetery  Association,  and 
has  been  for  several  years  president  of  the  board.  He 
was  appointed  a  member  of  the  city's  first  Park  Com- 
mission and  has  ever  since  that  time  continued  to  have 


a  hand  in  the  planning  and  maintenance  of  the  parks  of 
the  city.  During  the  World  War  he  served  in  a  prom- 
inent position  on  all  Liberty  Loan  and  war  charity 
drives,  and  is  a  member  of  the  budget  committee  of  the 
Jamestown  Community  Chest,  charged  with  fixing  the 
quota  of  all  local  charities  in  the  annual  appeals  for 
their  support.  He  was  by  appointment  of  Governor  Levi 
P.  Morton  made  a  member  of  the  board  of  managers 
of  the  State  Hospital  for  the  Insane  at  Buffalo,  and  was 
for  a  time, its  vice-president.  He  declined  reappoint- 
ment at  the  hands  of  Governor  Roosevelt  but  did  yield 
to  the  request  of  the  State  Charities  Aid  Association  to 
accept  appointment  upon  the  board  of  visitors  to  the 
State  Hospital  at  Gowanda,  a  position  he  yet  holds.  Mr. 
Hall  holds  all  degrees  of  the  York  and  Scottish  rites 
of  Masonry  up  to  and  including  the  thirty-second,  be- 
ing a  member  of  the  various  Jamestown  units.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Jamestown  Club  and  the  Moon  Brook 
Country  Club.  In  the  intervals  of  a  busy  life,  Mr.  Hall 
has  travelled  extensively  in  this  country  and  abroad, 
having  made  his  first  trip  abroad  with  a  party  of  four 
other  young  men  in  1878. 

Mr.  Hall,  Sept.  12,  1883,  married  Lucy  Mason,  the 
younger  daughter  of  Levant  L.  and  Eunice  Mason,  of 
Jamestown.  They  have  had  five  sons:  Henri  i\Iason, 
of  further  mention ;  Levant  Mason,  of  further  mention ; 
Frederick  Perry,  Jr.,  of  further  mention;  Charles  Ed- 
ward, born  Feb.  22,  1900,  died  April  28,  1919 ;  and  John 
Adams,  born  Feb.  2,  1903. 


Henri  Mason  Hall,  eldest  son  of  Frederick  Perry  and 
Lucy  (Mason)  Hall,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.,  Dec.  19,  1884,  where  he  has  ever  since  made  his 
home.  His  education  was  secured  in  the  Jamestown 
public  schools,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1901, 
Phillips  Exeter  Academy  at  Exeter,  N.  H.,  class  of  1902, 
and  Harvard  University,  A.  B.,  1906,  A.  M.,  1907.  En- 
tering the  office  of  the  Journal  Printing  Company,  pub- 
lisher of  the  Jamestown  "Journal,"  the  day  of  his 
return,  after  completing  his  course  at  Harvard  Uni- 
versity in  June,  1906,  he  has  ever  since  continued  his 
labors  there.  In  fact,  much  of  his  summer  vacations 
for  years  previous  had  been  spent  in  some  department 
of  the  newspaper  work.  He  is  now  treasurer  and  busi- 
ness manager  of  the  company,  being  closely  associated 
with  his  father  in  the  direction  of  the  affairs  of  this 
well  known  newspaper.  Like  his  father,  taking  part  in 
newspaper  publishers  association  work,  he  has  been 
honored  by  selection  as  secretary-treasurer  of  the  New 
York  Associated  Dailies,  a  position  he  has  held  for  two 
years  at  this  writing,  and  as  a  vice-president  of  the  New 
York  State  Press  Association. 

Mr.  Hall  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  organization  of 
the  Jamestown  Board  of  Commerce,  was  a  member  of 
its  first  board  of  directors,  continuing  so  to  serve  for 
four  years.  In  1914,  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the 
Jamestown  Board  of  Health,  a  position  he  has  ever 
since  held,  and  when  in  1920  the  taxpayers  of  the  city 
voted  to  conduct  a  Municipal  Milk  Plant,  Mr.  Hall  was 
appointed  a  member  of  the  commission  to  erect  and 
operate  the  plant.  In  the  political  campaign  of  1916, 
Mr.  Hall  was  chairman  of  the  executive  committee  of 
the  Hughes-Fairbanks  Club  of  Jamestown.  For  about 
ten  years  Mr.  Hall  has  been  a  trustee  of  the  Chadakoin 


39° 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Boat  Club  and  was  its  treasurer  for  seven  years.  He 
has  been  president  and  trustee  of  the  Jamestown  High 
School  Ahimni  Association.  He  is  a  member  of  Mt. 
Moriah  Lodge.  Xo.  145,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons; 
Western  Sun  Chapter,  No.  6;,  Royal  Arch  Masons; 
Jamestown  Council,  No.  32,  Royal  and  Select  Masters; 
Jamestown  Commandery,  No.  6r,  Knights  Templar: 
Ismailia  Shrine  of  ButTalo ;  Jamestown  Aerie,  No.  816, 
Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles;  University  Club,  Moon 
Brook  Countrj-  Club.  He  was  the  excellent  high  priest 
of  Western  Sun  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  in  1913. 
He  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  a  charter  member  of 
the  Jamestown  Rotary  Club.  He  is  a  member  of  St. 
Luke's   Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 

Henri  M.  Hall,  on  June  30,  1014,  married  Jessie 
Phillips,  the  elder  daughter  of  Brewer  D.  and  Ida 
(Moss)   Phillips,  of  Jamestown. 


Levant  Mason  Hall,  the  second  son  of  Frederick 
Pcrr>-  and  Lucy  (Mason")  Hall,  was  born  at  James- 
town, N.  Y.,  Dec.  25,  1886.  He  was  educated  "in  the 
Jamestown  public  schools,  from  which  he  graduated  as 
president  of  his  class  in  1005,  and  at  Williams  College, 
completing  his  course  there  for  the  A.  B.  degree  in 
June.  1909.  He  entered  the  employ  of  the  Journal 
Printing  Company,  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  the  same  year, 
and  is  now  secretary  of  the  company  and  advertising 
manager  of  the  newspaper.  He  is  a  member  of  Mt. 
^foriah  Lodge,  No.  145,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
Western  Sun  Chapter,  No.  67,  Royal  Arch  Masons, 
Moon  Brook  Country  Club.  He  is  a  member  of  St. 
Luke's   Protestant   Episcopal   Church. 

On  Oct.  21,  1913,  Mr.  Hall  married  Mildred  Griffiii, 
the  younger  daughter  of  Frank  A.  Griffin,  then  of  Pitts- 
burgh, Pa.,  and  now  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y. 


Frederick  Perry  Hall.  Jr.,  third  son  of  Frederick 
Perr>'  and  Lucy  (Mason)  Hall,  was  born  April  7,  1891, 
at  Jamestown,  N.  Y.  Completing  his  studies  in  the 
Jamcstr.wn  public  schools,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  K/To.  he  entered  Cornell  University,  where  he  took 
a  mechanical  engineering  course,  graduating  with  the 
class  of  1914.  He  entered  the  employ  of  the  Salisbury 
.Axle  Company. .  of  Jamestown,  where  he  is  now  the 
chief  engineer.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Auto- 
motive Engineers,  and  of  Crescent  Lodge,  No.  308, 
Knights  of   Pythias. 

On  June  27.  1916,  Mr.  Hall  married  Helen  Thompson, 
the  elder  d;iiightcr  of  Samuel  W.  and  Emily  Thompson, 
of  Jamestown,  and  to  them  have  been  born  Helen 
Haydcn.  July  23.  1917,  and  Frederick  Perry,  third, 
Jan.   I,   1920. 


COMMODORE  THEODORE  EDWIN  GRAN- 
DIN — While  American  trade  annals  contain  records 
01  many  m'-n  who  have  been  architects  of  their  own  for- 
t'.inf.'.,  there  has  been  no  record  more  creditable  by  rca- 
.V/n  of  undaunted  energy,  well  formulated  plans  and 
straightforward  dealing,-,  than  that  of  Theodore  Edwin 
Grandin,  in  whose  death  Jamestown  has  sustained  a  loss 
which  will  f/c  scvt-T'Iy  fell  for  many  years.  It  is  impos- 
.^iWe  to  estimate  at  least  during  their  lifetime  the  value 
to  a  community  of  siirh  men  as  the  late  Theodore  Eflwin 
Grandin.       Tlie     influence     which     they     exert     ramifies 


through  all  commercial,  financial,  and  industrial  life,  ex- 
tending itself  to  the  entire  social  economy.  Every  man 
from  the  toiling  laborer  to  the  merchant  prince  receives 
benefit  from  them.  Bold,  aggressive,  but  cool  and  pru- 
dent, farseeing  but  exact,  prompt  to  the  moment  in  all 
his  engagements,  holding  his  verbal  promise  as  an  abso- 
lute obligation  even  in  trifles.  A  natural  negotiator,  yet 
a  more  keen  listener  and  a  looker  than  a  talker,  at  work 
early  and  late,  always  coming  out  right  in  practical 
results,  he  belongs  to  that  class  of  distinctively  American 
men  who  promote  public  progress  in  advancing  individual 
prosperity,  and  whose  private  interests  never  preclude 
active  participation  in  movements  and  measures  which 
concern  the  general  good.  His  entire  life  was  devoted 
to  the  performance  of  the  duties  devolved  through  his 
associate  business  interests.  He  was  justly  ranked 
among  the  most  useful  citizens  of  Jamestown. 

Theodore  Edwin  Grandin  was  born  in  Jainestown, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  9,  1844,  a  son  of  Daniel 
H.  and  Louisa  (Waite)  Grandin.  Daniel  Grandin,  the 
founder  of  the  family  in  America,  was  born  in  1694,  on 
the  Isle  of  Jersey,  and  came  to  America  when  grown 
to  manhood,  locating  in  Monmouth  county,  N.  J.,  where 
he  made  his  home  until  the  time  of  his  demise.  He  mar- 
ried Mary  Thowkmorton.  They  had  a  son,  Samuel,  who 
was  born  in  Monmouth  county,  N.  J.,  and  died  there  in 
1776.  He  married  Susannah  Johnson,  by  whom  he  had 
nine  children  :  Daniel,  John,  Mary,  Samuel,  Sarah,  Abi- 
gail, William,  Susan,  and  Elizabeth. 

John  Grandin,  son  of  Samuel  and  Susannah  ,  (John- 
son) Grandin,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Freehold,  Mon- 
mouth county,  N.  J.,  and  died  in  1833.  He  married 
Catherine  Hunt,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Hunt.  They 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children :  Samuel, 
born  in  1800,  died  in  1888;  Anna  Eliza,  born  in  1809, 
died  in  1877;  Daniel  H.,  of  whom  further;  Almira,  born 
in  1816,  died  in  1844;  Joseph  Osborne,  born  in  1817,  died 
in  1850;   Clara,  who  married  Peter  Yost. 

Daniel  H.  Grandin,  son  of  John  and  Catherine  (Hunt) 
Grandin,  and  father  of  Theodore  E.  Grandin,  was  born 
in  Monmouth  county,  N.  J.,  July  2,  181 1.  He  was 
educated  in  his  native  town  and  there  grew  to  man- 
hood. He  came  to  Pleasantville,  Pa.,  and  there  located 
with  his  brother  Samuel.  With  him  he  became  the 
owner  of  a  large  tract  of  land.  He  remained  here 
only  a  short  time,  then  moved  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
and  formed  a  partnership  with  Daniel  Hazeltine,  and 
with  him  became  engaged  in  the  wool  manufacturing 
business,  continuing  in  this  for  some  years.  Later,  undc 
the  firin  name  of  Allen  &  Grandin,  their  place  of  business 
was  situated  at  Brooklyn  Square,  the  name  now  being 
Roosevelt  Square,  where  the  new  Gifford  building  stands. 
In  this  occupation  he  was  very  successful,  becoming  the 
owner  of  several  buildings.  Later  they  took  Jerome 
Preston  into  the  partnershij),  and  the  firm  name  was 
changed  to  Allen,  Grandin  &  Preston,  wool  manufac- 
turers. Later  Mr.  Grandin  owned  the  Old  Stone  Mill 
which  was  located  on  East  First  street,  and  there  engaged 
in  the  feed  and  flour  business  for  some  years,  continuing 
so  engaged  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
Sept.  2,  1893.  His  remains  are  buried  in  I.akevicw  Ceme- 
tery. He  married,  in  February,  1839,  at  Middleburg,  N.  Y., 
Louisa  R.  Waite,  born  there,  a  daughter  of  John  Waite. 
Her  death  occurred  May  15,  1890,  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y. 


c/  (Cj      &rayU  cAa^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


391 


To  this  union  were  born  six  children:  i.  Olive  Cerelle, 
married  John  W.  Weller,  and  they  were  the  parents  of 
three  children :  John  Grandin,  died  in  manhood ;  Mary 
Louise,  secretary  ol  the  Associated  Charities  in  James- 
town, N.  Y. ;  Georgianna,  married  Edward  Stevens,  m.cr- 
chant  of  Fredonia,  N.  Y.  2.  Isabella,  married  A.  Brooks 
Fletcher;  both  deceased.  4.  Theodore  E.,  of  whom  fur- 
ther. 5.  Samuel  Sherwood,  resides  in  Westfield,  N.  Y. 
6.  Clarence  Merritt,  died  in  June,  1917,  in  Buffalo. 

Theodore  Edwin  Grandin,  whose  name  is  the  caption 
of  this  article,  received  his  early  education  in  the  James- 
town public  schools,  and  after  being  prepared  there  for 
college  entered  the  Clinton  Liberal  Institute,  of  Clinton, 
N.  Y.  Upon  concluding  his  studies  at  the  institute  and 
returning  home,  Mr.  Grandin  entered  the  Grandin  Grist 
Mills,  which  his  father  had  conducted  for  many  years. 
Later  he  accepted  a  position  as  salesman  in  the  dry  goods 
store  of  Andrews  &  Preston,  of  Jamestown.  He  re- 
mained with  this  firm  some  time,  then  became  an  operator 
in  the  oil  fields  of  Warren  county.  Pa.  After  returning 
to  Jamestown  he  became  interested  in  steamboating,  and 
it  was  not  long  before  he  was  one  of  the  most  proniir.ent 
captains  of  Chautauqua  Lake.  He  owned  and  commanded 
the  first  steamer,  "Jamestown,"  on  Chautauqua  Lake.  In 
time  he  became  the  superintendent  of  The  Red  Stack, 
one  of  the  principal  lines  of  steamboats  on  the  lake,  and 
on  account  of  his  reputation  as  a  commander  of  steam- 
boats he  was  known  throughout  the  remainder  of  his  life 
as  Commodore  Grandin. 

Commodore  Grandin  took  an  active  interest  in  ath- 
letics and  boating,  as  the  quoted  newspaper  article  will 
show : 

OLD  TIME  BOAT  RACE  RECENTLY  RECALiLED. 


The  Regatta  against  time  heretofore  mentioned  took 
place  last  Friday.  Theo.  E.  Grandin,  Lewis  Smith,  and 
A.  P.  Kent  left  Mayville  at  5  P.  M.  and  three  minutes 
before  S  reached  the  boat  landing  at  Jamestown.  22 
miles  in  2:57.  This  showing  is  considered  by  all  judges 
as  a  great  feat. 


Back  in  1S6S.  on  the  30th  day  of  June.  Captain  Theo- 
d  re  E.  Grandin  raced  against  time  from  Mayville  dock 
,  .1  Chautauqua  Lake  to  Jamestown  steamer  dock  on 
the  Chadakoin,  a  distance  of  21  miles  in  a  row  boat. 

Captain  Grandin  was  a  young  athlete  in  those  days 
and  a  skilled  oarsman. 

He  accomplished  the  stunt  in  his  skiff  named  "Rob 
Roy"  in  just  3  hours,  9  minutes,  and  30  seconds. 

The  race  is  called  to  mind  by  an  excellent  photo- 
graph taken  of  Captain  Grandin  in  his  skiff  at  the 
close  of  the  race.  It  has  been  presented  to  E.  A. 
Brooks  and  in  a  handsome  frame  occupies  a  conspic- 
uous position  in  one  of  the  windows  at  the  store  of 
the  Brooks  News  Company.  Captain  Grandin  has 
changed  much  since  the  picture  was  made,  but 
acquaintances  say  that  the  picture  "looks  just  as  'Ted' 
did  in  those  bygone  days." 

In  1897  Mr.  Grandin  retired  from  the  navigation  busi- 
ness, and  engaged  with  his  son  in  the  operation  of  the 
Old  Stone  Mill,  which  had  been  conducted  by  his  father 
for  many  years.  On  account  of  his  health,  however,  he 
could  not  continue  in  this  occupation,  and  in  1S97  he 
retired  from  business  life  altogether.  He  died  at  his 
home  on  Allen  street,  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  23,  1905. 
and  is  buried  in  Lakeview  Cemetery,  Jamestown. 

Mr.  Grandin  married,  Nov.  5,  1873,  in  Jamestown,  N. 
Y.,  Belle  Emily  Carpenter,  born  Feb.  20,  1851,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Col.  Elial  F.  Carpenter,  whose  biographical  record 
follows.      They    were    the    parents    of    three    children. 


Frances  Eileen,  who  died  in  infancy;  Julia  Norwood, 
who  died  in  childhood ;  and  Daniel  H.,  of  whom  further. 

Daniel  H.  Grandin,  only  son  of  Commodore  Theodore 
Edwin  and  Belle  Emily  (Carpenter)  Grandin,  was  born 
in  Jamestown,  Nov.  25,  1875.  He  received  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  Jamestown,  and  after  laying 
aside  his  text-books  became  associated  with  his  father  in 
the  operation  of  the  Old  Stone  Mill.  On  account  of  his 
father's  ill  health,  Mr.  Grandin  took  care  of  the  active 
part  of  the  work,  but  upon  the  death  of  his  father,  he 
assumed  full  charge  of  the  business.  The  mill  was 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1913,  and  in  the  same  year  he  builr 
another,  which  was  located  in  Falconer,  N.  Y.  This  mill 
is  one  of  the  best  of  its  kind,  having  been  installed  with 
all  the  new  improved  machines.  It  is  operated  under 
Mr.  Grandin's  supervision,  and  is  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful mills  in  Chautauqua  county.  Daniel  H.  Grandin 
married  Martha  Townsend  Griswold,  a  daughter  of  the 
late  Daniel  and  Mather  (Townsend)  Griswold.  They 
were  the  parents  of  two  children  :  Daniel  Griswold  and 
John. 

Commodore  Grandin  was  a  member  of  the  various 
Masonic  bodies,  including  Mount  Moriah  Lodge,  No.  145 ; 
Western  Sun  Chapter,  No.  65,  Royal  Arch  Masons ; 
Jamestown  Council,  No.  32,  Royal  and  Select  Masters ; 
and  Jamestown  Commandery,  No.  61,  Knights  Templar. 
In  political  affiliation  Mr.  Grandin  is  a  staunch  Democrat, 
though  in  local  afifairs  he  voted  for  the  men  and  measures 
that  were  for  the  best  interest  of  all  the  people. 

Mr.  Grandin's  entire  life  had  been  spent  in  Jamestown, 
and  those  who  knew  him — and  his  friends  were  many — 
entertained  for  him  the  warmest  regard.  Of  large  and 
liberal  views  in  all  matters  of  business,  full  of  enterprise, 
and  believing  much  in  courage  and  perseverance,  he 
could  always  be  found  in  the  van  of  every  movement 
looking  for  the  accomplishment  of  real  and  practical 
good.  Of  extensive  acquaintance  and  very  popular 
socially,  charitable  to  an  extent  altogether  dispropor- 
tionate to  his  means,  unostentatious  in  ever\-thing,  one 
of  the  truest  men  to  his  friends  that  ever  lived,  and  one 
of  the  most  lenient  to  his  adversaries  after  the  combat 
was  over,  he  was  a  man  of  whom  any  community  migh' 
be  proud.  While  in  his  business  career  he  had  passed  on 
to  a  position  of  wealth  and  prominence,  he  had  never 
neglected  the  opportunity  to  assist  a  fellow-traveler  upon 
his  way,  his  hand  being  often  down  reaching  to  aid  one 
to  whom  nature,  fate  or  environment  had  seemed  less 
kindly.  His  life  had,  in  a  large  measure,  been  an  exem- 
plification of  his  belief  in  the  brotherhood  of  mankind. 
He  never  allowed  questionable  methods  to  form  a  part 
of  his  business  career,  while  over  the  record  of  his  entire 
life  there  falls  no  shadow  of  wrong  or  suspicion  of  evil. 
Kindliness  and  appreciation  of  the  good  traits  of  others 
had  constituted  salient  features  in  his  career,  and  his 
life  illustrates  the  fact  of  the  Emersonian  philosophy 
that  to  have  friends  you  must  be  one.  When  he  passed 
to  a  better  world  he  left  to  his  son  and  his  children  the 
priceless  heritage  of  an  untarnished  name. 


WILLIAM  CARPENTER.  JR.,  late  of  James- 
town, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  his  death 
occurred  Jan.  28,  1864,  and  where  for  many  years  he  was 
one  of  the  most  respected  and  influential  citizens,  was  a 
native  of  the  city  where  he  resided  so  long,  the  date  of 


392 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


his  birth  being  Sept.  7,  iS.'j.  Ho  was  a  son  of  William 
Carpenter,  Sr.,  a  native  of  England,  who  was  a  victim 
of  one  of  the  press  gang  crews  of  those  days,  and  at  the 
age  of  fourteen  was  seized  and  placed  uix>n  a  British 
man-of-war  and  forced  into  service.  Among  many  ad- 
ventures that  befell  him  in  that  service  was  the  tinal  one 
that  brought  him  to  tliis  country  and  made  him  a  citizen 
here.  The  vessel  upon  which  he  was  an  unwilling  hand 
was  cruising  in  American  waters,  and  at  one  time,  when 
off  the  coast  of  Maine,  young  Mr.  Carpenter  was  sent 
ashore  to  cut  grass  for  the  ship's  goat.  He  went  ostensi 
bly  upon  his  quest,  but  never  returned,  disappearing  into 
the  interior.  For  a  time  he  lived  in  Maine,  occupied  with 
such  work  as  he  could  tind,  and  eventually  came  to  Chau- 
tauqua county.  \.  v.,  and  there  located  at  Dexterville 
among  the  earliest  settlers  of  the  place.  His  experi- 
ence at  sea  led  him  to  seek  employment  on  the  great 
inland  waters  of  this  region,  and  he  was  occupied  for  a 
time  as  a  master  of  the  rafts  that  were  floated  down  the 
river  to  various  points.  He  also  drove  the  iirst  stage  that 
ran  between  Mayville  and  Jamestown.  He  eventualh 
became  himself  interested  in  the  lumber  business  and 
operated  along  the  Allegheny  river,  and  he  was  one  of 
the  builders  and  later  the  commander  for  some  time  of 
the  first  steamboat  to  sail  the  waters  of  Lake  Chau- 
tauqua. The  elder  Mr.  Carpenter  was  a  very  religious 
man  and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  about  middle  age  became  greatly  interested  in  the 
cause  of  temperance,  he  and  his  wife  touring  Western 
Xew  York  and  Pennsylvania,  delivering  addresses  upon 
the  subject  and  arousing  great  interest  wherever  they 
wont.  While  yet  living  in  Maine,  before  coming  to 
Chautau(|ua  county,  he  married  Nancy  Blake,  by  whom 
he  had  twelve  children,  one  of  his  sons  being  Col.  Elial 
Foote  Carpenter,  a  sketch  of  whom  follows,  and  another 
WiMiam  Carpenter,  Jr.,  of  this  sketch.  His  death 
occurred  in  1869,  while  on  a  visit  to  his  daughter  at  Oil 
City,  Pa. 

The  childhood  of  William  Carpenter,  Jr.,  was  passed 
in  his  native  city  of  Jamestown,  and  it  was  there  that  he 
received  his  somewhat  meagre  educational  advantages, 
though  with  the  customary  ambition  and  industry  of  the 
lads  of  the  period,  he  made  the  most  of  his  opportunities. 
He  bccan  work  at  a  very  early  age,  and  for  years  was 
employed  in  the  lumber  industry  in  this  region,  which 
wa.s  then  at  the  height  of  its  development.  He  also  spent 
some  time  during  his  early  youth  on  a  plantation  in  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  occupied  a  position  as  a  sort  of  sui)er- 
iritendent  and  had  many  negro  latercrs  imdcr  his  direc- 
tion. Upon  returning  to  Jamcstov/n,  he  began  work  in 
the  axe  factory  of  bis  brother-in-law,  Charles  L.  Jeffords, 
the  well  known  manufacturer  of  edge  tools  of  James- 
town, and  while  there  was  mortally  injured  by  the  Inirst- 
inK  of  an  emery  wheel,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  tlied 
twenty-two  hours  later.  Like  his  father,  \W.  CariKiitev 
was  a  d-eply  religir,ns  man  and  a  member  of  the  Metho- 
dist church,  and  his  death  was  a  truly  Christian  one.  It 
was  shortly  after  his  nvirriagc  that  he  became  convrteM 
throtii'h  the  prea'ihing  of  ihe  Rev.  Mr.  Peat,  and  from 
that  time  to  the  close  of  his  life  he  remained  a  devoterl 
m'-mfKT  of  thf  f hurrh.  In  politics  .Mr.  Carpentir  was  a 
Whiif,  and  althouj^h  he  was  keenly  interested  in  |r,ial 
affairs  ard  fulfdhd  all  his  duties  as  a  rood  cilizeji,  never 
was  ambitious  for  [K.liti'al  offire  and  r,,nfwc'\  his  activi- 


ties to  his  private  affairs.  He  was  an  affectionate  hus- 
band and  father,  and  his  personal  relations  with  his 
family  and  neiglibors  were  above  reproach  in  all  par- 
ticulars. 

William  Carpenter  was  united  in  marriage,  March  10, 
1846,  at  Jamestown,  with  Sybbel  M.  Jeffords,  a  native  of 
Mayville,  Chautaucpia  county,  N.  Y.,  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Phebe  (Wood)  Jeffords  and  sister  of  the  late  Charles 
L.  Jeffords,  the  axe  manufacturer.  Mrs.  Carpenter  sur- 
vives her  husband,  and  is  one  of  the  best  known  and 
loved  women  of  Jamestown,  where  she  is  popularly 
known  as  "The  Grand  Old  Woman  of  Jamestown."  In 
spite  of  her  age,  having  recently  passed  her  ninety-fourth 
birthday,  when  many  friends  called  to  offer  their  con- 
gratulations, she  is  enjoying  good  health  and  her  facul- 
ties arc  not  greatly  impaired.  She  still  takes  a  deep 
interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  community,  as  she  has 
always  done.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  of  Jamestown,  ar.d  is  a  practical  Christian, 
putting  into  her  everyday  conduct  the  precepts  of  her 
religion  in  a  degree  seldom  seen,  and  performs  her  duties 
with  a  cheerfulness  and  zeal  which  are  a  part  of  the 
highest  Christian  life.  She  has  been  particularly  devoted 
to  her  children's  welfare,  and  has  reared  them  all  to  be 
Christian  men  and  women.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carpenter 
six  children  were  born,  as  follows:  i.  Charles  Franklin, 
who  was  killed  at  the  age  of  five  years  in  an  accident. 
2.  Elial  Foote,  mentioned  below.  3.  Phebe  Wood,  who 
died  March  g,  igo8,  was  the  wife  of  Nicholas  U.  Hiller, 
deceased,  and  to  this  union  were  born  two  children  :  Clyde 
and  Elizabeth.  4.  Mary  Ida,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Alexander  Hiller.  5.  Charles  Jeffords,  mentioned  else- 
where in  the  work.  6.  Julia  W.,  .who  becaine  the  wife 
of  Bartie  R.  Hiller,  who  was  the  American  Express 
Company's  agent  for  upwards  of  thirty  years,  and  died 
in  Jamestown,  April  18,  igi2,  his  remains  interred  in 
Lakeview  Cemetery ;  they  were  the  parents  of  one  child, 
Richard  Carpenter  Hiller,  wdio  is  now  employed  with  the 
Erie  railroad  at  Corry,  Pa. 

Elial  Foote  Carpenter,  seconrl  son  of  William  and 
Sybbel  M.  (Jeffords)  Carpenter,  was  born  in  Westfield, 
N.  Y.,  Oct.  6,  1849,  and  was  educated  at  the  Jamestown 
public  schools.  He  was  but  fourteen  years  of  age  when 
his  father  met  his  death  in  an  accident,  and  the  circum- 
stance forced  him  to  give  up  his  studies  and  go  to  work 
at  a  very  early  age.  He  secured  a  position  in  his  uncle's 
axe  factory,  where  his  father  had  worked  before  him, 
and  there  learned  the  craft  of  axe  making.  After  a  time 
spent  in  that  establishment,  he  withdrew  from  it  and 
started  in  the  same  business  on  his  own  account.  He 
met  with  success  from  the  outset,  and  in  1881  organized 
the  Jamestown  Axe  and  Edge  Tool  Company  in  associa- 
tion with  his  elder  brother,  Charles  J.  Carpenter  and 
John  Kofood.  He  was  himself  the  most  active  partner 
and  worked  with  (he  greatest  industry  towards  its  de- 
velopment up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
July  3,  1887,  in  the  prime  of  his  young  manhood.  Besides 
his  business  activities,  he  was  prominent  in  public  affairs 
in  the  city  and  for  four  years  served  on  the  Jamestown 
Board  of  Aldermen,  being  at  the  lime  the  youngest  man 
on  that  body.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Unitarian  church 
anrj  was  a  good  Christian  man  who  enjoyed  the  respect 
anrl  esteem  of  all  his  fellow-citizens.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Mount    Mori.ih   l.<«lge,  No.   1,1.=;,  Ancient    I'Vee  an-i 


O  ^Cct^    tA^yt>/^^   CcfA  ^y^^^^^^^t^U^i^. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


393 


Accepted  Masons ;  Royal  Arch  Masons ;  Royal  and  Select 
Masters  ;  and  Knights  Templar. 

Mr.  Carpenter  married,  Oct.  i6,  1879,  at  Jamestown, 
Florence  R.  Dawley,  daughter  of  Samuel  B.  and  Lucy 
Jane  (Cook)  Dawley,  who  survivies  him,  and  by  whom 
he  had  two  children,  Clara  F.  and  Ethel  H.,  the  latter 
becoming  the  wife  of  David  C.  Ward.  Mr.  Carpenter 
was  always  especially  devoted  to  his  mother,  who  ten- 
derly cared  for  him  from  childhood  to  manhood  and 
whom  he  held  in  the  highest  honor  and  consideration  and 
consulted  upon  every  important  move  in  his  career  before 
undertaking  it.  Nothing  could  more  conspicuously  illus- 
trate the  depth  of  his  love  and  respect  for  his  mother,  or 
throw  a  clearer  light  on  the  manner  of  man  that  he  was 
than  the  followi:;g  letter,  written  shortly  before  his  death, 
which  will  form  a  fitting  conclusion  to  this  brief  sketch : 

Griswold   House.   Detroit.    Michigan. 
October   17,   18S4. 
My   dear   Motiier: — 

Tlie  matter  of  writing  you  has  been  constantly  be- 
fore me.  still  have  been  obliged  to  defer  the  pleasant 
duty  until  the  present  moment,  it  being  the  first  favor- 
able opportunity  that  has  presented  itself,  and.  al- 
though it  may  not  reach  you  until  my  arrival,  believe, 
however,  it  will  be  none  the  less  acceptable.  Knowing 
the  deep  interest,  anxiety  and  kind  regard  which  you 
possess  for  your  children's  w'elfare.  prompted  by  the 
pure,  sincere  and  unfailing  love  of  the  self-sacrificing 
mother,  which  is  my  privilege  and  honor  to  possess 
and  for  which  I  will  never  cease  to  be  grateful.  Its 
influence  has  directed  all  my  business  transactions  in 
the  direction  of  honesty  and  integrity.  Surrounded  as 
we  all  are  with  temptations,  and  at  times  debating  in 
our  minds  whether  it  is  best  or  proper  to  do  this  thing 
or  that,  apply  the  test  of  mother's  approval  or  dis- 
approval, be  guided  by  it.  and  we  will  at  all  times  be 
found  in  the  proper  place,  our  conduct  such  as  will 
raise  us  in  the  estimation  of  the  people,  strengthen  our 
self-respect,  and  above  all  leave  us  with  the  pleas- 
ant reflection  of  having  done  right. 

So  far  this  trip  has  been  exceptional  in  one  respect, 
that  of  affording  me  an  opportunity  to  see  and  hear 
some  of  the  noted  men  of  the  day.  Have  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  shaking  hands  with  both  James  G.  Blaine  and 
General  Logan,  the  former  at  Saginaw  last  night  and 
the  latter  at  Cincinnati  Saturday  night.  The  prominent 
positions  which  these  men  occupy  ought  to  act  as  a 
strong  incentive  to  every  man,  beginning  as  they  did 
at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder.  In  regard  to  business  it 
is  extremely  dull,  but  the  general  opinion  is  that  it 
will  revive  a  trifle  after  the  November  election.  Have 
had  some  good  promises  made  me  in  regard  to  trade 
for  next  season  and  hope  in  the  near  future  that  it 
will  turn  out  to  have  been  one  of  the  most  profitable 
trips  I  have  made.  I  know,  dear  Mother.  I  have  your 
prayer  and  best  wishes  for  success,  and  it  strengthens 
and  stimulates  me  to  put  forth  every  effort,  ^'e  are 
gaining  steadily  step  by  step  and  are  doing  better  than 
a  great  many  in  our  line.  Give  my  love  to  all.  Say 
to  brother  Charlie  that  I  offer  an  apology  for  not  writ- 
ing to  him.  but  my  time  has  been  closely  occupied  and 
that  he  will  take  the  will  for  the  deed  and  a  promise 
to   do   better  in  the   future. 

There  are  many  things  I  wish  to  say  to  you  but  will 
forbear  with  the  exception  of  this  one  statement.  I 
fully  realize  our  position  and  that  our  success  depends 
entirely  upon  ourselves,  for  we  have  as  good  a  start 
as  any  young  men  could  have  who  haven't  money.  Of 
course  competition  is  sharp,  but  nothing  worth  hav- 
ing in  this  world  comes  without  an  effort:  if  we  would 
wear  the  crown  we  must  bear  the  cross.  I  know  we 
can  succeed  in  building  up  a  large  and  profitable  busi- 
ness, and  to  that  end  let  us  put  forth  every  effort  and, 
dear  mother,  may  we  all  be  spared  to  see  your  wishes 
and  ambition  gratified,  in  that  of  seeing  your  two 
sons  honorable  and  respected  men  and  their  efforts 
crowned  with  success  in  establishing  with  their  own 
hands   a   large   and   profitable   business. 

With    best   wishes  and   kindest   regards   to   all,   I  am 
vour  affectionate  son. 

(elgned)      ELIAL,. 


COLONEL    ELIAL    FOOTE     CARPENTER— 

There  are  men  whose  memories  are  always  green  in  the 
minds  of  those  who  knew  them;  whose  personalities  are 


so  vivid  that  the  recollection  of  them  is  fadeless ;  men 
of  whom  we  cannot  say,  "They  are  dead,"  because  their 
life  still  throbs  in  the  hearts  that  loved  them.  To  this 
class  of  men  belonged  Col.  Elial  Foote  Carpenter,  for 
many  years  prominent  in  the  commercial  and  social 
circles  of  the  city  of  Jamestown  and  State  of  New  York, 
and  who  still  lives  as  one  of  the  signal  men  in  our  coun- 
ty's history  whose  name  and  record  can  never  be  for- 
gotten by  the  people  of  Chautauqua  county. 

Col.  Elial  Foote  Carpenter  was  born  in  Jamestown, 
May  8,  1826,  the  third  son  of  William  and  Nancy  (Blake) 
Carpenter.  He  was  reared  in  Jamestown  and  educated 
in  her  public  schools,  and  soon  after  leaving  school  went 
on  a  visit  to  one  of  his  sisters  who  resided  in  Kentucky. 
Here  he  passed  two  years  as  manager  of  a  large  tobacco 
plantation,  but  the  cruel  and  inhuman  treatment  expected 
by  his  employer  to  be  shown  to  the  slaves  was  more  than 
his  nature  could  bear,  and  although  offered  large  pay  he 
resigned  his  position  and  returned  to  Jamestown,  where 
he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  buying  along  the 
Allegheny  river  and  its  tributaries,  and  rafting  to  Pitts- 
burgh, Cincinnati  and  Louisville.  He  subsecjuently  be- 
came engaged  in  the  manufacturing  of  axes  at  James- 
town, and  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  found  him  in  the 
oil  fields  of  Pennsylvania. 

Hearkening  to  his  country's  call  to  arms,  he  laid  aside 
his  pursuits  as  a  private  citizen  and  enlisted,  Aug.  16, 
1S61,  in  the  49th  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers,  and 
upon  the  organization  of  the  regiment  was  elected  second 
lieutenant  of  Company  K.  In  April,  1862,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  first  lieutenant.  He  participated  in  the  battles 
of  the  Peninsular  campaign  under  Gen.  McClellan.  Upon 
the  organization  of  the  112th  Regim.ent  it  was  decided 
that  its  staff  officers  should  be  men  of  tried  ability  and 
military  experience.  Lieut.  Carpenter  was  transferred 
from  the  49th  to  the  112th  Regiment,  made  major,  and 
was  soon  after  promoted  to  be  lieutenant-colonel  of  the 
regiment,  and  for  some  time  prior  to  his  death  was  in 
active  command.  The  first  battle  in  which  this  regiment 
was  engaged  occurred  on  Friday,  Jan.  30,  1863,  near 
Suffolk,  Va.  From  this  time  Col.  Carpenter  was  at  the 
front  almost  constantly  with  his  regiment,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  four  months  passed  in  recruiting  service,  and 
the  hardships  endured,  the  heroic  achievements  of  the 
Il2th,  and  the  important  duties  they  performed  is  part 
of  the  history  of  that  ever  memorable  struggle.  After 
the  transfer  of  his  regiment  to  the  Army  of  the  James, 
Col.  Carpenter  was  in  constant  command.  At  the  battle 
of  Drewry's  Bluff,  near  Bermuda  Hundred,  his  regi- 
ment was  ordered  to  the  right  wing  of  the  army  to  sup- 
port Gen.  Heckman,  who  was  in  desperate  straits.  This 
was  between  four  and  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  a 
thick  fog  so  obscured  the  vision  that  they  had  to  grope 
their  way.  When  they  arrived  at  the  place  where  Gen. 
Heckman's  troops  should  have  been,  not  finding  them, 
Col.  Carpenter  sent  Lieut.  Hedges  forward  to  recon- 
noiter ;  he  soon  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  rebels.  As  he 
did  not  return,  Col.  Carpenter,  an.xious  about  his  fate, 
putting  spurs  to  his  horse,  rode  forward  to  see  what  had 
become  of  him.  The  fog  was  so  thick  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  see  objects  clearly,  but  all  at  once  Col.  Car- 
penter found  himself  within  the  lines  of  a  rebel  brigade, 
who  rose  up  on  all  sides  of  him  and  demanded  his  sur- 
render.    Instead  of   surrendering,  he  wheeled   his  horse 


394 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


and  retreated,  at  the  same  time  ordering  his  men  to  fall 
back.  He  was  followed  by  a  perfect  shower  of  bullets, 
one  of  which  struck  him  in  the  side,  passing  through  his 
lungs,  but  he  was  saved  from  capture  by  his  horse,  which 
bore  him  to  the  rear.  He  received  all  the  care  and  atten- 
tion it  was  ix)ssible  to  bestow  upon  him,  but  in  vain ;  the 
wound  was  fatal,  and  on  the  morning  of  May  i8,  1S04, 
two  days  after  he  had  received  his  death  wound,  his 
spirit  passed  awa\-  from  earth  at  a  farm  house  where  he 
had  been  carried  by  his  devoted  followers. 

On  July  3.  1S4S.  he  married  Julia  .\.  Jeffords,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Phoebe  i,\\"ood)  JefTords.  To  Col.  and 
Mrs.  Carpenter  were  born  three  children:  i.  Belle  E., 
wife  of  Theodore  E.  Grandin,  whose  biographical  record 
precedes  this.  2.  Franc  C,  who  married  (first)  Henry 
Charles  Blanchard.  and  (second)  Frederick  A.  Bright- 
man.  (See  following  sketches').  3.  .-Vddie  J.,  who  mar- 
ried \V.  P.  Frink. 

In  religious  affiliation.  Col.  Carpenter  was  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  was  a  sincere 
Christian.  Politically  he  was  a  Republican,  but  never 
cared  for  o/nce.  Col.  Elial  Foote  Carpenter  was  endowed 
with  those  qualities  which  naturally  constitute  men  lead- 
ers, and  by  sturdy  observation  and  careful  examinatioi, 
and  application  01  principles  he  greatly  overcame  all  the 
disadvantages  which  he  confronted,  and  made  his  life 
useful  and  honorable,  and  his  death  universally  mourned 
and  regretted.  This  is  a  splendid  ideal.  For  years,  to  the 
best  of  his  ability  and  according  to  the  light  God  gave 
him.  Col.  Carpenter  tried  to  follow  it.  Will  men  say  as 
much  of  the  rest  of  us  when  we  lay  down  our  burdens' 
.•\nd,  if  they  should,  should  we  not  gladly  admit  that  he 
was  one  of  the  first  to  follow  it,  and  by  the  fame  he  won 
and  the  example  he  set  put  us  on  the  way? 


HENRY  CHARLES  BLANCHARD— The  Blanch- 
ard family  herein  reviewed  came  to  Western  New  York 
from  the  State  of  Xew  Hampshire  about  1824,  and 
arrived  in  the  town  of  Ellicott,  Chautauqua  county,  ten 
yc-ars  later.  .\mos  Blanchard,  the  founder,  was  born  in 
.•\ntrim,  \.  H.,  in  1799.  died  June  16,  1891.  at  his  farm 
in  Ellicott.  Upon  coming  to  Western  Xew  York  in  1824, 
he  ."iettlcd  in  Erie  county,  at  .•\urora,  there  residing  until 
i8j4.  when  he  moved  to  Chautauciua  county,  purchasing 
a  large  farm  in  the  town  of  Ellicrtt,  and  for  over  half 
a  centur>'  devoted  himself  to  its  improvement  and  culti- 
vation. He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  an  official 
memb'T  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Jamestowti. 
He  married  Eunice  Flint  anfl  they  v/ere  the  parents  of 
seven  sons  and  a  daughter.  Amos  Bl.-inchard  was  a  son 
of  Caleb  Blanrhard,  also  born  in  the  "Granite  Slate,"  in 
the  villag<-  of  .'\ntrim.  where  his  life  v.-as  passed  as 
farmer  and  merchant.  .Amos  Blanchard  lived  to  the  great 
at'f  of  ninety-two  years,  and  of  these  years  sixty-seven 
w'-T"  <.;Knt  in  W'-stern  New  York,  fifty-seven  being 
sixTt  in  the  town  of  Ellicott. 

H'ury  CTiarl's  Blanchard,  .son  of  Amos  and  Eunice 
f Flint)  Blanchard,  was  born  in  Aurora,  Eric  county, 
N'.  Y.,  Jan.  i;;.  i8r',  died  Aug.  27,  i88t,  in  Jamestown, 
and  i^  buried  in  l-akeview  Cemetery.  He  studied  mcdi- 
cir<?  imd'T  Dr.  Gray,  of  Jamestown,  and  later  ent'-red 
Dartmouth  College,  whence  he  was  graduated.  After 
rfceivintf  hii  'Ufrnc  he  bf-fan  prartirc  at  Aurora,  N.  Y., 
but  not  lontf  afterwards  located  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  where 


he  successfully  practiced  his  profession  for  twenty  years. 
He  flien  returned  to  Jamestown,  opening  an  office  at  No. 
210  West  Third  street,  his  residence  being  on  Chandler 
street.  He  became  a  well  known,  influential  citizen  of 
Jamestown  and  was  regarded  as  a  skilled  and  successful 
physician. 

During  the  Civil  War,  Dr.  Blanchard  offered  his  serv- 
ices to  the  government  and  served  with  distinction  as  a 
surgeon,  attaining  the  rank  of  lieutenant-cclonel  and 
later  colonel  of  his  regiment,  the  78th  New  York.  Dur- 
ing the  war  he  served  his  country  in  many  hard- fought 
battles,  and  in  one  of  the  battles  toward  the  end  of  the 
war  he  was  wounded ;  later  received  his  honorable  dis- 
cliarge  from  the  service.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics, 
and  a  Presbyterian  in  religion.  Among  his  professional 
brethren  and  friends,  his  standing  was  high,  his  intel- 
lectual attainments  and  ability  as  a  physician  being 
recognized,  and  as  a  soldier  he  was  one  of  the  bravest 
of  the  brave. 

Col.  Blanchard  married  (first)  Caroline  Lamson,  ot 
Detroit,  who  died  a  year  after  her  marriage.  He  mar- 
ried (second)  in  June,  iSSo,  at  Jamestown,  Franc  C.  Car- 
penter, daughter  of  Col.  Elial  Foote  Carpenter,  and  sis- 
ter of  Mrs.  Belle  Grandin  and  Mrs.  W.  P.  Frink,  of 
Jamestown.  Col.  Elial  Foote  Carpenter  was  lieutenant- 
colonel  of  the  ii2th  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  at  the  battle  of  Proctor's  Creek  was  mor- 
tally wounded  and  died  the  following  night.  May  8,  1864. 
Col.  and  Mrs.  Blanchard  were  the  parents  of  Henry 
Charles  (2),  of  whom  further. 

Henry  Charles  (2)  Blanchard  was  born  in  James- 
town, N.  Y.,  Jidy  4,  1 881,  died  in  Paris,  Okla.,  Sept.  i, 
1913-  He  completed  public  school  courses  of  study  with 
graduation  from  Jamestown  High  School,  and  entered 
Hobart  College,  whence  he  was  graduated  with  honors. 
Deciding  upon  his  profession,  he  entered  Rensselaer 
Polytechnic  School,  Troy,  N.  Y.,  whence  he  was  gradu- 
ated C.  E.  For  eight  years  after  graduation  he  was 
engaged  in  professional  work  in  Jamestown  in  connec- 
tion with  the  city  engineering  department.  During  a  part 
of  that  ix?riod  he  was  engaged  in  the  survey  of  the  rail- 
way between  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and  Warren,  Pa.  He 
was  also  engaged  on  the  survey  for  the  steamboat  land- 
ings in  the  city  and  along  the  lake.  He  closed  his  work 
in  Jamestown  and  went  West,  being  for  a  time  in  Coffey- 
ville,  Kan.,  going  thence  to  Fort  Smith  in  1907,  then 
accepting  a  position  as  assistant  to  the  city  engineer  in 
charge  of  street  paving.  Two  years  later  (1900)  he 
accepted  the  call  of  the  city  engineer  of  Hugo.  Okla., 
and  there  continued  until  his  passing  away. 

In  Hugo,  Mr.  Blanchard  with  Hiram  Phillips,  a  con- 
sulting engineer  of  St.  Louis,  laid  the  broad  plan  of  the 
city's  splendid  water  works  system,  and  it  is  due  to  Mr. 
Blanchard's  untiring  activity,  his  tact  and  ability,  that 
the  city  has  its  water  plant,  for  opposition  was  strong 
and  at  times  oidy  his  coolness  and  wise  counsel  prevented 
an  overthrow  of  all  his  plans.  The  plant  was  finally 
completed  at  a  cost  of  $265,000.  He  al.so  built  for  Hugo 
a  .$75,000  sewer  system,  and  seven  miles  of  paved  streets, 
costing  $200,000,  making  Hugo  the  best  paved  city  in 
Oklahoma.  This  completed  his  life  work,  but  in  Hugo 
these  public  works  stand  as  momnnents  to  his  ability 
and  faithfulness.  He  was  ill  but  a  few  weeks;  an  opera- 
tion becoming  necessary,  he  was  taken  to  the  Aiken  Hos- 


;^^>;. 


y^-^.  /^a^^^^^j/,/^ 


v^«^ 


n /I /■////   .      ' .    '     /  I /■, // 


^.-(yi;\. 


%0r 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


395 


pital  in  Paris,  Okla.,  and  there  died.  He  was  brought 
to  Jamestown  and  laid  at  rest  in  Lakeview  Cemetery.  He 
was  a  moniber  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  ot 
Elks,  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles,  and  the  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons. 

Col.  Blanchard  (as  he  was  always  called)  married,  in 
April,  1910,  Helen  Reinbold,  at  her  home  in  Wichita, 
Kan.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  children,  Helen  and 
Jane.     Said  the  Hugo  "Daily  Husonian  :" 

Should  a  stranger  have  asked  in  Hugo  what  man  is 
best  beloved  bv  his  friends  the  answer  would  have 
been  "Colonel"  Blanchard.  With  his  sunny  smile,  his 
cheerful  greeting,  a  meeting  with  him  on  the  street 
was  like  a  rav  of  sunshine.  Open  and  above  board  in 
all  his  dealings  the  respect  ot  all  was  his,  faithful  and 
true  to  his  task,  giving  his  ail  to  his  work,  admira- 
tion of  the  man's  character  was  involuntary.  A  faith- 
ful husband,  a  loving  son,  a  devoted  father,  in  his 
home  life  he  was  an  example  to  be  followed. 

Mr.  Blanchard's  mother,  Mrs.  Frederick  A.  Brightman, 
of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  was  with  her  son  at  the  last,  and 
with  her  daughter-in-law  brought  his  body  to  James- 
town for  burial. 

Mrs.  Franc  C.  (Carpenter)  Blanchard,  widow  of  Col. 
Henry  C.  Blanchard,  M.  D.,  survived  her  husband  and 
married  (second)  June  23,  1900,  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
Frederick  Allen  Brightman,  born  in  Clymer,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  son  of  Joseph  and  Priscilla  (Allen) 
Brightman. 


FREDERICK  A.  BRIGHTMAN  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  Panama,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
at  Fredonia  State  Normal  School,  and  Albany  Law 
School.  He  taught  school  in  Chautauqua  county  for 
several  years  after  graduation  from  "Normal."  He  then 
began  the  study  of  law  under  the  preceptorship  of  Wal- 
ter Loran  Sessions,  an  eminent  Chautauquan,  then  prac- 
ticing in  Panama.  After  his  admission  to  the  New  York 
bar,  he  began  practice  in  Panama  as  a  partner  with  Mr. 
Sessions  under  the  firm  name  Sessions  &  Brightman. 
Later,  when  Mr.  Brightman  located  in  Jamestown,  he 
practiced  his  profession  with  A.  C.  Pickard  as  partner 
and  later  with  D.  D.  Dorns.  Finally  Mr.  Brightman 
abandoned  the  practice  of  law,  and  for  seventeen  years 
was  connected  with  the  Art  Metal  Construction  Company 
of  Jamestown.  He  is  now  and  for  several  years  has  been 
associated  with  the  American  Express  Company  in 
Jamestown.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 


MARVIN  N.  EVERETT— The  name  Everett  is 
derived,  according  to  two  noted  authorities  on  English 
nomenclature,  Bardsley  and  Harrison,  from  old  Eng- 
lish, French  and  Teutonic  word  forms,  the  former  trans- 
lating them  as  boar  plus  brave,  the  latter  as  boar  plus 
counsel.  The  name  was  originally  doubtless  a  descriptive 
title  designating  its  bearer  as  the  possessor  of  staunch, 
aggressive  courage  or  keen  sagacity.  The  first  form  was 
Everard,  the  next  change  Evered,  and  then  the  final 
"d"  was  sharpened  into  "t"  in  Everett.  A  distinguished 
record  in  civil,  military,  and  religious  callings  has  been 
written  in  the  family  name  in  England,  and  its  Ameri- 
can history  dates  from  1636.  when  Richard  Everett 
founded   a   numerous   progeny    in    New    England.      The 


Everett  family  herein  mentioned,  however,  records  its 
first  annals  in  this  country  at  a  later  period,  through 
John  Everett,  though  its  origin  traces  back  to  the  same 
common  ancestor  in  England. 

Arms — Gules,  a  chevron  paly  of  eight  or  and  azure, 
between  three  mullets  argent;  a  bordure  wavy  of  the 
second. 

Crest — A  griffin's  head  sable  erased  gules  charged 
with  three  barrulets,  that  in  the  middle  argent,  the 
other  two   or,   over  all  a  pallet  wavy  ermine. 

Motto — Festina   lente. 

(I)  The  first  generation  of  this  line  of  the  Everett 
family  of  whom  there  is  record  extant  was  a  Rev. 
Everett,  a  Presbyterian  minister  of  England,  who  re- 
mained in  that  country  all  of  his  life.  The  name  of 
John  is  a  tradition  in  the  family,  and  it  is  probable  that 
this  was  the  name  he  bore.  He  was  the  father  of  an 
only  child,  John  Everett,  the  immigrant  ancestor,  who 
came  to  this  country  about  1770. 

(II)  John  Everett,  founder  of  his  line  in  America, 
was  a  young  man  of  venturesome  spirit  and  independ- 
ent nature  and  did  not  come  kindly  under  the  strong 
religious  discipline  of  his  father,  the  Rev.  Everett.  Con- 
sequently, in  early  young  manhood,  he  came  to  America 
with  two  other  youths  of  his  own  age,  arriving  in  New 
York  about  1770.  He  followed  the  Hudson  river  north- 
ward, and  settled  in  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.,  this  being 
the  first  definite  location  of  this  branch  of  the  Everett 
family  in  America.  According  to  family  history,  he 
was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  fought  in  the  Ameri- 
can army  in  battles  and  campaigns  in  the  neighborhood 
of  his  home.  Records  show  that  John  Everett  is  listed 
as  a  private  in  Col.  Malcom's  regiment  and  in  the  Third 
Regiment  of  Orange  County  Militia  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary War.  John  Everett  married,  and  had  two  sons : 
John,  of  whom  further;  and  Daniel. 

(III)  John  (2)  Everett,  son  of  John  (i)  Everett,  the 
immigrant  ancestor,  was  born  about  1795,  in  Saratoga 
county,  N.  Y.  He  became  a  manufacturer  of  measures, 
and  his  products  were  periodically  shipped  down  the 
Hudson  river  to  New  York  City,  where  they  were  sold 
in  the  open  market.  He  was  the  owner  of  a  substantial 
business,  and  acquired  title  to  considerable  land  in  Sara- 
toga county;  two  parcels  were  deeded  to  him  in  1820 
and  1836.  He  remained  in  Saratoga  county  many  years, 
then  moved  to  Fulton  county,  N.  Y.,  locating  at  Cran- 
berry Creek,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years. 

Mr.  Everett  married,  in  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.,  about 
1822-23,  Elizabeth  Walker,  of  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  The 
first  pioneer  families  of  Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.,  in- 
cluded the  Walker  family,  the  members  of  which  were 
well  known  and  highly  respected.  Elizabeth  (\^'alker) 
Everett  was  a  devout  Christian,  finding  in  religious 
work  and  belief  the  inspiration  for  a  life  that,  at  its 
best,  lacked  many  of  the  comforts  and  pleasures  of  the 
present  day.  To  her  family  she  was  devotion  itself, 
and  to  them  she  transmitted  her  many  excellent  quali- 
ties of  mind  and  heart,  a  strong  intellectuality,  a  love 
of  literature,  and  reverence  for  the  word  of  God.  She 
was  an  ideal  homemaker,  spun  the  family  garments,  and 
performed  much  of  the  work  of  the  house  herself,  mak- 
ing it  a  place  where  her  family,  relatives  and  their 
friends,  loved  to  gather.  She  died  in  1881,  at  Falconer, 
N.  Y.,  where  she  had  come  is  later  years  with  her  chil- 
dren.    John  and  Elizabeth   (Walker)   Everett  were  the 


396 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


parents  of  eight  children,  as  follows:  i.  John,  of  whom 
further.  2.  Marvin  X..  of  whom  further.  3.  Benjamin, 
died  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years.  4.  Nelson,  died  at 
the  age  of  lifteen  years.  5.  Miranda,  died  at  the  age 
of  eighteen  years.  6.  Washington,  married  Alary 
Adams ;  he  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  also  was 
a  Civil  War  veteran.  7.  William,  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years.  8.  Melvin,  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and 
the  only  sur\-iving  member  of  the  family:  he  resides 
at  Falconer.  X.  Y.,  and  is  unmarried. 

(W)  John  (3)  Everett,  son  of  John  (2)  and  Eliza- 
beth (,\Valker"l  Everett,  was  born  in  Saratoga  county, 
X'.  Y..  Feb.  18.  1S25.  He  worked  at  home  with  his 
father.  like  his  brother,  Marvin  X\,  and  when  a  yotmg 
man  removed  to  Chautauqua  county,  X^.  Y.  He  became 
a  builder  of  fiat  boats,  in  association  with  his  brother, 
Marvin  X..  on  whicli  they  shipped  various  cargoes  down 
the  .\llegheny  river  to  the  Ohio  river,  thence  to  Pitts- 
burgh. Pa.,  where  their  products  were  sold  in  the  mar- 
ket. He  prospered  in  this  enterprise,  and  later  became 
a  manufacturer  of  sash  and  doors,  and  one  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  Falconer,  N.  Y. 

Nfr.  Everett  married  Elizabeth  Yaw.  and  to  them  were 
born  the  following  children  :  Martha  F.,  w'ho  became 
the  wife  of  Jackson  C.  Meridith,  a  business  man  of 
Jamestown :  Walter  R..  whose  sketch  follows ;  John.  Jr., 
married  Jennie  Young,  by  whom  he  liad  three  children. 

(I\')  Marvin  X.  Everett,  son  of  John  (2)  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Walker)  Everett,  was  born  at  Maxon  Hill,  Sara- 
toga county,  X.  Y.,  March  24,  1828,  and  died  in  James- 
t''Wn,  X.  Y.,  Feb.  4,  1909,  aged  eighty  3'ears,  eleven 
months  and  twenty  days,  and  was  buried  in  Lakeview 
Cemeter>-.  His  youth  was  passed  in  Saratoga  county, 
in  association  with  his  father,  who  was  a  manufacturer 
of  measures.  In  1850,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years, 
the  young  man  left  home  and  made  his  way  westward, 
finally  locating  at  Worksburg,  now  Falconer,  Chau- 
tauqua county.  X.  Y.  There,  with  his  brother  John 
he  engaged  in  the  building  of  flat  boats,  which  they 
loader!  with  produce  and  sent  down  the  .-Mlegheny  river 
to  Pittsburgh.  In  1854  he  sold  his  business  interests 
at  Falconer  to  his  brother,  and  spent  the  following  six 
years  in  the  .'^tate  of  California,  as  a  millwright  in 
Sacramento,  and  later  located  in  Trinity  county,  where 
he  became  a  successful  gold  miner.  In  i860  he  returned 
to  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  bought  a  large  farm 
in  the  town  of  Gerry,  which  he  owned  and  conducted 
for  five  years.  In  186^  he  married,  and  later  went  W'ejt 
on  account  of  his  wife's  health,  locating  in  Kansas. 
There  Mr.  Everett  iKjuglit  considerable  land,  and  also 
f  ngagod  in  the  brokerage  business  in  Minneapolis,  Kan. 
.Xftrr  spending  two  years  in  Kansas,  he  again  returned 
to  Chautauqua  county,  locating  in  the  town  of  Gerry. 

.^fter  the  death  of  his  wife  he  made  his  home  in  Fal- 
coner, where  he  married  again,  in  [875,  and  in  1881 
built  a  fine  residence  in  Falconer,  which  he  occupied 
until  i8';5,  then  moved  to  Jamestown.  In  1887  Mr. 
E\-crctt  drew  plans  and  built  the  Hotel  Everett  on  West 
First  'trect,  Jamestown,  at  a  cost  of  $50,000.  This  was 
a  stib^ilantial  building  of  brick  and  stone,  five  stf^rics 
in  h'ight,  W'll  apiKjinted,  and  one  of  the  leading  hotels 
in  its  day.  He  contimied  owner  of  the  hotel  until  1892, 
when  he  sold  it  and  retired  from  active  business. 

Mr.  Everett  was  very  fond  of  mechanical  work,  a 
genius  in  many  ways,  fond  of  scientific  studies,  and  a 


constant  reader.  He  also  at  one  time  had  quite  an  ex- 
tensive apiary,  and  was  deeply  interested  in  bee  culture, 
to  whicli  he  devoted  much  time  and  study.  Strictly 
temperate  himself,  he  strongly  advocated  the  cause  of 
temperance  in  the  most  pronounced  way,  and  to  his  in- 
terest and  generosity  the  building  of  the  First  Metho- 
dist Church  of  Falconer  is  due.  The  beautiful  house  on 
Main  street.  Falconer,  was  sold  by  Mr.  Everett  in  1895, 
and  a  residence  established  at  No,  105  West  Second 
street,  Jamestown,  where  he  resided  until  his  death.  He 
was  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  strictly  adhered  to  the 
policies  of  his  party.  He  was  ever  interested  in  the 
welfare  of  the  community  and  gave  much  of  his  time 
and  material  assistance  to  public-spirited  movements. 

Mr.  Everett  married  (first)  June  23,  1S66,  Emily  J. 
Perry,  daughter  of  Ebenezer  and  Susan  (Coil)  Perry. 
He  married  (second)  March  3,  1875,  Viola  D.  Oburg, 
daughter  of  Oscar  and  Bebe  (Wellman)  Oburg,  of 
Ashville,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  Mrs.  Everett  sur- 
vives her  husband,  a  woman  of  forceful  character,  busi- 
ness ability,  and  womanly  virtues.  She  was  always  a 
true  partner  and  helpmate,  and  of  real  assistance  to  her 
husband  in  his  business  undertakings.  When  his  health 
failed  she  assumed  the  management  of  the  Hotel  Everett 
and  so  continued  until  that  property  was  sold.  In  1908 
she  occupied  the  Marvin  House  of  twenty-one  rooms, 
and  in  1909  she  bought  the  property  from  the  heirs  of 
the  Isabelle  Marvin  estate  and  has  since  operated  it  with 
success.  She  also  built,  adjoining  the  Marvin  House, 
a  three-story  brick  block,  the  first  story  now  occupied 
by  tlie  American  Railway  Express  Company  and  the 
Williamson  Veneer  Company'.  The  upper  stories  con- 
stitute the  Lawrence  Hotel.  In  addition  to  these  prop- 
erties, Mrs.  Everett  is  the  owner  of  other  valuable  real 
estate  in  Jamestown,  where  she  is  known  and  recog- 
nized as  a  woman  of  rare  executive  ability.  She  is  of 
deeply  charitable  impulse,  and  interested  in  all  public 
movements  for  the  good  of  her  community.  She  has  a 
host  of  friends  and  is  highly  esteemed.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Everett  were  without  children. 

(\")  Walter  R.  Everitt,  son  of  John  (3)  and  Eliza- 
beth (Yaw)  Everett,  the  former  spelling  his  name 
"Everitt"  and  the  latter  "Everett,"  was  born  March 
16,  1855,  in  Falconer,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  He 
was  educated  in  the  common  schools  in  Falconer  and 
Jamestown  High  School.  At  the  age  of  twenty  years 
he  went  to  the  State  of  Kansas,  remaining  for  a  year 
on  account  of  poor  health,  then  returned  East,  going  to 
Bradford,  Pa.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  wagon  manu- 
facturing business  with  a  Mr.  Larson.  In  those  days 
there  were  no  pipe  lines  to  convey  the  crude  oil  found 
in  the  oil  fields  about  Bradford  and  wagon  making  was 
an  allied  industry,  thus  the  wagons  made  by  Mr.  Everitt 
were  used  to  transjKirt  oil  to  market.  A  few  years  were 
si)ent  here  and  then  he  returned  to  his  native  town,  Fal- 
ctmer,  where  he  assumed  the  management  of  the  affairs 
of  his  father's  estate.  In  1887  he  built  a  large  ware- 
house and  grist  mill  in  P'alconer  and  took  in  as  a  part- 
ner, Wellington  Warner.  .'Xfter  Mr.  Warner's  death  in 
i8()(;,  Mr.  Everitt  sold  the  mill  and  retired  from  active 
business  life.  He  lived  retired  in  I'alconer  until  the 
latter  part  of  I'JOS,  when  he  went  to  San  Diego,  Cal., 
to  benefit  his  health,  remaining  a  year  and  a  half;  he 
then  came  East  to  look  after  some  of  his  interests.  He 
left  Falconer  a  second  time  for  California  and  his  health 


'7^}JU€L  1^  S ^^Cruti 


/A/t     (^.iC. 


^^, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


397 


was  seemingly  improved  by  travel  and  change  of  climate; 
in  1908  he  became  connected  with  a  biological  station  at 
La  Jolla  in  a  minor  position.  This  station  has  since  be- 
come the  Scripps  Institution  for  Biological  Research  of 
the  University  of  California.  Here  Mr.  Everitt  acquired 
much  knowledge,  training  and  experience  in  the  study 
of  biology,  his  duties  at  La  Jolla  being  to  collect  and 
care  for  molluscs,  fish  and  various  other  marine  ani- 
mals. In  the  course  of  time  it  was  recommended  by  Dr. 
Ritter,  who  was  director  of  the  station,  that  Mr.  Everitt 
be  transferred  to  the  University  at  Berkeley.  The 
recommendation  was  accepted  by  the  faculty  and  subse- 
quently he  was  with  the  department  of  zoology  for 
several  years.  During  his  residence  in  California  he 
made  a  large  personal  collection  of  things  pertaining 
to  biology  and  one  of  the  finest  assortments  of  sea  shells 
known  in  this  country.  The  shells  are  now  being  prepared 
and  will  be  presented  presently  to  the  University  of  Cali- 
fornia as  the  Walter  R.  Everitt  collection.  In  191 1  he 
returned  a  third  time  to  Falconer  and  remained  eight 
years,  until  Nov.  30,  1919,  when  most  of  his  interests 
here  were  settled.  He  then  decided  to  go  to  La  Jolla, 
Ca!..  established  a  home  and  spend  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  His  health  was  apparently  good  and  improved 
from  its  condition  in  earlier  life,  and  his  sudden  death 
from  heart  trouble  came  as  a  great  shock  to  his  wife, 
relatives  and  friends,  Sept.  30,  1920,  and  later  he  was 
laid  at  rest  in  Pine  Hill  Cemetery,  Falconer,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  Everitt  was  a  man  of  retired  nature  and  did  not 
indulge  in  fraternal  or  club  life,  being  a  great  lover  of 
the  home.  His  recreation  was  one  of  study,  being  a  con- 
stant reader.  He  did  considerable  research  work  during 
his  leisure  moments  in  the  study  and  collection  of  marine 
life.  He  was  a  true  student  of  nature,  very  fond  of 
travel,  and  a  keen  observer,  .Another  of  his  favorite 
pastimes  was  to  care  for  his  garden,  in  which  he  did 
much  to  develop  horticulture  and  agriculture.  He  was 
a  strong  advocate  of  outdoor  life,  as  has  been  shown  by 
his  outdoor  activities.  In  politics  he  was  affiliated  with 
the  Republican  party,  but  independent  and  progressive 
with  his  vote,  and  in  religion,  while  he  was  not  a  mem- 
ber of  anv  church,  he  most  devotedly  lived  a  Christian 
life. 

Mr.  Everitt  married  (first)  in  1895,  Catherine  Cryan, 
of  Dunkirk,  N.  Y. ;  she  died  in  IQ02.  He  married  (sec- 
ond) in  1920,  Mrs.  Ada  (Pew)  Mayo,  of  Helena,  Mont., 
daughter  of  George  W.  Pew.  Mr.  Pew  was  a  graduate 
of  Cornell  LTniversity  and  held  life  certificates  as  a 
teacher  in  the  States  of  New  York,  Wisconsin  and 
Iowa. 

(The    Oburg    Line). 

The  name  Oburg  is  one  of  old  origin  in  Sweden,  and 
many  people  bearing  it  are  of  high  station  in  life ;  this 
is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  several  of  Sweden's  fore- 
most citizens  bear  this  name. 

Oburg  (Oberg)  Arms — Or.  two  lozenges  conjoined  in 
fesse   sable. 

Crest — Out  of  a  tube  or  three  peacock  plumes  proper, 
charged  witli  two  lozenges  of  the  shield. 

Supporters — Two  lions   rampant  reguardant   or. 

The  life  of  Oscar  Oburg,  in  which  this  narrative  chiefly 
deals,  is  one  which  bears  out  the  traditions  of  the  Oburg 
family.  This  line-of  the  Oburg  family  of  Sweden  was 
founded  in  the  United  States  by  Peter  Oburg,  who  was 
bom  near  Stockholm,  Sweden,  and  lived  there  until  1849, 


when  he  and  his  family  emigrated  to  America,  arriving 
at  New  York  City.  From  New  York  City  he  came  to 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  by  the  way  of  Buffalo  and 
Dunkirk,  thence  to  Jamestown,  mostly  by  boat  and  stage 
coach. 

^Ir.  Oburg  married,  in  his  native  land,  Margaret 
,  and  to  them  were  born  five  children  before  com- 
ing here:  I.  Caroline,  married  John  Anderson,  and  they 
lived  near  Sugar  Grove,  Pa.,  later  at  Red  Wing,  Minn., 
where  they  died.     2.   Mary,  died  young,  unmarried.     3. 

Pontius,   married   Mary  ;   they  went  to   Indiana, 

where  both   died  at  an  early  age.     4.  Oscar,  of  whom 

further.     5.   Frank,   married   Eliza  ;   he   went  to 

Peoria,  111. ;  during  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  in  the 
army,  sersdng  for  four  years,  taking  part  in  many  im- 
portant battles. 

Oscar  Oburg,  son  of  Peter  and  Margaret  Oburg,  was 
bora  Feb.  25,  1833.  near  Stockholm,  Sweden.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  he  came  to  this  country  with  his  parents, 
and  upon  his  arrival  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  he  found  em- 
ployment at  the  old  Shaw  Hotel  in  this  city,  which  was 
located  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  West  Third  streets, 
the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Prendergast  block.  The 
Shaw  Hotel  was  a  regular  stop  for  stage  coaches,  then 
practically  the  only  means  of  travel,  a  change  of  horses 
being  necessary  at  the  hotel  stables,  and  it  was  here  that 
the  young  man  secured  his  first  employment.  Later 
Oscar  Oburg  went  to  Ashville,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  where  for  some  time  he  was  engaged  in  the  tailor- 
ing business,  having  learned  the  trade  in  his  native  land. 
He  remained  in  this  business  for  some  time,  subse- 
quently becoming  interested  in  the  shoe  business,  which 
he  continued  until  after  the  Civil  War,  when  he  turned 
his  attention  to  farming,  following  this  calling  until  old 
age  compelled  his  retirement.  Mr.  Oburg  was  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  and  was  active  on  the  local  town 
election  boards;  a  devoted  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  of  Ashville  for  more  than  sixty-six 
years.  He  was  greatly  interested  in  church  work,  being 
at  various  times  steward,  trustee,  class  leader,  super- 
intendent of  the  Sunday  school,  and  filled  various  other 
offices.  He  was  a  man  of  high  religious  character,  kind- 
hearted  and  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him.  From  an 
humble  immigrant  boy  he  arose  to  a  station  of  high  re- 
spect and  esteem  in  his  community. 

Oscar  Oburg  married,  in  Ashville,  Feb.  27,  1852,  Bebe 
Wellman,  daughter  of  Barnabas  and  Pamela  (Bullock) 
Wellman.  Mrs.  Bebe  (Wellman)  Oburg.  like  her  hus- 
band, was  a  devoted  Christian,  affiliated  with  the  Ash- 
ville church  from  the  age  of  fifteen  years.  Oscar  Oburg 
died  at  Ashville,  April  9,  1919,  aged  eighty-six  years. 
His  wife  died  at  Ashville,  .April  i,  1918,  aged  eighty- 
three  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Oburg  were  the  parents  of 
six  children,  all  born  in  .Ashville,  N.  Y. :  i.  Elon  M., 
born  Dec.  20.  1852 ;  a  farmer  at  Busti,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y. ;  married  Mary  Sherman.  2.  \'iola  D., 
born  Nov.  14,  1854,  who  married  Marvin  N.  Everett 
(see  Everett  IV).  3.  Minnie  N.,  born  Oct.  26,  1856; 
resides  at  the  family  homestead  at  Ashville;  unmar- 
ried. 4.  Lelia  C,  born  March  20,  1859;  married  (first) 
Jr'hn  C,  Walter,  deceased;  she  married  (second)  Rollin 
Lee,  a  business  man  in  .Ashville.  5.  Abbie  D.. 
born  Jan.  3,  1861,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Charles  \\"ellman,  who  is  connected  with  a  large  indus- 
try  in  Jamestown,   N.   Y.     6.  \'ictor  F.,   born   .April  9, 


39S 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


iSOj:  a  railroad  man  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.:  married  Irene 
Grunder. 

iThe    Wellman   Line). 

It  is  quite  evident  that  the  Wellman  family  took  its 
name  from  the  city  of  Wells  in  Somersetshire,  Eng- 
land, whicli,  in  turn,  obtained  its  name  from  a  well 
called  St.  Andrew's  Well,  near  the  Bishop's  palace,  and 
from  the  fact  that  the  founder  of  tlie  family  had  received 
from  one  of  the  bishops  charge  of  St.  Andrew's  Well, 
and  had  been  called  at  tirst,  John  the  Well-man,  or  Wil- 
liam the  Well-man,  which  later  became  John  or  William 
Wellman.  The  name  has  been  variously  spelled  as  Well- 
man,  Wellmane,  Wellmon,  Welman,  Welmon,  Welmin, 
Wilman,  Wilmon,  Willman,  Willmon,  Willsman,  Wells- 
man,  and  Weelman.  In  America  the  practice  of  spelling 
this  name  as  Wellman  began  quite  early  and  has  increased 
in  practice  imtil  it  is  nearly  universally  used  by  all  of  tlie 
family  here. 

Arms — Argent,  on  a  bend  gules  between  two  apples 
vert,   three  mullets  or. 

Crest — A  demi-llon  argent  holding  bet'ween  his  paws 
an  apple  as  in  the  arms  charged  with  a  mullet  or. 

Motto — Dei  providentia  juvat. 

The  genealogy  and  history  of  the  Wellman  family  and 
its  origin  in  the  Old  World  has  been  made  with  some 
success.  Investigation  in  this  country  seems  to  show 
that  the  early  immigrant  Wellmans  were  only  two  in 
number,  Thomas  Wellman  and  William  Wellman.  How- 
ever, famiiy  recollection  points  to  a  third,  in  the  person 
cf  Barnabas  Wellman.  The  name  Barnabas  has  been 
carried  through  several  generations  and  it  is  thought 
tl;al  a  Barnabas  may  have  been  one  of  the  immigrants, 
and,  if  not,  at  least  one  of  the  sons  of  William  Well- 
man. 

Thomas  Wellman  was  in  Lynn,  Mass.,  as  early  as 
1640.  He  bought  land,  lived  and  died  in  Lynn  End 
(now  Lynnfield),  Mass. 

William  Wellman  was  in  Marshfield,  Mass.,  as  early 
as  I '4-2.  but  moved  that  year  to  Gloucester,  Mass.,  and 
thence,  in  l'J50,  to  Xcw  London,  Conn.,  and  a  few  years 
later  to  Killingworth,  Conn.,  where  he  died. 

There  is  a  line  of  seven  generations  bearing  the  name 
of  Barnabas  Wellman,  tlie  first  of  whom  there  is  any 
inf.jrmation  being  a  Capt.  Barnabas  Wellman,  a  sea- 
faring man,  who  made  voyages  between  Amefica  and 
China.  On  one  of  these  voyages  he  brought  home  a  set 
of  china  dishes,  a  picture  of  his  ship  on  each,  and  thece 
were  long  preserved  in  the  family.  Another  was  Barna- 
bas Wellman,  who  represented  the  family  in  the  .Ameri- 
can Revolution  ;  and  last,  a  Barnabas  Wellman,  who  was 
an  early  settler  in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 

Barnabas  Wellman,  the  Revolutionary  soldier,  was 
y>m  .Aug.  1.5,  1756,  in  Killingworth,  Conn.  According 
to  records,  he  was  a  drum  major  in  the  War  of  the 
Revolution.  His  brother  and  sisters  were:  I'reelove, 
U)rn  May  22,  475,3;  -Molly,  born  March  13,  1755;  and 
P;iiil,  b'/rn  .April  13,  1757.  He  married,  and  had  the 
I' Ilow'nK  children:  r.  James,  born  Nov.  30,  1783.  2. 
Hom'T,  born  March  f>,  1786.  3.  Barnabas,  of  whom  fur- 
Ihi-r.  .4.  Ford,  born  Jan.  3,  1706,  5.  Lcandcr,  born  Oct. 
14,  i''oi.  There  were  also  two  daughters,  Millie  and 
Hannah. 

Barnabaj    (2)    Wellman,  son  of   Barnabas    Cl)    Well- 


man,  was  evidently  born  at  Killingworth,  Corm.,  Sept. 
16,  1793.  He  is  later  recorded  amongst  the  first  settlers 
of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  locating  in  the  town  of 
Ashville.  He  had  a  small  farm  there,  but  he  was  chiefly 
occupied  as  a  stone  mason,  and  it  is  said  he  was  a  man 
uf  strong  character,  very  religious,  and  preached  in  the 
village  church  in  the  absence  of  the  local  minister.  He 
was  noted  for  his  fine  voice,  which  he  used  in  connection 
with  his  church  work  and  local  entertainments.  He 
was  a  kind-hearted  man,  reverenced  by  all,  and  known 
to  the  townsfolk  as  "Uncle  Barney," 

Mr.  Wellman  married  Pamela  Bullock,  born  Sept.  14, 
170S,  daughter  of  Jonathan  (2)  and  Dorcas  (Tabethy) 
(Cody)  Bullock,  and  granddaughter  of  Jonathan  (l) 
Bullock,  of  English  descent.  Jonathan  (l)  Bullock  was 
resident  in  Kentucky,  and  it  is  believed  that  he  later 
went  from  there  to  Berkshire,  Mass.,  where  he  married 
Bebe  Brown,  and  when  their  son  was  eight  months  old 
the  father  left  for  service  in  the  French  and  Indian  War, 
dying  in  the  army  from  quinsy.  Jonathan  (2)  Bullock 
married  Dorcas  (Tabethy)  Cody,  daughter  of  Joseph 
and  Mary  (Whitney)  Cody,  and  migrated  to  Ontario 
county,  N.  Y.,  about  1797.  Children  of  Jonathan  (2) 
and  Dorcas  (Tabethy)  (Cody)  Bullock:  Jonathan, 
bom  Nov,  7,  1788,  died  at  Panama,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  1885;  Bebe,  born  March  8,  1790,  died  at  Sugar 
Grove,  Pa.,  187S;  William,  bom  Aug.  6,  1794,  died  in 
Eusti,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.;  Pamela,  of  previous 
mention,  married  Barnabas  Wellman,  and  died  in  .Ash- 
ville, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  in  1874;  Joseph,  bom 
April  18,  1S03,  died  in  Ontario  county,  N.  Y.,  in  young 
manhood;  Alfred,  Mary  P.,  and  Shubel,  all  died  young. 
Barnabas  and  Pamela  (Bullock)  Wellman  were  the  par- 
ents of  nine  children:  i.  Henry,  married  Alvira  Pierce, 
a  farmer  of  Three  Rivers,  Mich.  2.  Malinda,  died  aged 
ten  years.  3.  Alfred,  married  Theodia  Covey;  he  was 
a  farmer  living  near  Three  Rivers,  Mich.  4.  Matilda, 
died  at  the  age  of  thirty,  unmarried.  5.  Barnabas,  mar- 
ried Harriett  Phelps;  he  was  the  owner  of  a  lumber  mill 
at  Cherry  Creek,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  6.  Delila, 
married  (first)  Israel  Millard,  who  died;  she  married 
(second)  Seymour  Millard,  an  oil  man  at  Titusville, 
Pa.,  and  a  brother  of  her  first  husband.  7.  Rachael, 
married  Alphcus  Alexander,  a  farmer  in  Harmony, 
Cliautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  8.  Bebe,  married  Oscar 
Oburg  (see  Oburg  line).  9.  Lucinda,  married  (first) 
A.  Ilerrick,  who  died;  she  married  (second)  Nathaniel 
Smith,  a  farmer  of  Harmony,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 
Tlicso  children  were  all  born  in  Ashville,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y'. 

The  Wellmans  arc  a  well  known  family  in  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  and  number  among  the  first  rank 
citizens.  Among  them  are  a  number  of  well  known 
professional  and  business  men,  and  this  name  stands 
foremost   in   the   commtmitv. 


HENRY  E.  MOSHER,  D.  S.  C— On  that  historic 
morning  of  June  26,  1917,  when  the  "First  Contingent" 
of  -America',s  famous  First  Division  set  foot  on  the  soil 
of  France  at  St.  Nazaire,  Chautauqua  county  was  rep- 
resented in  the  person  of  Lieut,  (later  Capt.)  Henry 
K.  Mosher,  Company  K,  28th  United  .States  Infantry. 
Company  K  was  the  first  company  to  disembark,  Capt. 
G,  A.  Hadsell  commanding  them  as  they  landed,  with 


&0JnAAl^^' 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


399 


J.  L.  Dunn  as  first  lieutenant,  and  Harry  E.  Mosher  as 
second  lieutenant,  Second  Lieut.  Hood  attached  to  the 
company  being  detailed  in  unloading.  As  a  matter  of 
historic  interest,  Capt.  Mosher  sent  home  a  photographic 
copy  of  the  following  statement : 

France,  July  6.  1917. 
Company  K,  28th  Infantry. 
I  certify  that  this  organization  landed  from  the 
U.  S.  Transport  Tenddores  at  about  10;00  A.  M.,  June 
26th,  1917,  at  St.  Nazaire,  France,  and  that  it  is  the 
first  company  of  American  soldiers  ever  in  history  to 
land  on  European   soil  for  service   in   war. 

G.  ARTHUR   HADSELL. 
Captain  2Sth  Infantry, 

Comd'g  Co.   K. 
The  above  statement  is  correct. 

WM.  L.  SIBERT. 
Major   General.   U.   S.   Army. 
Comd'g.  First  American  Expeditionary   Division. 

Henry  E.  Mosher,  captain,  Company  K,  28th  Infantry, 
American  Expeditionary  Force,  killed  in  action  at  Can- 
tigny,  May  28,  1918,  first  officer  of  his  rank  to  set  foot 
on  French  soil  in  command  of  American  troops  for 
service  in  war,  and  first  soldier  from  Chautauqua  county 
to  give  his  life  in  France  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States,  was  born  at  Falconer,  N.  Y.,  June  18.  1S92,  one 
of  the  twin  sons  of  Stiles  B.  and  Martha  M.  (Cook) 
Mosher.  He  was  educated  in  the  Falconer  public  schools, 
Jamestown  High  School,  and  at  St.  Braden's  School 
at  Highland  Falls.  In  1913  he  entered  West  Point, 
where  he  spent  one  year.  In  October,  1916,  he  passed 
an  examination  at  Fort  Slocum,  and  on  March  22,  1917, 
was  commissioned  a  second  lieutenant  in  the  United 
States  Army,  assigned  to  the  28th  Infantry,  and  ordered 
to  Fort  Leavenworth  for  a  course  of  training  in  the 
Army  Service  School.  When  his  course  was  but  half 
completed  his  regiment  was  ordered  abroad  as  part  of 
General  Pershing's  "First  Contingent,"  landing  in 
France,  June  26,  1917.  Promotion  came  rapidly,  to  first 
lieutenant  in  the  summer  of  1917,  and  in  February,  1918, 
to  captain,  in  which  rank  he  had  acted  since  the  preced- 
ing August.  From  July  to  October,  the  28th  Infantry, 
as  part  of  the  First  Division,  was  in  training  with  the 
French,  the  third  battalion  being  stationed  at  St.  Amand, 
Meuse.  During  October  and  November  the  regiment 
occupied  the  Sommervillier  sector  in  Lorraine,  and  from 
January  to  .-^pril  the  Ansauville  sector,  north  of  Toul, 
from  which  station  it  was  called  to  relieve  the  French 
and  push  back  the  German  advance  in  the  Montdidier- 
Noyon  sector. 

Says  the  Regimental  History : 

The  German  offensive  launched  on  March  21  has 
readied  such  proportions  as  to  call  forth  every  re- 
source at  hand  for  checking  it.  It  TS'as  at  this  time 
that  General  Persliing  placed  at  the  disposal  of  Mar- 
shal Foch  the  entire  forces  of  the  United  States  in 
France.  A  survey  of  tlie  American  forces  showed  four 
divisions  whose  training  was  considered  complete 
enough  to  allow  of  their  taking  an  active  part.  The 
First  was  chosen  as  the  most  fit  to  place  at  the  point 
of  danger.  The  British  and  French  had  stayed  the 
German  drive  for  the  channel  ports  only  after  the 
wedge  had  been  driven  down  past  Montdidier.  At  the 
apex  of  this  salient  lay  the  village  of  Cantigny — taken 
by  the  2Sth  Infantry  on  the  morning  of  Jlay  2S — the 
first  American  offensive,  which  General  Pershing  char- 
acterized in  his  report  as  "a  brilliant  action  with  elec- 
trical effect."  as  it  demonstrated  our  fighting  qualities 
under  extreme  battle  conditions,  and  also  that  the 
enemy's  troops  w^ere  not  invincible. 

It  is  significant  of  the  standing  of  the  regiment  that 
the  28th  was  given  the  place  of  honor  among  all  the 
regiments  of   the  American  Expeditionary  Force,   and 


Capt.  Mosher  counted  it  the  honor  of  his  life  that  he 
was  chosen  to  lead  his  company  in  the  assault. 

"It  was  the  memorable  morning  of  May  28,"  wrote 
a  member  of  the  company: 

K  Company  of  the  2Sth  Infantry,  commanded  by 
Captain  Mosher,  was  on  the  left  of  the  attack  at  Can- 
tigny. Since  4  A.  M.  the  counter  batteries  from  the 
5th,  6th  and  7th  Artillery  had  been  smashing  a  path 
for  the  planned  advance  of  the  infantry.  Thirty  min- 
utes before  this  advance  the  trench  mortars  hurled 
their  load  across  No  Man's  Land.  Then,  at  6:45,  sup- 
ported by  five  tanks  manned  by  Frenchmen,  the  Amer- 
icans went  over  the  top.  The  infantry  got  across  with 
few  casualties,  and  commenced  to  dig  in.  The  rais- 
ing of  earth  works  was  observed  from  the  air  by  the 
enemy  scouts,  signaled  to  the  German  batteries  and 
then  hell  began.  Six  times  the  Germans  counter- 
attacked and  six  times  were  repulsed.  Their  lines  were 
but  fifty  and  seventy-five  yards  away.  After  the  first 
counter-attack,  Captain  Mosher  sent  three  messengers, 
one  after  the  otlier,  with  verbal  messages  to  the  bat- 
talion commander.  They  never  came  back.  Shell 
from  the  enemy  batteries  was  falling  too  accurately 
for  that.  So  Captain  Mosher  decided  to  send  another 
message,  tliis  time  a  written  one.  Crawling  up  and 
down  the  lines  past  his  company  in  the  shallow  tempo- 
rarv  trench  he  counted  the  casualties  among;  his  men. 
Then,  crouching  behind  the  earthworks,  just  high 
enough  for  protection  against  the  enemy  machine-gun 
fire,  he  began  his  message  to  his  commander.  He 
wrote  the  words  "Have  suffered — "  and  fifty  feet  be- 
hind him  burst  a  shell,  a  fragment  of  which  struck 
him  in  the  back  of  his  head  and  the  pencil  was 
stopped. 

Captain  Mosher  was  a  man  of  fine  physique  and  bore 
a  dauntless  spirit  in  a  sound  body.  Inheritance  as  well 
as  training  had  fitted  him  for  his  career.  He  counted 
among  his  ancestors  John  Vassal,  a  member  of  the  Vir- 
ginia Company  who  had  commanded  his  ship  in  the 
fleet  which  destroyed  the  Spanish  Armada;  John 
Adams,  of  the  "Fortune,"  1621,  brother  of  Henry 
Adams,  from  whom  descended  the  presidential  family ; 
John  Abbey,  of  the  "Bonaventure,"  1634,  a  soldier  in 
king  Philip's  War;  Hugh  Mosher,  of  Salem,  1636, 
friend  and  companion  of  Roger  Williams  in  his  exile; 
Maj.  Jonathan  Bush  and  Capt.  Thomas  Abbey,  of  Con- 
necticut, who  served  with  Gen.  Washington  throughout 
the  Revolution. 

Stiles  Burt  Mosher,  father  of  Henry  E.  ilosher,  was 
born  in  Poland  township,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
March  27,  1851,  and  married,  at  Olean,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  29, 
1879,  Martha  M.  Cook,  daughter  of  John  Norbert  and 
Anna  Kohley  Cook.  Stiles  Burt  Mosher  was  a  son  of 
Ephraim  Mosher,  born  in  Oppenheim,  Fulton  county, 
N.  Y.,  May  8,  1802,  died  in  Falconer,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  15, 
1875,  and  Harriet  Lucretia  (Abbey)  Mosher,  born  in 
Guilford,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  3,  1816,  died  in  Falconer,  N.  Y., 
Feb.  23,  1897,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Eva  (Ingersoll) 
Abbey.  Ephraim  Mosher  was  a  son  of  Peter  and  Mary 
(Rarrick)  Mosher,  settlers  in  Fulton  county,  N.  Y.,  in 
1796. 

Always  characterized  as  a  strict,  courteous,  and  effi- 
cient officer  whose  word  was  law,  Capt.  Mosher  de- 
veloped under  stress  of  battle  unusual  qualities  of  lead- 
ership and  comradeship.  An  enlisted  man  who  served 
under  him  recounted  how,  after  the  company's  objec- 
tive was  gained  and  the  positions  consolidated,  he  went 
about  commending  and  encouraging  his  men.  adminis- 
tering first  aid  to  the  wounded  and  comforting  the  dying. 
Almost  his  last  act  was  to  drag  a  wounded  private, 
under  heavy  shellfire,  to  a  place  of  safety.  Letters  re- 
ceived by  relatives  from  an  officer  of  the  28th  Infantry 
say,  in  part : 


400 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


with 
jreat 

him. 
their 
none 

that 


I  cannot  express  to  you  how  infinitely  cool  and  brave 
were  iiis  actions  as  we  advanced  upon  and  attacked 
the  German  trenches  surrounding:  the  fortified  town  of 
Cantigny.  With  his  trench  cane  hooked  over  his  left 
arm  he  dealt  death  to  five  Germans,  shooting  them 
down  with  his  automatic  as  nonclialantl\"  as  if  at  tar- 
Kel  practice,  and  almost  his  last  act  was  to  drag-  a 
wounded  private  through  heavy  shell  fire  to  a  place 
of  safety.  His  example  was  an  inspiration  to  all  his 
olBcers  and  men.  and  we  are  filled  with  grief  at  his 
going. 

Lieutenant  Samuel  Parker,  of  tlie  2Sth  Infantry,  also 

wrote : 

I  love  and  respect  him  above  all  other  soldiers 
whom  I  liave  been  thrown  in  contact  during  the  | 
war.  He  was  a  man  and  a  soldier — ever\"  inch  of 
1  have  seen  the  intluence  of  many  officers  over 
men.  but  I  can  honestly  say  that  I  have  seen 
whose  death  was  felt  so  keenly  by  every  one 
knew  him. 

Capt.  Mosher's  name  appears  among  those  cited  by 
Gen.  R.  L.  Bullard  for  conspicuous  gallantry  in  action 
during  the  operations  connected  with  the  capture  and 
defense  of  Cantigny.  He  was  awarded  the  Distin- 
guished Service  Cross  by  Gen.  Pershing,  the  citation 
reading : 

During  a  heavy  bombardment  near  Cantigny,  France, 
on  May  2Slh.  191S.  he  displayed  heroic  conduct  and 
utter  disregard  of  his  own  safety  while  successfully 
directing  the  consolidation  and  defense  of  the  position 
taken  by  his  command.  After  succeeding  in  the 
accomplishment  of  his  task  he  was  struck  by  enemy 
fire  and  killed. 

.■\  third  citation  for  "conspicuous  gallantry  in  action 
and  especially  meritorious  serv-ices"  was  bestowed  by 
General  Summeral,  later  in  command  of  the  First  Divi- 
sion. 

Capt.  Mosher  and  two  of  his  lieutenants  were  buried 
where  they  fell.  later  being  removed  to  the  French 
civilian  cemetery  at  Cantigny  and  still  later  to  the 
-American  cemetery  at  Villers  Tournelles,  Somme. 
Eventually  his  body  is  to  rest  among  his  kindred  in  Pine 
Hill  in  the  village  of  Falconer,  where  the  Henry  Mosher 
Post  of  the  .American  Legion,  formed  by  his  boyhood 
companions  and  schoolmates,  commemorates  the  name 
of  Chautauqua  county's  first  soldier  to  make  the  supreme 
sacrifice  in  his  country's  service  in  France. 

Thus  passed  Henry  Mosher,  Christian  gentleman,  and 
soldier. 

He  wa.H  a  captain  born  and  bred.     In  years 

Thoueh  yet  a  boy.  he  was  a  man  in  soul. 

Ij«d   older  men  and   hob!    them   in   control. 

In  danuer  Htood   enct  and   fuelled    their  fear.s. 

When  ";<'alh  caH.s  su'h  a.  captain,  he  but  hears 

A«  'twere  a  dlHtant  bugle  and  the  roll 

(ft  far-off  druniH.      We  wronfr  him  If  we  toll 

Th»-  mournful   bell.     Give  him  our  cheers,  not  tears! 

ThrouKh  deadly  scorch    of  battle   flame   and   gas, 

Throiirh  Iron  hail  and  burst  of  shrapnel  shol), — 

SmlllrK,'  an    wIkti    we   pl.ayed   at   mimic   wars, — 

He   ■.'.as  our  I'arbr.     I.-   It,   then,  not   well, 

That  he  xhoiiM  bad  before  us  to  the  stars? 

.Stand  at  ait<-ntlorir     Let  his  brave  ."oiil  pass! 

(.1.  liralnerd  Thrall  In  "The  Outlook"). 


OBED  EDSON — There  arc  other  rural  counties  in 
.\'ew  lork  State  that  have  had  a  more  thrilling  history 
to  record  th;m  Chriiitauf|itri,  but  none  which  has  had  a 
more  faithful  historian  than  Obed  Kdson.  His  passing, 
in  h\s  eighty-eighth  year,  seems  almost  to  close  the 
t<f/'/k  of  th'-  pioneer  history  of  the  crninty,  for  there  is 
no  man  left  v,h'>  has  anything  aiiproarbing  his  knowl- 
edge of  if. 


In  the  field  of  original  historical  research,  Mr.  Ed- 
son  had  no  superior  in  Western  New  York.  The  fruits 
of  his  patient  toil  are  fortunately  gathered  in  perma- 
nent form.  He  was  an  important  contributor  to 
"Young's  History  of  Chautauqua  County,"  published  a 
generation  ago,  which  deals  especially  with  the  early 
settlers.  He  was  the  principal  author  of  the  county 
history  published  in  1S04  by  W.  A.  Ferguson  &  Com- 
pany, which  contains  the  annals  of  each  town  and  much 
information  regarding  the  geology  and  archeology  of 
the  county,  branches  of  science  with  which  Mr.  Edson 
was  thoroughly  familiar,  especially  in  relation  to  this 
region.  He  had  reached  the  age  of  seventy,  and  was 
then,  perhaps,  at  the  zenith  of  his  splendid  intellectual 
powers,  when,  in  IQ02,  he  contributed  his  "Annals  of 
Chautauqua  County"  for  the  "Centennial  History  of 
Chautauqua  County."  The  annals  comprise  three  hun- 
dred and  sixty  pages  of  that  work,  and  for  thein  he 
gleaned  from  the  fruits  of  his  historical  studies  the  facts 
most  valuable  for  ready  reference.  Many  special  in- 
dividuals and  periods  have  since  been  covered  in  his 
papers  for  the  Historical  Society  and  in  his  magazine 
articles,  so  that  the  entire  amount  of  his  historical  writ- 
ings is  very  considerable  in  voluiue  and  will  be  priceless 
in  value  to  future  Chautauquans.  He  well  deserved  the 
title  commonly  bestowed  on  him  of  "county  historian." 

When,  in  1919,  the  history  of  Chautauqua  county  was 
proposed,  he  gave  it  his  hearty  support  and  cooperation, 
and  is  the  author  of  several  chapters  of  the  work,  all 
of  which  bear  his  name  and  may  be  considered  his  last 
work  for  the  people  of  his  beloved  county,  in  fact  his 
valedictory,  and  in  a  way  his  monument,  as  he  was  an 
advisory  editor  up  until  the  time  of  his  death. 

But  it  would  be  a  mistake  to  remember  Obed  Edson 
only  as  a  historical  student.  This  was  his  recreation. 
His  profession  was  that  of  an  attorney,  and  he  was  at 
the  time  of  his  death  by  many  years  the  senior  in  serv- 
ice of  any  luember  of  the  bar  in  the  county,  having 
been  admitted  in  1853.  He  came  of  a  pioneer  family, 
bis  father,  John  M.  Edson,  having  removed  to  Chau- 
tauqua county  from  Madison  county  in  1810.  His  father 
was  a  stepson  of  Maj.  Samuel  Sinclair.  This  family 
settled  at  Sinclairville,  where  Obed  Edson  was  born  in 
1832,  and  where  he  was  laid  at  rest.  There  the  boy  went 
to  school,  later  attending  Fredonia  Academy.  Then, 
in  1851  he  studied  law  in  the  office  of  E.  H.  Sears,  and 
to  ihe  little  village  he  came  home  from  the  Albany  Law 
School  to  hang  out  his  own  shingle  and  to  practice  there 
for  sixty  years,  before  taking  up  his  residence  with  his 
son,  Walter  H.  Edson,  at  Falconer. 

As  a  youth,  Mr.  Edson  was  a  surveyor,  and  in  1850 
served  as  a  cliainman  on  the  New  York  &  Erie  railroad, 
the  year  before  its  coinplction  to  Dunkirk  and  its  memo- 
rable opening  by  Daniel  Webster.  As  late  as  1867  he 
ran  the  line  of  the  Dunkirk,  Allegheny  Valley  &  Pitts- 
burgh railroad  down  the  Cassadaga  valley  and  through 
his  lionie  village.  Sinclairville  was  in  early  days  a  com- 
munity of  more  relative  importance  in  the  county  than 
it  is  to-day.  It  once  aspired  to  be  the  county  seat, 
being  located  in  the  center  of  the  county.  Political  con- 
ventions were  held  there  for  tnany  years.  It  numbered 
many  strong  jnen  among  its  citizens,  b'rom  tlu-  bills 
and  valleys  of  the  township  of  Charlotte,  men  have  tome 


^gal^     £hU^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


401 


who  have  made  their  names  known  beyond  the  limits 
of  the  county. 

Of  the  pioneer  families  of  Charlotte,  several  belonged 
to  the  Democratic  party,  among  them  the  Edsons.  Obed 
Edson  became  naturally  one  of  the  Democratic  leaders 
in  a  strongly  Republican  county,  and  was  steadfast  in 
his  support  of  the  candidates  of  that  party.  He  was  sev- 
eral times  nominated  for  public  offices,  for  district  attor- 
ney in  1865,  for  member  of  Assembly  in  1873  and  1874, 
and  for  State  Senator  at  a  much  later  date.  His  elec- 
tion to  the  Assembly  in  1874  from  the  old  Second  Dis- 
trict gave  him  the  distinction  of  being  one  of  the  two 
Democrats  elected  from  this  county  since  the  Civil  War 
period,  the  other  having  been  the  late  Charles  H.  Cor- 
bett.  of  Sherman,  chosen  in  1882.  At  that  time  both 
Jamestown  and  Dunkirk  were  in  the  same  district,  which 
Mr.  Edson  represented.  That  Assembly  was  Demo- 
cratic and  served  during  the  first  year  of  Governor  Til- 
den's  administration. 

Mr.  Edson  was  uniformly  kind  and  courteous  in  all  his 
personal  relations.  He  retained  until  the  last  a  keen 
interest  in  public  affairs.  This  and  his  frequent  visits 
with  younger  men,  all  of  whom  enjoyed  his  company, 
kept  him  young  at  heart  even  when  he  was  an  octo- 
genarian. So  he  approached  the  end  of  his  days  with 
a  contented  mind,  and  was  a  welcome  guest  at  many  a 
public  gathering.  His  relation  to  the  community  in  which 
he  lived  was  that  of  a  genial  sage.  He  had  lived  more 
than  his  allotted  time.  He  had  lingered  later  than  his 
fellows,  as  some  lone  pine  upon  our  wintry  hills  defies 
the  storm  and  the  woodman's  axe.  We  find  at  the  close 
of  his  "Annals  of  Chautauqua  County"  Bryant's  familiar 
lines,  "To  a  Water  Fowl."  which  seems  to  suggest  a  com- 
parison with  his  own  last  days : 

Tet  stoop  not.  weary,   to  the  welcome  land, 

Thoug-h  dark   the   nigrht    is   near. 

And  soon    that  toil  shall   end 

Soon  Shalt  thou  find  a  summer  home  and  rest. 

Obed  Edson,  fourth  in  direct  line  to  bear  the  name 
Obed,  was  of  the  eighth  generation  of  the  family  founded 
in  New  England  by  Deacon  Samuel  Edson,  of  Warwick- 
shire, England,  who  was  a  descendant  of  Thomas  Edson, 
the  earliest  identified  male  ancestor  of  the  Edsons  of 
England  and  America.  Thomas  Edson  was  born  about 
1480,  married  Juliana  Bustard,  lived  in  Oxfordshire,  and 
died  during  the  reign  of  Henry  VHI. 

Deacon  Samuel  Edson  was  born  in  1612  or  1613,  mar- 
ried, at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  Susanna  Orcutt,  who  was 
four  years  his  junior,  and  immediately  after  his  mar- 
riage sailed  with  his  bride  for  New  England,  arriving  at 
Salem,  in  July,  1639.  I^i  165 1  he  moved  to  Bridgewater, 
where  he  was  one  of  the  fifty-six  original  proprietors, 
and  may  have  been  its  first  settler,  at  least  was  one  of 
the  first.  He  was  a  man  of  intelligence,  industry  and 
thrift,  acquiring  in  course  of  time  large  property  inter- 
ests in  land  and  mills.  From  1676  until  his  death,  July 
ID,  1692,  he  was  in  public  office,  and  from  1667  until  the 
end  of  King  Philip's  War  he  was  a  member  of  the  Coun- 
cil of  War,  and  from  1664,  when  he  was  elected  one  of 
the  first  deacons  of  the  Bridgewater  church,  until  his 
death,  he  filled  that  office.  Of  strong  character,  upright, 
honorable  life,  he  possessed  great  influence  and  was  one 
of  the  leading  men  of  his  town.  His  wife,  Susanna,  had 
a  happy  disposition,  modest  deportment,   dignified   pres- 

Chau— 26 


ence  and  graceful  manner.  The  characteristics  of  the 
founder  and  his  wife  have  been  transmitted  to  their  de- 
scendants, and  in  Obed  Edson  the  old  Pilgrim  had 
almost  a  reincarnation.  Susanna  Edson  died  Feb.  20, 
1699,  and  in  the  old  burying  ground  at  Bridgewater  the 
oldest  monument  of  its  kind  is  that  standing  over  the 
graves  of  Deacon  Samuel  and  Susanna  Edson. 

Deacon  Samuel  Edson  was  succeeded  in  Bridgewater 
by  his  son,  Samuel  (2)  Edson,  a  prominent  and  highly 
respected  citizen  and  office  holder,  and  a  man  of  prop- 
erty. He  married  Susanna  Byram,  and  was  succeeded 
in  time  by  his  son,  Samuel  (3)  Edson,  the  first  of  the 
family  to  join  the  Established  Church  of  England.  He 
married  Mary  Dean,  and  their  fourth  son  was  Obed  (i) 
Edson,  who  was  a  sergeant  in  the  French  and  Indian 
War,  taking  part  in  several  expeditions  against  the 
French.  He  died  in  Richfield,  N.  Y.,  having  gone  there 
in  his  old  age  it  is  believed  to  be  with  his  son,  Obed  (2) 
Edson.  Sergeant  Obed  Edson  married  (first)  Katurah 
Willis,  of  Bridgewater,  and  they  were  the  first  of  the 
branch  to  settle  in  New  York  State. 

Obed  (2)  Edson,  like  his  father,  was  a  soldier  of  the 
French  and  Indian  War,  and  for  several  years  lived  in 
Lanesboro,  Mass.  Between  1790  and  1793  be  moved  to 
what  is  now  Richfield,  Otsego  county,  N.  Y.,  but  then 
a  part  of  the  town  of  German  Flats,  Montgomery  covmty. 
There  he  engaged  in  farming,  and  kept  an  inn  in  the  local- 
ity now  known  as  Monticello.  He  was  a  man  of  much 
natural  ability,  and  a  good  musician.  Prior  to  his  death 
in  Richfield,  May  9,  1840,  at  the  age  of  ninety-three  years 
and  seven  days,  he  freed  his  only  slave,  "Ike,"  whom  he 
had  long  owned.  Obed  (2)  Edson  married  Prudence 
How,  of  Welsh  descent,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  a 
son,  Obed  (3)  Edson. 

Obed  (3)  Edson  was  born  during  the  residence  of  his 
parents  in  Lanesboro,  Mass.  He  then  lived  in  Otsego 
county,  N.  Y.,  at  Cooperstown  and  Richfield,  later  mov- 
ing to  Eaton,  Madison  county,  where  he  died  Aug.  6, 
1804,  aged  thirty-two  years.  He  was  a  clothier  by  trade; 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  order;  an  Episcopalian,  and 
like  his  father  a  follower  of  the  political  teachings  of 
Thomas  Jefferson.  He  was  a  man  of  education,  a  reader 
of  good  literature,  and  always  a  student.  He  married 
(second)  Fanny  Bigelow,  born  in  Colchester,  Conn., 
daughter  of  Captain  Elisha  Bigelow,  an  officer  of  the 
Revolution,  as  were  two  of  his  sons,  a  third  serving  as 
a  private.  Her  mother.  Thankful  (Beebe)  Bigelow, 
whose  ancestor  served  under  Cromwell,  died  in  Sinclair- 
ville,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  at  the  great  age  of 
ninety-seven  years.  After  the  death  of  her  husband,  at 
the  age  of  thirty-two  years,  Fanny  (Bigelow)  Edson, 
then  a  woman  of  less  than  thirty  years,  married  (second) 
Maj.  Samuel  Sinclair,  with  whom  she  and  her  children 
came  to  Sinclairville,  in  1810,  the  site  then  a  wilderness, 
but  a  village  growing  thereon  later  was  named  in  his 
honor.  Mrs.  (Edson)  Sinclair  was  a  woman  of  intelli- 
gence and  education,  one  of  the  Chautauqua  mothers 
who  filled  an  important  place  in  early  county  life,  dying 
in.  Sinclairville.  Jan.  12,  1852,  widely  known  and  honored 
for  her  many  virtues  and  useful  life.  Maj.  Samuel  Sin- 
clair, her  second  husband,  was  a  soldier  of  the  First  New 
Hampshire  Regiment,  serving  from  the  age  of  fifteen 
until  eighteen  under  his  uncle.   Col.  Joseph   Cilley.     He 


40_' 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


was  at  \'alley  Forge,  Saratoga,  Moniuouth,  and  with 
General  Sulli\-an  in  his  campaign  against  the  Indians. 
Maj.  Sinclair  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Masonic 
lodge  at  Sinclairville,  and  of  Forest  Lodge,  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons,  of  Fredonia,  the  first  in  Chautauqua 
county. 

John  Milton  Edson,  son  of  Obed  (3)  and  Fanny  (Bige- 
low)  Edson,  was  born  at  Eaton,  Madison  county,  N.  Y., 
July  30,  iSoi,  and  died  in  Sinclairville,  Aug.  21,  1S85. 
He  was  but  three  years  of  age  when  his  father  died,  and 
nine  when  with  his  stepfather,  Maj.  Samuel  Sinclair,  his 
mother,  his  brother  and  sister,  he  came  to  Chautauqua 
countN',  in  1810.  the  family  settling  at  what  later  becaiue 
Sinclair\-ille.  He  obtained  a  fine  education  principally 
through  home  teaching  and  reading,  as  there  were  no 
schools  then  in  his  section.  But  in  after  life  those  who 
met  him  never  failed  to  be  impressed  with  his  large  and 
original  views,  and  to  feel  a  regret  that  a  thorough  edu- 
cation had  been  denied  him.  But  he  was  a  thorough 
woodsman,  skilled  in  all  the  arts  of  the  frontiersman,  an 
excellent  rifle  shot,  a  leader  among  the  pioneers.  He- 
was  a  noted  athlete  in  his  younger  years,  and  greatly 
interested  in  military  life,  holding  tlie  rank  of  lieutenant- 
colonel  of  the  Western  New  York  Regiment,  appointed 
May  22.  1S30.  He  was  justice  of  the  peace  for  the  town 
of  Charlotte  for  fourteen  years :  was  supervisor  three 
terms;  deputy  United  States  marshal  one  term;  judge 
of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  April  17,  1S43,  until  July 
I,  1847,  when  the  court  was  abolished.  He  was  the  first 
master  of  Sylvan  Lodge,  No.  303,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  of  Sinclairville,  his  stepfather,  Maj.  Samuel  Sin- 
clair, the  first  master  of  the  "Masonic  Society"  organized 
there  in  i8ig.  He  married,  in  1831,  Hannah  Alvcrson, 
bom  in  Halifax,  Windham  county,  \'t.,  June  3,  1804,  died 
Nov.  22,  1878,  in  Sinclairville,  N.  Y.  She  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Jonathan  and  Ursula  (Church)  Alverson,  and  in 
1S21  came  with  her  mother  to  reside  in  the  town  of 
Cerr>',  Chautauqua  count>'.  They  were  the  parents  of 
two  children :  Obed  (4)  Edson,  Chautauqua's  "grand 
old  man,"  whose  life  is  herein  commemorated;  and  a 
daughter,  Fanny  Ursula,  born  June  4,  1834.  married 
Henry  Sylvester. 

Such  were  the  antecedents  of  Obed  (4)  Edson,  and 
thrriugh  the  men  and  women  named  he  received  a  rich 
Ictrncy,  good  health,  strong  physique,  worth,  ambition, 
quick  intelligence,  upright  character,  and  love  of  the 
right.  His  ancestors  were  unusually  long  lived,  and  he 
fulfilled  the  promise  of  his  youth  in  every  particular,  h'S 
career  transcending  in  usefulness  and  brilliancy  that  of 
any  of  his  race,  and  clo.5eIy  resembling  that  nf  his  first 
.Vmcrican  ancestor,  Deacon  S;unuel  Edson,  of  three  cen- 
turies ago.  Eighty-seven  were  the  years  of  his  life,  and 
until  their  very  close  he  was  "in  the  harness,"  death  com- 
ing to  him  quietly  and  gently  at  the  midnight  hour,  while 
h"  ".I'-tit.  hi-  passing  in  keeping  with  the  ide.il  life  he  had 
long  If'l. 

Ob"'!  O)  F/Ison,  only  son  of  John  ^^i!ton  and  Hannah 
f  .\\\<:r-,',n)  Eflson,  was  born  at  Sinclairville,  Chautauf|ua 
county,  X.  Y..  F'fb.  18,  1832,  and  died  at  the  home  of  his 
son,  Walter  H,  Ed'-on,  in  Falconer,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  22,  1919. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  of  Sinclairville,  and  was  a 
student  at  Fredonia  Academy,  there  completing  his  school 
years.  He  ih'-n  pursued  the  study  of  law  imd'-r  the 
direfti'n  of  E.  If.  Sears,  of  Sinclairville,  '-nt'-rin;;  Albany 


Law  School  in  1853,  and  gaining  admission  to  the  New 
York  bar,  Aug.  8,  1S53,  he  then  being  in  his  twenty- 
second  year.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  had  been 
engaged  in  land  and  railroad  surveying  and  later  he  ran 
surveys  for  railroads  and  county  roads.  But  from  1853, 
when  admitted  to  the  New  York  bar,  he  continuously 
practiced  his  profession  in  Chautauqua  county,  and,  well 
trained  in  the  law,  an  able  advocate,  an  honest  man,  he 
stood  high  among  his  brethren  of  the  profession,  and  he 
possessed  the  entire  confidence  of  his  clients,  even  his 
adversaries  feeling  that  they  had  no  injustice  to  fear  at 
his  hands.  And  at  all  times  he  was  a  polished  gentle- 
man of  the  old  school,  who  would  rather  be  of  service 
than  cause  ofifense  to  any  man.  At  Sinclairville  he  was  a 
law  partner  with  Judge  E.  F.  Warren,  later  co-partner 
with  C.  Frank  Chapman,  and  subsequently  was  with  his 
nephew,  Fred  H.   Sylvester. 

Although  not  actively  engaged  in  practice  in  the  last 
few  years,  he  continued  to  give  some  time  to  his  pro- 
fession, and  recently  the  local  newspapers  noted  his  re- 
port as  referee  in  County  Court  proceedings  which  was 
entered  just  a  few  days  before  his  eighty-seventh  birth- 
day. His  historical  researches,  his  early  recollections, 
and  his  wonderful  memory  for  events,  dates  and  details 
made  him  a  veritable  encyclopedia  of  local  information, 
which  was  always  open  to  his  friends  or  the  public.  It  is 
not  too  tuuch  to  say  that  the  information  he  collected  and 
stored  away  in  his  records  and  his  retentive  memory  was 
often  of  much  greater  value  to  others  than  it  was  to 
himself.  He  never  attempted  to  commercialize  his  talent 
for  historical  research ;  to  him  it  was  a  labor  of  love. 
He  took  greater  interest  in  it  and  gave  it  more  atten- 
tion than  he  did  his  profession.  He  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Chautauqua  County  Society  of  History 
and  Natural  Science,  and  was  its  backbone  through  all 
the  years  since  its  formation.  He  retained  his  interest 
in  the  county  historical  society  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  and  attended  the  annual  meetings  of  that  organi- 
zation as  long  as  he  was  able  to  do  so. 

Mr.  Edson  was  a  contributor  to  "The  Continent,"  "The 
Chautauquan,"  and  other  leading  magazines,  generally 
upon  historical  subjects.  He  first  gathered  and  collected 
the  facts  respecting  the  expedition  of  Col.  Daniel  Broad- 
head,  which  was  sent  against  the  Indians  of  the  upper  Alle- 
gheny river  by  Gen.  Washington  during  the  War  of  the 
Revolution  to  operate  in  conjunction  with  General  Sulli- 
van. Mr.  Edson  prepared  a  full  history  of  this  expedi- 
tion, which  was  published  as  a  leading  article  in  the  No- 
vember number  of  the  "Magazine  of  American  History" 
for  the  year  1879.  He  was  the  author  of  several  local 
histories,  among  which  is  a  portion  of  "Young's  History 
of  Chautauqua  County,"  and  all  of  that  part  of  it  which 
relates  to  its  Indian,  French  and  early  history.  He  lec- 
tured before  the  Chautauqua  Institute,  and  delivered  the 
historical  address  at  Westfiidd  in  1902,  on  tlie  occasion 
of  the  Centennial  celebration  of  the  settlement  of  Chau- 
tauf|ua  county.  He  made  a  similar  address  at  the  cele- 
bration of  the  Centennial  of  the  settlement  of  the  city  of 
Falconer,  and  he  dcli\ered  many  addresses  and  lectures. 
He  was  president  of  the  Chautauqua  County  Historical 
Society,  member  of  the  County  and  State  Bar  Associa- 
tions, member  of  the  BufTalo  Historical  Society,  and 
president  of  Evergreen  Cemetery  Association  of  Sin- 
rbiirvilUv 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


403 


Mr.  Edson  was  a  lifelong  Democrat  and  prominent  in 
the  councils  of  his  party  for  many  years.  In  1874  he  was 
elected  member  of  Assembly  from  the  old  Second  Assem- 
bly District,  defeating  Harvey  S.  Elkins,  Republican,  by 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  majority,  although  the  Re- 
publican State  ticket  had  one  thousand  majority  in  the 
district.  The  preceding  year  he  was  defeated  by  only 
seventy-two  majority,  his  successful  Republican  oppo- 
nent being  John  D.  Hiller.  Mr.  Edson  was  the  only 
Democrat  ever  elected  to  the  Assembly  from  the  old 
Second  Assembly  District,  which  then  included  both 
Jamestown  and  Dunkirk.  Beside  his  term  in  the  Assem- 
bly, he  served  several  years  on  the  Board  of  Supervisors 
as  the  representative  of  his  native  town.  He  was  for 
nearly  si.\ty  years  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  served  Sylvan  Lodge,  of  Sinclairville,  as  master  in 
1862  and  again  in  1912 — just  half  a  century  later,  as  well 
as  several  terms  between  those  years.  He  was  also  a 
member  of  Western  Sun  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons, 
of  Jamestown.  During  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
James  G.  Townsend  at  the  Independent  Congregational 
Church  in  Jamestown,  Mr.  Edson  took  an  active  interest 
in  the  work  of  that  church. 

Mr.  Edson  married,  at  Sinclairville,  May  11,  1859. 
Emily  Amelia  Allen,  born  at  New  London,  Conn.,  Nov. 
27,  1835,  died  in  March,  1899,  daughter  of  Caleb  T.  and 
Emily  E.  (Haley)  Allen.  Her  father,  Caleb  J.  Allen,  in 
his  youth,  was  a  sailor  on  a  Pacific  ocean  whaling  ship, 
but  later  located  in  New  London,  Conn.,  where  he  be- 
came a  hatter ;  was  mayor  of  New  London,  and  also 
represented  that  city  in  the  Connecticut  Legislature  as 
State  Senator.  Later  he  was  a  merchant  of  Sinclairville. 
Obed  (4)  and  Emily  A.  (Allen)  Edson  were  the  par- 
ents of  eight  children :  i.  Fanny  A.,  born  April  28,  i860; 
married  John  A.  Love,  now  residing  at  Bellingham, 
Wash.  2.  John  M.,  born  Sept.  29,  1861,  now  living  at 
Bellingham,  Wash.  3.  Samuel  A.,  born  Sept.  15,  1863, 
died  Nov.  16,  1872.  4.  Mary  U.,  born  Sept.  11,  1865,  died 
Nov.  27,  1872.  5.  Hannah,  born  Feb.  15,  1869,  died  Dec. 
10,  1881.  6.  Walter  H.,  a  sketch  of  whom  follows.  7. 
Ellen  E.,  born  April  21,  1875,  died  March  31,  1887.  8. 
Allen  O..  born  Sept.  3,  1880,  died  Jan.  16,  1882.  John 
Milton,  the  eldest  son,  is  a  well  known  ornithologist  of 
Bellingham,  Wash.,  and  has  made  many  valuable  contri- 
butions to  the  literature  of  that  science.  He  married 
Alma  B.  Green,  a  former  teacher  in  Chautauqua  county 
schools. 

Such  was  the  life  and  deeds  of  Obed  (4)  Edson,  whose 
years,  eighty-seven,  were  spent  entirely  in  Chautauqua 
county.  While  he  held  various  positions  of  public  trust 
and  confidence,  was  a  lawyer  of  high  repute  and  identified 
with  many  good  movements ;  he  was  best  known  and  will 
be  long  remembered  as  a  local  historian.  A  monument 
to  his  historical  labors  has  been  erected  in  every  history 
of  Chautauqua  county  that  has  been  written  for  the  past 
half  century.  Mr.  Edson  knew  more  about  the  early 
history  of  Chautauqua  count}',  and  of  conditions  and 
peoples  connected  with  the  Chautauqua  lake  region  long 
before  the  advent  of  the  white  man,  than  any  other  man 
who  has  ever  made  a  study  of  these  things.  Living  a  life 
of  activity  and  good  works,  modestly  and  quietly  pursu- 
ing the  open  road  that  lay  before  him,  never  making  an 
effort  to  avoid  the  responsibilities  that  came  to  him,  nor 
seeking  honors  that  did  not  belong  to  him,  he  lived  and 


labored  long  beyond  the  allotted  years  of  man,  and  goes 
to  his  rest  and  reward  with  the  respect  and  the  love  of 
the  people  of  Chautauqua  county,  the  old  and  the  young, 
the  rich  and  the  poor,  to  a  very  marked  degree. 


WALTER  HENRY  EDSON— Since  his  admission 
in  February,  1898,  Walter  H.  Edson  has  practiced  at  the 
Chautauqua  county  bar  continuously,  and  as  a  lawyer  of 
learning,  sound  judgment  and  integrity  he  occupies  high 
and  honorable  position.  As  a  citizen,  Mr.  Edson  is  most 
earnest,  well-informed  and  public-spirited,  always  at  the 
service  of  individual  or  organization  in  aid  of  the  cause 
of  education,  religion  or  good  government.  His  spirit  of 
helpfulness  is  well  known  and  he  is  freely  called  upon 
for  platform  service  to  enlighten  and  instruct  audiences 
seeking  light  upon  perplexing  questions  of  City,  State 
and  National  policy.  His  interest  never  lags  and  he  gives 
freely  of  himself  to  every  worthy  cause  which  needs  an 
advocate.  He  is  a  native  son  of  Chautauqua,  and 
through  his  father,  Obed  Edson,  of  blessed  memory,  is 
heir  to  a  rich  inheritance  of  county  ancestry  dating  to 
John  Milton  Edson,  who  came  to  the  county  in  1810. 
He  is  a  descendant  of  Deacon  Samuel  Edson,  of  War- 
wickshire, England.  ( See  ancestry  in  memorial  review 
of  the  life  of  Obed  Edson).  John  M.  Edson  was  a  step- 
son of  Maj.  Samuel  Sinclair,  founder  of  Sinclairville. 
Through  his  mother,  Emily  A.  (Allen)  Edson,  another 
line  of  Chautauqua  county  lineage  is  established,  her 
father  coming  from  New  England  to  become  a  merchant 
of  Sinclairville.  Walter  Henry  Edson  is  the  sixth  child 
of  Obed  and  Emily  A.  (Allen)  Edson,  and  has  always 
been  true  to  the  county  of  his  birth  and  is  well  known  in 
the  county.  His  home  was  the  abode  of  his  honored 
father  during  the  latter's  last  years,  and  the  association 
between  the  two  men  was  closer  even  than  the  natural 
bond. 

Walter  H.  Edson  was  born  in  Sinclairville,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y..  Jan.  8,  1874.  He  completed  public 
school  courses  of  study  with  graduation  from  Sinclair- 
ville High  School  in  1891,  then  pursued  a  genera!  classi- 
cal course  at  Cornell  University,  whence  he  was  gradu- 
ated with  the  usual  bachelor's  degree,  class  of  1896.  He 
read  law  under  his  father  and  attended  the  College  of 
Law,  Cornell  University,  receiving  his  LL.  B.,  class  of 
1897.  From  1896  to  1898,  he  was  a  clerk  in  the  law  office 
of  Obed  Edson,  and  upon  his  admission  to  the  Chau- 
tauqua county  bar  in  1898,  formed  a  partnership  with 
Harley  N.  Crosby,  now  surrogate  of  Chautauqua  county. 
The  firm  Edson  &  Crosby  opened  a  law  office  in  Falconer, 
March  i,  1898,  and  there  continued  a  successful  general 
practice  until  Jan.  i,  1914,  when  the  firm  dissolved,  Mr. 
Crosby  retiring,  Mr.  Edson  continuing  practice  in  Fal- 
coner alone  until  Jan.  6,  1915,  when  he  was  appointed 
assistant  United  States  attorney  for  the  western  district 
of  New  York,  with  headquarters  at  Buffalo.  He  gave 
up  practice  at  Falconer  upon  accepting  the  government 
appointment,  and  gave  his  time  exclusively  to  the  duties 
of  his  office  until  Nov.  13,  191S,  when  he  resigned  and 
resumed  private  practice  as  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of 
Dean,  Edson  &  Jackson,  Fenton  building,  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.  On  March  20,  1920,  he  was  appointed  special 
assistant  to  the  United  States  attorney  and  is  still  serv- 
ing (Dec.  20,  1920)  in  that  capacity.  The  law  and  his 
public  service  has  filled  Mr.  Edson's  life  to  the  exclu- 


404 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


siop.  of  business  activities  to  a  large  extent,  his  only 
important  connection  being  with  the  National  Chau- 
tauqua County  Bank,  which  he  served  as  director,  trust 
officer  and  counsel.  On  Jan.  i,  1921,  he  began  service  as 
vice-president  and  trust  officer  01  the  National  Chau- 
tauqua County  Bank  of  Jamestown,  devoting  his  entire 
time  to  that  work.  He  is  retained  by  otlier  of  the  cor- 
p^'raticns  of  Jamestown  in  a  legal  capacity  and  he  ad- 
mi::isters  many  trusts. 

The  politics  of  the  Edsons  has  for  generations  been 
Democratic,  and  Obcd  Edson  was  long  prominent  in 
party  councils.  His  mantle  fell  upon  his  son,  and  since 
early  life  Walter  H.  Edson  has  been  rated  a  party  leader 
and  one  of  the  strong  men  of  the  party.  Chautauqua  is 
strongly,  almost  hopelessly,  Republican,  and  official  life 
is  but  a  dream  to  those  loyal  to  the  Democracy.  But  Mr. 
Edson  has  always  been  a  strong  and  loyal  supporter  of 
the  partj-  and  its  great  leaders.  In  1912  he  was  one  of 
the  eight  Wilson  supporters  on  the  New  York  delega- 
tion to  the  National  Democratic  Convention  at  Baltimore. 
In  Falconer,  he  was  president  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion in  1905,  and  as  above  noted  held  the  office  of  assistant 
United  States  district  attorney  for  Western  New  York, 
Jan.  II,  ir)i4-Nov.  13,  1918,  that  appointment  coming 
from  the  fact  that  the  Nation  and  State  were  Demo- 
cratic in  their  executive  departments. 

During  the  Great  War  period,  Mr.  Edson  was  assist- 
ant United  States  district  attorney;  he  joined  the  army 
and  trained  at  Fort  Niagara,  N.  Y.,  receiving  a  second 
lieutcr.ant"s  commission,  Nov.  2~,  1917.  He  was  assigned 
to  duty  with  the  90th  Division  at  American  Lake,  Wash., 
and  served  until  Dec.  11,  1917,  when  he  resigned  and  re- 
turned to  his  post.  He  is  a  member  of  Cornell  Chapter, 
Delta  Chi.  and  Sylvan  Lodge,  No.  303,  Free  and  .Accepted 
Masons,  of  Sinclairville,  a  lodge  of  which  his  father, 
Obcd  Edson,  was  a  member  for  sixty  years  and  of  which 
he  was  twice  master,  just  a  half  century  elapsing  be- 
tween his  first  term,  1862,  and  his  second,  1912.  John 
Milton  Edson,  grandfather  of  Walter  H.  Edson,  was  the 
first  master  of  Sylvan  Lodge,  and  his  stepfather,  Maj. 
Samuel  Sinclair,  the  first  master  of  a  "Masonic  Society" 
organized  in  Sinclairville  in  1819.  In  religious  faith  Mr. 
Edson  is  a  Unitarian,  affiliated  with  the  First  Church  of 
Jamestown. 

Mr.  Edson  married,  at  Shumla,  Chautaunua  county,  N. 
Y.,  June  27,  1899,  Florilla  Belle  Clark,  daughter  of  Fran- 
cis Drake  and  Isabel  M.  (Grover)  Clark.  Mrs.  Edson  it  a 
preat-grcat-Kranddaughter  of  Maj.  Samuel  Sinclair  and 
hJA  first  v.ifc.  Sarah  ("Perkins)  Sinclair.  Mr.  Edson  is  a 
Kreat-grandchild  of  Maj.  Sinclair's  second  wife,  Fanny 
^Bip'-low)  Edson,  widow  of  Obcd  (3)  Edson,  inotlicr  of 
John  Milton  Edson,  and  grandmother  of  Obcd  C4)  Ed- 
son, father  of  Walter  Henry  Edson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ed- 
son arc  the  parents  of  two  children :  Francis  Drake  and 
Isabel  E.  Edson.  The  family  home  is  in  Falconer.  Mrs. 
E'hon  i'  a  m'-mber  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American 
V..■■.■^^■^^v.v.. 

WARREN     BREWSTER    HOOKER— With    the 

passim:  of  th'-  eminent  Judge  Warren  B.  Hooker,  one 
of  the  strong  men  of  Chaiitau'iua  county  retires  from 
earthly  vc-n's,  and  v.ilh  him  ftasse",  some  phases  of 
county  [ifjlitiral  life  with  whirh  fKiliticians  of  th'-  old 
school  alone  arc  familiar.    Judge  Hooker  began  his  pub- 


lic career  where  other  famous  Chautauquans  began,  on 
the  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  was  a  recognized  party 
leader  before  Governor  Black  appointed  him  to  the  Su- 
preme Bench  in  1898.  A  member  of  Congress  at  the 
age  of  thirty-four,  he  became  an  influential  factor  in 
the  National  House  of  Representatives,  and  under 
Speaker  Reed  was  awarded  a  most  important  committee 
chairmanship — Rivers  and  Harbors.  He  was  four  times 
elected  to  Congress,  and  in  his  district  during  his  long 
period  of  public  service  he  gathered  around  him  a  group 
of  men  loyal  in  their  Republicanism,  but  to  their  leader 
as  loyal  and  as  true.  It  has  been  said  of  Judge  Hooker 
that  he  served  his  friends  too  well,  but  it  is  the  testimony 
of  all  the  attorneys  who  practiced  before  him  that  he 
was  one  of  the  most  impartial  judges  who  ever  sat  in 
New  York  courts.  Loyalty  to  his  friends  was  a  striking 
characteristic  of  his  whole  life,  but  a  friend  was  never 
recognized  as  such  in  his  judicial  hearing,  or  the  testi- 
mony just  quoted  would  not  have  been  given.  While  he 
was  a  politician  of  the  most  astute  type,  he  was  also  the 
gracious  gentleman  and  the  just  judge.  Those  who  knew 
him  best  loved  him  most,  and  as  friend  and  neighbor  he 
will  long  live  in  the  hearts  of  his  townsmen.  They  will 
not  recall  the  fact  that  he  entered  Congress  unknown,  but 
by  sheer  force  of  personality  became  one  of  a  small 
group  wliich  dominated  that  body:  nor  that  for  fifteen 
years  he  served  with  ability  and  integrity  as  a  justice  of 
the  Supreme  Court  of  his  native  New  York,  but  they 
will  remember  that  his  great  dominant  trait  was  kindli- 
ness, that  his  timely  aid  started  man.v  a  Chautauqua  boy 
on  a  useful  career,  and  that  his  long  public  career  was 
marked  by  countless  favors  to  those  who  were  less  for- 
tunately situated.  "Were  everyone  for  whom  he  has 
done  some  loving  kindness  to  bring  a  blossom  to  his 
grave,  he  would  sleep  to-night  beneath  a  wilderness  of 
flowers."  So  it  is  not  as  the  forceful  politician  of  a 
period  when  men  gave  and  received  hard  blows  in  their 
political  controversies,  nor  as  the  just  and  upright  judge 
who  almost  held  life,  death  and  the  future  at  his  behest, 
nor  as  the  successful  business  man  that  Chautauquans 
remember  Judge  Hooker,  but  as  a  friend  whom  they 
mourn  with  a  deep  and  a  genuine  sorrow,  pride  in  his 
achievement  being  lost  in  sorrow  at  his  passing. 

Judge  Hooker  was  a  native  son  of  New  York,  his 
parents,  John  and  Philcna  (Waterman)  Hooker,  com- 
ing from  near  Brandon,  Vermont,  to  Perrysburg,  in 
Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.,  and  there  their  son, 
Warren  B.  Hooker,  was  born  Nov.  24,  1856.  He 
died  at  his  home  in  Fredonia,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  March  5,  1920,  and  is  buried  in  Forest  Hill  Ceme- 
tery. His  education,  begun  in  the  public  schools,  was 
continued  at  Forestville  Free  Academy,  from  whence  he 
was  graduated,  class  of  1876.  Choosing  the  profes- 
sion of  law,  he  studied  under  the  preceptorship  of  John 
G.  Record,  of  the  Chautauqua  county  bar,  and  until  1879 
was  a  student  in  the  lattcr's  office  in  Forestville.  In  1879 
h(!  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  until  1882  practiced  law 
in  Chautauqua  county,  with  offices  at  Forestville.  In  1882 
he  went  to  the  State  of  Washington,  and  for  two  years 
practirerl  his  profession  in  the  city  of  Tacoma.  He  re- 
turned to  Chautauqua  county  in  1884  and  at  once  estab- 
li-^^hcd  law  ofTices  in  Fredonia,  that  village  continuing  his 
home  until  his  death,  thirty-six  ycnrs  later. 

Until   1890  Mr.   Hooker  successfully  practiced  law   in 


^^ff.c/    /J^.^. 


47  CT  /&^. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


405 


Fiedonia,  then  gave  himself  wholly  to  the  public  service 
as  Congressman  from  the  then  Thirty-fourth  New  York 
District.  He  continued  in  Congress  through  successive 
reelections  until  November,  1898,  when  he  was  appointed 
by  Governor  Black  a  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
Eighth  Judicial  District  to  fill  a  vacancy.  At  the  elec- 
tion in  November,  1899,  he  was  elected  to  the  same  high 
office  for  a  full  term  of  fourteen  years.  On  Dec. 
8,  1902,  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  Odell  to  the  Ap- 
pellate Division  in  the  Second  Department  and  went  to 
Brooklyn,  where  he  served  until  1909,  then  returned  to 
trial  work  in  his  own  district.  Upon  the  expiration  of 
his  term  in  1913  he  retired  to  private  life.  He  was,  how- 
ever, recalled  to  the  bench  late  in  the  summer  of  1919  as 
official  Supreme  Court  Referee  by  appointm.ent,  and  dur- 
ing the  fall  and  winter  heard  a  number  of  cases.  The 
last  trial  over  which  he  presided  was  in  Allegany  county, 
but  two  weeks  prior  to  his  death. 

The  record  Judge  Hooker  made  while  on  the  bench 
shows  him  to  have  been  a  diligent  worker  and  most 
anxious  that  nothing  but  justice  should  proceed  from  his 
decisions.  He  was  learned  in  the  law,  but  never  rendered 
a  decision  until  after  deep  search  and  profound  study  of 
lavi'  precedent  and  authority  to  fortify  his  own  opinion. 
Eminently  just  in  this  judicial  decision,  he  was  equally 
noted  for  his  fairness  and  impartiality. 

The  fifteen  years  Judge  Hooker  spent  upon  the  Su- 
preme Bench  came  as  a  crowning  honor  to  a  life  of  public 
service  that  began  while  he  was  yet  a  law  student.  A 
Republican  in  his  political  affiliation,  he  was  of  the  domi- 
nent  party,  but  his  was  a  day  of  personal  politics,  and  it 
was  necessary  to  success  that  a  politician  maintain  a 
strong  organization  loyal  to  him  as  well  as  to  the  party. 
This  Judge  Hooker  early  learned,  and  he  proved  one  of 
the  strongest  of  leaders  of  organized  politics  in  his  dis- 
trict. He  fought  his  political  battles  according  to  the 
rules  laid  down  by  former  leaders  and  by  contempo- 
raries ;  he  a;ked  no  quarter,  and  gave  and  received  hard 
blows  with  equal  equanimity. 

His  career  in  the  public  service  began  in  1878,  the 
\-ear  before  he  was  actually  admitted  to  the  bar,  when  he 
was  elected  special  surrogate  of  Chautauqua  county.  He 
held  that  position  for  three  years.  After  returning  from 
the  West,  Mr.  Hooker  immediately  began  taking  an 
active  interest  in  public  affairs,  and  in  18S9  was  elected 
supervisor  from  the  town  of  Pomfrct.  In  1890  he  was 
reelected,  receiving  the  support  in  that  election  of  both 
kading  political  parties,  which  was  a  compliment  to  his 
efficient  service.  In  the  fall  of  1890,  when  yet  but  thirty- 
three  years  of  age,  he  was  nominated  by  the  Republicans 
of  th;  Thirty-fourth  Congressional  District  of  New  York 
for  representative  in  Congress.  The  district  comprises 
the  counties  of  Chautauqua,  Cattaraugus  and  Allegany. 
His  election  followed  by  a  majority  of  5,726.  He  was 
reelected  in  1892  and  again  in  1894,  receiving  in  the  latter 
election  a  plurality  of  15.300  votes.  In  1896  he  again  re- 
ceived the  nomination  and  was  again  elected  by  the  hand- 
some plurality  of  27,436.  He  was  elected  for  the  last 
time  in  189S.  At  the  time  he  was  elected  for  the  first 
time  he  was  the  youngest  member  of  Congress.  He  was 
nominated  at  that  time  over  old  and  experienced  men  of 
the  party.  His  subsequent  renomination  by  acclamation 
was  a  compliment  to  his  popularity  and  faithful  service. 


During  the  Fifty-fourth  Congress,  Speaker  Reed  named 
Mr.  Hooker  chairman  of  the  important  Rivers  and  Har- 
bors Committee.  His  bill  passed  by  big  majorities  by 
both  houses  of  Congress,  and  over  the  President's  veto 
won  for  him  many  warm  compliments.  In  one  of  his 
appropriation  bills  during  his  term  as  chairman  of  this 
committee,  was  included  a  generous  appropriation  for 
the  Dunkirk  harbor  with  which  most  important  improve- 
ments were  made.  In  1898,  before  he  had  completed  his 
last  term  in  -Congress,  Governor  Black  appointed  him  a 
justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  for  the  Eighth  Judicial 
District.  This  ended  his  political  career,  and  upon  the 
expiration  of  this  term  in  1913,  he  practiced  law  and  en- 
gaged in  business  as  a  manufacturer  of  sand  glass  in 
Pennsylvania. 

Most  of  Judge  Hooker's  time  after  his  retirement  from 
the  bench  was  spent  in  Fredonia,  where  his  genial  nature 
and  pleasing  manner  won  all  hearts.  He  was  sympathetic 
and  responsive  to  every  reasonable  appeal,  and  during 
the  last  few  years  of  his  life  took  deep  interest  in  the 
affairs  of  Trinity  Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  affiliated  with  Forest 
Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Fredcnia.  In  1899 
Hamilton  College  conferred  upon  him  the  honorary  de- 
gree LL.  D. 

Judge  Hooker  married,  Sept.  11,  1S84,  Etta  Elizabeth 
Abbey,  who  survives  him,  youngest  daughter  of  Chaun- 
cey  and  Elizabeth  (Chase)  Abbey,  her  father  one  of 
Fredonia's  strong  business  men  of  an  earlier  day,  bank 
president  and  eminent  citizen,  who  died  in  1894.  Eliza- 
ijeth  (Chase)  Abbey  died  March  28,  1855.  Mrs.  Hooker 
is  a  member  of  Benjamin  Prejcott  Chapter,  Daughters 
of  the  American  Revolution,  and  of  Trinity  Episcopal 
Church.  She  is  of  the  eighth  generation  of  the  .•\bbey 
fam.ily  in  America,  descent  being  traced  from  John  Ab- 
bey, who  was  of  Salem,  Mass.,  Jan.  2,  i''38.  Judge  and 
Mrs.  Hooker  were  the  parents  of  two  children,  born  in 
Fredonia :  Sherman  Abbey  Hooker,  secretary  of  the 
Benjamin  Franklin  Institute,  New  York  City ;  Florence 
Elizabeth,  married  Eben  D.  Jiloon,  of  Elkhart,  Ind.,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  three  sons :  Warren  DeWitt, 
Eben  DeWitt,  Jr.,  and  David  Erownell  Moon. 

Two  tributes  from  the  press  of  Western  New  York 
close  this  review  of  a  valuable  life.  Buffalo  "Times"  (in 
part  only)  : 

Jlany  years  ago  we  were  present  in  court  when 
Judgre  Hooker  sentenced  to  death  a  young  man  who 
had  been  convicted  of  murder.  Tlie  magistrate  showed 
more  emotion  than  did  the  defendent.  The  carefully 
restrained  but  distinctly  evident  sorrow  of  the  .ludge. 
his  pallor,  his  manifest  sense  of  the  tremendous  and 
melancholy  responsibility  he  was  wielding  left  an  im- 
pression which  has  never  been  effaced.  It  ■was  a 
memorable  example  of  human  feeling  in  exercising  the 
powers  of  .iustioe.  and  was  consonant  with  the  breadth 
of  vision  Judge  Hooker  showed  in  afterward  granting 
that  unfortunate  young  man  a  new  trial. 

It  seems  to  us  that  this  incident  is  more  typical  of 
Justice  Hooker  than  anything  that  could  be  conveyed 
in  an  editorial  of  the  conventional  kind. 

Jamestown  "Journal"  (closing  paragraph)  : 

And  now,  some  years  after  the  days  of  his  activity, 
when  he  goes  to  his  long  rest  after  a  strenuous  life, 
when  he  has  laid  down  the  burdens  which  he  courage- 
ously bore  so  many  years,  we  pay  tribute  to  his  genius, 
and  join  with  those  who  sorrow  at  his  passing  from 
the  realm  of  the  living  to  take  his  place  in  the  silent 
chambers  of  the  dead. 


400 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


CHAUNCEY  ABBEY— A  quarter  of  a  century  has 
eUpscd  since  Cliaunccy  Abbey  walked  Frcdonia's  streets, 
but  his  mcnwry  is  still  green  and  monuments  to  his 
memory  are  I'oimd  on  every  hand.  Nearly  forty  years 
prior  to  his  passing  he  organized  with  others  the  Fre- 
donia  Bank,  a  State  institution,  which  later  became  the 
Fredonia  Natior.al  Bank,  of  which  Chauucey  Abbey  was 
the  able  president  during  the  last  twelve  years  of  his  life. 
Beginning  life  on  a  farm,  he  was  very  successful  as  an 
agriculturfst,  and  as  the  years  passed  he  broadened  and 
expanded  until  his  activities  touched  nearly  every  de- 
partment of  Chautauqua  county  life.  His  life  was  a 
successful  and  a  useful  one,  for  it  was  not  given  up  to 
selfish  ends  or  ignoble  purposes.  He  prospered,  but  it 
was  not  at  the  expense  of  others,  and  his  wealth  was 
both  rightly  acquired  and  rightly  used.  Seventy-nine 
were  the  years  of  his  life,  and  from  the  age  of  eight 
years  he  was  a  resident  of  Chautauqua  county,  and  from 
arrival  at  legal  age  a  landowner. 

This  surname  is  \-ariously  spelled.  Abbe  and  Abbey 
being  the  commoner  forms.  The  origin  of  the  word  as 
a  surname  is  self-evident,  the  first  to  bear  it  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  nearness  of  his  home  to  the  abbey  to 
adopt  that  v.-ord  as  his  surname.  The  family  in  England 
bore  arms :  Gules,  five  fusils  in  fesse,  between  three 
scallop  shells.  Crest:  On  a  wreath  of  three  colors  of 
the  shield,  gules  and  argent,  an  eagle's  head  erased  or. 

Chauncey  Abbey  traced  his  descent  through  si.x  gen- 
erations of  New  England  ancestors  to  John  Abbey,  who, 
tradition  says,  was  of  Norwich,  Norfolkshire,  England. 
John  .-\bbey  was  admitted  an  inhabitant  of  Salem,  Alass., 
Jan.  2,  1636,  and  allotted  an  acre  of  ground  "for  an 
house"  and  "three  acres  of  planting  ground."  He  had 
other  lands  granted  him  in  Salem,  and  is  mentioned  in 
the  Wenham  records  in  1643;  was  a  constable  in  1669, 
and  according  to  Savage  was  at  Reading,  Mass.,  in  1685. 
He  died  about  1690,  aged  not  far  from  seventy-four 
years.  His  first  wife,  Mary  Abbey,  who  died  Sept.  9, 
1672,  was  the  mother  of  Samuel  .-Vbhey,  througli  whom 
Chauncey  .Abbey  traced  his  descent. 

Samuel  Abbey  was  born  about  1630,  in  Salem  or  Wen- 
ham,  Nfass..  died  in  Windham,  Conn.,  in  March,  1697-98. 
He  was  a  landowner  and  surveyor  of  Wenham,  lived  in 
Salem  Village,  bought  and  sold  several  tracts  of  land  in 
Essex  county,  Mass.,  prior  to  Dec.  21,  1697,  when  he 
was  admitted  an  inhabitant  of  Windham,  Conn.  He 
married,  at  Windham,  Mass.,  Oct.  12,  1672,  Mary  Knowl- 
ton,  who  survived  him  and  married  a  second  husband, 
Abraham  Nfitchell.  Descent  is  traced  to  Chauncey  Ab- 
Ky  throuirh  Ebenezer  Abbey,  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary 
( Knowlton )   ,^bbey. 

Eb<:nczor  .Vbbcy  was  b<^<rn  in  .Salem  Village,  Mass., 
July  31,  1683,  died  Dec.  5,  1758.  He  was  of  Norwich, 
G-,nn.,  and  Windham,  Conn.'  and  in  172.1  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Hampton  church.  He  is  traced  by  his  lantl 
transactions,  and  may  have  lived  at  Mansfield,  as  he  there 
married,  Oct.  28,  i/f/?,  Mary,  daughter  of  Joshua  Allen, 
on'-  of  Mansfi'-ld's  early  settlers.  They  were  the  parents 
'it  thir'<'n  children,  descent  being  traced  in  this  branch 
thro'it'h  the  eldest  child,  Ebenezer  Abljcy. 

Ef(enezer  (2)  .Abbey  was  born  in  Windham,  Conn., 
J'lly  27,  i7f»S.  H'-  married  Abigail,  surname  tmknown, 
Feb.  22,   1729,  and  th'v  were  the  prir<iits  (if  seven  chil- 


dren, descent  being  traced  through  the  si.xth  child,  John 
Abbey. 

John  Abbe\-  was  born  in  Windham,  Conn.,  Aug.  23, 
1743,  died  in  Bellows  Falls,  Conn.  He  was  a  soldier  of 
the  Revolution,  serving  with  the  Connecticut  Line.  He 
married,  April  2y,  170S,  Dorothy  Bugbee,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  David  .Abbey,  the  fouiider  of  the  family 
in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  V.,  and  grandparents  of 
Chauncey  Abbey. 

David  Abbey  was  born  at  Bellows  Falls,  Conn.,  in  1789, 
died  in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  in  1876.  He  was  a 
farmer  all  his  life,  and  owned  land  in  various  places. 
He  located  in  the  town  of  Villenova  (now  Arkwright), 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  in  1823,  and  there  resided 
many  years.  He  married,  in  New  England,  Hannah 
Woods,  born  in  Beiniington,  Vt.,  daughter  of  Nathan 
Woods,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  descendant  of  John 
Woods,  born  in  England  about  1610,  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers of  Sudbury,  Mass.  David  and  Hannah  (Woods) 
Abbey  were  the  parents  of  seven  children :  James 
Parker;  Chauncey,  mentioned  below;  Abial,  Hannah, 
John,  David,  Jr.,  and  a  child  who  died  young. 

Chauncey  Abbey,  second  son  of  David  and  Hannah 
(Woods)  Abbey,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Virgil,  Cort- 
land county,  N.  Y.,  April  i,  1815,  died  in  the  village  of 
Fredonia,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  11,  1894.  He 
was  eight  years  old  when  brought  to  Chautauqua  county 
by  his  parents  in  1823,  and  until  reaching  man's  estate 
remained  at  the  home  farm  in  the  now  town  of  Ark- 
wright. He  was  educated  in  the  district  schools,  and 
developed  marked  ability  as  a  mathematician.  In  1836 
he  left  home  and  began  life  on  his  own  farm,  having 
become  the  owner  of  a  choice  tract  of  194  acres,  in  the 
town  of  Arkwright,  near  the  village  of  the  same  name. 
He  gave  particular  attention  to  the  improvement  and 
cultivation  of  his  farm,  and  in  course  of  time  brought  it 
to  the  very  highest  condition  of  productiveness.  He  spe- 
cialized in  stock-raising  and  dealing,  and  in  addition  to 
fertile  fields,  his  farm  was  also  noted  for  its  fine  stock. 
He  easily  grew  into  leadership  among  the  farmers  of  his 
district,  and  that,  in  a  community  remarkable  for  its  fine 
farms  and  prosperous  farmers.  His  cattle  dealing  began 
when  he  was  a  young  farmer  anxious  to  increase  his 
income  through  other  means  than  by  actual  cultivation  of 
the  soil.  It  is  related  of  him  that  after  making  some 
small  ventures  he  determined  to  go  in  heavier  and  went 
to  Ellicott  to  bid  up  the  large  herd  of  cattle  Mr.  Pren- 
dergast  annually  placed  upon  the  market.  He  looked  so 
young  that  Mr.  Prcndcrgast  advised  him  not  to  buy,  but 
be  ."iatisfied  with  a  farmer's  gains,  and  not  take  a  cattle 
drover's  risks.  But  the  young  man  persisted  and  bought 
the  entire  herd,  clearing  over  a  thousand  dollars  in  the 
transaction.  Many  times  afterward  he  bought  the  Prcn- 
dcrgast herd,  but  was  never  again  burdened  with  the 
owner's  pood  advice.  For  many  years  each  farmer  pro- 
duced a  herd  of  cattle  for  the  market,  and  there  was 
hardly  a  farm  in  the  county  but  Mr.  Abbey  sometime 
visit<'d  anti  usually  did  some  business.  He  imported 
rattle  from  the  West,  principally  to  replenish  Chau- 
tauqua dairies,  and  fr)nnd  marlcets  for  hi-;  cattle  at  home 
and  ;ibroad. 

So  heavy  were  his  transactions  and  so  abundant  was 
his   r.rjpitrd   that   he   became   a   i)urchaser   of   commercial 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


407 


paper  and  other  securities,  becoming  practically  the 
banker  for  entire  townships,  in  which  the  highest  form 
of  security  known  was  Chauncey  Abbey's  word.  He 
became  familiar  with  all  forms  of  business,  drew  wills, 
settled  estates,  acted  as  guardian  and  safeguarded  the 
investments  of  minors  and  others.  He  was  literally  con- 
sulted by  hundreds  in  matters  of  deep  importance  to 
them,  and  the  advice  they  sought  was  always  freely 
given.  Besides  his  own  home  farm  at  Arkwright,  which 
he  never  sold,  he  owned  and  improved  a  farm  in  Ohio, 
and  several  valuable  Chautauqua  county  tracts,  for  he  was 
a  firm  believer  iu  the  future  agricultural  greatness  of 
the  county  and  in  the  value  of  Chautauqua  lands  as  an 
investment. 

While  he  was  the  best  known  financier  in  the  county, 
it  was  not  until  1856  that  he  formed  regular  banking 
connections.  In  tliat  year,  with  Stephen  M.  Clements 
and  others,  he  organized  the  Fredonia  Bank  under  the 
State  laws,  and  in  1865  reorganized  and  incorporated  it 
under  the  newly  enacted  National  banking  laws  as  The 
First  National  Bank  of  Fredonia.  He  was  a  heavy 
investor  in  the  stock  of  both  banks,  always  a  member 
of  their  boards  of  direction,  and  from  1882  until  his 
death,  in  i8g4,  was  president  of  The  First  National.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  in  poli- 
tics a  Republican. 

Mr.  Abbey  married  (first)  Elizabeth  Chase,  who  died 
March  28,  1855,  aged  thirty-eight  years,  daughter  of 
Stephen  Chase,  of  Charlotte,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 
They  were  the  parents  of  four  children  :  Hannah,  died 
young ;  Ruble  Lavinia,  a  resident  of  Fredonia ;  Rosa  E., 
married  (first)  Manly  M.  Sessions,  (second)  Herbert  A. 
Peirce ;  Etta  Elizabeth,  widow  of  Judge  Warren  Brew- 
ster Hooker,  whose  sketch  precedes  this. 

The  rise  of  Chauncey  Abbey  from  farmer  boy  to 
financier  is  well  worth  contemplation,  and  his  character 
proves  difficult  to  analyze.  He  was  ambitious,  but  not  to 
a  degree  unusual,  and  it  is  not  easy  to  find  the  exact 
characteristic  which  won  success.  He  was  a  keen  ob- 
server of  men.  To  the  man  struggling  manfully  with 
adversity  his  strong  arm  was  outstretched,  but  drones 
and  adventurers,  wasters  of  fortunes  and  opportunities, 
and  betrayers  of  trusts  never  successfully  applied  to  him. 
He  was  a  bold,  energetic,  self-reliant  man,  following 
more  than  most  men  the  suggestions  of  his  own  judg- 
ment and  conscience.  He  listened  to  others  but  decided 
for  himself.  He  generously  aided  every  public  enter- 
prise to  make  men  better  and  happier.  He  had  the 
frankness  and  geniality  that  attached  to  him  his  busi- 
ness associates  and  neighbors.  In  a  business  career  of 
more  than  sixty  years  his  integrity  was  never  questioned. 
He  faithfully  discharged  every  trust  confided  in  him.  He 
was  a  wise  man  from  the  lessons  of  life  and  the  book  of 
nature  to  him  was  ever  open. 


HARRY  BENJAMIN  HOPSON— The  founder  of 
the  Hopson  line  of  this  record  was  Sergeant  John  Hop- 
son,  the  name  appearing  in  early  records  as  both  Hopson 
and  Hobson,  variations  persisting  to  the  present.  Ser- 
geant John  Hopson  was  born  in  England  in  1610,  and 
it  is  believed  that  he  came  to  America  in  the  "Globe" 
in  1635,  probably  accompanying  his  father,  John  Hop- 
son,  who  settled  at  Rowley,  Mass.    Sergeant  John  Hop- 


son  located  at  Guilford  in  the  Connecticut  colony,  and 
there  he  died  July  3,  1701.  He  was  three  times  married, 
his  first  wife,  Sara,  died  Sept.  9,  1669;  his  second,  whom 
he  married  Dec.  3  (or  9),  1672,  Elizabeth,  died  in  1683, 
daughter  of  Edward  Shipman,  of  Saybrook,  Conn.;  his 
third,  Elizabeth  Ailing,  daughter  of  John  Ailing,  of 
New  Haven,  born  Sept.  11,  1653.  The  children  of  his 
first  marriage  were:  John,  born  March  16,  1666,  and 
Francis,  who  died  young:  of  his  second:  Elizabeth, 
born  Jan.  27"  1674,  married  Comfort  Starr;  and  Abi- 
gail, born  Dec.  17,  1677,  died  young;  of  his  third:  Sam- 
uel, of  whom  further. 

(II)  Lieutenant  Samuel  Hopson,  son  of  Sergeant 
John  and  Elizabeth  (Ailing)  Hopson,  was  born  in  Guil- 
ford, Conn.,  Jan.  10,  1684,  lived  in  that  town  all  of  his 
life,  and  died  Dec.  21,  1771.  He  married  (first)  Jan. 
20,  1709,  Mary  Fowler,  born  about  1681,  died  Oct.  17, 
1717,  daughter  of  Judge  Abraham  Fowler;  (second) 
Ann  Leete,  daughter  of  Governor  William  Leete,  of 
Guilford,  Conn. 

(III)  Samuel  (2)  Hopson,  son  of  Lieutenant  Samuel 
(i)  Hopson,  was  born  in  Guilford,  Conn.,  Oct.  21,  1710, 
and  died  in  Wallingford,  Conn.,  May  3,  1789.  He  grew 
to  manhood  on  the  homestead  in  the  northern  end  of 
the  town,  and  in  1760  moved  to  Wallingford,  where  he 
engaged  in  agricultural  operations  for  the  remainder  of 
his  life.  He  married,  in  Guilford,  about  1733,  Mercy 
Collins,  born  in  Guilford,  Jan.  19,  1707,  died  in  Walling- 
ford, Conn.  Children:  Clement;  Linus,  of  whom  fur- 
ther; Samuel,  born  July  29,  1738;  Ashel,  born  April  12, 
1743;  Rue,  born  Aug.  12,  1745 ;  Simeon,  born  Oct.  14, 
1747;    Alvanus,  born  April  9,  1752;    and  Avis. 

(IV)  Linus  Hopson,  son  of  Samuel  (2)  Hopson,  was 
born  about  1736,  in  Guilford.  He  was  in  the  Colonial 
army  during  the  Revolution,  served  at  Boston,  and  rose 
to  the  rank  of  lieutenant.  He  was  for  a  time  a  resi- 
dent of  Wallingford,  Conn.,  and  later  moved  to  Free- 
hold near  Albany,  N.  Y.  He  married,  about  1766,  Mar- 
tha Shattuck,  born  in  Middletown,  Conn.,  April  15,  1746, 
died  probably  in  Freehold,  Albany  county,  N.  Y., 
daughter  of  Timothy  and  Desire  (Hall)  Shattuck, 
granddaughter  of  Rev.  Benjamin  and  Martha  (Sher- 
man) Shattuck,  and  Nathaniel  and  Elizabeth  (Curtis) 
Hall,  of  Wallingford,  great-granddaughter  of  William 
and  Susanna  (Randall)  Shattuck,  of  Woburn,  Mass., 
and  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Winship)  Sherman.  (See 
Shattuck  V).  Children:  Philo,  of  whom  further;  Lyman, 
born  May  30,  1769;  Sherman,  born  June  19,  1772;  Linus, 
born  Oct.  20,  1777;    and  Jason,  born  May  19,  1781. 

(V)  Philo  Hopson,  son  of  Linus  Hopson,  was  born 
in  Wallingford,  Conn,,  Nov.  16,  1767.  He  lived  for  a 
time  after  his  marriage  in  the  place  of  his  birth,  then 
moved  to  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  From  Chautau- 
qua county  he  went  to  Virginia,  and  there  all  trace  of 
him  was  lost.  He  married,  in  Branford,  Conn.,  Dec. 
II,  1791,  Anna  Norton,  who  died  in  Chautauqua  county 
in  1809.  (See  Norton  XVIII.).  Children:  Stephen, 
Linus,  Lyman,  Sarah,  born  in  1801,  Harry,  and  Philo,  Jr. 

(VI)  Lyman  Hopson,  son  of  Philo  Hopson,  was  born 
in  Wallingford,  Conn.,  in  1799.  He  was  a  lad  of  ten 
years  when  the  family  moved  to  Chautauqua  county, 
locating  near  Hartfield,  and  in  this  vicinity  he  became  a 
land  owner  and  farmer,  his  death  occurring  in  1853. 
He  married,  in  1823,  Nancy  Earnhardt,  born  in  Som- 


4oS 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


erset  county.  Pa.,  in  1707.  died  in  Hartfield.  X.  Y.,  in 
iS:^.  daughter  o\  Feter  and  Molly  (.Boyer)  Rarnhardt. 
Children:  Martha,  horn  in  August.  1S24:  Amy  Pris- 
cilla,  born  Xov.  i.  1S25:  Eliza  Ann,  born  in  iS:?8;  Nel- 
son, of  whom  further:  John  and  Peter  (twins"),  bom  in 
iSj(6. 

(A'ln  Nelson  Hopson.  son  of  Lyman  Hopson,  was 
born  in  Hartfield,  Chautauqua  count}-,  N  .Y.,  June  27, 
iS,--\  r.nd  died  Oct.  5.  looo.  one  hundred  years  after  his 
jrrandfather  first  came  to  Chautauqua  county.  He  was 
a  successful  and  substantial  farmer,  and  both  he  and 
his  wife  were  members  and  liberal  supporters  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Mayville.  Politically 
he  was  a  Prohibitionist,  and  did  active  work  for  the 
party.  He  married,  March  20,  1852,  Marilla  Fuller, 
horn  Dec.  12.  182S.  died  at  Majnille,  April  8,  1913. 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Lydia  (Lewis)  Fuller.  Chil- 
dren, all  bom  in  Hartfield,  X.  Y.:  Xancy  Viola,  born 
March  17.  1853:  Newell  Philo,  born  Feb.  iS,  1S55; 
Harry  Beniamin,  of  whom  further;  and  Jane,  born 
Sept.'2S,  1S68. 

(\'ini  Harry  Benjamin  Hopson.  son  of  Nelson  Hop- 
son,  was  bom  in  Hartfield,  Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y., 
Sept.  14,  1857.  He  attended  the  district  school 
until  his  fourteenth  year,  when  he  entered  the  Fre- 
donia  Xormal  School,  where  his  sister  Xancy  Viola 
had  graduated  at  an  earlier  date.  The  four  children  of 
Xelson  and  Marilla  (Fuller)  Hopson  all  attended  the 
Fredonia  Academy,  and  the  daughters  graduated  from 
the  Fredonia  Xormal  School.  It  has  been  characteris- 
tic of  the  Hopson  men  to  marry  at  an  early  age,  and 
Harrj-  B.  Hopson  was  no  exception.  In  1S70  he  mar- 
ried -Adelaide  J.  Gleason,  oldest  daughter  of  Charles 
and  Lucy  .Ann   (Slocum)   Gleason. 

Nfr.  Hopson  engaged  in  the  wholesale  ice  business 
at  Mayville  at  about  this  time,  and  established  one  of 
the  oldest  and  largest  businesses  of  its  kind  on  Chau- 
tiiinua  Lake,  building  three  different  plants,  all  at  the 
hend  of  the  lake.  This  enterprise  came  to  employ  more 
men  than  almost  any  other  concern,  and  the  firm  of 
Hopson  &  Carlson,  later  known  as  the  H.  B.  Hopson 
Ice  Company,  has  survived  many  other  natural  ice  busi- 
ncs-es  of  this  region.  In  1892  Mr.  Hopson  and  his 
brother  purchased  the  old  Sweet  farm,  a  large  grape 
farm  two  miles  east  of  Westfield.  In  1903  he  became 
owner  of  the  Prendcrgast  homestead,  a  grape  farm  of 
120  acres,  on  the  east  side  of  the  main  road  of  West- 
field. He  often  delighted  in  telling  his  friends  that 
wh'.n  a  small  boy  he  had  driven  by  this  beautiful  home 
with  his  father,  and  had  resolved  that  at  some  time  he 
would  own  this  place.  The  beautiful  old  house  is  of 
splendid  Jacol^crin  architecture,  and  is  situated  on  the 
south  side  of  the  road  facing  Lake  Eric,  approached 
through  an  avenue  of  magnificent  old  maples.  It  is 
known  as  Kowan  Place,  from  the  English  name  of  the 
mountain  ash  trees  found  on  the  grounds  in  front  of  the 
ho-ise.  Here  Mr.  Hopson  made  his  home  until  his 
death  in  1912. 

Mr.  Hopson  was  a  staunch  Democrat,  and  although 
he  did  not  care  for  politics,  he  filled  many  offices  of 
trust  in  the  village  of  .Mayville,  then  his  home.  He  was 
a  rommunirant  of  St.  Peter's  Episcopal  Church  of 
Westfield,  and  in  the  Masonic  order  was  a  member  of 
lodge,  chapter,  commandcry,  and   consistory.     He  was 


highly  esteemed  not  only  in  his  own  community,  but 
throughout  Chautauqua  county  and  Western  Xevv  York, 
where  he  was  well  known.  He  possessed  a  magnetic 
personality,  which  not  only  endeared  him  to  his  family 
and  his  many  loyal  friends,  but  caused  him  to  be  highly 
regarded  in  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances.  Aside  from 
his  business  he  was  a  man  of  many  interests.  He  was 
passionately  fond  of  music  and  the  stage,  and  always 
felt  himself  fortunate  to  have  lived  in  the  days  of  Booth, 
Barrett.  McCullough,  Clara  Morris,  and  their  contem- 
poraries. From  his  mother's  family,  the  Fullers,  he 
inherited  a  great  love  for  fine  horses,  and  preferred  sit- 
ting behind  his  little  Kentucky  bred  pacer  than  driv- 
ing an  automobile.  He  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  being 
the  most  genial  and  atifable  man  among  his  friends,  in 
his  clubs,  and  in  fraternal  organizations,  but  one  of  his 
strongest  characteristics  was  his  independence  and  his 
extreme  aversion  to  all  sham  and  pretense  wherever 
and  whenever  it  was  met. 

Mrs.  Hopson,  who  survives  him,  was  educated  in  the 
grammar  and  high  schools  of  Mayville  and  afterward 
took  a  course  in  elocution.  She  was  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church,  and  later  adopted  the  Christian  Sci- 
ence faith,  now  (1920)  being  first  reader  in  the  Chris- 
tian Science  church  in  Westfield.  She  was  a  lady  of 
culture  and  refinement,  a  lover  of  nature  and  art,  and  a 
member  of  Patterson  Chapter,  Daughters  of  the  Amer- 
ican Revolution.  Children  of  Harry  Benjamin  and  Ade- 
laide J.  (Gleason)  Hopson,  all  born  in  Mayville:  i. 
Lucy  Marilla,  of  whom  further.  2.  Sarah  Rowena,  born 
Aug.  22,  1S84,  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  West- 
field,  Darlington  Seminary,  at  West  Chester,  Pa.,  and 
the  Philadelphia  School  of  Design;  she  married  John 
Calvin  Powers,  a  business  man  of  New  York  City,  and 
they  reside  in  East  Orange,  N.  J.:  they  are  the  parents 
of  one  child,  Mary  Adelaide.  3.  Maude  Viola,  bom 
July  30,  1886,  educated  in  Westfield  schools,  Vila  Con- 
vent School,  of  Erie,  and  Painesville  College  for 
Women;  lives  at  home.  4.  Harold  Sherman,  born  Oct. 
26,  1892,  educated  in  Westfield  schools  and  the  Col- 
lege of  Technology,  of  Troy,  N.  Y.  5.  Harry  Benja- 
min, Jr.,  born  Dec.  28,  1897,  educated  in  public  schools 
and  St.  John's  Academy  at  Manlius,  N.  Y. ;  associated 
with  Doubleday,  Hill  &  Company,  of  Pittsburgh;  mar- 
ried Margaret  Belmont.  6.  Charles  Gleason,  born  May 
29,  1900;  attended  Westfield  schools,  now  a  student  in 
the  LT.  S.   Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis,  Md. 

(IX)  Lucy  Marilla  Hopson  was  born  March  2,  1882. 
She  is  a  graduate  of  Mayville  High  School  and  Buffalo 
State  Normal  schools.  She  married  Thomas  W.  Us- 
borne,  who  was  born  in  Westfield,  N.  Y.,  April  21,  1881, 
son  of  William  and  Martha  (Van  Ness)  Usborne.  Mr. 
Usborne  attended  the  Westfield  schools,  and  after  grad- 
uation from  the  high  school  entered  the  National  Bank 
of  Westfield  in  the  capacity  of  clerk.  He  rose  to  the 
office  of  teller,  and  after  twelve  years  resigned  to  accept 
the  cashiership  of  the  National  Bank  of  North  East. 
This  responsible  position  he  filled  until  1912.  He  re- 
signed in  this  year  because  of  the  death  of  his  father- 
in-law,  and  his  appointment  as  executor  and  trustee  of 
the  estate  of  Mr.  Hopson.  lie  has  faithfully  adminis- 
tered this  estate  to  the  present  time,  to  the  complete 
satisfaction  of  those  most  intimately  concerned,  and  has 
labored   diligently  in  their  interest.     Mr.   Usborne  has 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


409 


given  much  time  and  study  to  the  breeding  of  Guernsey 
cattle,  and  is  first  vice-president  of  the  Guernsey  Cattle 
Association  of  Western  New  York.  He  is  active  in 
many  circles  in  Westfield,  and  is  president  of  the  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce,  where  his  progressive  beliefs  and 
ideas  have  resulted  in  benefit  to  his  city,  and  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  Western  New  York  Guernsey  Cattle  Club. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Usborne 
showed  a  special  aptitude  for  music  when  quite  young, 
and  during  his  early  school  life  it  was  with  difficulty 
that  he  was  not  permitted  from  neglecting  his  studies 
to  practice  on  various  band  instruments.  During  his 
later  school  period  he  took  up  the  study  of  music  in 
a  serious  way  on  his  own  account,  devoting  much  time 
to  the  study  of  music,  musicians  and  harmony,  and  later 
settled  down  to  playing  his  favorite  instrument,  the 
slide  trombone,  which  instrument  he  has  played  ever 
since,  professionally  and  otherwise.  Much  to  his  re- 
gret his  other  duties  do  not  permit  of  his  devoting  as 
much  time  to  music  as  he  would  like.  Mrs.  Usborne  is 
a  member  and  ex-secretary  of  Patterson  Chapter, 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  of  Westfield, 
and  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Ladies'  Library  Society 
of  Westfield.  She  is  interested  in  civic  affairs  and  cur- 
rent events,  inherits  a  talent  for  elocution  from  her 
mother,  and  is  fond  of  genealogical  research,  having 
contributed  valuable  material  to  the  family  records. 

(The  Shattuck  Line). 

(I)  William  Shattuck  was  born  in  England,  1621,  and 
died  in  Watertown,  Mass.,  Aug.  14,   1672.     He  married, 

1642,  Susanne  ,  who  died  in  Watertown,  Dec.   11, 

1686. 

(ID  William  (2)  Shattuck,  son  of  William  (i)  and 
Susanne  Shattuck,  was  born  in  Watertown,  Mass.,  in 
1653,  and  died  Oct.  19,  1732.  He  married,  1678,  Susanna 
Randall,  born  in  Watertown,  Mass.,  died  May  8,  1723, 
daughter  of  Stephen  Randall. 

(in)  Rev.  Benjamin  Shattuck,  son  of  William  (2) 
and  Susanna  (Randall)  Shattuck,  was  born  in  Water- 
town,  Mass.,  July  30,  1687,  died  in  Littletown.  Conn. 
He  graduated  at  Harvard,  June  17,  1709.  He  engaged 
to  teach  grammar  school  and  taught  until  1715.  He 
studied  Divinity  and  was  ordained,  and  became  first 
minister  of  Littletown,  Conn.,  Dec.  25,  1717.  He  mar- 
ried, 1709.  Martha  Sherman,  born  Sept.  i,  i68q,  in  Wa- 
tertown, Mass.,  died  in  Littletown,  Conn.,  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Winship)  Sherman.  Joseph 
Shennan  was  a  son  of  Captain  John  and  Martha  (Por- 
ter) Sherman,  the  latter  named  a  daughter  of  Rodger 
and  Grace  (Colledge)  Porter.  Elizabeth  (Winshiv. 
Sherman  was  a  daughter  of  Edward  Winship,  of  Cam- 
bridge. 

(I\')  Timothy  Shattuck,  son  of  Rev.  Benjamin  and 
Martha  (Sherman)  Shattuck,  was  born  in  Watertown. 
Mass.,  1715,  died  in  1775-76.  He  lived  in  Littletown  and 
Middletown,  Conn.  He  married,  in  Wallingford,  Conn., 
Nov.  5,  1740,  Desire  Hall,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  and 
Elizabeth  (Curtis)  Hall. 

(V)  Martha  Shattuck,  daughter  of  Timothy  and  De- 
sire (Hall)  Shattuck,  born  in  Middletown,  Conn.,  April 
15,  1746,  married  Lieutenant  Linus  Hopson.  (See 
Hopson  IV.). 


(The  Norton  Line). 
The  Norton  family  of  Norwich,  of  whom  the  late 
Henry  B.,  Timothy  P.  and  William  T.  Norton  were  the 
founders,  is  one  of  the  oldest  families  of  Connecticut. 
Thomas  Norton,  the  founder  of  the  family  in  New  Eng- 
land, was  born  in  the  County  of  Surrey,  England,  and 
was  descendant  in  the  fourteenth  generation  from 

(I)  Le  Sieur  de  Norville,  who  came  to  England  with 
William  the  Conqueror,  and  was  his  constable.  He 
married  into  the  house  of  Valois. 

(II)  Sr.  de  Norville  married  into  the  house  of  Barr. 

(III)  Sr.  de  Norville  married  into  the  house  of  Dol- 
bermmonto. 

(IV)  Sr.  de  Norville  married  Auelina,  daughter  of 
Neuil  De  Witt,  of  Raby. 

(V)  Sr.  de  Norville  married  Jorica,  daughter  of 
Sieur  Dumpre  de   Court. 

(VI)  Sr.  de  Norville,  alias  Norton,  married  the 
daughter  of  Sir  John  Hadsooke. 

(VII)  Sr.  de  Norville,  alias  Norton,  married  the 
daughter  and  co-heiress  of  Monseigneur  Bassing- 
bourne. 

(VIII)  Sir  John  Norton,  alias  Norville,  married  the 
daughter  of  the  Lord  Grey  de  Ruthyn. 

(IX)  John  Norton,  of  Sharpenhow,  in  Bedfordshire, 

(X)  John  Norton,  of  Sharpenhow,  married  a  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  Danie.  She  married  for  her  second  husband 
John  Cowper. 

(XI)  Thomas  Norton,  of  Sharpenhow,  married 
(first)   Elizabeth  Merry. 

(XII)  Richard  Norton  married  Margery,  daughter 
of  Wingar,  of  Sharpenhow. 

(XIII)  William  Norton  married  (first)  Margaret, 
daughter  of  William  Howes.  Among  his  children  was 
Thomas,  of  Guilford,  Conn. 

(XIV)  Thomas  Norton  married,  in  1625,  Grace 
Wells,  and  with  his  wife  and  children  came  from  Ock- 
ley,  Surrey,  near  Guilford,  England,  to  Boston,  Mass., 
1639.  There  he  remained  a  short  time,  and  while 
there  his  wife  gave  the  land  on  which  the  old  South 
Church  was  built.  He  joined  Rev.  Henry  Whitfield's 
company  of  the  New  Haven  Colony,  locating  at  Guil- 
ford, where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  and 
where  he  died.  He  and  his  wife  had  four  children: 
Thomas,  born  about  1626,  who  settled  in  Saybrook, 
Conn. ;  John,  of  whom  further ;  Grace ;  Mary,  who  mar- 
ried Samuel  Rockwell. 

(X\')  John  Norton,  son  of  Thomas  and  Grace 
(Wells)  Norton,  born  in  England,  came  to  the  New 
World  with  his  parents  and  located  at  Guilford,  Conn., 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  and  where  he 
died.  He  married  (first)  Hannah  Stone,  and  (second) 
Elizabeth  Hubbard.  Children:  John,  born  Nov.  18, 
1666,  died  Jan.  10,  1667:  John,  born  May  29,  166S; 
Samuel,  born  Oct.  4,  1672,  married  Abigail  Ward, 
Jan.  25,  1693;  Thomas,  of  whom  further;  Hannah,  born 
Feb.  4,  1678,  married  Ebenezcr  Stone,  Jan.  16,  1702; 
Jeruiah,  married  Simon  Leete;  Elijah;  Benjamin; 
Martha. 

(XVI)  Thomas  Norton,  son  of  John  Norton,  was 
born  in  Guilford,  March  4,  1675,  died  in  1744.  He 
married.  May  28,  1701,  Rachel  Starr,  born  1681,  at  Guil- 
ford,  daughter  of   Comfort  and   Marah    (Weld)    Starr. 


4IO 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Rachel  (.Starri  Norton,  died  Sept.  30,  1755.  Children: 
Rachel,  born  May  i;;,  1702:  Thomas,  of  whom  further; 
Daniel,  bom  Jan.  17,  1707:  Reuben,  born  April  6,  171 1; 
Leah,  bom  .-Xpril  .?,  1715:  E\  in,  born  Xov.  8,  1718: 
Timothy,  born  Feb.  3,  17.21. 

iXX'IIt  Thomas  u)  Norton,  son  of  Thomas  (i)  and 
Rachel  (.Starr^l  Norton,  was  born  Oct.  4,  1704,  died 
Sept.  8,  176S.     He  married  Bethiah  ,  about  1724- 

(XVIII')  Thomas  i^'*  Norton,  son  of  Thomas  (.;') 
and  Bethiah  Norton,  married.  May  29,  1761,  Mercy 
Tyler,  bom  in  1737.  died  in  Branford,  Oct.  21,  1824. 
Children:  Mattie,  horn  in  Branford,  Oct.  20,  1761; 
Timothy,  born  in  Branford,  Dec.  iS,  1762.  died  next 
day:  Thomas.  Jr.,  married  Sarah  Potter,  Nov.  16,  1789; 
.\nna.  married  Philo  Hopson.  Dec.  11,  179-1,  at  Bran- 
lord.     (See  Hopson  V.). 

(The  Gleason  Line). 

The  Gleason  family  herein  traced  was  founded  in 
.\merica  by  Thomas  Gleason,  who  was  born  in  North 
Hampton.  England,  in  1607.  Thomas  Gleason  located  at 
Cambridge,  Mass.,  and  there  died  in  1686.  He  married 
Susanna  Page,  born  in  England,  who  died  in  Boston, 
Mass.     They  were  the  parents  of  nine  children. 

(II)  William  Gleason,  the  seventh  child  of  Thomas 
Gleason.  was  born  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  in  1655,  died 
there  Jan.  14,  1690.  With  his  brothers,  Philip  and  Na- 
thaniel, he  was  a  soldier  in  King  Philip's  War.  He 
married,  about  1678,  Abigail  Bartlett,  born  about  1651, 
who  was  a  widow,  and  she  was  the  mother  of  his  seven 
children. 

(Ill  I  John  Gleason,  third  son  of  William  Gleason, 
was  born  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  in  1683.  He  moved  to 
Hartford  county.  Conn.,  settling  on  the  Connecticut 
river,  in  the  town  of  Enfield,  where  he  died  prior  to 
.Aug.  23,  1717.  He  married,  in  Suffield,  Hartford 
county.  Conn.,  Feb.  15.  1704,  Hannah  Woolworth,  born 
Feb.  10,  16S1,  died  in  SufTield,  in  January,  1759.  daughter 
f.f  Kicliard  and  Hannah  (Higgins)  Woolworth,  of  New- 
b;iry.  Mass.  They  were  the  parents  of:  John,  of  whom 
further:  Hannah,  born  Feb.  23,  1708;  Mary,  born  Oct. 
10,   1709:    Elizabeth,  born  May  24,   1713. 

(IV'>  John  (2)  Gleason.  only  son  of  John  (i)  Glea- 
son, was  born  in  Enfield,  Conn.,  Jan.  13,  1706,  and  there 
made  his  home.  He  married,  about  1726,  Sarah  Rob- 
bins.  The  following  children  were  all  born  in  Enfield: 
John,  born  June  25,  1727;  Deborah,  born  Jan.  27,  1731, 
F.phraim,  lorn  June  4,  1733;  Hannah,  born  Jan.  24, 
1733:  Asa,  born  .April  4,  17.3H;  Ariel,  of  whom  further; 
Hannah,  born  Dec.  24,  1747. 

<\')  .Ariel  Gleason,  son  of  John  (2)  Gleason,  was 
born  in  Enfield,  Conn.,  Jan.  24,  1743,  and  there  resided 
all  his  life.  He  married,  about  1774,  and  was  the 
father  of  Ariel,  l>ioch ;  Kiiius,  of  who:n  further;  and 
Elijah. 

(\'h  Ruii!^  Glea-.on,  son  of  Ariel  Gleason,  was  born 
in  Enficl'l,  Conn.,  about  1777.  He  followed  the  occupa- 
tion of  miller,  made  his  home  in  several  places  in  Con- 
n-cfirut.  and  di'd  in  early  manhood.  He  married,  about 
I/'/',  Marian  Granitcr,  of  .Suffield,  Conn.,  born  May  27, 
177''',  daughter  of  f'hineas  and  Elizabeth  CHall) 
Gransfer,  her  father  a  -oldi'-r  of  the  Colonial  army  lor 
more  than  four  yeari  d'lrin;;  the  Revolution,  rlyinx  in 
the  «crvicc.     .She   was  a  descendant  of   Launcrlot  and 


Joanna  (,.\dams)  Granger  through  Samuel  and  Esther 
iHanchctt')  Granger,  and  Jeremiah  and  Thankful 
( Ilale"!  Granger.  Rutus  Gleason  was  the  father  of 
seven  children. 

(\'II)  Rufus  (2)  Gleason,  son  of  Rufus  (i)  Gleason, 
was  born  .April  27,  1808,  in  Salisbury,  Conn.,  and  died 
in  Mayville,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  March  24, 
iSSq.  He  settled  in  Chautauqua  county  in  1837.  He 
married,  in  1S29,  Melissa  Sherman,  horn  June  10,  1809, 
daughter  of  Robert  and  Tirzah  (Smith)  Sherman.  Her 
father  was  a  cavalry  officer  in  the  \\'ar  of  1S12,  and  died 
in  Schoharie  county,  N.  Y.  Robert  Sherman's  widow 
was  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  her  father  serving  through- 
out the  Rcvolutipn  from  Bunker  Hill  to  the  end  of  the 
war.  She  moved  to  Mayville  and  made  her  home  with 
her  daughter,  Mrs.  Rufus  Gleason,  at  whose  home  she 
died  May  14.  1S63.  Children  of  Rufus  (2)  Gleason: 
.Albert,  born  in  1S31:  Charles,  of  whom  further;  Wil- 
liam Sherman,  born  July  8,  1837:  Adelaide  Adelia,  bom 
Jan.  25,  1841:  Ellen,  born  Dec.  1$,  1844;  Francis,  born 
Sept.  20,  1848. 

(VIII)  Charles  Gleason,  son  of  Rufus  (2)  Gleason, 
was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  N.  Y.,  July  i,  1833. 
He  resided  in  New  York  State  for  a  time,  later  located 
at  Mantorville,  Minn.,  and  subsequently  moved  to  Flor- 
ida. He  married  at  Mantorville,  Minn.,  Oct.  11,  1858, 
Lucy  Ann  Slocum,  who  was  born  at  Linesville,  Pa., 
Nov.  18,  1842,  died  in  Westfield,  N.  Y.,  July  11,  1912, 
daughter  of  George  Washington  Sherman  and  Rhoda 
Carv  Van  Courtlandt  (Mantor)  Slocum.  (See  Slo- 
cum'VII.). 

(The    Slocum    I>ine). 

The  branch  of  the  family  of  Slocum  through  which 
connection  is  made  with  the  Gleason  family  was  founded 
in  Rhode  Island  by  Anthony  Slocum,  who  was  born  in 
Somersetshire,  England,  in   1590. 

(in  The  line  continues  through  his  son,  Giles,  who 
was  born  in  Somersetshire,  England,  in  1618,  and  died 
in  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  in  1682.  In  1655  he  was  a  free- 
man in  Portsmouth.  He  and  his  wife  were  both  mem- 
liers  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  He  married,  in  1641, 
Joanna  Bailey,  who  was  born  in  England  in  1615,  died 
in  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  Aug.  3,  1679,  daughter  of  John 
P.ailcy.  Giles  and  Joanna  Slocum  were  the  parents  of 
nine  children. 

(Ill)  Eliczcr  Slocum,  son  of  Giles  Slocum,  was  born 
in  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  Oct.  25,  1664,  died  July  30,  1727. 
The  following  is  a  tradition  that  has  come  down  through 
the  family:  There  came  to  the  Slocum  homestead  a 
maiden  named  Elcphel  Fitzgerald,  daughter  of  the  Earl 
of  Kildarc.  An  English  army  officer  had  fallen  in  love 
v.'ith  her  sister  and  the  couple  eloped  to  America, 
bringing  with  them  Lady  Elephel.  Elephel  became  em- 
ployed in  the  household  of  Giles  Slocum,  father  of 
F.liezer,  and  the  son  fell  in  love  with  the  fair  stranger. 
The  young  people  were  chided  (she  doubtless  being  a 
Romanist)  and  were  forbidden  to  continue  their  court- 
shi]).  There  arc  stories  of  this  Portsmouth  courtship, 
which  have  found  their  way  down  through  more  than 
two  centuries,  which  hint  at  the  incarceration  of  the 
m.iidcn  in  the  smoke  house.  The  youth  scaled  the  roof 
by  nii'ht,  crawled  down  the  chinuicy,  and  rescued  the 
maiden.  And  so  tliey  were  married  and  came  to  Dart- 
mouth and  lived  hai)pily  ever  after.     Children:     Meri- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


411 


bah,  born  April  28,  16S9;  Mary,  born  Aug.  22,  1691; 
Eliezer,  born  Jan.  20,  1693-94;  John,  born  Jan.  20, 
1696-97;  Benjamin,  born  Dec.  14,  1699;  Joanna,  born 
July  15,  1702:    Ebenezer,  of  whom  further. 

(IV)  Ebenezer  Slocura,  seventh  child  of  Eliezer  Slo- 
cum,  was  born  in  1704,  and  resided  in  Newport,  R.  I. 
He  married,  Feb.  4,  172S,  Bathsheba  Perry  Harper 
Hull,  born  in  Jamestown,  R.  I.,  daughter  of  Tristram 
and  Elizabeth  (Dyer)  Hull,  a  descendant  of  Rev.  Jo- 
seph Hull  and  William  Dyer,  whose  wife,  Mary  Dyer, 
was  hung  on  Boston  Common  for  her  religious  belief, 
June  I,  1660.  Ebenezer  Slocum  was  the  father  of  nine 
children. 

(V)  Samuel  Slocum,  fourth  child  of  Ebenezer  Slo- 
cum. was  born  at  Dartmouth.  Bristol  county,  Mass., 
June  4,  1736.  He  located  at  Monkton,  Vt.,  and  there 
died  in  1S23.  With  his  six  brothers  he  was  a  soldier  in 
the  Colonial  army  in  the  Revolution,  having  volunteered 
from  Tiverton,  R.  I.  He  married  Ruth  Hall,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  seven  children.     (See  Hall  IV.). 

(VI)  Samuel  (2)  Slocum,  son  of  Samuel  (i)  Slocum, 
was  born  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  Nov.  15,  1785.  He  went  to 
Vermont  with  his  parents  and  later  in  life  journeyed 
west  to  Nebraska,  where  his  death  occurred,  having 
also  passed  a  period  of  time  in  Crawford,  Pa.  He 
served  in  the  American  army  in  the  second  war  with 
Great  Britain,  and  was  in  the  action  at  Plattsburg.  His 
death  occurred  Nov.  3,  1865.  He  married,  in  Rhode 
Island,  in  November,  181 1,  Mary  Gardiner  Sherman, 
born  at  Narragansett,  Washington  county,  R.  I.,  in 
1791,  daughter  of  Captain  Henry  (2)  and  Mary  Eliza- 
beth (Gardiner)  Sherman.  (See  Sherman  V.).  They 
were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  as  follows:  Henry 
Gardiner,  born  Sept.  3,  1812;  Samuel  Elliot,  born  June 
r,  1815:  Elizabeth,  born  Oct.  2,  1816;  George  Wash- 
ington Sherman,  of  whom  further;  Fitzgerald,  born 
Nov.  IS,  1820;  Ruth,  born  Feb.  27,  1822;  Ann  Robin- 
son, born  April  29,  1825;  Lucy  Dailey,  born  1827: 
Amanda  Sherman,  born  Aug.  7,  1828;  Manley  Leanidas, 
born  Oct.  23,  1832. 

(VII)  Judge  (jeorge  Washington  Slocum,  son  of 
Samuel  (2)  Slocum,  was  born  in  Monkton,  Addison 
county,  Vt.,  Aug.  7,  1818.  In  1834  he  went  with  his 
parents  to  Crawford  county,  Pa.,  and  there  married, 
Sept.  30,  1841,  Rhoda  Cary  Van  Courtlandt  Mantor, 
who  was  born  in  Albany  county,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  12,  1820. 
In  1S54  they  went  west  to  the  southeastern  part  of  Min- 
nesota, locating  at  Mantorville,  the  county  seat  of 
Dodge  county.  In  1855  Mr.  Slocum  was  appointed  on 
its  first  board  of  commissioners  by  Willis  A.  Gorman, 
territorial  governor.  He  was  elected  justice  of  the 
peace  in  Mantorville  in  1858,  holding  that  office  for 
more  than  twentj'-five  years;  was  for  several  years 
clerk  of  the  Probate  Court,  and  was  elected  judge  of  the 
County  Court  for  a  four-year  term.  He  was  a  man  of 
importance  and  standing  in  the  community.  He  died 
March  24.  1904,  in  \\'ashington.  Pa.,  his  wife's  death 
having  occurred  in  Mantorville,  June  25,  1865.  They 
were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  as  follows:  Lucy 
Ann.  married  Charles  Gleason.  (See  Gleason  VIII.); 
Frank  Mantor,  born  in  1843;  Emma  Josephine;  Mary 
Minerva;  .A.ugusta  Eveline,  born  Sept.  29,  1850:  Sam- 
uel;   Sara  Lydia,  born  July  23,  1861. 


(The   Hall    Line). 

On  the  Sth  day  of  the  eighth  month,  1638,  the  name 
of  William  Hall  was  one  of  a  list  of  fifty-nine  persons 
admitted  inhabitants  of  an  island  on  the  coast  of  Rhode 
Island,  now  called  Aquidneck.  In  1639,  William  Hall 
was  an  inhabitant  of  Newport,  R.  I.  On  the  27th  day 
of  the  fifth  month,  1644,  a  parcel  of  land  in  Portsmouth, 
R.  I.,  was  granted  to  William  Hall  by  the  town.  His 
name  was  onthe  list  of  freemen,  Portsmouth,  1655.  Wil- 
liam Hall  sold,  on  the  6th  day  of  the  seventh  month, 
1654,  to  Richard  Sisson,  of  Portsmouth,  1-300  of  an 
island  called  Canonicut,  and  1-300  of  Dutch  Island.  Wil- 
liam Hall  was  commissioner  to  the  General  Court  from 
Portsmouth,  in  1654-56-60-63,  and  he  was  deputy  from 
Portsmouth  to  the  General  Assembly  in  1665-66-67-68- 
72-y2,.  In  1673  he  was  appointed  on  a  committee  for  the 
purpose  of  treating  with  the  Indians  about  drunkenness, 
and  to  seriously  council  them,  and  to  agree  on  some  way 
to  prevent  extreme  excess  of  Indian  drunkenness.  Five 
chiefs  are  named,  among  whom  is  the  name  of  the  famous 
Philip  of  Mount  Hope,  called  King  Philip,  with  whom 
the  committee  should  treat. 

James  Usher,  genealogist,  of  No.  9  ^Murray  street. 
New  York  City,  says : 

We  have  the  trans-Atlantic  trace  of  William  Hall, 
clerg-yman.  He  is  believed  to  be  the  same  William 
Hall  who  was  a  writer  in  London,  and  continued  the 
"Fab  you  Chronical"  begun  by  Sir  Thomas  Moore.  .-Vnd 
there  is  added  authority  to  believe  a  connection  existed 
between  William  Hall  and  the  Lord  Chancellor's  fam- 
ily. ^Villiam  Hall,  of  London,  went  out  of  record  there 
in  163S.  the  same  year  that  William  Hall  began  record 
in  Rhode  Island.  Thomas  Clement,  a  connection  of  the 
Mores,  was  an  original  founder  of  Portsmouth.  R.  I., 
and  was  a  neighbor  of  William  Hall,  and  the  adminis- 
trator of  his  estate. 

William  Hall  made  his  will  on  the  20th  day  of  the 
eleventh  month,  1673.  The  will  was  probated  on  the 
19th  day  of  the  second  month.  1676.  He  married  Mary 
.  Children,:  Zurill,  William,  Benjamin,  Eliza- 
beth,  Rebecca,  and  Deliverance. 

(II)  Benjamin  Hall,  son  of  William  and  Mary  Hall, 
was  born  in  Portsmouth,  R.  I.  He  was  admitted  free- 
man of  Portsmouth,  April  30,  1678;  was  appointed  jus- 
tice. May  3,  1704,  and  1709;  was  deputy  to  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  May  6,  1701,  and  May  3,  1704,  Feb.  25, 
1706,  and  1707,  May,  1713,  and  1714.  He  married,  July 
27,  1676,  Frances  Parker,  daughter  of  George  Parker, 
of  Portsmouth,  R.  I.  Children:  Mary,  born  April  3, 
1678;  William,  born  Aug.  19,  1680;  Benjamin,  of  whom 
further;  George,  born  June  29,  1685;  Nathaniel,  born 
June  20,  1689. 

(III)  Benjamin  (2)  Hall,  son  of  Benjamin  (i)  and 
Frances  (Parker)  Hall,  was  born  June  17,  1682,  in 
Portsmouth,  R.  I.  He  married,  in  Portsmouth,  R.  I., 
April  18.  1716,  Patience  Corey,  daughter  of  William 
Corey,  of  Portsmouth,  R.  I.  (Thildren:  Martha,  bom 
March  27,  1717;  Frances,  born  April  4,  1719;  William, 
born  March  27,  1721;  Patience,  born  April  6,  1723;  Re- 
becka,  born  Jan.  5,   1726;    Benjamin,  of  whom  further. 

(IV)  Benjamin  (3)  Hall,  son  of  Benjamin  (2)  and 
Patience  (Corey)  Hall,  was  born  in  Portsmouth,  R.  I.. 
May  21,  1729.  He  married,  in  Portsmouth,  1749,  De- 
liverance Cornell.  (See  Cornell).  Children:  George, 
born  Nov.  24,  1749;  Parker,  born  June  I",  1751;  Pa- 
tience,   born    April    5,    1753;     William,    born    Nov.    24, 


41- 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


1,-54:    Ri:th.  married  Samuel  Slociim.  son  of  Ebenezer 
S'.ocum.  April   l",  1778.     (See  Slocum  V.). 

(.The  Cornell  Line). 

Thomas  Cornell,  born  in  1505,  in  Essex  county,  Eng- 
land, died  in  it'55.  He  married  Rebecca  Briggs,  born 
in  1600,  died  Feb.  S,  1673. 

(,in   Thomas   (2^    Cornell,  married  ,  and  died 

in  larj!. 

(Iin  Thomas  (.3'!  Cornell,  born  in  1657.  died  in  1714. 
He  married  Susannah  Lawton. 

(,n'^  George  Cornell,  horn  in  1676,  died  in  1752,  at 
Xewport.  R.  I.  He  married  three  wives.  The  second 
wife.  Deliverance  (Clark')  Cornell,  was  daughter  of 
Governor  Walter  Clark,  of  Rhode  Island,  and  Han- 
nah (Scottl   Cornell,  daughter  of  Jeremy  Scott. 

(Vl  Richard  Cornell,  was  born  June  14,  1709.  In 
174;  he  was  made  freeman  of  Portsmouth.  In  1740 
he  moved  to  East  Greenwich  and  liought  land  two  and 
one-half  miles  east  of  the  village.  At  close  of  eighteenth 
ccntr.ry  he  bought  two  other  parcels  of  land.  He  mar- 
ried, at  Xewport.  Mary  Martin,  of  Portsmouth,  R.  I., 
Dec.  10.  1730.  Mary  Martin  was  daughter  of  Joseph 
and  Mary  Martin.  Children:  Philadelphia,  born  Sept. 
22.  1731 :  Deliverance,  born  June  iS,  1733  (see  Hall 
IV."):  Elizabeth,  born  Nov.  30,  1734;  Joseph,  born 
.April  16.  1737;  Mary,  born  May  17,  1739;  Sarah,  born 
July  12.  1740;  Abigail,  born  July  6,  1744:  Ruth,  born 
Sept.  9.  1748. 

(The  Sherman  Line). 

This  line  of  Sherman  traces  to  the  Hon.  Philip  Sher- 
man, who  was  born  in  Dedham,  England,  Feb.  5,  1610, 
and  died  in  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  in  1687.  In  1634  he  came 
to  N'ew  England  and  settled  first  in  Roxbury,  Mass.  At 
the  time  of  the  .Ann  Hutchinson  troubles  in  Boston, 
about  l')37.  he  took  the  popular  side,  but  as  Governor 
Winthrop  finally  prevailed,  he  removed  with  others  of 
the  same  opinion  to  Rhode  Island.  Here  the  company 
met  R:'gcr  Williams,  who  advised  them  to  purchase  the 
island  of  .'\quidneck  from  the  Indians.  This  purchase 
was  completed  March  24,  1638.  a  rcgidar  government  was 
established  July  i,  1639,  with  Coddington  as  governor, 
and  Philip  Sherman  as  secretary.  He  frequently  held 
ofSce  in  the  colony  afterward,  and  was  consulted  by  those 
in  authority  as  a  man  of  intelligence,  wealth  and  indu- 
imcc.  The  early  record  of  the  settlement,  prepared  Iiy 
him,  still  remains  in  Portsmrjuth,  and  shows  him  to  have 
Ixen  a  very  neat  and  careful  penman,  as  well  as  a  man  of 
C'iucation.  .After  his  removal  to  Rhode  Island  he  left 
th<^  Congregational  church  and  united  with  the  Society 
of  Friends.  lie  is  said  to  have  been  a  devout  but  de- 
t'Tm-ned  man.  He  married  Sarah  ( )(l(\mK,  dauglucr  of 
.\Ir«.  John  Porter. 

<Mi  Eljcr  .Sherman,  son  of  Hon.  Pliilip  Sherman,  was 
iK.rn  in  1634,  and  died  in  North  Kingston,  Washington 
coimty,  R.  I.,  in  i'r/>.  He  and  bis  wife  Mary  were  the 
par<^M  of  -levcn  children. 

(III)  Rhcr  <2)  Sherman,  son  of  Ebcr  (i)  Slurman, 
was  born  in  .Vorth  Kingston,  R.  I.  He  married,  about 
^7'^/'^  Martha  Remington,  l»orn  in  1683,  daiu^htcr  of 
John  and  .Abigail  f  Davis)   Remington. 

(IV)  H^nry  Sherman,  son  ol  Ebcr  (2)  Sherman,  was 
bom  Jan.  14,  1724.     He  married,  in   1747,  Ann  Higgin- 


botham.  born  1730,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Mary  Hig- 
ginbotham,  of  Cranston,  R.  I. 

(V)  Captain  Henry  (2)  Sherman,  son  of  Henry  (i) 
Sherman,  was  born  at  South  Kingston,  R.  I.,  March  31, 
1750.  He  was  a  minute-man  at  the  battles  of  Lexington 
and  Bunker  Hill,  and  served  throughout  the  Revolution. 
In  1777  he  was  commissioned  ensign  in  Colonel  Sher- 
burne's regiment,  was  later  taken  prisoner  by  the  Brit- 
ish at  Paramus.  five  miles  north  of  Paterson,  N.  J.,  and 
in  1781  was  returned  to  duty  in  an  exchange  of  pris- 
oners. He  became  a  lieutenant  in  Colonel  Green's 
Rhode  Island  rc.giment,  and  was  honorably  discharged, 
June  15.  1783,  with  the  rank  of  captain.  He  was  granted 
a  pension,  April  13,  1813.  He  died  at  South  Kingston, 
June  7,  1830.  He  married  Mary  Elizabeth  Gardiner,  of 
Kingston,  R.  I.  Mary  Gardiner,  their  daughter,  born 
1791,  married  Samuel  Slocum.     (See  Slocum  VI.). 


FRANCIS  D.  STEELED— This  branch  of  the  Steele 
family,  well  known  in  Jamestown  and  in  the  county  gen- 
erally, traces  descent  from  Rudolph  Stable,  a  native  of 
Switzerland,  of  German  antecedents.  Rudolph  Stable 
came  to  New  York  State  at  tlie  age  of  twenty-one,  and 
was  a  resident  of  Livingston  Alanor  on  the  Upper  Hud- 
son, in  1711,  when  he  responded  to  a  call  for  volunteers 
to  march  against  the  French  and  Indians.  From  Liv- 
ingston Manor  he  moved  to  Schoharie  county,  and 
thence  to  the  Upper  Mohawk  Valley,  where  he  was 
granted  large  tracts  of  land.  He  owned  considerable 
land  at  German  Flats,  in  1755,  his  property  being  known 
as  the  "Rudolpli  Staley  Patent"  as  it  is  to  this  day. 
Stnhles  were  foremost  in  the  early  history  of  that  sec- 
tion of  the  Mohawk  Valley,  and  in  course  of  time  the 
name  became  anglicised  as  Steele.  The  children  of 
Rudolph  Stable  that  can  be  traced  are  three  sons:  Die- 
tcrich,  Adam,  and  Rudolph  (2);  and  two  daughters: 
Elizabeth,  and  Barbara.  The  sons  all  fought  in  the 
French  and  Indian  War. 

Dieterich  Stable,  the  eldest  son,  and  his  wife,  Mar- 
garctta,  were  the  parents  of  a  son,  George,  of  whom 
further. 

George  Stable,  son  of  Dieterich  and  Margaretta 
.Stable,  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution.  He  tnarried 
Dorothea  Schumacher.  They  were  the  parents  of  four 
children:  Elizabeth,  born  in  1777.  married  Jacob  Totts; 
Adam,  born  March  i,  1779;  Rudolph,  born  Aug.  13, 
i7!-'6,  anrl  Maria  Barbara,  born  May  11,  1788. 

.Adam  Stable,  son  of  George  and  Dorotliea  (.Schu- 
macher) Stable,  a  soldier  of  the  War  of  1812,  settled  at 
Sacket  Harbor,  N.  Y.  He  married  Elizabeth  Dygert, 
born  April  3,  1783,  daughter  of  Captain  William  Dyg- 
ert, who  served  with  General  Herkimer  at  the  battle  of 
'')riskany.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children: 
(jeorge,  Dolly,  William,  Nancy,  lubn  Arlam,  Iliram, 
and  .Abr.aham.  In  this  generatii>n  ihe  name  in  this 
branch  licramc  Steele. 

John  Adam  Steele,  .son  of  Adam  and  Elizabeth 
(D.vKcrl)  Stable,  was  born  at  Sacket  Harbor,  N.  Y., 
.Aug.  14,  1K14,  died  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  17,  1879. 
He  came  to  Heaver  Dam,  six  miles  from  Corry,  Pa., 
with  his  parents  and  bellied  clear  the  farm  upon  which 
they  sclllcd.  lie  had  few  school  ojiportunities,  and 
when    a    lad    of    biil    foiirtrcn   years   be    left    home   and 


:^ti(ini  3).  Steele 


.  I 


iFmncis  D.  Steele 


31anics  UllilQon,  Jiw 


£0ana  JL.  SUltlson 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


413 


walked  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  where  he  obtained  em- 
ployment at  fifty  cents  per  day.  His  first  work  was  dig- 
ging a  ditch,  but  he  was  used  to  hard  work,  and  when 
his  employer,  Mr.  Barrows,  inspected  his  first  day's 
work  he  was  so  gratified  that  he  gave  him  a  silver  dol- 
lar for  his  day's  work  instead  of  the  half  dollar  prom- 
ised. The  lad  did  not  remain  in  Jamestown,  but  re- 
turned to  the  farm  at  Beaver  Dam,  near  Corry,  and 
resumed  work  with  his  father  and  brothers  at  clear- 
ing. Later  he  became  very  much  discontented,  and  one 
day  while  in  the  timber  he  intentionally  broke  his  axe 
and  again  left  home  and  walked  the  distance  between 
Corry  and  Jamestown.  This  was  in  1828,  and  from 
that  time  until  his  death  he  was  a  resident  of  James- 
town, N.  Y. 

He  found  employment  in  the  sash  and  blind  factory 
owned  by  Levi  C.  Barrows,  with  whom  he  remained 
several  years.  Although  he  came  to  Jamestown  with  only 
a  dollar  of  capital,  he  so  thriftily  managed  his  finances 
that  when  opportunity  offered  to  enter  business  for 
himself  he  had  the  necessary  capital.  His  first  business 
venture  was  as  a  partner  with  William  Levi  and  James 
Sprague  in  the  foundry  business.  He  continued  a  part- 
ner in  the  Jamestown  Foundry  Company  for  thirty 
years,  then  sold  out  his  interest  and  purchased  a  tract 
of  land  in  Jamestown,  North  Side,  containing  70  acres. 
For  ten  j-ears  he  cultivated  that  tract,  then  for  a  short 
time  again  entered  the  foundry  business.  He  came  into 
possession  of  the  same  foundry  he  formerly  had,  and 
after  disposing  of  all  the  machinery,  he  converted  the 
building  into  grist  mills,  known  as  the  Brooklyn  Mills. 
He  operated  that  mill  for  a  short  time  in  association 
with  his  son,  but  continued  to  reside  on  his  farm,  where 
he  died  in  1879  and  was  buried  in  Lakeview  Cemetery. 
Mr.  Steele  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
a  Republican,  a  man  of  enterprise  and  progress,  and  a 
good  citizen. 

He  married  Hannah  M.  Chapman,  born  April  25, 
181S,  died  July  5,  1878,  who  rests  with  her  husband  in 
Lakeview  Cemetery.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Adam  Steele 
were  the  parents  of  two  children:  Albert,  born  in  1845, 
died  1858:  Francis  D.,  to  whose  memory  this  review 
is  dedicated. 

Francis  D.  Steele,  youngest  son  of  John  Adam  and 
Hannah  M.  (Chapman)  Steele,  was  born  in  James- 
town, N.  Y.,  June  4,  1846,  died  in  the  city  of  his  birth, 
Nov.  3,  1907,  and  was  buried  in  Lakeview  Cemetery. 
He  was  educated  in  private  schools  and  in  old  James- 
town Academy,  and  after  completing  his  school  years 
entered  business  life  as  his  father's  associate  in  his 
various  business  enterprises.  When  the  Brooklyn  Mills 
were  started,  Francis  D.  took  charge  of  their  opera- 
tion, and  after  the  death  of  John  Adam  Steele  continued 
them  for  several  years.  He  was  also  for  a  time  inter- 
ested with  Dr.  Martin  in  the  ownership  and  opera- 
tion of  the  steamer  "May  Martin"  on  Chautauqua  Lake. 
He  was  also  largely  interested  in  the  development  of 
real  estate,  laying  out  the  70-acre  tract  on  the  South 
West  Side  into  building  lots,  upon  which  he  built  sev- 
eral houses.  His  home  was  on  Fenton  avenue,  James- 
town, and  there  he  died.  Mr.  Steele  was  a  Republican 
in  politics,  a  member  of  the  Fireman's  .^ssociation  for 
seven  years,   and  an   attendant  of  the  Methodist   Epis- 


copal church.     He  was  devoted  to  his  home  and  family, 
and  was  Iiighly  esteemed  by  his  many  friends. 

Francis  D.  Steele  married,  Sept.  21,  i86g,  Ida  M. 
Wilson,  daughter  of  James  and  Maria  S.  (Lydell)  Wil- 
son. (See  Wilson  line  following).  Mrs.  Steele  survives 
her  husband,  a  resident  of  Jamestown,  residing  on  Church 
street.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  a  lady  highly  respected  by  all  who  know 
her.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Francis  D.  Steele  were  the  par- 
ents of  two  children:  i.  Harry  A.,  born  July  7,  1876, 
now  connected  with  the  Art  Metal  Works,  Syracuse, 
N.  Y.:  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  2.  Frances  D., 
born  Dec.  2.  1882,  married  William  H.  Miller,  of  Wil- 
Hamsport,   Pa.,  now  residing  in   New  York   City. 


LYDELL  L.  WILSON— A  native  son  of  Chautau- 
qua, Lydell  L.  Wilson  is  of  the  family  of  Wilson  who 
came  to  Chautauqua  from  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Wilson 
has  spent  his  business  life  in  lumber  manufacturing  and 
dealing  and  is  one  of  the  successful  men  of  that  busi- 
ness. 

The  Wilson  family  herein  reviewed  is  of  Scotch  an- 
cestry, and  the  progenitor  of  the  family  was  influenced 
to  leave  his  home  in  Scotland  by  his  kinsman,  James 
Wilson,  a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
This  Mr.  Wilson  never  reached  the  shores  of  America, 
but  died  on  the  voyage  and  was  buried  at  sea.  His 
widow  landed  with  her  children  in  Philadelphia,  one  of 
her  sons.  James,  being  then  fourteen  years  of  age.  Mrs. 
Wilson  was  a  woman  of  strong  character  and  faced  the 
burdens  of  widowhood  in  a  strange  land  with  a  courage 
that  never  faltered.  The  boys  of  the  family  were  ap- 
prenticed to  useful  trades,  but  the  girls  she  kept  with  her 
until  they  married.  In  later  years  she  married  a  sec- 
ond husband,  a  Mr.  Reese,  of  Warren,  Pa. 

James  Wilson,  their  son,  was  born  in  Scotland,  and 
was  fourteen  years  old  when  he  landed  in  Philadel- 
phia. He  married,  in  1809,  Elizabeth  Porter,  a  Quak- 
eress, of  English  parentage. 

They  settled  in  Westmoreland  county,  Pa.,  and  when 
their  second  son,  James  (2),  was  an  infant,  the  family 
came  on  horseback  to  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  each 
parent  with  a  child  and  a  camping  outfit  on  the  horse 
with  them.  They  made  camp  their  first  night  in  Chau- 
tauqua county,  on  the  banks  of  Cassadaga  creek,  under 
the  shelter  of  clustering  pines,  and  in  the  morning 
awoke  to  find  a  light  snow  had  fallen  during  the  night. 
James  Wilson  secured  a  grant  of  land  in  the  town  of 
Ellicott,  on  the  banks  of  the  Chadakoin  river,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  State  road,  there  cleared  land  and  built 
a  house.  He  enlisted  in  the  War  of  1S12,  as  a  private 
in  Captain  John  Silsbe's  company.  McMahan's  regi- 
ment. New  York  Militia,  and  on  Dec.  30,  1S13,  was 
wounded  at  Black  Rock.  Several  years  later  he  was 
granted  a  yearly  pension  of  $48,  which  he  drew  until 
his  death.  James  Wilson  was  engaged  in  buying  and 
rafting  pine  shingles  to  Pittsburgh,  piloting  his  own 
rafts.  He  was  a  very  religious  man,  an  exhorter  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  a  good  singer.  He 
was  leader  of  the  choir  in  the  Methodist  church  at 
Jamestown,  now  the  Independent  Congregational 
Church.     He  was  granted  two  quarter  sections  of  land 


414 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


for  his  war  services  and  continued  his  activities  in 
farmincr  and  lumbering  until  his  death  in  iS66.  His 
wife.  Elizabeth  (.Porter"!  Wilson,  was  a  true  pioneer, 
strong  and  most  courageous.  She  endured  the  dan- 
gers and  privations  of  pioneer  life  and  contributed 
largely  towards  her  husband's  success  in  life.  They 
were  the  parents  of  five  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  of 
whom  lived  to  a  good  age  and  were  among  the  re- 
spected citizens  of  their  community. 

James  Wilson.  Jr..  son  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Por- 
ter"! Wilson,  was  born  in  Westmoreland  county,  Pa.,  in 
April.  iSir.  and  died  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  in  Febru- 
arj-.  iSo.^  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  county,  and  in  early  life  engaged  with  his  father 
in  the  lumber  business,  also  becoming  an  expert  pilot 
of  lumber  rafts.  He  joined  with  his  father  in  the  pur- 
chase of  timber  lands  in  Indiana,  converting  the  timber 
into  lumber  in  their  own  mill  and  freighting  it  to  a 
profitable  market.  He  married.  Xovcmber.  1841,  Maria  S., 
daughter  of  Luther  and  Betsey  (MacConick)  Lydell, 
and  granddaughter  of  Luther  Lydell,  Sr.,  who  came  from 
England  to  America  at  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary 
War.  He  married  Asenath  Bill,  a  niece  of  Ethan  Allen, 
who  lived  nearly  to  the  end  of  her  century  of  life,  dying 
in  her  one  hundredth  year.  They  were  the  parents  of 
four  sons  and  two  daughters,  Luther,  Jr.,  being  their 
youngest  son.  Luther  Lydell.  Jr.,  came  to  Chautauqua 
county  in  1832,  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of 
Poland,  where  he  engaged  heavily  in  cattle  raising.  John 
MacConick.  grandfather  of  Maria  S.  Wilson,  came  with 
his  father.  James  MacConick,  and  brother,  William  Mac- 
Conick, who  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  John 
MacConick  enlisted  as  a  minute-man  in  Captain  John 
Nutting's  company,  Jan.  i,  1776,  and  was  assigned  to  Col- 
onel Prescott's  regiment,  and  Sept.  4,  1779,  enlisted  and 
served  for  nine  months  in  Captain  Hugh  Maxwell's 
company.  Colonel  John  Bailey's  regiment.  He  served 
throughout  the  entire  war  and  participated  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Harlem  Heights,  White  Plains  and  Bunker  Hill. 
He  drew  a  Revolutionary  pension  until  1S38.  He  mar- 
ried -Abigail  Hartson  and  lived  in  Exeter,  Otsego  county, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  died.  His  son,  William,  was  also  in  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  Children  of  James  and  Maria  S. 
(Lydell)  Wil.son  :  l.  Laura  M.,  born  Xov.  2,  1842,  mar- 
ried James  Mc.-Xllister,  2.  Lillian  W.,  born  Feb.  27,  1847, 
married  (first)  Myron  John  Lyons,  fsccond)  Charles 
Ralph  Gibson.  3.  Mary  L.,  born  June  8,  1850,  married 
Charles  McAllister.  4.  Ida  M.,  born  Aug.  21,  1852,  mar- 
ried Francis  D.  Steele  (q.  v.).  $■  Jessie  .M.,  born  .May  g, 
1857.  0.  Burton  J.,  born  ?%Iay  9,  1857,  married  Laura 
Mcrz.     7.  Lydell  L.,  of  whom  further. 

Lydell  L.  Wilson  was  born  in  the  town  of  Poland, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  April  S,  1859,  son  of  James 
and  Maria  (Lydell)  Wilson.  He  grew  to  manhood  at 
the  home  f.irm.  and  obtained  his  education  in  the  district 
irh'i'i].  He  '-arly  became  ijitircstcMJ  in  hnnbering,  and 
durinc  his  early  manhood  si>cnt  two  years  in  the  Mich- 
igan lumber  woods.  He  was  with  the  Hortson  Mill  for 
two  years,  in  Chaut."iuqu3  county,  then  leased  a  mill  at 
Moon  Station,  N.  Y.,  operating  it  until  its  destruction 
i/y  fire  in  1HH5.  He  then  filled  his  orders  through  the 
Hortson  .Mill,  but  in  18W  rebuilt  his  mill,  and  in  1888 
erected  a  new  mill  at  Moon  Station.  In  i-'//>  he  moved 
to  the  town  of  Gerry,  and  upon  lands  leased  from  Levi 


Pratt  erected  'The  Wilson  Mills,"  a  modern  saw  mill 
plant  with  an  annual  capacity  of  15,000,000  feet  of  man- 
ufactured lumber,  most  of  which  is  shipped  to  James- 
town and  Buffalo.  Mr.  Wilson  is  a  man  of  strong  busi- 
ness ability,  is  untiring  in  his  industry,  and  through  his 
own  efforts  has  won  success  in  the  business  world.  He 
married,  Nov.  10,  1S80,  Anna  Booth,  daughter  of  James 
Booth,  of  Buffalo.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  are  the  par- 
ents of  five  children:  Alice  M.,  Mertie  D.,  Willis  L., 
Nellie  S..  and  Delbert,  who  died  at  camp  during  the  late 
war. 


WILLIAM  E.  GOUCHER,  D.  D.  S.,  of  James- 
town, well  known  dental  surgeon,  was  prominently  iden- 
tified with  his  profession  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  be- 
ing in  active  practice  here  until  his  retirement  in  1920. 
During  those  years  he  built  up  a  large  practice,  and 
when  he  retired  from  active  connection  with  the  profes- 
sion he  so  long  had  graced,  the  news  was  received  with 
genuine  regret.  He  came  fairly  by  his  professional  in- 
stincts, being  a  son  of  Dr.  Curtis  N.  Goucher,  a  phy- 
sician of  Girard,  Ohio,  and  later  of  Erie,  Pa.,  where  he 
died  in  1893.  The  elder  Dr.  Goucher  was  a  leader  in 
his  profession,  a  man  of  affairs,  and  held  in  high 
esteem  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  War,  giving  four  years  to  his  country's  service, 
holding  a  medical  commission. 

Dr.  William  E.  Goucher,  son  of  Dr.  Curtis  N.  and 
Emily  (Kincaid)  Goucher,  was  born  in  Girard,  Ohio, 
March  29,  1872.  He  was  educated  in  Corunna  High 
School,  Orchard  Lake  Military  Academy,  and  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan,  entering  the  dental  department  of 
the  last-named  institution,  whence  he  was  graduated 
D.  D.  S.,  class  of  1894.  After  graduating  he  became 
assistant  to  Dr.  William  Elgin,  of  Denver,  Col.,  for  six 
months,  then  associated  himself  with  Dr.  Assay,  of  San 
Jose,  Cal.,  who  was  the  secretary  of  the  California  State 
Board  of  Dental  Examiners.  Dr.  Goucher  had  entire 
charge  of  Dr.  Assay's  practice  while  the  latter  served 
the  commonwealth  as  examiner. 

In  the  spring  of  1S96,  Dr.  Goucher  came  East, 
locating  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and  in  the  fall  of  that 
year  began  practice  in  the  Hall  block  at  the  corner  of 
Main  and  Third  streets.  During  the  following  years 
he  built  up  a  large  practice,  numbering  among  his 
patients  prominent  people  of  the  county  and  surround- 
ing coimties  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania.  Dr. 
Goucher  retired  from  practice  in  the  spring  of  1920, 
feeling  that  he  had  justified  himself  in  his  profession, 
and  he  also  wished  to  devote  more  time  to  his  business 
interests,  which  are  located  in  Oklahomo  and  Ken- 
tucky. Dr.  Goucher's  oil  holdings,  which  he  has  been 
interested  in  for  a  number  of  years,  have  developed  to 
large  ijroportions  during  recent  years,  the  companies 
with  which  he  is  associated  having  some  of  the  most 
pronu'nent  oil  men  in  the  mid-west  field  connected  with 
them. 

I)r.  Goucher's  life  in  Jamestown  is  marked  with 
noted  success,  for  not  only  was  he  a  leader  in  his  pro- 
fession but  he  has  accomplished  things  in  a  civic  way 
for  the  city  which  have  proven  a  great  public  benefit, 
lie  was  the  first  man  who  talked,  labored  and  by  all 
honorable  means  sought  to  convince  the  Jamestown 
school  authorities  of  the  value  a  detital  clinic  would  be 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


415 


to  the  health  of  the  school  children  of  the  city,  and  was 
one  of  the  dentists  who  volunteered  to  give  a  certain 
portion  of  their  time  to  the  work  of  the  clinic  without 
remuneration.  So,  too,  he  stood,  the  friend  of  every 
progressive  movement  looking  toward  a  better,  health- 
ier Jamestown.  Dr.  Goucher  was  first  to  suggest  a  mu- 
nicipal milk  plant,  having  first  brought  it  to  the  atten- 
tion of  Mayor  Carlson  six  years  before  it  was  finally 
endorsed  by  the  people  of  Jamestown  at  a  taxpayers' 
election. 

Dr.  Goucher  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  James- 
town Dental  Society,  and  in  social  and  fraternal  life 
connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles,  Loyal  Order  of  Moose, 
the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Moon  Brook  Country  Club, 
and  in  former  years  was  a  member  of  the  Jamestown 
Club.  Dr.  Goucher  is  a  member  of  St.  Luke's  Protest- 
ant Episcopal  Church,  and  helpful  in  the  various  activ- 
ities of  the  parish.  He  has  always  taken  a  deep  interest 
in  out-of-door  sports,  and  with  gun,  rod  and  reel  has 
hunted  and  fished  in  the  woods  and  waters  famed 
among  sportsmen  throughout  the  L'nited  States  and 
Canada.  Automobiling  is  another  of  his  favorite  recre- 
ations, and  he  was  for  a  number  of  years  an  official 
member  of  the  national,  state  and  local  automobile  asso- 
ciations, serving  as  the  first  director  of  the  X^ational 
Automobile  Association  from  Western  New  York,  and 
the  Jamestown  Association  as  its  first  president.  For  a 
number  of  years  he  was  a  director  of  the  New  York 
State  .Automobile  Association. 

The  chapter  on  Dental  Surgery  in  this  work  from  the 
pen  of  Dr.  Goucher  gives  the  reader  a  clear  idea  of  his 
decided  literary  ability,  his  versatility  and  the  wide 
range  of  his  reading  and  research. 

Dr.  Goucher  married  (first)  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Nov. 
23,  1898,  MaBelle  Wade,  who  died  May  12,  1915,  daugh- 
ter of  .'Mfred  and  Ella  Wade.  He  married  (second)  in 
Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  14,  1917,  G.  Lemar  Hurlbert, 
daughter  of  George  F.  and  Arietta  (Vandervoort) 
Hurlbert.  The  family  home  is  at  No.  306  East  Fourth 
street. 

Dr.  Goucher  comes  from  a  long  line  of  ancestors,  the 
line  of  descent  tracing  back  to  Colonial  and  pioneer 
stock,  who  have  distinguished  themselves  as  true  ser- 
vants of  this  land.  His  mother  was  a  great-grand- 
daughter of  Ensign  James  Wilson,  who  wintered  with 
General  Washington  at  Valley  Forge  and  served  on  his 
staflf.  On  his  father's  side  he  is  a  direct  descendant  of 
the  Gouchers  who  built  the  first  brass  cannon  for  the 
Revolutionary  War,  their  factory  being  at  Canaioharie, 
N.  Y.  One  of  the  cannon  manufactured  by  them  was 
captured  by  the  British  and  is  now  at  the  British  Mus- 
eum in  London,  and  has  the  name  of  the  makers  cast  on 
its  side. 


JOHN  W.  DOUBLEDAY— There  are  some  lives 
that,  in  their  ceaseless,  indefatigable  energy,  are  the 
cause  of  wonder  to  their  fellows,  and  might  well  serve 
as  a  model  to  those  that  would  achieve  success.  The 
men  who  are  thus  endowed  undertake  enterprises  that 
would  make  the  average  man  pause,  apparently  without 
fear  of  consequences,  seeming  impervious  to  the  sting 
of  discouragement,  meeting  reverses,  not  with  the  usual 
surrender  of  most  men,  but  with  the  simple  expedient 


of  trying  again.  The  record  of  John  W.  Doubleday 
shows  him  to  be  a  man  of  that  character.  He  is  a 
native  of  England,  born  there  March  22,  1841,  a  son  of 
Henry  and  Mary  (Phillips)  Doubleday,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  England  and  came  to  America  in  1849, 
locating  at  Brooklyn,  now  New  York  City. 

John  W.  Doubleday  was  but  eight  years  old  when  he 
crossed  the  Atlantic  in  a  sailing  vessel,  landing  in  New 
York,  going  at  once  to  his  new  home  in  Brooklyn, 
where  he  attended  the  public  schools.  He  was  ambi- 
tious as  a  lad  and  soon  found  employment,  his  compen- 
sation for  his  work  being  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  a 
week,  from  which  he  had  to  pay  two  dollars  per  week 
for  board,  and  twelve  cents  for  ferry  fare.  At  the  age 
of  sixteen  he  became  a  clerk  in  a  large  dry  goods  store 
in  New  York  City,  where  he  continued  until  1S63. 
However,  he  was  not  content,  and  that  year  he  left  for 
the  oil  regions  of  Western  Pennsylvania  and  became  a 
prospector.  His  operation  in  oil  and  gas  proved  re- 
markably successful.  In  partnership  with  others,  they 
bought  a  gas  plant  for  $49,000.  The  company  was 
formed,  and  Mr.  Doubleday  was  elected  secretary  and 
manager.  Through  his  keen  business  ability  and  untir- 
ing efforts,  the  business  grew  to  such  proportions  that 
they  were  able  to  dispose  of  the  plant  in  a  year  and  a 
half  for  $410,000.  In  18S0  he  withdrew  from  the  oil  and 
gas  fields,  turning  his  attention  to  the  manufacturing 
industry.  This  year  he  came  to  Jamestown  and  at  once 
became  interested  in  textile  manufacturing  and  other 
enterprises.  In  1889  he,  with  Mr.  J.  S.  Patterson,  pur- 
chased the  controlling  interests  of  the  Jamestown 
Woolen  Spinning  Company  and  continued  thus  until 
l8g6,  when  the  company  was  incorporated  under  the 
name  of  The  Empire  Worsted  Mills.  The  original 
stock  of  this  company  was  one  hundred  thousand,  which 
since  its  incorporation,  through  the  shrewd  business 
management  of  Mr.  Doubleday,  has  greatly  increased 
from  one  hundred  thousand,  with  a  large  surplus,  to 
one  million  stock,  with  a  large  surplus.  The  plant  has 
been  extensively  improved  by  the  erection  of  two  four- 
storied  buildings  of  brick  and  stone,  with  brick  dye 
house,  two  weaving  buildings,  brick  finishing  plant  and 
storage  building.  The  floor  space  now  in  use  comprises 
three  hundred  thousand  feet,  and  boiler  capacity  in- 
creased from  one  hundred  horse  power  to  thirteen  hun- 
dred. The  corporation  also  owns  the  Acme  Worsted 
Mills,  employing  nearly  two  hundred  people.  Nearly 
si.x  hundred  employees  are  on  the  pay  roll  of  The 
Empire  Worsted  Mills.  The  products  of  these  two 
mills  have  a  distinct  place  in  the  textile  market  of  the 
world  and  are  sold  through  the  company's  offices  in 
New  York,  Philadelphia,  Boston  and  Chicago,  with 
annual  sales  from  two  and  a  ha-lf  million  to  three  mil- 
lion dollars.  Mr.  Doubleday  held  the  office  of  presi- 
dent of  the  company  until  he  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness in  1915,  when  he  was  elected  president  emeritus. 
The  other  members  of  the  corporation  are:  L.  M.  But- 
man,  president;  W.  D.  Broadhead,  vice-president,  and 
G.  W.  Berquist,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

Mr.  Doubleday  was  also  interested  in  the  steel  indus- 
try. In  iS8g  he,  with  six  others,  organized  the  Du- 
quesne  Pennsylvania  Steel  Company  at  an  investment 
of  one  million  five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Mr. 
Doubleday  served  as  secretary  of  the   company.     This 


4i6 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


enterprise,  under  Mr.  Doubleday's  management,  also 
proved  a  success,  and  in  1S92  it  was  sold  to  the  Car- 
negie Steel  Company,  and  this  is  now  one  of  its  largest 
plants. 

Mr.  Doubleday  married  (first")  Maria  L.  Taylor,  who 
bore  him  three  children:  Mary,  who  is  the  widow  of 
E.  D.  Boyd,  who  resides  in  San  Pedro,  Los  Angeles, 
Cal.:  William,  who  is  a  fruit  grower  and  resides  at 
El  Ca.ion.  San  Diego,  Cal.;  and  Grace,  who  is  wife  of 
Rev.  Charles  ^^^  Harris,  and  resides  in  Montana.  Mr. 
Doubleday  married  (.second)  Nellie  C.  Thayer.  By 
this  union  there  were  three  children:  Ethelbert,  de- 
ceased: Edna,  the  wife  of  Rev.  H.  \V.  Georgi;  Sybil, 
the  wife  of  Frederick  \V.  Mix,  of  Jamestown. 

Mr.  Doubleday  is  a  member  of  Petrolia  Lodge,  An- 
cient Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  the  National 
\\'ool  Manufacturers'  L'nion.  In  political  belief  he  is 
independent,  voting  for  the  man  and  measures  which 
are  for  the  best  interests  of  the  people.  Mr.  Double- 
day  and  his  wife  are  members  01  the  Baptist  church. 
They  are  much  devoted  to  their  family,  and  spend  their 
winters  in  Southern  California,  where  they  have  a  beau- 
tiful home  at  San  Diego. 

The  long  and  varied  career  of  Mr.  Doubleday  has 
displayed  balance  and  abilities  as  varied  as  the  scenes 
in  which  they  have  been  displayed,  or  the  directions  in 
which  they  have  extended,  but  more  especially  has  it 
been  shown  in  those  cardinal  virtues  of  courage,  hon- 
esty, and  industry,  without  which  there  is  no  lasting 
achievement.  He  has  been  engaged  during  his  life  in 
many  occupations,  and  among  many  different  classes  of 
people,  but  he  has  always  proved  himself  a  man  among 
men  and  naturally  has  always  been  accorded  a  high 
place  in  their  regard,  and  regardless  of  his  large  busi- 
ness interests  he  has  always  shown  himself  a  devoted 
husband  and  father. 


EMERY  W.  FENTON,  who  was  for  many  years 
prominent  in  ;hc  mnnufacturing  interests  of  James- 
tcwn,  X.  v.,  where  his  death  occurred  Aug.  9,  igaj,  at 
his  home.  No.  1392  East  Second  street,  was  a  member  of 
an  old  and  distinguished  New  England  family,  which 
was  founded  here  in  the  early  Colonial  period. 

(I)  Robert  Fcnton,  the  first  ancestor  of  this  branch 
of  the  Fcnton  family  of  which  wc  have  definite  record, 
appears  first  at  Woburn,  Mass.,  in  the  year  1688.  It  is 
not  known  whence  he  came,  but  the  probability  seems 
to  have  been  that  he  was  of  Welsh  origin  and  was  one 
o;  the  early  Welsh  settlers  in  Massachusetts.  He  did 
not  remain  in  Woburn  for  more  than  a  few  years,  but 
went  to  Windham.  Conn.,  where  between  May  ,30,  I'Vj^, 
and  .Xpril  19,  1694.  he  .was  received  as  an  inhabitant  of 
thf  town.  He  located  in  the  northern  part  of  Windham, 
which  afterwards  became  Mansfield,  and  is  believed  to 
have  f'.llowcd  the  trade  of  carpenter,  as  it  was  he  who 
built  the  first  bridge  across  the  Natchaug  river.  He  was 
one  of  the  patentees  of  the  town  of  Mansfield  which 
was  set  off  from  Windham  and  made  a  town.  Oct.  20, 
170.1.  In  1707  he  bfcame  one  of  the  proprietors  of 
that  town,  but  left  it  prior  to  1730  and  located  at  Will- 
iiiKton,  where  he  died  at  the  home  of  a  son.  He  married 
Dorothy and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing children :      I<otK.rt,   l^^rn    Oct.   0,    if,H\   at    Woburn, 


Mass.;  Francis,  born  July  22,  i6go,  at  \\'oburn,  and  was 
one  of  the  earliest  settlers  at  Willington ;  Samuel,  born  at 
INlansfield;  Bridget,  born  .\ug.  14,  1695;  Jacob,  bom 
April  5.  1698,  and  became  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Norwich,  Vt. ;  Dorothy,  born  Sept.  4,  1700,  and  became 
the  wife  of  Samuel  Slafter;  .^nna,  born  July  7,  1703, 
and  became  the  wife  of  John  Rigbe ;  Violetta,  born 
.Aug.  20,  1706.  and  became  the  wife  of  John  Harris; 
Ebenezer,  mentioned  below,  and  Abigail,  a  twin  to 
Ebenezer,  bom  Aug.  29,   1710. 

(II)  Ebenezer  Fenton,  son  of  Robert  and  Dorothy 
Fenton,  was  born  Aug.  29.  1710,  at  Mansfield,  and  early 
in  life  removed  to  Willington  with  his  parents.  He  was 
twice  married  and  his  first  wife,  whom  he  wedded 
Feb.  II,  1740,  was  Alehitable  Tuttle,  a  daughter  of  Jona- 
than Tuttle,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  Jonathan,  born  May  17,  1741  ;  Ebenezer, 
Jr.,  born  April  15,  1743;  Sarah,  born  Feb.  16,  1744; 
Nathan,  born  Feb.  9,  1746;  Solomon,  born  June  23,  1749, 
who  served  for  seven  years  in  the  War  of  the  Revolu- 
tion and  was  first  lieutenant  in  a  company  of  the  Second 
Regiment  in  1779;  Lydia,  born  May  26,  1753,  and  became 
the  wife  of  Jacob  Barrows;  Elijah,  born  Aug.  8,  1754. 
Ebenezer  Fenton  married  (second)  Aug.  26,  1762,  Lydia 
Conant,  a  daughter  of  Malachi  Conant,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children :  Nathaniel,  born 
March  26,  1764;  Jacob,  mentioned  below;  Mehitable, 
born  Jan.  18,  1767;  Abigail,  born  Feb.  2,  1769;  Robert, 
born  May  24,  1771  :  Justin,  born  Sept.  i.i,  1772;  Malachi, 
born  April  9,  1776;  and  Robert,  born  Oct.  II,  1780. 

(III)  Jacob  Fenton,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Lydia 
(Conant)  Fenton.  was  born  Nov.  5.  1765,  in  Connecticut, 
and  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War  as  a  private  in 
Captain  Thomas  Dana's  company,  which  he  joined  May 
23,  1 781.  This  company  formed  a  part  of  General  David 
Waterbury's  State  brigade  and  of  the  battalion  which 
was  ordered  to  be  raised  for  the  defense  of  the  post 
at  Horse  Neck  and  places  adjacent.  It  was  commanded 
by  General  Waterbury,  who  was  also  the  commander 
of  all  the  guards  raised  for  the  defense  of  the  sea 
crafts  from  Horse  Neck  to  New  Haven  inclusive.  The 
force  was  composed  of  draft  from  the  militia  and 
amounted  to  a  brigade  of  two  battalions.  In  July  it 
joined  General  Washington,  while  he  was  in  camp  at 
Phillipsburg,  and  for  some  time  after  was  under  the 
command  of  General  Heath,  on  the  Westchester  line. 
Jacob  Fenton  came  to  Jamestown.  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  in  the  year  181 1,  and  established  here  a  pottery 
kiln  between  what  is  now  First  and  Second  streets,  and 
manufactured  all  kinds  of  earthernware.  He  died  in 
1822  at  Jamestown.  He  married  Lois  Hurd,  by  whom 
he  had  nine  children,  one  of  whom  was  William,  men- 
tioned below. 

(IV)  William  Fenton,  son  of  Jacob  and  Lois  (Hurd) 
Fenton,  was  horn  in  Connecticut,  in  1796,  and  came  to 
Jamestown  with  his  parents  when  fifteen  years  of  age. 
Here  he  engaged  in  business  with  his  father  until  the 
latter's  death,  when  he  continued  to  conduct  it  on  his 
own  account  until  1826.  He  then  admitted  as  a  partner, 
Samuel  Whittimore,  and  they  moved  the  establishment 
to  Fluvanna,  N.  Y.,  and  remained  in  active  business 
there  for  Ihirtecn  years,  when  the  partnership  was  dis- 
solved. In  1839  Mr.  I''entnn  returned  to  Jamestown, 
where  he  continued  lo  make  his  home  until  the  close  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


417 


his  life.  He  was  prominent  in  local  affairs  and  was 
elected  justice  of  the  peace,  an  office  which  he  held  for 
half  a  century.  His  death  occurred  in  1891,  when  nearly 
one  hundred  years  of  age.  He  was  a  Whig  in  politics 
during  early  life,  but  joined  the  Republican  party 
upon  its  organization  and  was  very  active  in  its  councils. 
He  was  also  an  active  member  of  the  Congregational 
church.  He  married  in  1816,  Hannah  Tracy,  a  daughter 
of  Elias  Tracy,  who  served  as  a  private  in  Captain 
Thomas  Wheeler's  company  and  Colonel  Chapman's 
rtgiment  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  William  and 
Hannah  (Tracy)  Fenton  were  the  parents  of  fourteen 
children,  one  of  whom  was  Emery  W.,  mentioned  below. 

(V)  Emery  W.  Fenton,  youngest  son  of  William 
and  Hannah  (Tracy)  Fenton,  was  born  March  23,  1S36, 
at  Fluvanna,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  When  but 
three  years  of  age  he  was  brought  by  his  parents  to 
Jamestown  and  attended  the  local  public  schools  of  this 
place  for  his  education.  When  eighteen  years  of  age, 
Emery  W.  Fenton  began  his  business  career  as  an  em- 
ployee in  a  local  pail  factory  and  continued  in  its  em- 
ploy for  a  number  of  years.  He  then  went  to  Corry, 
Pa.,  and  spent  eight  years  at  that  place,  working  in  a 
woodenware  factory.  In  1S69  he  returned  to  Cliautau- 
qua  county  and  located  at  Falconer,  where  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  Samuel  Sweet  and  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  butter  tubs.  Later  Mr.  Sweet  sold 
out  his  interest  and  the  business  was  conducted  by  E. 
W.  Fenton  for  several  years.  Later  the  firm  of  Fenton, 
Robertson  &  Company  was  organized  for  the  production 
of  fine  furniture,  and  in  this  line  Mr.  Fenton  continued 
until  his  death.  In  addition  to  his  industrial  activities, 
Mr.  Fenton  was  always  actively  interested  in  public 
affairs  and  was  a  leading  Democrat.  He  took  a  keen 
interest  in  the  educational  development  of  Jamestown, 
and  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  at  Fal- 
coner, it  being  largely  through  his  influence  that  the 
High  School  at  that  place  was  built.  Mr.  Fenton  en- 
joyed a  reputation  second  to  none  for  honesty  and 
square  dealing,  and  it  may  be  said  of  him  that  he  made 
the  golden  rule  his  motto. 

Emery  W.  Fenton  was  united  in  marriage,  Nov.  7, 
1861,  with  Louise  Myers,  a  daughter  of  Peter  and  Lucy 
(Gould)  Myers.  Mrs.  Fenton  died  Jan.  12,  1916,  and 
was  buried  with  her  husband  at  Pine  Hill  Cemetery, 
Falconer.  She  was  an  attendant  of  the  Congregational 
church,  was  a  woman  of  many  Christian  virtues  and 
much  devoted  to  her  home  and  children.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fenton  were  the  parents  of  three  children,  as  follows : 
Jennie,  who  died  in  early  youth ;  Lulu  E.  and  J.  Grace, 
both  of  whom  reside  at  the  old  Fenton  home.  No. 
1392  East  Second  street,  Jamestown.  They  resided 
with  their  parents  and  were  greatly  devoted  to  them 
and  their  home  life.  Both  are  members  of  Elliot  Chap- 
ter, New  York  Society  of  the  Daughters  of  the  Amer- 
ican  Revolution,   of  Falconer. 


MORGAN  BOSTWICK  KENT,  of  Jamestown,  is 
a  representative  of  an  old  English  family  founded  in 
New  England  about  a  quarter  of  a  century  after  the 
landing  of  the  Pilgrims.  He  is  a  son  of  Alba  Morgan 
Kent,  a  descendant  of  Thomas  Kent,  born  in  England, 
who  came  to  Gloucester,  Mass..  with  his  wife  in  1643. 
The  line  from  Thomas  to  Morgan  B.  Kent  is  through 
Chau-27 


the  founder's  son,  Samuel  Kent,  and  his  wife,  Frances 
(Woodal)  Kent;  their  son,  John  Kent  and  his  first  wife, 
Abigail  (Dudley)  Kent;  their  son,  Rev.  Elisha  Kent. 
and  his  wife,  Abigail  (Moss)  Kent,  a  minister's  daugh- 
ter and  granddaughter;  their  son,  Elisha  (2)  Kent,  and 
his  wife,  Ann  Kent;  their  son,  Elisha  (3)  Kent,  and  his 
wife,  Alice  (Flynn)  Kent;  their  son,  Archibald  Kent, 
and  his  wife,  Emeline  (Morgan)  Kent;  their  son.  Alba 
Morgan  Kent,  and  his  wife.  Rose  Elena  (  Hall-Wetmore) 
Kent;  their -only  child,  Morgan  Bostwick  Kent,  of  James- 
town, of  the  ninth  American  generation  of  the  family 
founded  by  Thomas  Kent. 

Alba  Morgan  Kent,  son  of  Archibald  and  Emeline 
(Morgan)  Kent,  was  born  in  Royalton,  Vt.,  April  3, 
1841,  died  at  his  home  in  Jamestown.  N.  Y.,  Sept.  21, 
1914-  He  spent  his  early  life  in  \'ermont,  acquiring 
an  education  and  fitting  himself  for  the  battle  of  life. 
When  a  young  man  he  went  West,  locating  at  Madison, 
Wis.,  there  being  in  State  employ  as  steward  of  the  Wis- 
consin State  Hospital.  While  holding  that  position  he 
enlisted,  Sept.  2,  1862,  in  Company  G,  29th  Regiment, 
Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  mustered  in  as 
second  lieutenant.  Later  he  was  commissioned  first 
lieutenant,  and  during  the  greater  part  of  the  last  two 
years  of  his  service  was  in  command  of  the  company. 
From  the  time  he  enlisted  until  honorably  discharged 
Lieutenant  Kent  was  absent  but  once  on  furlough  (sixty 
days),  and  participated  in  every  battle  in  which  his  regi- 
ment was  engaged.  This  included  the  Vicksburg  cam- 
paign from  Port  Gibson  until  the  fall  of  Vicksburg; 
Red  River  campaign ;  seige  of  Mobile,  and  other  opera- 
tions and  battles.  He  held  the  rank  of  acting  captain 
from  April  2,  1863,  and  was  mustered  out  of  the  service 
at  Shreveport,  La.,  June  22,  1865. 

Soon  after  his  return  from  the  army.  Lieutenant  Kent 
became  associated  with  his  brother,  Archibald  F.  Kent, 
in  oil  refining,  and  later  moved  to  Corry,  Pa.,  and  or- 
ganized the  Corry  Wooden  Ware  Company,  later  the 
Corry  Chair  Company,  a  corporation  in  which  he  retained 
a  lifelong  interest.  He  also  organized  and  operated  the 
Corry  Gas  Works,  and  after  conducting  it  several  years 
went  to  Warren,  there  establishing  the  Warren  Gas 
Company,  which  he  also  operated  several  years.  He 
then  returned  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  where  he  became 
interested  in  the  Jamestown  Worsted  Mills,  of  which  he 
was  a  director  until  his  passing.  He  was  also  a  director 
of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Jamestown;  had  other 
important  business  interests  and  large  land  holdings. 

One  of  the  largest  farms  in  the  county  is  located  in 
the  town  of  Busti,  south  of  Jamestown,  and  is  popularly 
known  as  the  Kent  Farm.  This  estate,  comprising 
about  1.500  acres,  is  largely  Chapin  Hall  farm,  but  also 
includes  the  Bostwick  farm  and  the  Hastings  farm,  Mr. 
Bostwick  being  grandfather  and  Mr.  Hastings  an  uncle 
of  Mrs.  Kent.  For  many  years  Alba  AL  Kent  directed 
this  estate  and  was  deeply  interested  in  its  successful 
operation.  The  Kent  Hotel  at  Lakewood,  once  the  lead- 
ing hotel  there,  was  built  by  Mr.  Kent,  who  for  several 
years  directed  its  management.  He  never  sought  public 
applause,  but  made  and  always  retained  many  warm, 
personal  friends.  His  splendid  war  record  was  never 
paraded,  and  the  public  generally  did  not  even  know  that 
he  was  a  Civil  War  veteran.  But  he  was  recognized  as 
an  upright,  public-spirited  citizen,  who  did  his  full  share 


4iS 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


in  the  upbuilding  of  liis  city.  He  was  a  member  of 
James  M.  Brown  Post,  Xo.  jS?.  Grand  Army  of  the 
Repubhc,  and  on  May  ~.  iSoo.  was  elected  a  member  of 
New  York  Commanderj-  Military  Order  Loyal  Legion 
of  the  L'nited  States,  insignia  Xo.  7980.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Jamestown  Club,  and  an  attendant  as  well  as 
a  warm  friend  of  the  Unitarian  church.  During  his  last 
years  Mr.  Kent  was  an  invalid,  and  for  two  years  pre- 
ceding his  death  he  took  no  part  in  business,  that  duty 
devolving  upon  his  business  associate  and  only  son, 
Morgan   Bostwick  Kent. 

Mr.  Ken;  married,  June  IJ,  1873,  Rose  Elena  (Hall) 
Wetmore,  widow  of  Charles  C.  Wetmore,  of  Warren, 
Pa.,  who  died  in  Jamestown,  June  Z'i.  IQ12.  By  her  first 
marriage,  Mrs.  Kent  was  the  mother  of  Chapin  H.  and 
Susan  Wetmore.  who  died  in  youth,  and  Charles  D. 
Wetmore.  now  (1920")  an  architect  of  New  York  City, 
member  of  the  firm  of  Warner  S;  Wetmore.  Mrs.  Kent 
was  a  daughter  of  Chapin  and  Susan  (Bostwick)  Hall, 
and  a  sister  of  Edward  Hall.  Chapin  Hall  was  born  in 
EUicott.  Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y.,  July  12,  1816,  and 
his  wife.  Susan  Bostwick,  was  born  July  16,  1818,  also 
a  daughter  of  an  early  pioneer  settler. 

Morgan  Bostwick  Kent,  only  child  of  Alba  Morgan 
and  Rose  Elena  (Hall-Wetmore)  Kent,  was  born  in 
Jamestown.  X.  Y.,  May  21,  iS;8.  After  attendance  at 
Jamestown  public  schools  he  entered  St.  Paul's  School, 
Concord,  X.  H.,  whence  he  was  graduated  class  of  1897. 
He  was  at  once  entered  as  an  employe  of  the  worsted 
m.ills  in  Jamestown,  and  eventually  became  foreman  of 
a  department.  He  was  his  father's  associate  in  business 
during  his  latter  years,  and  since  becoming  owner  of  the 
estate  has  continued  it  along  similar  lines.  Mr.  Kent  is 
a  devotee  of  out-of-doors  sports,  automobiling,  hunting 
and  fishing  particularly  appealing  to  him.  He  gratifies 
his  tastes  to  the  full  extent  and  is  a  genuine  lover  of 
true  sport.  He  is  a  member  of  Mount  Moriah  Lodge, 
Free  and  .-\ccepted  Masons ;  Wester  Sun  Chapter,  Royal 
Arch  Masons ;  Jamestown  Council,  Royal  and  Select 
Masters;  Jamestown  Commandery,  Knights  Templar; 
Jamestown  Lodge  of  Perfection ;  Jamestown  Council, 
Princes  of  Jerusalem  ;  Buffalo  Consistory,  Ancient  Ac- 
cepted Scottish  Rite.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  .-ind 
in  religious  faith  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Christ 
(■Scientist).  His  clubs  are  the  Jamestown  and  Rotary. 
He  is  also  an  Elk. 

Mr.  Kent  married  f first)  Sept.  30,  1902,  Eleanor 
Pothw':Il,  of  Brookline.  Children :  Eleanor  Rosal'c, 
Xi'iT'n  Oct.  7,  1903;  Juline,  born  March  13,  1905.  Mr. 
Kent  married  Csccond)  Iva  E.  Poor,  and  resides  on 
Eait  Fourth  street,  Jamestown. 

The  old  Kent  home  in  Jamestown,  long  the  home  of 
Alba  M.  Kent,  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  street  and  Pren- 
dTgast  avenue,  has  recently  (1920)  been  sold  to  the  two 
bodies  of  the  Scottish  Rite  of  Masonry  in  Jamestown, 
the  \yAv,c  of  Perfection,  and  the  Council  Princes  of 
jTU-al'm,  The  old  home  will  In-  devoted  to  the  uses 
of  thc^e  bcKlie?  and  to  social  purposes.  Mr,  Kent  is  a 
man  of  pVasinf;  personality,  whole-souled  and  gcner- 
o'i  =  ,  -I  po'.'l   friend  and  a  v,nr,<\  citizen 


GUSTAF  FABIAN  SELLSTROM— One  of  Jnmrs- 
lown'<  well  known  citizens,  who,  although  born  in  a 
forTigii   lard,  has  contributed  much  to  the  life  of  this 


city,  is  Gustaf  Fabian  Sellstrom.  He  was  born  in  Wim- 
merby.  Sweden,  June  9,  1851,  the  son  of  P.  Adolph  and 
Johanna  Maria  (Berg)  Sellstrom.  In  1856  the  elder 
Mr.  Sellstrom  died,  leaving  his  widow  with  the  care  of 
three  children  :  Fabian  at  the  age  of  four  years ;  Carl 
.\dolph,  and  John  Frederick,  the  two  latter  now  deceased. 

Gustaf  I-'abian  Sellstrom,  better  known  as  Fabian 
Sellstrom.  attended  the  schools  of  his  native  country. 
.\t  seventeen  years  of  age  he,  together  with  his  mother 
and  two  brothers,  came  to  Jamestown,  where  he  secured 
employment  in  the  plant  of  Jones  &  Gififord,  furniture 
inanufacturers.  Leaving  the  furniture  plant  he  went  to 
Bradford,  Pa.,  and  remained  there  until  1877,  being  em- 
ployed during  that  time  as  foreman  in  a  factory.  Desir- 
ing to  return  to  Jamestown,  he  secured  a  position  as 
manager  for  Halliday  &•  Benedict,  meat  dealers.  In 
1881  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  John 
Frederick  Sellstrom,  under  the  firm  name  of  Sellstrom 
Bros.,  Meat  Dealers,  which  continued  until  1885,  when 
through  accidental  death  while  hunting,  John  Frederick 
was  taken  away.  Fabian  Sellstrom  bought  out  the  inter- 
est of  his  brother's  estate  in  June,  1885.  and  continued 
the  business  himself.  Desiring  a  better  location,  he 
decided  in  May,  1886,  to  purcliase  the  business  of  Drake 
Sessions  on  Third  street,  and  for  over  a  quarter  of  a 
century  remained  at  this  location,  building  up  a  large 
and  successful  business,  being  the  largest  retail  meat 
dealer   in   Chautauqua  county. 

During  these  years  he  became  interested  in  several  of 
the  manufacturing  industries  in  the  city,  and  became  one 
of  the  strongest  supporters  of  the  Dahlstrom  Metallic 
Door  Company,  this  institution  owing  much  to  his  loyal 
support  during  times  of  difficulties  and  financial  stress. 
During  the  early  period  of  organization  he  was  com- 
missioned to  handle  several  important  business  deals 
and  problems  of  this  concern.  In  1912  Mr.  Sellstrom 
sold  out  his  meat  business,  retiring  from  active  com- 
mercial life.  He  took  active  part,  however,  in  the  affairs 
of  the  Dahlstrom  Metallic  Door  Company  as  vice-presi- 
dent and  treasurer  until  1918,  when  he  retired  entirely 
from  active  business.  His  interests  in  real  estate  and 
manufacturing  concerns  continue  to  keep  him  in  touch 
with  the  business  life  of  Jamestown.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Sellstrom  is  a  Republican,  but  in  practice  is  an  inde- 
pendent voter  giving  his  support  to  the  candidate  he 
feels  most  nearly  meets  the  requirements  of  the  office. 
In  fraternal  life,  he  is  a  member  of  all  the  Masonic 
bodies  up  to  and  including  the  thirty-second  degree,  and 
also  is  a  member  of  several  social  organizations. 

During  all  these  years  of  business  life  the  constant 
aid  and  encouragement  of  his  devoted  wife  meant  a 
great  deal  to  his  achievements  and  progressive  develop- 
ment. On  .^ug.  3.  1882,  at  Jamestown,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Emily  Eugenia  Lundberg.  Mrs.  Sell- 
strom was  born  in  Wester  Gotland,  Sweden,  a  daughter 
oi  John  Eliason  and  Maria  Christina  Lundberg.  Mrs. 
Sellstrom  came  to  this  country  as  a  young  girl  and  has 
been  active  in  the  community  and  church  life  of  the  city 
of  Jamestown,  For  a  number  of  years  she  has  been 
pr<-sidc-iit  of  tlie  Ladies'  Auxiliary  of  the  Norden  Club, 
and  has  eonlributed  much  to  the  literary  and  educational 
interest  manifested  there.  Being  greatly  interested  in 
equal  suffrag<-,  she  was  active  in  her  energies  for  the 
cause.     She   is  also  a  member  of  the  First   Lutheran 


_J 


-^  <><=^/-- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


419 


Church.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sellstrom  were  born  four 
children :  Elmer  W.,  May  H.,  Lilla  E.  P.,  and  V.  Emily. 
Lilla  E.  F.  died  in  1894  at  the  age  of  four  years.  Elmer 
W.  received  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools, 
later  attending  Cornell  University  and  graduating  with 
the  degree  of  Civil  Engineer  in  1907.  Leaving  the  uni- 
versity he  became  associated  with  the  Dahlstrom 
Metallic  Door  Company,  being  active  in  the  upbuilding 
of  that  institution.  He  has  been  actively  identified  with 
community  work,  serving  in  many  capacities.  He  is  a 
member  of  all  the  Masonic  bodies  and  past  emminent 
commander  of  Jamestown  Commandery,  Knights  Temp- 
lar. He  is  at  present  the  president  of  the  Jamestown 
Rotary  Club.  May  H.  also  attended  the  public  schools, 
graduating  in  1904,  and  later  taking  up  special  work  in 
piano  at  the  Sherwood  Music  School  at  Chicago.  Upon 
graduating  from  there  she  became  one  of  Mr.  Sher- 
wood's able  assistants.  Later  she  was  associated  in  the 
music  department  of  Miss  Bennett's  School  for  Girls  at 
Millbrook,  N.  Y.  In  1917  she  became  the  wife  of  Craw- 
ford N.  Bargar,  to  whom  one  child  has  been  born.  Mr. 
Bargar  has  been  long  identified  with  the  wholesale 
grocery  business  in  Jamestown.  V.  Emily  was  educated 
in  the  Jamestown  public  schools,  graduating  with  the 
class  of  1 01 5,  and  the  next  year  graduating  from  Dana 
Hall  at  Wellesley,  Mass.  She  also  attended  Simmons 
College  at  Boston,  and  Smith  College  at  Northampton, 
Mass.,  receiving  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  from 
the  latter  institution  in  1920,  and  is  now  active  in  the 
educational  and  social  life  of  the  community. 


FRED  H.  GARFIELD— It  is  not  always  easy  to 
discover  and  define  the  hidden  forces  that  have  moved 
a  life  of  ceaseless  activit)'  and  business  success;  little 
more  can  be  done  than  note  their  manifestations  in  the 
career  of  the  individual  under  consideration.  In  view 
or  this  fact,  the  life  of  Fred  H.  Garfield,  late  of  James- 
town, N.  Y..  affords  a  striking  e.xample  of  well  defined 
purpose  with  the  ability  to  make  that  purpose  subserve 
not  only  his  own  ends  but  those  of  the  corporation  with 
which  he  was  associated  and  the  good  of  his  fellowmen 
as  well.  Mr.  Garfield  long  held  distinctive  prestige  in 
a  calling  which  requires  for  its  basis  sound  mentality, 
supplemented  by  rigid  railroad  traffic  training,  without 
which,  one  in  that  line  of  work  cannot  hope  to  rise 
above  the  mediocre.  Rising  in  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  the  public,  and  in  every  relation  of  life,  he  never 
fell  below  the  dignity  nor  in  any  way  resorted  to 
methods  that  invited  criticism  or  censure.  He  was 
essentially  a  man  among  men,  having  ever  moved  as 
one  v.'ho  commanded  respect  by  innate  force,  as  well  as 
by  superior  ability,  and  his  life  and  labors  eminently 
entitle  him  to  representation  among  the  representative 
men  in  Chautauqua  county. 

The  family  from  which  Mr.  Garfield  is  descended  is 
a  verj-  old  and  prominent  one  in  this  country,  and  are 
descendants  from  Edward  Garfield,  who  came  from 
England  to  Massachusetts  in  1636.  For  more  than  two 
centuries  the  Garfield  family  have  been  residents  of  the 
American  colonies,  and  our  loved  and  martyred  presi- 
dent, James  Abram  Garfield,  was  a  descendant  from  the 
same  line.  , 

For  more  than  a  century  they  were  residents  of 
Worcester  county,  Mass.,  and  the  first  to  come  to  Chau- 


tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  was  Samuel  Garfield,  familiarly 
known  as  Deacon  Garfield,  who  was  born  in  Massachu- 
setts at  the  place  above  mentioned,  and  in  1803  removed 
with  his  father,  Eliakim  Garfield,  to  Windham  county, 
Vt.  The  father  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  served 
with  more  than  ordinary  distinction  under  General 
George  Washington.  Samuel  Garfield  married  in  the 
"Green  Mountain  State,"  and  in  1814  came  to  Chautau- 
qua county,  .N.  Y. ;  he  became  a  farmer  in  the  town  of 
Busti  and  also  did  carpentry  work.  He  possessed  con- 
siderable inventive  genius,  his  first  invention  being 
grain  measures  nested  from  a  half-bushel  down;  fol- 
lowing this  he  manufactured  scythe-snaths,  and  grain- 
cradle  handles,  besides  making  a  large  number  of  rakes. 
Immense  quantities  of  these  "crooked  sticks,"  as  they 
were  called  in  those  days,  were  manufactured  by  him  and 
sold  to  the  farmers  of  the  county,  besides  many  ship- 
ments were  sent  down  the  Allegheny  river  to  the 
southern  markets.  He  was  the  father  of  a  large  family, 
among  them  being  Benjamin,  of  further  mention. 

Benjamin  Garfield  was  born  in  the  town  of  Busti,  N. 
Y.,  and  became  one  of  the  successful  land  owners.  In 
1880  he  moved  to  Salamanca  and  engaged  in  business. 
He  remained  there  for  a  time  and  then  removed  to 
Bemus  Point,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  later  removing 
to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  where  he  soon  retired  from  active 
business.  Benjamin  Garfield  married  Sarah  Botsford, 
and  to  them  were  born  two  children:  Fred  H.,  of  further 
mention ;  and  Charles  B. 

Fred  H.  Garfield  was  born  Nov.  10,  1853,  on  his 
father's  farm,  and  here  he  passed  his  early  life.  He 
received  his  education  in  the  district  schools,  and  later 
in  the  public  schools  of  Jamestown.  It  was  while  living 
with  his  parents  at  Bemus  Point  that  Fred  H.  Garfield 
met  the  man  who  so  largely  influenced  his  future  career 
in  the  person  of  W.  P.  Shattuck.  of  Cleveland.  Mr. 
Shattuck  was  then  general  passenger  agent  of  the 
Atlantic  &  Great  Western  (now  a  part  of  the  Erie  Rail- 
road system).  His  summers  were  spent  at  Bemus  Point, 
where  he  formed  a  strong  attachment  for  Mr.  Garfield, 
then  a  young  man,  and  they  were  much  together.  Mr. 
Garfield  being  a  lover  of  the  big  out-doors  and  nature, 
and  an  intrepid  hunter  and  fisherman,  taught  the  art  of 
hunting  and  fishing  to  Mr.  Shattuck,  and  this  brought 
them  even  closer  together.  Mr.  Shattuck  was  struck  with 
the  intelligence  of  the  young  man  and  offered  him  a  place 
as  advertising  agent  for  the  .'\tlantic  &  Great  Western 
Railroad,  with  ofifices  in  Buffalo.  N.  Y.  Mr.  Garfield, 
although  but  a  young  man  of  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
accepted  and  made  his  home  in  Buffalo  for  several 
years.  From  1880  to  1888  Mr.  Garfield  was  traveling 
passenger  agent  for  the  same  railroad,  with  which  he 
spent  practically  his  entire  life.  In  the  meantime  the 
railroad  had  passed  through  several  changes,  finally 
becoming  the  familiar  N.  Y.  P.  &  O.,  the  "Nypano." 
In  1888  he  was  appointed  division  passenger  agent  at 
Jamestown,  and  held  that  office  continually  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death.  He  witnessed  the  rapid  growth  of 
the  passenger  and  freight  business  as  the  busy  city  of 
Jamestown   grew  up. 

It  may  be  truly  said  of  Fred  H.  Garfield  that  the 
Erie  Railway  Company  secured  his  undivided  ability 
during  all  the  years  that  he  was  connected  with  the  great 
transportation  problem.    Whatever  he  did  was  with  the 


-po 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


thought  and  intention  of  benefiting  the  railroad  and 
those  connected  with  it.  Xo  man  outdid  him  in  loyalty 
to  any  company  or  corporation,  and  while  he  took  part 
in  matters  of  public  concern,  and  always  maintained  a 
lively  interest  in  the  business  and  political  life  of  James- 
town and  Chautauqua  county,  this  was  never  done  at 
the  sacrifice  of  any  duty  he  owed  to  his  company. 
During  his  long  term  of  service  with  the  Erie  as 
division  passenger  agent  he  had  immediate  charge  of 
more  than  two  hundred  miles  of  the  business  of  the 
road,  and  in  all  his  work  he  not  only  won  and  licld  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  his  superior  officers  in  the 
company,  but  he  won  and  held  the  equal  confidence  and 
respect  of  all  the  men  in  the  passenger  department  over 
v.hich  he  had  control.  Mr.  Garfield  was  more  than  a 
division  passenger  agent,  he  was  the  firm  friend  and 
close  advisor  of  General  Passenger  Agent  R.  H.  Wallace 
and  other  men  at  the  head  of  the  great  railway  system. 
They  looked  to  him  for  advice  in  the  management  of 
the  road,  and  they  regarded  his  judgment  upon  railway 
interests  as  sound,  and  this  might  be  said  of  many  other 
otncials  of  connecting  lines.  He  had  wide  influence  in 
railway  circles,  and  with  such  influence  his  loyalty  to 
his  home  town  was  only  second  to  that  which  he  had 
for  the  company  to  which  he  devoted  his  life.  Mr. 
Garfield  passed  away  at  his  home,  Aug.  31.  1908.  His 
funeral  was  attended  not  only  by  many  friends  from 
Jamestown.  Chautauqua  county  and  vicinity,  but  by 
prominent  railroad  officials  from  various  parts  of  the 
United  States.  Mr.  Garfield  was  a  member  of  the  Benev- 
olent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  Order  of  Maccabees, 
and  Jamestown  Club.     In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat. 

On  June  6,  1882,  Fred  H.  Garfield  married  (first) 
Marv-  Smith,  a  daughter  of  George  Smith,  who  lived  in 
Wilson.  Xiagara  county.  X.  V.  To  them  was  born  a 
son.  Robert  Marvin.  Mrs.  Garfield  died  in  May.  iSgo. 
On  Sept.  24.  1801.  he  married  (second)  Tena  Mcintosh, 
and  to  them  was  bom  a  daughter.  .Alice  M..  and  a  son 
Irederick   M. 

A  lover  of  out-of-doors  life,  he  was  an  ardent  sports- 
man, t.aking  great  pleasure  in  hunting  and  fishing,  and 
friends  frequently  came  long  distances  to  spend  a  few 
days  wi'h  him  on  Chautauqua  Lake,  or  in  the  sur- 
rounding forests  in  search  of  game,  and  such  friends 
never  counted  the  day  lost,  whether  successful  or  not 
with   rod   or  gun. 

Mr.  Garfield  was  of  a  most  gtni.-il  nature;  he  loved 
hi'-  fcllowmen  and  had  confidence  in  tluni  ;  he  would 
always  give  willingly  of  his  time  and  service,  especially 
for  the  interest  and  welfare  of  Jamestown.  Many  were 
th'-  calls  made  upon  him  as  the  representative  of  the 
Erie  road,  cspecinlly  in  the  m.-i'ter  of  local  enterprises 
.ind  local  celebrations.  He  had  many  friends  in  business 
and  social  life  fr^.m  near  and  far  away.  It  is  certain 
that  his  death  was  mourned  by  all  who  knew  him. 


ADELBERT  PHILO  SIMMONS— For  forty  years 

a  m'T'-haM  of  fjii.ti.  ix^istma-.t-r  uiuli-r  si.^:  jiresidenis — 
r,r.-ip',  \'.:ty  .  Hr.rri'on.  ('l.-vekind.  .MrKJnlcy.  :nid 
F/r,^,-'-,'lt-  to.vi  rl-rk  of  Bu'-ti  for  a  qMnrter  of  a  nn- 
Itirv.  and  a  soldi'-r  of  the  Civil  War,  Ad'llxrt  P. 
Simm'-rtu  from  every  p^'int  of  vi'-w  was  entitlf-d  to  Ihc 
title  of  "\<teran,"  Wh'-n  finally  he  was  laid  at  rest 
in  Lakeview  Cemetery,  Jamestown,  the  bearers  were  all 


veterans  of  the  Forty-ninth  Regiment,  New  York  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  and  the  local  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public men  attended  the  funeral  of  their  comrade  in  a 
body,  conducting  at  the  grave  the  beautiful  ritual  burial 
sen-ice  of  the  order,  James  M,  Conroe,  commander;  N, 
R.  Thompson,  chaplain. 

Adclbert  P.  Sinunons  was  a  native  son  of  Chautauqua 
county,  born  in  the  town  of  Portland,  who  enlisted  from 
Jamestown,  Aug.  26,  1861,  and  was  discharged,  Sept.  17, 
1804.  He  was  in  business  at  Busti,  Chautauqua  county, 
from  1S66  until  igo:',  and  resided  in  Jamestown  from 
190S  until  his  death  in  1916,  aged  seventy-four  I'ears, 
two  months,  four  days.  He  resigned  the  office  of  post 
master  in  May,  1907,  after  continuous  service  covering  a 
period  of  about  forty  years,  and  si.x  administrations,  one 
of  eight  years  being  of  political  complexion  differing  from 
his  own,  and  he  finally  proving  the  falsity  of  that  saying 
about  office  holders  that  "few  died  and  none  ever  resign." 
He  was  a  sou  of  Philander  and  Mary  A.  (Waid)  Sim- 
mons, w^ho  at  the  time  of  the  birth  of  their  son,  Adelbert 
P.,  were  living  in  Portland,  but  who  moved  to  Jamestown 
in  1855. 

.•\delbert  P.  Simiuons  was  born  in  the  town  of  Port- 
land. Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y..  March  4,  1842,  died  at 
his  home,  No.  3  Forest  Park,  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  May 
8.  1916.  The  first  thirteen  j'ears  of  his  life  were  spent 
in  Portland,  where  he  attended  the  district  school,  but 
in  1855  his  parents  moved  to  Jamestown,  where  he  com- 
pleted public  school  attendance  and  learned  the  chair 
maker's  trade.  He  continued  at  his  trade  in  Jamestown 
until  Aug.  26,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in 
Company  K,  Forty-ninth  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  on  the  following  September  18  was  mus- 
tered into  the  United  States  service  at  New  York  City 
He  was  in  active  service  with  his  regiment,  a  part  of  the 
glorious  Army  of  the  Potomac,  was  all  through  the 
campaigns  of  that  army  until  Dec.  18,  1863,  and  during 
the  Peninsula  campaign,  his  tent-mate.  Milton  Lewis, 
tlie  first  soldier  to  fall  from  Chautauqua  county,  was 
killed  at  Warwick  Creek,  near  Yorktown,  Va.  He  in- 
curred physical  disabilities,  and  on  Dec.  18,  1863,  was 
transferred  from  the  Forty-ninth  to  the  Thirty-sixth 
Regiment,  Second  Battalion,  Veteran  Reserve  Corps, 
and  placed  on  detached  service  at  Washington,  D.  C, 
as  ward  master  in  Harewood  Hospital.  He  was  honor- 
ably discharged  and  mustered  out  of  the  service,  Sept. 
I",  1864,  his  three  years'  term  of  enlistment  having 
expired. 

In  li'fii)  .Mr,  Sinunons  npmed  a  general  store  in  the 
village  of  Rusti.  Chautauqua  county,  and  continued  a 
successful  merchant  until  October,  1906,  when  he  sold 
his  stock  and  goodwill  to  F.  C.  Whiting  &  Company  of 
Rusti,  and  then  retired.  Under  President  Grant  he  re- 
ceived his  first  commission  as  postmaster  of  the  village, 
and  earh  recurring  four  years  brought  him  a  renewal 
of  tliat  commission,  no  matter  who  the  president  or 
what  his  politics  until  May,  1907,  when  he  resigned  the 
office,  ;ind  in  January  following  he  moved  to  Jamestown, 
his  boyhood  home,  and  the  scene  of  the  closing  activi- 
ties of  his  life.  He  was  a  Repidilican  in  politics,  casting 
his  first  vole  ff)r  Abraham  T.,incoln  in  1S64.  President 
Lincoln  then  a  candidate  for  a  second  term.  He  served 
the  town  of  Ilusti  as  town  clerk  for  twenty-five  years, 
was  collector  of  taxes,  registrar  of  vital  statistics,  secre- 


(2^T^^^^i  f^Xyr 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


421 


tary  of  the  Board  of  Health,  and  filled  several  village 
offices. 

Mr.  Simmons  always  kept  in  close  touch  with  his 
old  comrades  of  the  army,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Veterans  Union  of  Chautauqua  County,  serving  as  its 
secretary,  and  of  James  M.  Brown  Post,  No.  285,  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  of  Jamestown,  of  which  he  was 
a  past  commander.  At  Boston,  Dec.  30,  1910,  at  the 
National  Encampment  of  the  order,  Mr.  Simmons  was 
appointed  aide-de-camp  to  the  Grand  Commander,  J.  E. 
Gilmore.  He  was  a  member  of  the  First  Methodist 
Church  of  Jamestown,  and  a  man  honored  and  respected 
by  all  who  knew  him. 

Mr.  Simmons  married,  Jan.  6,  1869,  Florence  E.  Glenn, 
daughter  of  William  T.  and  Mary  L.  (Thompson) 
Glenn,  of  Phoenix,  Pa.,  her  father  a  Union  soldier  who 
gave  his  life  for  his  country.  Mrs.  Simmons  survives 
her  husband,  and  continues  her  residence  in  Jamestown. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps,  and  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Her  only  son,  Frank 
C.  Simmons,  was  born  in  Milton,  Armstrong  county. 
Pa..  Nov.  16,  i86g,  and  educated  in  the  public  schools. 
He  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  with  his 
father  until  igo6,  and  is  now  connected  with  the  James- 
town and  Westfield  Electric  Railroad  Company.  He 
married  May  Wilcox. 

Such  are  the  high  lights  in  a  life  which  was  practically 
lived  in  the  same  community  and  when  at  its  close 
the  time  came  to  pay  the  last  tributes  of  respect,  old 
friends,  business  associates,  Grand  Army  comrades, 
church  brethren,  and  neighbors  testified  by  their  presence 
to  the  high  regard  in  which  Mr.  Simmons  was  held. 
Mr.  Simmons  was  a  man  of  quiet  life  and  disposition, 
very  fond  of  his  home  and  family,  and  in  his  public 
life  met  every  obligation  of  good  citizenship.  He  fought 
well  the  battle  of  life  and  left  behind  him  an  honored 
name. 


JOHN  FRANK  SMITH— As  inspector  of  plumb- 
ing for  the  Board  of  Health  of  Jamestown,  John  F. 
Smith  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  an  oflicial  of  a 
progressive  city  government,  and  as  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  War  there  is  nothing  more  for  the  biographer  to 
add  to  show  that  he  has  served  his  fellowman.  Mr. 
Smith  takes  a  leading  part  in  the  advancement  of  all  that 
promises  improvement  of  conditions  in  his  home  town, 
and  is  generally  recognized  as  one  of  her  foremost 
citizens. 

George  W.  Smith,  father  of  John  Frank  Smith,  was 
born  in  England,  and  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native 
land,  learning  the  trade  of  currier  and  tanner.  As  a 
young  man  he  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  settling 
in  Lynn,  Mass.,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  until 
coming  to  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  taking  up  his 
abode  in  Panama.  There  he  conducted  a  tannery  for 
some  years,  and  then  removed  to  Jamestown,  where  he 
took  up  painting  and  paper  hanging,  but  some  years 
later  abandoned  it  for  the  shoe  business  in  which  he 
was  engaged  on  West  Third  street  under  the  firm  name 
of  George  W.  Smith  S:  Son.  He  was  a  Republican,  and 
attended  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church.  Mr,  Smith 
married,  in  L>Tin.  Mass.,  Sarah  Bindley,  who  was,  like 
himself,  a  native  of  England,  and  their  children  were: 
George  W.,  died  in  infancy;   William  H.,  George   M., 


Sarah  H.,  Charles  A.,  Albert  Al. ;  John  Frank,  mentioned 
below  ;  Abner  D.,  Minnie,  Caroline  F.,  Julia  A.,  Frederick 
B.     The  parents  of  these  children  died  in  Jamestown. 

John  Frank  Smith,  son  of  George  W.  and  Sarah 
(Bindley)  Smith,  was  born  Feb.  25,  1846,  in  the  town  of 
Panama,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  for  a  short  time 
attended  school  in  his  native  place.  When  the  family 
moved  to  Jamestown  he  was  still  a  boy,  but  his  oppor- 
tunities for  acquiring  an  education  were  limited,  and  he 
was  but  Utile  over  sixteen  when  he  enlisted  in  Company 
K,  49th  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry,  under 
Colonel  D.  W.  Bidwell  and  Captain  Alonzo  J.  Marsh. 
He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Fredericksburg,  Chan- 
cellorsville,  Gettysburg,  the  Wilderness  and  Spottsyl- 
vania  Court  House,  being  wounded  in  the  last  engage- 
ment by  a  shot  which  passed  through  both  hips.  This 
was  on  May  10,  1864,  and  he  was  obliged  to  remain  in 
the  hospital  until  Sept.  2,  1864,  when  he  rejoined  his 
company  and  regiment  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  battles 
of  Fisher  Hill,  Opequon,  Cedar  Creek,  and  to  help  break 
the  line  before  Petersburg,  April  2,  1865.  He  was 
present  at  the  Grand  Review  in  Washington,  and  on 
June  24,  1865,  was  mustered  out. 

Un  returning  to  Jamestown  the  young  soldier  learned 
the  trade  of  a  machinist  under  the  instruction  of 
Josephus  Clark  and  followed  it  until  1872,  when  he 
abandoned  it  for  that  of  plumbing,  conducting  a  success- 
ful business  until  1887,  when  he  was  appointed  inspector 
of  plumbing  to  the  Board  of  Health  of  Jamestown.  He 
has  ever  since  continuously  filled  that  responsible  o.Tice, 
being  now  in  his  twenty-fourth  year.  Nothing  could 
more  conclusively  prove  that  he  is  thoroughly  master  of 
his  business.  In  politics,  Mr.  Smith  is  a  true  Republican. 
He  is  a  member  of  James  M.  Brown  Post,  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic,  of  Jamestown,  and  the  Union  Veteran 
Legion,  also  belonging  to  the  Protective  Home  Circle  of 
Jamestown.  The  Golden  Rule  is  his  motto  and  his 
religion. 

Mr.  Smith  married  (first)  in  Jamestown,  Sept.  8, 
1868,  Adele  M.,  daughter  of  Adam  and  Mercy  Mambert, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  one  child,  George  M., 
who  died  in  childhood.  Mrs.  Smith  passed  away  in 
1894,  and  Mr.  Smith  married  (second)  Dec.  11,  1895. 
Rose  V.  Baugher,  of  Titusville,  Pa. 

John  Frank  Smith  has  a  varied  and  eventful  record. 
As  soldier,  business  man  and  public  official,  he  has 
rendered   faithful  service  and  won  an  honorable  name. 


ALBERT  FERDINAND  SOCH,  M.  D.,  one  of  the 

well  known  and  capable  physicians  of  Fredonia,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Hanover, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  having  been  born  at  this 
place,  March  24,  1871,  a  son  of  Charles  and  Wilemina 
(Brewer)  Soch.  The  elder  Mr.  Soch  was  a  farmer  all 
his  life,  and  his  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
four  years.  Mrs.  Soch  is  still  living,  having  just  passed 
her  eighty-sixth  year. 

.Albert  Ferdinand  Soch  received  his  preliminary  edu- 
cation in  the  district  schools  of  his  native  place,  and 
after  completing  the  elementary  course  went  to  work  on 
his  father's  farm,  where  he  remained  for  a  time,  later 
going  to  Boston,  Mass.  Upon  arriving  at  Boston,  he  was 
given  employment  during  the  day,  and  utilized  his  even- 
ings by   attending  the   Boston   High   School.     Through 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


very  frugal  living,  the  young  man  had  managed  to  save 
a  considerable  portion  of  his  earnings,  with  a  view  to 
ertering  college,  and  this  he  was  enabled  to  do  some 
time  later,  having  accumulated  enough  money  to  pay 
for  his  tuition  at  the  Phillips  Exeter  Academy,  at 
Exeter.  N.  H.  Mr.  Soch.  however,  was  compelled  to 
continue  working  during  his  spare  time  in  order  to 
defray  other  college  expenses,  and  though  many  a  young 
man  would  have  turned  back  if  placed  under  such  a 
handicap,  this  was  not  the  case  with  him  and  he  con- 
tinued in  his  course,  graduating  with  the  class  of  1894. 
and  winning  the  afifection  and  regard  of  his  classmato:- 
as  welt  as  his  teachers.  His  next  step  toward  his  edu- 
c;:tion  was  taken  wlicn  he  went  to  Buffalo  and  entered 
the  medical  depar.ment  of  the  Buffalo  University,  from 
which  he  graduated  three  years  later  with  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  After  graduation.  Dr.  Soch  spent  several  years 
in  hospital  work,  and  was  an  interne  for  a  time  in  the 
Erie  County  Hospital.  It  was  not  until  1900  that  Dr. 
Soch  came  to  Fredonia  and  there  began  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  opening  an  office  for  this  purpose.  His 
complete  knowledge  and  capabilities  soon  recommended 
him  highly  as  an  able  practitioner,  and  his  practice  con- 
tinued to  grow  until  he  can  now  claim  one  of  the  largest 
hereabouts.  In  fact.  Dr.  Soch's  services  are  so  greatly 
in  demand  that  it  has  compelled  him  to  give  up  his 
ambition  to  become  a  surgeon,  his  duties  being  too  con- 
rining  to  permit  him  to  continue  his  surgical  studies. 
In  KOI  Dr.  Sc>ch  was  appointed  on  the  medical  staff 
of  the  Brooks  Memorial  Hospital,  Dunkirk,  and  he  still 
occupies  this  post. 

Dr.  Soch  is  a  member  of  the  .•\.  O.  D.  College  Medical 
fraternity,  the  .Vmerican  Medical  Society,  the  New  York 
Medical  Association,  the  Western  New  York  Medical 
Association,  the  Chautauqua  County  Medical  Associa- 
tion, and  the  Dunkirk  Fredonia  Medical  Society,  and  is 
medical  examiner  for  the  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pajiy,  the  .Io!i:i  Hancock,  Travelers',  .State  Mutual, 
Bankers'  Life,  Massachusetts  Mutual,  and  Pnidenlial 
Life  Insurance  companies.  He  is  also  very  prominent 
in  the  social  and  club  life  here,  and  is  a  member  of 
F'-Tcst  Lodge.  No.  162,  .'\ncient  Free  and  ,\ccepted 
Ma,sons.  of  which  organization  he  is  the  junior  warden, 
and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  being  past 
noble  grand  of  the  latter.  In  politics  Dr.  Soch  is  a 
Republican. 

.■\lbcrt  Ferdinand  Sfich  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  Elizabeth  Hall,  a  resident  of  Hamilton,  Ontario, 
Canada,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Margaret  (Brooks) 
Hall.  Mrs.  Soch  was  formerly  a  trained  nurse  and 
fihc  mi-t  Dr.  Soch  while  <loing  hospital  work  in  Buffalo. 
They  were  married  June  27,  1900,  and  six  children  were 
(('jrn  '.]'  this  union,  lour  of  whom  arr  livint;,  as  follows 
H-imilifn  H..  who  is  now  attending  the  high  school  at 
Fredonia;  Albert  F..  Jr.,  who  also  attends  the  high 
■■'■h'K.l  here:  Kol(crt  A.,  a  pupil  in  the  elcmcnfan,-  schuol ; 
and  James  W.,  who  is  in  the  kindergarten.  The  two 
childr<-;i  who  arc  d'-rcasod  arc :  Dorothy,  who  was  the 
oldest  child  and  dif'd  whin  she  was  seven  years  of  age; 
and  Charles  L..  who  died  in  infancy. 


JOHN  EDWARD  KASE— John  Kasc.  father  of 
J'hn  fvlv.nrd  Ka>c.  a  hxiy  lime  resident  of  Jann-  - 
town,   N.    Y.,   wa-.   lorn    in    Hesse,    Germany,   and    ther' 


grew  to  manhood.  To  avoid  German  military  service 
he  came  to  the  United  States,  finding  employment  and 
a  home  in  Carbondale,  Lackawanna  county,  Pa.  He 
was  a  cabinetmaker  by  trade,  and  soon  after  locating 
in  Carbondale  established  a  small  furniture  business  in 
connection  with  liis  shop.  He  prospered  in  business 
as  he  became  well  known,  and  he  continued  a  furni- 
ture dealer  until  his  death,  which  occurred  at  the  home 
of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Burr,  in  Scranton,  Pa.  He 
married  Martha  Seibold,  also  born  in  Germany,  she 
dying  in  Carbondale,  Pa.  Children :  i.  Theodore, 
deceased,  who  was  a  real  estate  broker  in  Boston,  Mass. 
J.  Julia,  married  Daniel  Burr,  a  wholesale  druggist  of 
Scranton,    Pa.     3.    John    Edward,   of    further   mention. 

4.  Edmund,  a  practicing  physician  of  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
John    Edward    Kase    was    born    in    Carbondale,    Pa., 

July  17,  1858,  died  in  Jamestown.  N.  Y.,  Jan.  15,  1913. 
He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  at  Carbondale, 
and  after  completing  his  studies  became  associated  with 
his  fatlier  in  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  furniture,  the 
young  man  becoming  an  expert  finisher  of  fine  furniture, 
making  that  branch  his  occupation  for  life.  He  contin- 
ued with  his  father  until  1879,  and  when  he  came  to 
legal  age  at  once  began  his  own  career.  For  two  years 
after  leaving  home  John  E.  Kase  was  employed  as  a 
furniture  finisher  in  a  factory  at  .Athens,  Pa.,  going 
thence  to  Waverly,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  in  the  employ 
of  the  Hall  and  Lyons  Company,  furniture  manufactur- 
ers of  that  town,  where  he  continued  until  1888.  His 
business  life  in  Jamestown  began  in  that  year  with  the 
Morgan.  Maddo.x  Company  of  this  city.  Later  he  was 
with  the  Maddox,  Bailey  Furniture  Company,  and  still 
later  with  the  J.  W.  Maddo.x  Table  Company,  and  with 
these  companies  he  was  employed  as  a  furniture  finisher 
until  his  death  in  1913.  He  was  a  good  workman, 
master  of  his  branch  of  furniture  making,  his  services 
always  being  in  demand.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics, 
served  as  inspector  of  elections  for  many  years,  and  was 
well  known  in  Jamestown. 

Mr.   Kase  married,   in  Lackawanna  county,   Pa.,  Jan. 

5.  i.SSi,  Kninia  E.  Fuller,  burn  in  Malamoras,  P.i.. 
daughter  of  Siineon  C.  and  Emiline  (.Stout)  Fuller. 
Mr.  Fuller  was  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  engi- 
neers on  the  Erie  Railroad.  He  made  his  home  in  Port 
Jervis,  N.  Y.,  Carbondale,  Pa.,  and  later  Susquehanna, 
Pa.,  where  he  died  in  1883.  His  wife  later  moved  to 
Jamestown.  N.  Y.,  where  she  died  at  the  home  of  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  Kase,  in  1893.  Children  of  John  E.  and 
I'.nima  F,.  (Fuller)  Kase:  1.  Blanche.  <lied  in  child- 
luiod.  2.  Ralph  Stout,  born  in  Waverly,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  24, 
18K6,  was  educated  in  the  grade  and  high  schools  of 
Jamestown,  and  later  learned  the  printer's  business, 
becoming  an  expert  in  this  trade;  he  is  now  superintend- 
ent of  the  printing  department  of  the  Travelers'  Life 
Insurance  Cotnpany,  of  Hartford,  Conn.;  he  married 
Margaret  Maharon,  of  Jamestown,  daughter  of  Judge 
John  G.  Maharon;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kase,  Jr.,  arc  the 
jiarents  of  two  children:  June  Mary  and  Betty  June 
,■>,.  \'eraniee  h'nllcr.  hcprn  i'eli.  15.  !!-'9l,  died  .April  1. 
I'Kii.  4.  .^iinenn  Jnlin,  born  in  Jamestown,  June  J(), 
1803;  educated  in  the  grade  and  high  schools  of  James- 
t'  wn,  .Mechanics  Institute  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  receiving 
from  the  Institute  the  degree  of  electrical  engineer  at 
graduation,    June    14,    1917;    after    the    United    States 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


423 


entered  the  World  War,  he  enlisted  in  the  emergency 
electrical  department  of  the  Coast  Artillery  School  at 
Fortress  Monroe,  Va.,  his  work  that  of  an  expert:  he 
was  mustered  out  of  the  service,  Dec.  26,  igi8,  and  is 
now  with  the  Dudlow  Manufacturing  Company,  Fort 
Wayne,  Ind.  Mrs.  John  E.  Kase  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  Sunday  school,  the 
Women's  Christian  Temperance  Union,  also  the  Home 
and  Foreign  Missionary  and  Clothes  societies,  and  the 
American  Legion  Auxiliary. 


ROXINA  L.  DAVIS,  daughter  of  Ezra  W,  and 
Margaret  W.  (Cass)  Davis,  settled  in  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  thirty  years  ago.  She  sprang  from  a 
hardy  line  of  staunch  New  England  stock,  the  Davis 
family  coming  from  Vermont  and  the  Cass  family  from 
New  Hampshire,  the  former  named  having  made  a  dis- 
tinctive record  in  the  service  of  their  country,  ar.H 
have  always  occupied  a  prominent  place  in  business. 

Miss  Davis,  since  settling  in  Chautauqua  county 
thirty  years  ago,  has  been  actively  engaged  in  business. 
She  was  first  associated  with  Wilson  &  Van  Tuyl's 
Hardware  Store  as  bookkeeper,  and  when  this  company 
went  out  of  business  she  joined  a  new  enterprise  with 
W.  W.  Wilson  in  the  conduct  of  a  tinsmith  shop  as  a 
silent  partner.  She  then  branched  out  in  the  real  estate 
line,  a  field  in  which  she  has  made  an  eminent  success, 
having  built  nearly  the  entire  street  known  as  \V'icks 
avenue.  West  Jamestown.  She  also  engaged  in  exten- 
sive building  enterprises  in  Yates  county  in  the  central 
part  of  the  State,  both  enterprises  testifying  to  good 
business  acumen.  Although  her  business  career  occupies 
a  large  portion  of  her  time  and  attention.  Miss  Davis 
has  not  neglected  her  duty  toward  society,  and  has 
always  been  active  in  charitable  and  social  organizations. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Disciple  church,  and  was  one 
of  the  first  members  of  the  Young  Women's  Christian 
Association  in  Jamestown,  being  identified  with  that 
association  for  the  past  quarter  of  a  century.  She 
adopted  and  reared  two  children,  namely,  William  C. 
and  Margaret  C.  Davis,  the  latter  named  now  the  wife 
of  William  McKinley  Loucks.  Miss  Davis  has  estabHshed 
a  reputation  for  sound  business  judgment  and  square 
dealing  with  her  associates  that  will  stand  for  all  time 
to  come  as  a  tribute  to  her  memory. 


JOHN  AUGUST  JONES— A  man  of  great  self- 
reliance  and  self-dependence  of  character,  with  deter- 
mination to  succeed  in  whatever  he  undertakes,  John 
August  Jones  very  early  in  life  gave  evidence  of  the 
sturdy  independence  which  has  helped  him  to  gain  the 
comfortable  competence  which  he  now  enjoys. 

Born  in  the  little  town  of  Alsheda,  Sweden,  July  12, 
1875,  the  boy  spent  his  childhood  on  a  farm,  attending 
the  common  schools  until  he  was  fifteen  years  old.  when 
he  decided  to  come  to  the  United  States.  Having  rela- 
tives in  this  country,  he  had  heard  of  their  continued  pro- 
gress in  business  and  he  felt  the  desire  to  emulate  their 
success;  so  in  1890  the  lad  started  alone,  landing  in  the 
United  States  and  going  direct  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
where  his  friends  were  living.  The  career  of  John 
August  Jones  may  be  said  to  have  started  at  that  time, 
for  he  immediately  applied  for  employment  to  the  Gokey 


shoe  factory,  where  he  remained  for  four  years.  At  the 
same  time  he  began  studying  at  night,  attending  the 
evening  classes  at  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
and  making  rapid  progress  in  the  various  branches  he 
had  chosen.  In  1894  the  young  man  changed  his  form 
of  work,  becoming  a  salesman  in  the  clothing  store  of 
A.  J.  Peterson  &  Son,  continuing  with  them  for  four 
years,  when  he  resigned.  He  now  thoroughly  under- 
stood two  branches  in  commercial  business,  shoes  and 
clothing,  and  in  October,  1908,  in  company  with  William 
H.  Scharf  and  Luther  1^.  Lincoln,  bought  out  the  cloth- 
ing store  of  J.  Whitley  &  Son,  a  long  established  con- 
cern with  a  fine  reputation,  the  new  firm  becoming 
known  as  Jones,  Scharf  &  Lincoln.  In  a  short  time  Mr. 
Lincoln  sold  out  his  holdings  to  the  other  two  partners, 
they  carrying  on  the  business.  In  191 1  it  became  an  in- 
corporated concern,  under  the  name  of  Jones  &  Scharf, 
Inc.,  and  at  this  time  (1920)  it  still  continues  at  No. 
210  Main  street,  each  year  showing  increased  prosperity. 
I\Ir.  Jones  is  greatly  interested  in  civic  affairs,  being 
active  in  the  work  of  the  Board  of  Commerce  of  James- 
town and  one  of  its  board  of  directors.  He  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  Swedish  Brotherhood  and  the  Norden 
Club;  he  and  his  family  are  regular  attendants  at  the 
First  Swedish  Lutheran  Church,  which  he  serves  as 
treasurer. 

In  October,  1902,  John  August  Jones  married,  in 
Jamestown,  Hannah  C.  Eckman,  daughter  of  N.  P. 
Eckman,  who  resides  in  that  city.  Of  this  union  four 
children  have  been  born :  Helen,  Ralph,  Robert,  Marie. 
All  but  the  \-oungest  are  now  attending  school,  Mr.  Jones 
being  very  desirous  that  his  children  shall  have  every 
advant.ige  in  life. 


CLYDE  HENRY  SCHUYLER,  D.  D.  S.— In  the 

short  space  of  a  year  Jamestown  has  become  thoroughly 
familiar  with  the  fact  that  this  is  the  name  of  a  very 
skillful  and  progressive  member  of  the  dental  profession. 
His  fellow-citizens  have  learned  to  place  great  confi- 
dence in  Dr.  Schuyler  and  to  think  no  less  highly  of  him 
as  a  citizen  than  in  his  professional  capacity. 

Clyde  Henry  Schuyler  was  born  Feb.  4,  1802,  at 
Frewsburg,  N.  Y.,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  C.  and  Leplia 
(Moore)  Schuyler,  the  former  a  farmer  of  that  place, 
where  he  is  still  living.  Mrs.  Schuyler  passed  away  in 
March,  tgoo.  The  earliest  education  of  Clyde  Henry 
Schuyler  was  received  in  the  public  schools  of  the  town 
of  Carroll,  whence  he  passed  to  the  Frewsburg  High 
School,  graduating  in  igi2.  For  a  year  or  two  after, 
he  taught  in  the  district  schools  of  Carroll  township  in 
order  to  earn  the  money  wherewith  to  complete  his 
course  of  study.  He  then  entered  the  University  of 
Pittsburgh  for  the  purpose  of  studying  dentistry,  gradu- 
ating in  1916  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Dental  Sur- 
gery. 

On  Sept.  19,  1017,  Dr.  Schuyler  enlisted  in  the  Dental 
Corps  with  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant,  and  was  ordered 
to  Camp  Sevier.  S.  C,  taking  charge  of  Dental  Infirmary 
No.  I,  for  seven  months.  He  had  under  his  command 
twenty-nine  commissioned  officers,  having  charge  in  all 
of  fifty-four  commissioned  and  enlisted  men.  On  Feb. 
II,  1910,  he  received  an  honorable  discharge  after  which 
he  returned  to  Jamestown  and  opened  his  own  office. 
Already  he  has  received  gratifying  proof  of  the  wisdom 


4^4 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


o:  his  selection  of  a  field  of  labor.  If  the  tirst  year  of 
practice  may  be  accepted  as  an  augury  of  the  future,  Dr. 
Schuyler's  career  must  unquestionably  be  one  of  success- 
ful achievement.  Politically  Dr.  Schuyler  is  a  Republi- 
can and  a  staunch  one.  but  the  demands  of  his  profes- 
sion leave  him  little  time  for  participation  in  public 
affairs.    He  belongs  to  the  Psi  Omega  Dental  fraternity. 


WELCOME  FRANKLIN  ROSS,  a  Civil  War 
ve;eran  of  worihy  military  record,  was  one  of  the  oldest 
residents  oi  the  Conewango  \'allcy,  Chautauqua  county, 
X.  V.  He  was  a  hotel  proprietor  in  that  place  from 
1S71  until  his  death,  a  record  of  forty-nine  years  of 
steady  public  service,  in  which  he  gained  the  respect  of 
the  majority  of  the  residents  of  the  district.  He  was 
popular  and  respected,  honored  because  of  his  patriotic 
service,  popular  because  of  his  whole-hearted  manner, 
and  respected  because  of  his  steady  life.  His  calling 
was  more  than  that  of  a  keeper  of  an  old-fashioned 
country  hostelry  where  housing  for  horse  and  man 
could  be  had,  and  in  his  public  service  he  was  generally 
respected.  .\nd  wlicn  bereavement  came  to  him  in  the 
death  of  his  adopted  bon,  Robert  H..  who  succumbed  to 
the  rigors  of  military  campaigning  a  few  weeks  after 
the  signing  of  the  armistice,  in  1918,  he  had  evidence  ui 
the  respect  in  which  he  was  held  in  the  neighborhood 
by  the  extent  to  which  the  residents  gathered  around 
him  at  that  time. 

Welcome  Franklin  R'-,>s  was  born  in  the  town  of  New 
.\lbion.  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.,  April  13,  1843,  the 
son  of  Joseph  F.  and  Lydia  (Lewis)  Ross,  was  educated 
in  tlie  public  school  of  his  native  place.  The  Ros.; 
family  is  of  Scottish  antecedents,  although  for  four  gen- 
erations they  have  been  resident  in  America.  The  .Amer- 
ican progenitor  of  the  branch  of  the  Ross  family  to 
which  Welcome  K.  Ross  belonged  was  William  Joseph 
Ross,  who  came  from  Scotland.  His  son,  Joseph  F. 
Ross,  father  of  Welcome  F.  Ross,  was  a  farmer  in 
Cattaraugus  county,  X.  V. 

When  the  great  call  came  to  .Vmerican  manhood, 
when  the  North  and  South  sought  to  settle  their  differ- 
ences of  opinion  by  armed  conflict.  Welcome  F.  Ross 
was  still  in  his  teens,  notwithstanding  which,  h.-  enlisted, 
ip  i86j,  as  a  private  in  Company  R.  154th  Regiment  of 
New  York  \'oluntecrs,  and  he  passed  Ihroucrh  all  the 
t'lghtin?  in  which  that  regiment  was  engaged  until  the 
d.-it'-  of  his  discharge.  June  23.  1863.  His  honorable 
service  during  the  time  of  national  emergency  brought 
him  e'>r,t\  return  in  self  satisfaction  and  in  respect  by 
others,  and  he  had  an  honored  place  in  the  later 
patriotic  organization,  the  Grand  .\rmv  of  (he  Krpiiblii-, 
in  the  ranks  of  which  association  of  veterans  he  rose 
to  the  grade  of  captriin.  His  record  in  Masonry  was  a 
worthy  one,  for  he  afTiliated  with  th;il  frntcrnal  order 
'.'•r  more  than   forty  years. 

On  Jan.  i.  r865,  Mr.  Ross  was  married  to  Julia  A. 
f.ardn'-r.  who  was  l>'>rn  in  l><4.=;.  She  came  of  two  old 
f'attara'igu*  county  families,  being  the  daughter  of 
fJaniel  and  Laura  fCrossfield)  Cardnrr,  both  fjf  whom 
KfTi-  born  in  Cattaraugus  county.  Mrs.  Julia  A.  fCard- 
n'T  I  U'^w  livd  to  c-lebrate  her  golden  wedding,  her 
df-ath  not  ornirring  until  !'/!<'>.  Th<-  dr;ilh  of  Welcome 
F.  F<o%»  orrtirred  N'fiv.  7,  1020.  interment  in  the  Coni-- 
wango  Cemetery,     .Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ross  were  the  parents 


of  four  children  :  Jessie  E.,  Maud  J.,  Elva  G.,  and  Helen 
B.  Their  family  also  included  an  adopted  son,  Robert 
H..  who  went  into  the  national  military  service,  May  26, 
igiS,  during  the  war  with  Germany.  He  was  sent  to 
C.imp  Di.x,  N.  J.,  for  training,  and  in  all  probability 
would  have  gone  to  France  during  the  winter  of  1918 
had  the  war  lasted  so  long.  But  the  signing  of  the 
Armistice,  Nov.  11,  1918,  rendered  the  sending  of  further 
troops  overseas  unnecessary,  and  quick  demobilization 
of  troops  in  home  camps  was  commenced.  Many  of 
the  camps  near  the  seaboard  were  overcrowded,  because 
of  returning  troops  and  of  troops  sent  temporarily  to 
the  camps  for  demobilization.  Camp  Di.x,  at  which 
Robert  11.  Ross  was  stationed,  was  one  such,  and  al- 
though his  dealh  did  not  occur  wdiile  in  the  service,  it 
is  thought  that  it  was  caused  through  the  rigors  of  camp 
life  during  the  last  month  or  so  of  his  military  service. 
He  was  honorably  discharged,  Nov.  28,  1918,  reached 
home  four  days  later,  and  died  Dec.  16,  1918,  his  demise 
being  the  occasion  of  the  manifestation  of  general  and 
sincere  sympathy  for  Mr.  Ross  in  his  sad  bereavement. 
Still  a  life  ending  in  national  service  in  a  cause  so  great 
as  was  that  of  .\merica  in  the  late  war  was  not  lived  in 
vnin. 


PAUL  B.  WIQUIST— Among  the  most  successful 
111"  the  younger  merchants  and  business  men  of  James- 
town, N.  v.,  should  be  mentioned  Paul  B.  Wiquist, 
whose  success  in  recent  years  in  building  up  a  large  and 
remunerative  milk  business  there  has  given  him  a  repu- 
tation for  enterprise  and  intelligence  throughout  the 
community.  _Mr.  Wiquist  is  one  of  the  many  figures 
of  Swedish  parentage  whose  activities  are  contributing 
tn  the  material  welfare  of  Jamestown,  and  is  a  son  of 
Otto  and  Alma  (Nelson)  Wiquisi,  both  of  whom  were 
born  in  Sweden.  They  came  to  the  United  States  when 
young  and  settled  at  Jamestown,  where  the  iomier  en- 
gaged in  business  as  a  general  clothing  merchant  and 
was  highly  successful.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  as  follows :  Paul  B.,  with  whom  we  are  here 
especially  concerned;  David  Earle,  who  was  drafted  into 
the  United  States  army  during  the  late  World  War, 
was  sent  to  France,  and  saw  much  active  service,  being 
in  (he  firing  line  until  he  received  a  severe  wound  in  his 
arm  from  which  his  death  occurred  July  21,  1919;  Cecile, 
wlio  served  in  France  as  a  worker  for  the  Red  Cross 
Society  for  six  months  during  the  late  war;  I'lavia, 
Moyd,   Hilda,   Edward,   Margaret,   Dorothy,  Marion. 

Paul  n.  Wiquist  was  born  March  24,  1886,  at  James- 
town, and  attended  the  public  schools  of  that  city.  He 
graduated  from  the  local  high  school,  and  in  IQ04  began 
his  active  business  career.  He  has  been  successful  from 
the  outset  in  his  enterprise  as  a  dealer  in  milk  and  now 
supplies  a  very  large  mimber  of  people  in  this  region, 
where  his  integrity  and  liberality  have  gained  him  the 
esteem  of  all.  His  products  are  quite  generally  regarded 
as  being  the  best  of  their  kind  that  can  be  procured. 
Mr.  Wiquist  is  a  prominent  figure  in  social  circles  at 
Jamestown,  and  has  always  taken  a  keen  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  the  community  where  he  dwells.  He  is  a 
mi-Mibcr  of  the  local  Grange,  and  attends  the  Swedish 
Mission  Church,  of  which  he  is  a  most  liberal  and 
highly  valued  member. 

F'aul    P..    VN'iquist    was    imitefl    in    marriage,   June   28, 


0l!t^ 


■t/  ^/T 


^^ 


^--yiy  ^  V,  nv  ^A^^ry-^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


425 


1905,  at  Jamestown,  with  Freida  Winkler,  a  native  of 
Buffalo,  born  Feb.  14,  1863,  a  daughter  of  August  G. 
Winkler,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  for  many  years  a 
cabinetmaker  at  Buffalo,  and  of  Louise  (Thomas) 
Winkler,  his  wife.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wiquist  are  the  parents 
of  two  children,  as  follows :  Howard  Paul,  born  Dec. 
29.  KJ06,  and  Gladys  Louise,  born  Feb.  9,  1908. 


SVEN  EDWARD  NELSON,  one  of  the  associates 
in  the  automobile  firm  of  Nelson  &  Nelson  at  No.  15 
Harrison  street,  Jamestown,  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
rising  young  business  men  of  this  city.  This  firm  makes 
a  specialty'  of  acetylene  welding,  blacksmithing  and  gen- 
eral automobile  construction  work.  He  is  a  son  of  Nels 
.■\  and  Helene  (Nelson)  Nelson,  the  former  a  farmer 
ir.    Sv/eden,   where   he   enjoyed   considerable   prosperity. 

Sven  Edward  Nelson  was  born  in  his  native  land, 
Dec.  4,  1880,  and  by  the  time  he  reached  the  age  of 
twenty  years  he  had  definitely  made  up  his  mind,  and 
accordingly,  in  the  year  1901,  set  sail  for  this  country 
and  soon  after  landed  at  the  port  of  New  York.  He 
spent  several  years  in  Wilcox.  Pa.,  working  at  the  trade 
of  blacksmithing,  and  in  1908  came  to  Jamestown,  N. 
v.,  where  there  was  already  a  large  settlement  of  his 
fellow  countrymen,  and  here  he  began  his  business 
career  as  a  blacksmith.  He  continued  to  follow  this  line 
for  some  time,  but  later  took  up  the  repairing  of  auto- 
mobiles and  soon  developed  a  large  and  lucrative  busi- 
ness. He  is  now  associated  with  Nels  Berger  Nelson 
under  the  firm  name  of  Nelson  &  Nelson,  and  owns  a 
large  and  well  equipped  automobile  repair  shop  at  No. 
15  Harrison  street,  where  they  transact  a  good  sized 
business.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  in  religious 
belief  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Zion  Church  at  James- 
town. 

Sven  Edward  Nelson  was  united  in  marriage,  Oct.  14, 
1910,  at  Wilcox,  Pa.,  with  Elin  E.  Berge,  bom  in 
Sweden,  May  i,  1884,  a  daughter  of  Albin  and  Josephine 
Berge.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  are  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  Elizabeth  D.,  born  Nov.  21,  191 1; 
Lawrence  Edward,  born  Feb.  11,  1913;  Helen  Josephine, 
bom  March  7,  1917;  Robert  Warren,  born  Nov.  5,  1919. 


PAUL  STERRETT  PERSONS,  M.  D.,  graduate 
of  the  University  of  Buffalo,  medical  department,  began 
the  general  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  in  his  home 
town.  Ripley.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  in  July,  1917, 
after  having  pursued  a  post-graduate  course  in  the 
science  and  practice  of  surgery  in  the  Massachusetts 
General  Hospital,  and  an  interneship  for  the  same  pur- 
pose in  the  Buffalo  General  Hospital.  It  is  his  intention 
eventually  to  confine  himself  wholly  to  surgical  practice, 
to  which  branch  of  medical  science  he  seems  to  be  well 
adapted.  He  is  an  enthusiastic  young  professional  man, 
of  good  family,  and  good  college  record,  and  he  is  in- 
defatigable, careful  and  skillful  in  practice,  so  that  in 
all  probability  he  will  succeed,  giving  good  service  to 
the  community  in  which  he  has  established  himself. 

Paul  Sterrett  Persons  was  born  in  Moorheadville, 
Pa.,  May  21,  1891,  the  son  of  Charles  Dietly  and  ISlary 
M.  (Sterrett)  Persons,  the  former  now  deceased,  a 
miller  by  trade,  and  the  latter,  who  still  lives  in  Ripley, 
of  an  old  Lancaster,  Pa.,  Colonial  family.  Charles 
Dietly  Persons  removed  his  family  from  Moorheadville, 


to  Ripley  township,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  when 
his  son,  Paul  Sterrett,  was  only  five  years  of  age,  and 
that  township  has  since  been  the  home  of  the  family. 
Paul  S.  obtained  his  elementary  education  in  the  Union 
District  School,  later  attending  the  Ripley  High  School, 
and  Westfield  High  School,  from  which  he  graduated 
in   1911. 

He  had  decided  to  enter  the  medical  profession,  and 
without  delay  became  an  undergraduate  in  the  medical 
college  of  the  University  of  Buffalo.  In  due  course, 
in  1916,  he  was  graduated  therefrom  with  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine.  For  the  purpose  of  special  surgi- 
cal research,  he  served  an  interneship  in  the  Massa- 
chusetts General  Hospital  before  his  graduation,  and 
for  one  year  thereafter  was  an  interne  in  the  Buffalo 
General  Hospital,  there  also  specializing  in  surgical 
practice.  And  in  the  wide  clinical  opportunities  of 
those  two  large  hospitals,  he  must  have  obtained  more 
than  a  general  understanding  of  that  branch  of  medical 
science  in  which  he  hopes  at  some  future  time  to  special- 
ize exclusively.  Meanwhile,  he  is  well  regarded  in  Rip- 
ley and   is   developing  a  satisfactory  practice. 

The  Persons  family  is  of  Presbyterian  affiliation,  and 
in  politics  Dr.  Persons  is  a  Republican,  though  he  takes 
no  active  part  in  political  affairs.  He  is  a  Mason,  belong- 
ing to  Westfield  Lodge,  No.  219,  and  Westfield  Chapter, 
No.  239;  and  his  college  fraternities  are  the  Nu  Sigma 
Nu  and  the  Theta  Nu  Epsilon.  Professionally,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  American  Medical  Society,  the  New 
York  State  Medical  .Association,  and  the  Chautauqua 
County  Medical  -Association. 

On  Oct.  II,  1917,  Dr.  Persons  married  Elizabeth  T. 
Mosser,  then  resident  at  Sligo,  Pa.,  but  formerly  of 
N.  Y.  Mrs.  Persons  is  a  trained  nurse,  and  since  their 
marriage  she  has  given  her  professional  ser\'ices  to 
her  husband. 


GEORGE  ARTEMAS  ROSS  was  born  at  Clymer, 
N.  Y.,  Feb.  18,  1883.  His  parents  were  Dr.  Artemas 
Ross,  and  Eva  Evangeline  (Bush)  Ross.  Dr.  Ross, 
Vv'ho  was  a  physician  of  good  standing  in  Chautauqua 
county,  was  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, who  after  receiving  his  degree  practiced  one  year 
at  Corry,  Pa.,  going  from  that  village  to  Clymer,  where 
he  continued  to  practice  for  thirty  years.  He  was  a  son 
of  George  and  Barbara  Ross,  who  were  among  the 
county's  early  settlers.  On  his  mother's  side,  George 
A.  Ross  is  descended  from  an  historic  and  nationally 
prominent  family,  the  Greeley  family,  one  member  of 
which  was  Horace  Greeley,  an  earnest  advocate  of  the 
abolition  of  slavery.  United  States  Congressman  from 
1848  to  1S..19,  and  presidential  candidate  on  the  Liberal 
Republican  and  Democratic  ticket.  Mr.  Greeley  was 
perhaps  best  known  as  founder  of  the  New  York  "Tri- 
bune." The  grandfather  of  George  A.  Ross  was 
William  O.  Bush,  and  his  grandmother,  Margaret 
(Greeley)  Bush,  was  a  sister  of  Horace  Greeley.  In 
the  immediate  family  of  Mr.  Ross  are  two  sisters,  Mrs. 
Freda  Cornell,  a  Fredonia  State  Normal  graduate,  and 
Miss  Margaret  Ross,  a  graduate  of  .■\llegheny  College, 
who  is  now  instructor  in  English  at  Ticonderoga,  N.  Y. 

George  A.  Ross  received  his  education  at  Clymer 
High  School,  Alfred  Academy,  Alfred  University,  and 
-Allegheny  College.  He  spent  five  years  in  teaching; 
one   year   at    Findley    Lake,   one   year   at    Clymer,   and 


4^ 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


three  years  as  principal  of  Chautauqua  High  School. 
He  was  tor  six  years  traveling  salesman  for  the  Stran- 
burt:  Music  House  of  Jamestown.  Upon  the  expiration 
of  the  term  of  Mr.  Frank  M.  Potter,  then  postmaster  at 
Chautauqua.  Mr.  Ross,  who  is  a  Democrat,  became  a 
candidate  for  the  position.  He  received  the  loyal  sup- 
port of  Chautauqua  Institution  officials,  all  of  the 
count>"s  prominent  Democrats,  and  was  on  Dec.  17, 
I'jij.  appointe,!  by  Prosident  \\'o.-'drow  Wilson  to  the 
position  of  postmaster  which  he  now  holds.  Mr.  Ross 
is  a  Free  Mason,  a  member  of  Peacock  Lodge  No. 
t<36.  of  May\ille. 

George  .A.  Ross  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary  Pearl 
Ferguson,  of  Erie.  Pa..  June  20.  11x14. 


HENRY  S.  HOLMES,  one  of  the  successful  man- 
ufacturers of  Jamestown.  N.  Y.,  is  a  native  of  James- 
town, bom  Dec.  jS.  iSSS,  a  son  of  ^L  C.  and  Margaret 
(Ronne>  Holmes,  the  former  named  the  founder  of 
the  business  which  is  now  operated  by  his  son.  The 
elder  Mr.  Holmes  died  in  the  year  19:5,  survived  by  his 
wife,  who  makes  her  home  at  Jamestown. 

Henry  S.  Holmes  attended  the  local  public  schools  as 
a  lad.  and  attended  for  a  time  the  Jamestown  High 
School.  He  did  not  graduate  from  that  institution,  how- 
ever, but  matriculated  at  Ridgeley  College,  Ontario. 
Canada,  where  he  took  the  usual  academic  course. 
Being  ambitious,  however,  to  begin  business,  he  aban- 
doned his  studies  before  completing  them  and  entered 
the  Jamestown  Business  College,  where  he  took  a  com- 
mercial course.  L'pon  the  completion  of  this,  Mr.  Holmes 
was  employed  in  his  father's  establishment  and  there 
learned  the  business  of  manufacturing  tents  and  awn- 
ings. This  business  had  been  established  by  his  father 
in  i8^>S,  and  the  young  man  continued  to  work  as  an 
assistant  until  the  death  of  his  father  In  1915.  He  then 
took  over  the  business  for  himself,  and  during  the  in- 
tervening years  it  has  developed  to  very  large  propor- 
tions under  the  capable  management  of  Mr.  Holmes. 
A',  the  time  of  its  founding,  Mr.  Holmes,  Sr.,  did  al! 
the  work  of  the  establishment  unaided,  but  at  the 
present  time  Cioso)  the  plant  is  a  very  large  one  with 
eleven  thousand  square  feet  of  floor  space,  gives  einploy- 
ment  to  fifteen  hands,  and  has  a  market  for  its  goods 
throughout  New  York,  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  where 
Mr.  Holmes.  Jr.  has  established  agencies.  He  is  regarded 
at  the  present  time  as  one  of  the  most  successful  ;uin 
■iiibstantial  business  men  of  the  community,  and  occupies 
a  high  place  in  the  esteem  of  his  fellow  business  men. 
In  addition  to  his  business  activities,  Mr.  Holmes  is 
prominent  in  the  general  life  of  the  community,  and  is  a 
memfyr  of  a  numt)cr  of  organizations  inclurling  the 
P,»^rvolcnt  and  Protective  Order  of  F.Iks,  the  National 
T'-nt  and  A'.vnir.e  .Manufacturers'  .'Xs'-oriation,  and  the 
.N'f-.v  York  Statf  Tent  and  .Awning  Manufacturers'  .Xrso- 
riati' n.  of  which  he  is  a  director.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Holm'-s  is  a  Drmrxrrat,  but  docs  not  take  an  active  part 
in  the  political  activities  of  the  community,  his  time  and 
etiergi<-<  being  entirely  r^cupicd  in  caring  for  his  'jwn 
Iar?e  tii-Mne?<;  interests. 

Henry  S.  Holmes  was  tmiled  in  in.irriatre.  .April  20. 
i'/i4.  at  Chirago,  III.,  with  .Annie  Ridill,  daup^htir  r,f 
Frank  U.  and  Susie  fWhitelsev)  Ridell.  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  Oak  Park,  III. 


LYMAN  P.  HAPGOOD— As  superintendent  of 
light  and  water,  Mr.  Hapgood  requires  no  introduction 
to  his  fellow-citizens  of  Jamestown.  In  the  years  dur- 
ing which  he  has  held  this  verj'  responsible  otTice  he 
has  so  devoted  himself  to  the  advancement  of  these 
two  extremely  important  interests  of  his  community, 
more  especially  the  latter,  as  to  merit  and  receive  the 
gratitucle  of  the  many  who  have  reaped  the  benefit  of  his 
strenuous  fidelity. 

Herbert  L.  Hapgood,  father  of  Lyman  P.  Hapgood, 
is  of  Athol,  Mass.,  where  he  was  formerly  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  match  splints  for  old  style  matches. 
He  married  M.  Josephine  Proctor,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  two  sons:  Lyman  P.,  mentioned  below;  and 
Frederick  H.,  graduate  of  Worcester  Polytechnic  Insti- 
tute, and  now  employed  as  civil  engineer  by  the  firm  of 
Hazen  &  Fuller,  New  York  City;  he  was  master  engi- 
neer in  the  Engineers'  Corps,  Water  Division,  at  Camp 
Dix ;  France,  during  the  World  War. 

Lyman  P.  Hapgood",  son  of  Herbert  L.  and  M.  Jose- 
phine (Proctor)  Hapgood.  was  born  June  18,  1876,  at 
.Athol.  Mass.  He  received  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  town.  For  three  years  he  studied 
civil  engineering  at  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Tech- 
nology at  Boston,  and  in  l8og  entered  upon  the  practice 
of  his  profession  as  clerk  in  the  Water  Company  of 
Beyer  &  Beyer,  of  Athol,  Mass.  His  choice  of  a  pro- 
fession dated  from  boyhood,  when  in  his  summer  vaca- 
tions he  had  worked  with  engineers  who  were  employed 
in  his  home  town.  This  had  given  him  an  interest  in  the 
work  and  eventually  led  him  to  make  the  profession  his 
own.  In  1000  Mr.  Hapgood  was  made  superintendent, 
and  in  TC)o6  the  plant  was  sold  to  the  town.  He  went  to 
Springfield.  Mo.,  for  the  same  firm  and  served  as  super- 
intendent of  their  plant  in  that  place  until  lOio.  In  that 
year  he  came  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  as  assistant  super- 
intendent, and  in  1911  was  made  superintendent.  In 
political  principle  and  practice.  Mr.  Hapgood  is  a  Repub- 
lican. He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Water  Works 
.Association,  and  the  New  England  Water  Works  Ass'^- 
ciation.  In  fraternal  life  he  is  affiliated  with  various 
Masonic  bodies,  member  of  the  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter 
and  Commandery  of  .Athol,  Council  of  Jamestown,  and 
the  Shrine  of  Buffalo,  also  belonging  to  the  Massachu- 
setts Institute  of  Technology  .Alumni  .Association.  He 
was  reared  in  the  Unitarian  faith. 

Mr.  Hapgood  married,  May  7,  T907,  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.. 
F.mma  C.  Rarrcit,  daughter  of  P.  J.  Barrett,  of  Adams, 
Mass. 

The  promotion  and  improvement  of  the  water  supply 
system  has  been  Mr.  Hapgood's  life  work.  His  admin- 
istration of  his  office  entitles  him  to  be  regarded  as  a 
public  benefactor,  and  in  Jamestown  he  is  held  in  high 
esteem  by  his  fellowmen. 


FRANK  JOHN  THIES,  who  has  been  prominent 
for-  some  years  in  business  circles  at  Fredonia,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  is  the  owner  of  the  J. 
C.  Thies  8i  Son  Greenhouses  and  the  Cherry  Park 
Gardens,  is  a  native  of  this  comity,  his  birth  having 
ocrurrefl  on  a  farm  at  Arkwright,  .Sept.  9,  1870.  Mr. 
Thies  is  a  son  of  John  C.  and  Miunie  n)'it)'irh)  Thiis, 
the  former  the  foinider  of  the  firm  of  florists  of  which 
his  son  is  now  the  head.     The  elder  Mr.  Thies  died  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


427 


1919,  but  his  wife  survives  him  and  continues  to  make 
her  home  in  Frcdonia. 

Frank-  John  Thies  was  little  more  than  an  infant 
when  his  parents  removed  from  Chautauqua  county  to 
the  West,  and  located  on  a  farm  in  Nebraska,  where  the 
lad  attended  the  local  district  schools  and  was  brought 
up  in  the  healthy  environment  of  the  western  plains. 
His  parents  remained  in  Nebraska  for  about  seven  years 
and  then  returned  to  New  York  State,  making  their 
home  for  a  time  at  Laona.  Chautauqua  county,  where 
yrung  Mr.  Thies  completed  his  general  education  at  the 
public  schools.  He  then  attended  the  Fredonia  Normal 
School.  About  this  time,  in  the  year  1889,  Cherry  Park 
Gardens  was  established  by  his  father  on  property  which 
had  been  badly  run  down  through  neglect  of  its  former 
owners  and  was  indeed  not  entirely  cleared  of  its 
original  growth  of  timber.  There  was  no  improve- 
ments on  the  land  at  the  time  but  the  elder  Mr.  Thies, 
assisted  by  his  son,  soon  brought  the  land  under  culti- 
vation and  began  there  the  fruit  and  flower  culture 
which  has  since  been  carried  to  so  high  a  point  of  devel- 
opment. A  tract  consisting  of  a  little  more  than  fifteen 
acres  was  originally  devoted  to  this  purpose,  but  the 
present  Mr.  Thies  has  found  it  more  profitable  to  cut 
the  acreage  to  precisely  fifteen  acres  and  concentrate 
his  efforts  in  bringing  them  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
Great  improvements  have  also  been  made  on  this  place 
and  a  fine  mansion  has  been  built,  together  with  offices 
and  a  number  of  large  greenhouses.  There  are  four  of 
these  latter,  No.  i  measuring  150  x  25  feet.  No.  2,  150 
X  28  feet.  No.  3,  150  x  22  feet,  and  No.  4.  150  x  20  feet. 
In  addition  to  the  delicate  plants  cultivated  under  glass, 
there  are  also  grown  outdoors  a  great  number  of  flower- 
ing and  fruit-bearing  shrubs,  and  a  largo  business  is 
done  in  this  line.  First  class  shipping  and  packing 
rooms  have  been  established  and  the  20,000  square  feet 
which  are  contained  under  glass  are  equipped  with 
modern  furnaces  and  power  rooms  for  the  most  ade- 
quate carrying  on  of  the  large  industry.  In  addition 
to  Cherry  Park  Gardens,  Mr.  Thies,  who  has  succeeded 
his  father  as  sole  proprietor  of  the  business  since  the 
latter's  death,  has  a  splendid  fruit  and  vegetable  farm 
of  twenty  acres  in  the  township  of  Fredonia,  which  he 
also  keeps  in  the  highest  state  of  cuhivation.  He  all 
together  employs  as  many  as  seventeen  hands  during  the 
busy  season,  and  grows  about  every  known  fruit,  vege- 
table and  flower  on  his  various  properties,  although  he 
specializes  in  carnations  geraniums  and  tomato  plants, 
shipping  these  and  his  other  products  to  every  part  of 
the  State.  Mr.  Thies  is  well  known  in  the  general  life  of 
the  community,  and  is  a  member  of  a  number  of  im- 
portant organizations  here,  including  the  South  Shore 
Grower  &  Shipper  Association  and  the  Florists'  Club. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  attends  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church. 

Frank  John  Thies  was  united  in  marriage.  June  21, 
1907,  with  Gertrude  Neff,  of  Frewsburg,  N.  Y.,  a 
daughter  of  Ed.  and  Eliza  (Bouquin)  Neff,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  the  town  of  Pomfret.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Thies  are  the  parents  of  two  children  :  Laura, 
aged  ten,  and  John,  aged  two. 


HARVEY  W.  PARKER,  one  of  the  leading  farm- 
ers of  the  Mayville  section  of  Chautauqua  county.  N. 
Y.,  is  representative  of  the  worthiest  agricultural  effort 


in  Chautauqua  county ;  he  has  risen  to  success  from  the 
humblest  of  beginnings  only  by  the  most  resolute  appli- 
cation to  hard  tasks.  When  he  took  the  first  portion  of 
his  present  valuable  farming  property,  it  had  no  improve- 
ments and  was  covered  with  heavy  second  growth  tim- 
ber, which,  little  by  little,  with  scarcely  any  help,  and 
only  by  dint  of  the  hardest  kind  of  work,  often  under 
most  discouraging  conditions,  he  and  his  wife  gradually 
cleared.  It  was  work  such  as  the  pioneers  did,  such  as 
his  own  father  did  when  he  first  came  into  the  county 
in  1818.  At  that  time  the  land  upon  which  Harvey  W. 
was  eventually  born  was  practically  all  virgin  forest — 
wilderness — and  it  was  that  worthy  pioneer  spirit  which 
enabled  William  Parker  to  keep  doggedly  on,  at  tasks 
which  seemed  almost  impossible  of  accomplishment, 
until  such  time  as  he  could  realize  that  he  owned  a 
cleared  acreage  of  good  agricultural  yield,  .^nd  an 
effort  similar  to  his  was  that  of  his  son,  Harvey  W., 
sixty  years  later,  although  perhaps  the  circumstances 
of  the  son  were  even  more  discouraging,  for  when 
Harvey  W.  Parker  started  to  develop  his  first  holding 
it  was  under  an  incubus  of  debt ;  he  had  to  incur  heavy 
liabilities  in  making  his  first  purchase,  and  his  present 
rich  farm  and  fine  buildings,  plus  that  wealth  which  is 
without  price — a  worthy  family  of  seven  children — rep- 
resent the  sum  total  of  the  life  effort  of  two  worthy 
Chautauqua  county  people — Harvey  W.  Parker  and  his 
wife,  Anna  (Stebbins)  Parker,  who  was  his  stay,  his 
comfort,  his  encouragement,  and  also  his  co-worker, 
through  all  the  hard  times  and  trials  of  their  early  years 
upon  the  farm. 

Harvey  W.  Parker  was  born  Oct.  17,  1855,  on  the 
farm  which  adjoins  his  present  property,  near  Mayville, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  His  parents,  William  and 
Sarah  (Davis)  Parker,  are  both  now  deceased,  but  dur- 
ing their  lives  were  much  respected  by  the  people  of 
the  neighborhood. 

Harvey  W.  Parker,  in  his  early  years,  attended  the 
district  school  to  some  extent,  but  very  early  in  life  he 
was  doing  sundry  light  tasks  upon  his  father's  farm, 
and  as  he  grew  in  strength  and  stature,  so  his  agri- 
cultural duties  grew  in  responsibility  and  in  the  physi- 
cal effort  necessary.  He  conscientiously  and  ably  assisted 
his  father  in  the  development  of  the  family  property 
until  he  was  twenty-three  years  old,  by  which  time  he 
had  become  a  good  farmer,  conversant  with  most  of 
the  operations  of  a  general  farm,  and  possessed  of  a 
strength  and  spirit  such  as  to  give  him  confidence  that 
he  himself  could  accomplish  the  hard  task  of  winning  a 
piece  of  land  from  the  wild  state.  For  a  while  he  rent- 
ed a  farm  nearby,  but  eventually  purchased  the  first 
forty  acres  of  his  present  holding,  going  deeply  into  debt 
to  buy  it.  His  early  trials  have  already  been  referred 
to,  and  not  many  of  the  farmers  of  this  generation 
would  enter  upon  such  tasks,  .^.s  opportunity  came, 
he  added  to  his  acreage,  until  now  he  has  a  compact 
estate  of  122  acres  of  good  land,  properly  improved. 
His  residence  is  an  imposing  one,  commodious  and  sub- 
stantial, which  was  necessary,  for  he  and  his  wife  raised 
a  large  family.  ."Xnd  all  the  farm  buildings  are 
spacious  and  substantial.  Every  building  on  the  place 
was  built  by  Mr.  Parker,  as  was  also  every  fence,  and 
the  property  is  well  fenced.  .-Xbout  fifty-five  acres  are 
in  cultivation,  and  the  remainder  is  rich  pasture  and 
woodland,    and   upon   one   piece   of   property   more   re- 


42S 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


ccntly  acquired  is  some  virgin  timber.  Altogether  the 
farm  is  a  well-lxilanced  one,  adapted  well  to  the  purpose 
to  which  Mr.  Parker  has  put  it,  dair\-  and  general  farm- 
ing. 

Mr.  Parker  is  a  member  of  the  local  Grange,  and  in 
political  allegiance  is  a  Republican.  He  has  been  school 
trustee,  and  he  has  been  urged  upon  many  occasions  to 
stand  for  public  offico.  but  he  has  consistently  refused, 
feeling  that  he  could  not  spare  the  time  from  the  re- 
quirements of  his  own  farm  management.  But  he  would 
have  probably  succeeded,  had  he  stood  for  public  office, 
for  he  is  a  man  who  is  much  esteemed  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. 

On  Dec.  l6,  1S79.  Harvey  W.  Parker  married  Anna 
Stebbins.  who  lived  on  a  nearby  farm,  and  was  of  an 
old  Chautauqua  county  family.  She  was  liis  constant 
helpmate  in  all  things  until  her  death,  which  occurred 
in  IQ03.  and  they  were  the  parents  of  eight  children, 
seven  of  whom  they  reared.  Tlie  deceased  child,  Francis 
Leon,  died  in  infancy.  The  seven  surviving  children, 
in  the  order  of  their  birth,  are:  i.  Fred,  who  was  edu- 
cated in  the  district  schools  of  Chautauqua  township, 
and  now  has  a  farm  of  his  own  near  Brocton,   N.  Y. 

2.  Grace,  who  attended  the  same  schools  as  did  her  elder 
brother,  and  also  took  the  course  of  the  training  school 
at  Westtield,  X.  Y.,  eventually  becoming  a  school  teacher. 

3.  Grant,  also  educated  in  the  district  schools  of  Cliau- 
tauQua  township,  and  now  a  farmer.  4.  Bert,  similarly 
educated,  and  also  a  farmer.  5.  Edna,  who  attended 
the  district  school  and  is  now  at  home.  6.  George,  also 
at  home.  7.  Ruth,  also  at  home.  All  the  children  at- 
tended high  school  at  Mayville  after  attending  the  coun- 
trj-  school. 

The  value  of  Chautauqua  county.  N.  Y.,  from  an 
agricultural  standpoint,  has  been  developed  by  such  note- 
worthy efforts  as  those  of  Harvey  W.  Parker  and  his 
father.  William  Parker.  And  Harvey  W.  Parker  has 
given  four  stalwart  sons  to  continue  the  development, 
and  all  are  in  agriculture. 


WESLEY  G.  BRONSON,  who  since  1912  has  been 
the  r.wiicr  r,i  the  cxtc-nsive  farm  in  Ripley  township, 
Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y.,  upon  which  his  parents 
settled  in  1835.  They,  Alvin  and  Maria  (Hamm)  Bron- 
son,  may  t)c  considered  to  have  been  among  the  pioneer 
soulers.  for  their  farm  in  i<S35  was  practically  in  its 
wild  state,  unimproved. 

It  was  upon  this  same  farm  that  Wesley  G.  P.roiisiin 
was  lorn.  Sept.  27.  i860,  and  he  has  lived  in  the  dis- 
trict practically  all  his  life.  For  six  years  lie  worked 
at  farming  occupations  in  Sherman  township,  and  for 
four  years  was  similarly  employed  in  Mina  township 
of  Chautauqua  county,  but  the  remainder  of  his  life 
has  l)OC-n  passed  in  Ripley  township,  and  mostly  in  culti- 
vating the  farm  upon  which  he  was  born.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  district  school  of  Ripley  township,  and 
afterwards  took  resolutely  to  farming  operations  upon 
the  parental  farm.  In  1912,  the  ownership  passed  to 
him.  he  having  purchased  the  share  of  the  other  heirs, 
and  he  ha.s  since  undertaken  considerable  improvements 
upon  the  place.  F.very  improvement,  of  course,  was 
put  there  either  by  his  father  or  by  himself,  but  during 
the  last  sev'-n  years  he  has  made  rapid  progress.  The 
150  acre?,  which  is  the  extent  of  the  property,  is  now 


a  valuable  holding,  and  during  the  years  since  he  be- 
came sole  owner  of  it  he  has  rebuilt  bam  and  house, 
has  built  a  large  silo,  and  has  laid  out  a  large  grape 
vineyard.  Upon  the  farm  he  maintains  twenty  cattle, 
and  has  some  tine  horses.  He  is  progressive,  energetic 
and  skillful  in  his  farming,  and  his  average  yearly  out- 
going in  wages  for  farm  help  is  $300. 

In  national  politics  Mr.  Bronson  has  not  taken  much 
part;  he  is  an  Independent  in  national  politics,  and  is 
independent  in  most  of  his  relations  to  political  ques- 
tions ;  he  is  a  man  who  thinks  for  himself,  and  some 
matters  of  national  policies  have  been  the  subject  of 
deep  thought  ))y  him.  In  local  administration,  however, 
be  has  always  been  very  much  interested,  and  has  con- 
sented to  participate,  to  some  extent,  in  the  work  of  local 
administration ;  he  has  held  the  oflice  of  school  trustee, 
and  in  many  other  ways  has  cooperated  in  community 
affairs.  Religiously  he  is  a  Methodist,  member  of  the 
local  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  a  substantial 
supporter  thereof.  During  the  recent  war  Mr.  Bronson 
proved  himself  to  be  wholly  patriotic,  contributing  sub- 
stantially to  the  national  loans,  and  to  the  other  funds 
raised  by  various  agencies  of  the  government  for  the 
purposes  of  the  nation  in  the  war. 

On  Aug.  23,  1888,  Mr.  Bronson  married  Lida  Thorp, 
of  Jamestown.  She  is  a  woman  of  marked  intelligence 
and  refuied  bearing,  and  it  is  of  interest  to  note  that  in 
her  schooldays  some  of  her  playmates  were  boys  who 
later  took  prominent  part  in  the  affairs  of  Chautauqua 
county,  and  of  Jamestown,  and  some  of  them  are  the 
historians  on  the  editorial  board  of  this  historical  work 
of  Chautauqua  county.  To  Wesley  G.  and  Lida  (Thorp) 
Bronson  have  been  born  seven  children,  as  follows:  I. 
Hazel,  born  July  16,  1880;  was  educated  in  the  district 
school  of  Ripley  township ;  married  R.  L.  Waite,  to 
whom  she  has  born  one  child,  Nelson.  2.  Walter  E. ; 
born  June  2,  1892;  enlisted,  Nov.  22,  1917,  at  Westfield, 
N.  Y.,  serving  in  first  enlistment  period  at  date  of  dis- 
charge;  appointed  corporal,  Feb.  13,  1918,  in  the  Amer- 
ican Expeditionary  Forces ;  worked  at  construction 
work  at  Camp  Dix,  N.  J.,  Camp  Kelley,  Tex.,  Camp 
Sevcir,  S.  C,  and  in  England,  reaching  England,  Aug.  23, 
1018,  serving  until  the  close  of  the  war;  his  discharge 
paper  says :  "Character  excellent,  service  honest  and 
faithful;"  he  returned  to  the  United  States,  Dec.  II, 
1918;  married  Alma  Perdue.  3.  Florence,  born  Feb.  8, 
1894;  educated  in  the  district  school  of  Ripley  township, 
and  later  a  graduate  of  a  business  college;  she  is  now 
in  commercial  life,  having  a  satisfactory  position  in  Erie, 
Pa.  4.  Lillie,  born  Feb.  15,  1896;  educated  at  the  district 
school.  ;uk1  now  at  home.  5.  Harvey,  born  April  13, 
1897;  erlncated  similarly,  and  now  at  home  assisting  his 
father  in  the  management  of  the  farm.  6  Bcrnice,  born 
.Aug.  ]Ci.  i8r;o;  similarly  educated,  and  now  at  home.  7. 
,Mvin,  born  July  9,  KX)5 ;  still  at  school. 

Mr.  ;ind  Mrs.  Bronson  have  a  worllty  family,  and 
have  .'I  large  numlier  of  sincere  friends  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. They  are  very  hospitable,  and  live  the  wholesome, 
happy  and  comfortable  life  that  comes  by  upright 
.-ictions.  honest  toil,  and  conscientious  dealings. 


JOSEPH  BREADS,  well-to-do  farmer,  and  repre- 
sentative of  the  rcsiKinsible  agriculturists  of  Chautau- 
qua county,   N.   Y.,  has  lived  in  the  county  since   1862, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


429 


and  upon  the  farm  he  now  owns,  near  Volusia,  since 
1S68.  He  comes  of  a  pioneer  family  of  Chautauqua 
county,  for  when  his  father  and  his  brothers  came  to 
that  section  of  the  county  in  1862  it  was  mainly  uncul- 
tivated land,  and  there  is  only  one  farmer  now  living 
in  the  neigborhood  of  Volusia  who  was  there  when  the 
Breads  brothers  settled  in  the  vicinity. 

Joseph  Breads  was  born  on  the  family  homestead  in 
Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  19,  1845,  the  son  of  William 
and  Sarah  (Sims)  Breads.  His  father  had  a  farming 
property  in  Oneida  county  and  there  the  family  lived 
until  Joseph  was  fifteen  years  old,  and  in  the  district 
schools  of  the  neighborhood  Joseph  received  his  educa- 
tion. About  1862,  his  father.  William  Breads,  and  his 
brothers,  Benjamin  and  Isaac,  who  were  also  farmers 
in  Oneida  county,  decided  to  remove  with  their  families 
to  Chautauqua  county.  William  Breads  settled  on  a 
large  farm  of  300  acres  near  the  one  now  owned  by  his 
son,  Joseph,  and  Benjamin  and  Isaac  settled  near  him. 
In  the  spring  of  1868,  Joseph  Breads,  son  of  William 
Breads,  came  to  the  farm  he  now  lives  on  with  his 
father,  and  in  1870  bought  80  acres.  Joseph  Breads  is  a 
skilled  agriculturist,  and  has  developed  the  land  until 
it  is  now  a  valuable  property,  the  fifty-two  years  of  his 
cultivation  of  it  having  brought  him  substantial  return, 
both  in  material  possessions  and  in  the  respect  of  his 
neighbors.  He  has  a  twin  brother  who  also  has  lived 
in  Chautauqua  county  most  of  his  life,  and  has  con- 
ducted a  general  repair  shop.  And  he  has  one  sister, 
Charlotte,  who  married  and  went  to  Australia,  but  he 
has  not  heard  from  her  for  twenty  years. 

The  Breads  family  are  earnest  Methodists,  Joseph 
Breads  and  his  wife,  Mary  (Gossett)  Breads,  being 
members  of  the  Volusia  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  good  supporters  thereof.  Mr.  Breads  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  national  politics,  but  has  never  held  what 
might  strictly  be  called  political  office.  He  has  always 
been  interested  in  the  affairs  of  his  own  district,  and 
the  neighboring  community  of  Volusia,  and  has  at 
different  times  taken  active  part  in  its  affairs ;  he  was 
trustee  of  Public  School  No.  11,  for  some  years;  and 
in  the  functioning  of  the  Lombard  Grange  he  has  been 
prominent;  in  fraternal  and  benevolent  society  move- 
ments he  has  been  interested,  being  a  member  of  the 
Westfield  Blue  Lodge  of  Masons  and  the  Sherman,  N. 
Y.,  Encatnpment  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows. 

During  the  World  War.  he  worthily  did  his  part,  both 
in  contributing  substantially  to  the  various  patriotic 
funds,  and  in  the  closer  application  to  the  matters  of 
production  upon  his  farm,  which  increased  production 
of  foodstuffs  by  American  farmers  had  such  an  import- 
ant bearing  upon  the  final  victory  which  came.  It  is 
now  a  matter  of  history,  and  generally  recognized,  that 
the  war  was  not  won  only  in  France.  Those  who  labored 
in  the  home  countries  had  almost  as  appreciable  a  part 
as  had  the  armies  in  the  field ;  certainly  the  question  of 
foodstuffs  was  at  one  time  of  such  vital  urgency  that 
but  for  the  increased  eft'ort  of  the  patriotic  and  hard- 
working American  farmer  the  outlook  for  the  cause  of 
America  and  her  allies  would  have  been  desperate. 
Therefore,  to  the  individual  American  farmer,  who 
had  his  share  in  the  effort,  is  due  a  recording  of  that 
share. 


Joseph  Breads  was  married,  April  ig,  1871,  to  Mary 
Gossett,  of  Sherman,  N.  Y.,  and  they  are  now  drawing 
near  to  the  golden  anniversary  of  their  wedding.  Both 
are  highly  esteemed  in  the  neighborhood  in  which  they 
have  lived  for  so  many  years.  They  have  one  child. 
Flora.  She  received  a  good  education,  attending  the  dis- 
trict school  for  the  elementary  grades,  and  then  going 
to  Westfield  to  attend  the  high  school  at  that  place. 
She  eventually  graduated,  and  some  years  later  married 
Henry  Witt,"  a  man  of  responsible  position  in  industrial 
life,  being  foreman  in  the  tinners'  department  at  the 
American  Locomotive  Works  at  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.  One 
child,  a  daughter,  Juva  May,  has  been  born  to  them. 

Joseph  Breads  has  lived  an  upright,  industrious  and 
productive  life,  in  which  steadiness  of  purpose  and  in- 
tegrity, both  material  and  moral,  have  been  marked 
characteristics,  and  he  has  a  definite  place  in  the  histori- 
cal record  of  that  section  of  Chautauqua  county. 


JOHN  A.  KLING— Mayville,  N.  Y.,  and  Chautau- 
qua county  in  general,  seem  to  be  regions  where  a 
number  of  men  of  Swedish  birth  have  elected  to  make 
their  homes.  They  have,  upon  coming  to  this  country 
from  Sweden,  established  themselves  here,  and  many 
of  them  have  successfully  engaged  in  enterprises  which 
have  not  only  benefited  themselves,  but  the  community- 
at-large  as  well.  John  A.  Kling,  of  this  sketch,  may  be 
mentioned  as  one  of  the  successful  men  of  foreign 
birth  to  have  settled  here  and  a  man  whose  integrity 
and  square  business  dealings  have  won  for  him  a  dis- 
tinguished place  in  the  esteem  and  regard  of  his  fellow- 
men. 

John  A.  Kling  was  born  in  Sweden,  July  31,  1868, 
and  is  a  son  of  .A.ndrew  Peter  and  Marie  Kling.  The 
elder  Mr.  Kling  was  a  contractor  and  builder  of  high 
standing.  John  A.  Kling  received  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  land,  and  in  1885,  at  the  age  of 
seventeen,  came  to  America.  Upon  arriving  here,  he 
worked  as  a  cabinetmaker,  obtaining  a  position  in  the 
establishment  of  Breed  &  Johnson,  in  Jamestown.  He 
did  considerable  work  in  the  large  factories  hereabouts, 
gaining  a  considerable  amount  of  experience.  He 
accepted  a  position  in  the  employ  of  Cliarles  Norquist. 
where  he  remained  for  two  seasons.  Here  his  work 
consisted  of  making  roll  top  desks.  He  later  accepted 
a  position  as  foreman  of  the  cabinet  department  of 
John  Benson  &  Son.  proprietors  of  the  Chautauqua 
Desk  Company,  with  wdiom  he  remained  two  years,  and 
then  went  with  the  Cadwell  Cabinet  Company.  In  the 
latter  establishment  he  was  the  superintendent,  laying 
out  the  work  and  estimating  the  cost  of  production,  two 
very  important  posts.  He  remained  with  these  people  for 
a  period  of  seven  years,  during  which  time  he  learned 
a  great  deal  and  at  the  same  time  saved  a  considerable 
portion  of  his  earnings,  with  a  view  to  some  day  be- 
coming independent.  About  1901  he  became  superin- 
tendent of  the  Randolph  Furniture  Company  and  re- 
mained with  these  people  for  about  ten  years.  At  the 
end  of  this  time,  having  saved  up  enough  money,  he  was 
enabled  to  realize  his  long  cherished  ambition,  and 
began  independently  in  business  in  a  small  way.  organ- 
izing a  stock  company  at  Mayville,  N.  Y.,  under  the  style 
of  the  Chautauqua  Cabinet  Company,  manufacturers  01 
bedroom  furniture.     The  officers  of  the  concern  are  as 


450 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


followj  :  John  A.  Kling.  president  and  treasurer,  Arvid 
J.  Kling,  vice-president,  and  Mrs.  T.  A.  Kling  secretary 
The  concern  was  incorporated  in  April,  ipii,  with  John 
A.  Kling  as  president  and  treasurer,  Edwin  Hitchcock, 
vice-president,  and  Anton  T.  Anderson,  secretary.  These 
four  gentlemen  were  also  directors  of  the  corporation. 
They  obtained  the  building  of  the  Chautauqua  Spring 
Bed  &  Lounge  Company,  a  three-story  structure.  75  x 
00  feet,  and  installed  all  modern  machinery.  The  concern 
new  employs  lifty  to  sixty  hands,  and  they  ship  their 
product  to  all  parts  of  the  United  States.  During  the 
recent  World  War  the  plant  was  turned  into  a  war  man- 
ufactory and  made  airplane  parts,  magazine  containers, 
and  hospital  trays,  with  great  success.  In  addition  to 
tins  enterprise,  Mr.  Kling  is  also  actively  interested  in 
the  Brocton  Furniture  Company,  of  Brocton,  N.  Y., 
taking  the  management  in   191 5,  and  is  also  secretary. 

The  Chautauqua  Cabinet  Company  and  the  Brocton 
Furniture  Company  employ  approximately  150  hands, 
with  a  combined  output  of  over  three-quarters  of  a 
million  dollars.  Mr.  Kling  has  been  a  representative 
of  the  \"illage  Board  of  Mayville  for  four  years,  and 
i;  a  prominent  member  of  the  Republican  party  in  this 
region. 

John  A.  Kling  was  united  in  marriage,  Oct.  I,  "1800, 
with  Anna  Augusta  Anderson,  a  daughter  of  Andrew 
.Anderson,  a  resident  of  Jamestown.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Kling  four  children  have  been  born,  as  follows :  Arvid 
J. ;  Edith  Augusta,  who  is  deceased ;  Holger,  deceased ; 
and  Denold. 


THE  ALLEN  FAMILY— More  than  a  century  has 
elapsed  since  Elisha  Allen,  the  first  member  of  his 
family  to  leave  his  Xew  England  home,  journeyed  west- 
ward to  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  In  all  of  the  progress 
and  development  of  the  early  time  and  down  to  the 
present.  Aliens  have  figured  in  all  important  measures 
or  movements,  and  been  identified  with  the  county 
through  service  in  many  fields.  The  paragraphs  and 
pages  following  contain  extracts  from  a  history  of  the 
cent'.iry  in  Chautauqua  county  showing  the  lives  and 
deeds  of  four  generations  of  this  branch  of  the  Allen 
family. 

The  Xew  England  progenitor.  Captain  Allen,  of 
Princeton.  Mass.,  while  serving  as  sheriff  there,  was 
murdered  by  a  prisoner  he  was  guarding.  His  widow 
moved  with  her  family  to  Wardsboro,  Vt.,  and  there 
Elisha  .Mien,  son  of  Captain  .Mien,  spent  his  youth  and 
early  manhood. 

Elisha  .Allen  was  born  in  Princeton.  Mass.,  in  17.%, 
and  di'd  in  Jamestown.  N.  Y..  in  18.30.  He  married, 
in  early  manhood,  Juliette  Holbrook,  born  in  !^tnr- 
bridge.  Mass.,  in  J-':/),  her  family  later  coming  to  Ch.'iu- 
tauqi:a  county.  Elisha  .Mien  first  came  to  Chautauqua 
county  in  1816,  and  in  that  year  bought  the  properly 
on  which  stood  the  Jamestown  Mouse  and  the  Giflford 
House.  He  first  came  on  a  trading  trip,  and  the  same 
year  returned  to  his  Xew  England  home.  In  1817  he 
cam"  again  with  his  wife  and  two  sons.  He  was  a  man 
'.f  forreful  character  and  t'orid  business  ability,  and 
v/isely  he  invested  the  capital  brought  by  him  from 
Vermont.  For  many  years  he  k'-pt  the  .Mien  House, 
and  just  south  of  Jamestown  he  owned  a  farm  which 
later  becam<!  the  property  of  his  eldest  son,  Augustus 


Franklin  .Allen.  Elisha  Allen,  in  addition  to  his  hotel 
and  his  farm,  was  a  merchant,  and  operated  Durham 
boats  on  the  lake  and  streams  of  Chautauqua.  It  was 
Elisha  Allen  who  built  and  operated  the  famous  "horse- 
boat"  on  Chautauqua  Lake,  described  in  this  work,  and 
he  had  large  lumbering  interests.  He  prospered,  and 
when  he  passed  away  in  1830  he  left  a  considerable 
fortune  for  that  period  and  place.  The  children  of 
Elisha  and  Juliette  (Holbrook)  Allen  were:  Augustus 
Franklin,  of  whom  further;  and  Dascum,  born  in  1815; 
these  two  children  were  born  in  the  East.  Those  born  in 
Jamestown  were:  Adaline,  born  in  1817,  died  in  1851; 
Prudence  Olivia,  born  in  1821,  died  in  1854;  and  Abner 
Holbrook,  born  in  1823,  died  in  1849. 

.Augustus  Franklin  Allen,  son  of  Elisha  and  Juliette 
(Holbrook)  Allen,  was  born  in  1813  aiid  died  in  James- 
town, N.  Y.,  Jan.  20,  1875.  He  was  seventeen  years  of 
age  when  the  death  of  his  father,  Elisha  Allen,  left 
him,  the  eldest  son,  head  of  the  family.  He  met  his 
responsibilities  in  a  wonderful  manner,  and  within  a 
year  or  two  had  with  his  brother  Dascum  formed  a 
mercantile  and  lumbering  firm,  which  operated  in  Chau- 
tauqua and  Cattaraugus  counties,  N.  Y.,  and  Warren 
county.  Pa.,  very  successfully  until  1846.  In  1848, 
with  Daniel  Grandin,  he  formed  the  firm,  Allen  & 
Grandin,  woolen  manufacturers,  which  operated  until 
1867,  when  it  was  succeeded  by  Allen,  Preston  &  Com- 
pany. Augustus  F.  and  Dascum  Allen  had  also  exten- 
sive real  estate  interests  which  continued  mutual  until 
1865,  when  the  brothers  separated. 

Colonel  Allen  was  heartily  in  favor  of  bringing  a 
railroad  to  Jamestown  and  as  early  as  1851  he  partici- 
pated in  the  organization  of  the  Erie  &  New  York  City 
Railroad,  which  originally  extended  from  the  Little 
Valley  Creek  to  the  Pennsylvania  State  line,  and  had 
a  capital  of  $750,000.  The  town  of  Ellicott  and  various 
towns  on  the  line  of  the  road  issued  bonds,  or  in  their 
corporate  capacity  took  stock  in  the  road,  as  did  many 
private  individuals.  This  company  did  considerable 
grading  on  the  line  of  the  road,  but  failed  as  an  organ- 
ization, and  was  afterwards  sold  to  the  Atlantic  &  Great 
Western  Railway.  It  was  mainly  owing  to  Augustus  F. 
Allen's  sagacity  and  good  management  that  the  greater 
part  of  all  the  investments  made  by  the  different  towns  on 
the  line  were  saved  to  them  in  the  transfer,  and  that  the 
line  of  the  Atlantic  S:  Great  Western  Railway  was 
finally  completed  through  Southern  Chautauqua  with 
very  little  cost  to  its  citizens.  Mr.  Allen  was  for  many 
years  a  director  of  the  Atlantic  &  Great  Western  Rail- 
way, and  of  all  the  men  who  interested  themselves  in 
opening  up  this  section  of  the  country  by  proper  rail- 
road facilities,  none  devoted  so  much  time  and  energy 
to  the  project  as  Augustus  F.  Allen,  who  clearly  recog- 
nized the  necessity  of  betler  traveling  and  freight 
accommodations  to  develop  the  interests  of  Southern 
Chantantpia.  He  gave  much  time  to  the  public  service, 
and  for  seventeen  years  represented  the  town  of  Ellicott 
on  the  Board  of  Supervisors.  TS47-48,  1852,  1856,  iSCiO 
to  1868,  1871  to  1874. 

During  the  war  period,  i8fji-65,  be  was  chairman  of 
the  County  War  Cr>inmittee,  and  labored  unceasingly 
for  the  welfare  of  the  soldiers  at  the  front  and  their 
families  at  home.  In  his  early  manhood,  Augustus  F. 
Allai    had    b'-en    eonmn'ssioncd    a    colonel    in   the    State 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


431 


militia,  and  during  the  Civil  War  was  appointed 
colonel  of  the  112th  Regiment,  New  York  State  Vol- 
unteers, for  the  purpose  of  recruiting,  organizing  and 
equipping  the  regiment.  In  1867  he  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  State  Constitutional  Convention. 

In  the  winter  of  1872-73,  the  building  of  the  Buffalo 
&  Jamestown  Railway  was  first  agitated,  and  Colonel 
Allen  gave  his  best  efforts  to  the  inception  and  organi- 
zation of  that  enterprise,  the  first  public  meeting  on  the 
project  being  held  at  his  office.  His  character  and 
personal  influence  inspired  confidence  in  the  project, 
and  ahhough  not  completed  until  after  his  death,  the 
success  of  the  road  was  largely  due  to  his  efforts. 

In  the  fall  of  1874.  Colonel  Allen  accepted  an  Inde- 
pendent nomination  for  Congress  in  opposition  to  the 
regular  Republican  candidate,  Walter  L.  Sessions.  Colo- 
nel .Allen  was  nominated  in  a  district  which  under  ordi 
nary  circumstances  gave  from  five  to  seven  thousand 
Republican  majority,  but  with  characteristic  zeal  he 
waged  his  campaign,  and  after  the  most  hotly-contested 
campaign  that  the  district  had  ever  known  he  was  elect- 
ed by  a  large  majority.  But  the  arduous  work  of  the 
campaign,  and  the  incessant  labor  of  long  years  of 
intense  business  activity,  culminated  in  an  attack  of 
brain  fever,  to  which  Colonel  Allen  succumbed  on  Jan. 
20,  1875. 

Colonel  Allen  married,  in  1836,  Margaret  Cook, 
daughter  of  Dr.  Robert  Cook,  of  New  York  City.  Eight 
children  were  bom  to  them,  two  only  surviving  child- 
hood: Alfred  D.  Allen,  of  whom  further,  and  Mrs. 
Charlotte  Oliva  Black,  of  whom  further.  Colonel 
Allen  built  the  family  home  on  the  corner  of  East  Fourth 
and  Spring  streets,  which  is  yet  standing  practically 
unchanged,  although  it  has  passed  out  of  the  hands  of 
the  family.  Through  all  the  years  they  lived  in  this 
house  Augustus  F.  Allen  and  his  wife  Margaret  made 
their  home  a  community  center  in  the  truest  and  best 
sense.  Here  were  received  alike  distinguished  visitors 
and  the  humblest  neighbors  with  true  and  cordial  hos- 
pitality that  brought  happiness  and  cheer  to  many  lives. 

Colonel  Allen  became  the  owner  of  the  farm  just 
south  of  Jamestown,  which  by  the  extension  of  the  city 
in  now  within  its  limits.  Part  of  that  farm  Is  now  (1920") 
in  the  hands  of  the  fourth  Allen  generation,  another 
portion  now  being  Allen  Park,  deeded  to  the  city  in 
IQ08  by  his  daughter-in-law,  Virginia  M.  Allen,  in 
memory  of  her  father-in-law  and  husband.  Colonel 
Allen  was  loved  by  his  contemporaries  as  a  friend, 
esteemed  by  them  as  a  neighbor,  and  honored  as  a 
citizen.  Energetic,  progressive  and  public-spirited,  he 
served  well  his  day  and  generation,  and  left  an  honor- 
able record  to  his  posterity. 

.Mfred  D.  Allen,  son  of  Colonel  .\ugustus  Franklin 
and  Margaret  (Cook)  Allen,  was  born  in  Jamestown,  N. 
Y.,  in  1841,  and  died  there  in  1877,  in  his  thirty-seventh 
year.  After  completing  his  education  he,  when  quite 
young,  became  manager  of  his  father's  farm,  lying 
south  but  near  Jamestown.  He  was  also  for  several 
years  prior  to  his  passing  engaged  in  flour  milling,  his 
plant  known  as  the  Dexterville  Mills.  From  1875  to 
1877  Albert  D.  Miller  was  associated  with  him  in  the 
milling  business.  It  was  at  the  De.Kter  Mills  that  the 
first  "patent"  flour  was  made  in  Jamestown.  At  the 
comer  of  East  Third  and  Pine  streets,  Mr.  Allen  main- 


tained a  flour  and  feed  store,  the  site  of  that  store  his 
own  birthplace.  That  property  descended  to  his  sons 
and  later  passed  out  of  the  family  name.  Mr.  Allen 
was  a  good  business  man,  and  although  cut  off  before 
even  reaching  middle  age  he  had  accumulated  a  hand- 
some competence  from  his  business  enterprises. 

Mr.  Allen  married  in  1869,  Virginia  M.  Mahon,  of 
\'ew  York,  who  survived  her  husband  forty-two  years, 
dying  in  Fort  Worth,  Tex.,  while  traveling  with  her 
son,  Augustus  F.  Allen  and  family  in  the  South.  She 
is  buried  in  Lakeview  Cemetery,  Jamestown.  They  were 
the  parents  of  two  sons  who  survived  childhood : 
Augustus  F.,  named  for  his  grandfather;  and  .Mfred 
D.,  named  for  his  father.  Both  are  of  further  mention 
in  this  review. 

Charlotte  Olivia  .Allen,  daughter  of  Colonel  Augustus 
Franklin  and  Margaret  (Cook)  Allen,  was  born  in 
Jamestown.  N.  Y.,  in  1S48,  and  died  in  Alameda,  Cal., 
Jan.  20,  1888.  She  was  given  all  the  advantages  of 
education,  and  her  charming  personality  won  her  many 
friends.  In  1867  she  married  James  Black,  of  New 
York  City,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  a  daughter, 
Melita.  Mrs.  Black  was  widely  traveled,  her  tours 
covering  Europe  and  Northern  .Africa,  quite  out  of  the 
beaten  tourists  routes.  From  her  travel  she  gained  a 
culture  and  a  broad  outlook  on  life,  ohtainable  in  no 
other  way.  She  resided  several  years  in  New  York 
City,  and  was  there  identified  with  charitable  causes  and 
different  organizations.  .After  the  death  of  her  mother 
in  1885,  Mrs.  Black's  health  failed  and  with  her  daueh- 
ter  she  sought  the  mild  air  of  California,  making  her 
home  in  Alameda,  where  she  died  aged  forty  years. 
After  her  death  the  old  .Allen  homestead,  corner  of  East 
Fourth  and  Spring  streets,  Jamestown,  so  long  the 
abode  of  hospitality  and  good  fellowship,  was  closed 
and  later  passed  out  of  the  family. 

Augustus  F.  Allen,  eldest  son  of  Alfred  D.  and  Vir- 
ginia M.  (Mahon)  Allen,  was  born  in  Jamestown,  Sept. 
7,  1873.  He  attended  the  Jamestown  schools  and 
Harvard  University,  took  up  the  study  of  law  and 
gained  admission  to  the  bar.  He  did  not  devote  much 
time  to  the  practice  of  his  profession,  but  upon  his 
return  to  Jamestown  conducted  extensive  real  estate 
operations.  The  large  tract  of  farm  land  on  the  south 
side  of  Foote  avenue  and  extending  to  the  city  line 
was  platted  in  building  lots,  and  encouragement  in 
such  practical  form  was  given  prospective  home  owners 
that  one  of  the  most  attractive  residential  sections 
of  the  city  was  built  up.  The  beauty  of  the  local- 
ity was  still  further  enhanced  by  the  gift  of  a 
tract  of  land  by  Virginia  M.  Allen,  the  property  being 
given  over  to  the  park  commission  and  by  that  body 
greatly  improved.  It  is  now  the  principal  park  of 
Jamestown  and  known  as  Allen  Park. 

As  a  young  man  Mr.  .Allen  entered  public  life,  in 
Vv-hich  a  wide  acquaintance  and  a  personality  of  magnetic 
charm  were  his  strongest  assets.  His  first  office  was 
supervisor  of  his  district,  and  his  first  campaign  was  for 
the  Republican  nomination,  which  was  equivalent  to  an 
election.  The  manner  in  which  he  secured  this  and  his 
subsequent  election  brought  him  into  conspicuous  notice 
as  a  future  factor  in  local  politics.  .After  a  term  as 
supervisor,  1905-06,  in  which  his  record  was  generally 
approved,  he  was  nominated  nn  the  Republican  ticket  for 


43- 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


the  New  York  State  Assembly  from  the  First  Chautau- 
qua District,  ami  was  successful  in  the  ensuing  election, 
serving  tour  terms  uw^-oS-oo-lo.  Mr.  Allen  was  a  loyal 
and  consistent  supporter  of  Governor  Charles  E.  Hughes 
in  all  of  the  constructive  legislation  sponsored  by  that 
executive,  regardless  of  the  dictates  of  policy  or  of 
party  leaders.  He  was  known  in  the  legislature  and 
among  his  constituency  as  a  strong  adherent  of  Govern- 
or Hughes  and  was  close  to  the  governor  in  much  of 
the  important  political  action  of  the  times.  He  was 
honored  by  an  invitation  to  join  the  governor's  party  in 
a  visit  to  the  St.  Louis  Exposition. 

Mr.  .-Mien  left  tlie  Assembly  to  assume  the  duties  of 
postmaster  of  Jamestown,  and  his  administration  was 
one  satisfactory  from  every  point  of  view.  Upon  his 
retirement  from  office  he  became  deputy  election  com- 
niissicner  of  the  State  with  headquarters  in  New  York 
City,  serving  until  with  the  change  of  party  power  a 
Democratic  successor  was  appointed.  Since  that  time  he 
has  given  his  time  to  his  Jamestown  properties  and  to 
oil  operations  in  the  South,  and  in  this  line  he  has  met 
with  great  success. 

Mr.  .\llen  is  a  veteran  of  the  Spanish  War.  Im- 
mediately after  the  outbreak  of  war  with  Spain,  in  1898, 
he  began  the  recruiting  of  a  cavalry  company  in  James- 
towii.  This  was  speedily  done,  but  about  the  same 
time  the  202nd  Regiment  was  being  formed  in  Buffalo, 
and  in  order  to  get  more  quickly  into  the  service  Mr. 
.\llen  discontinued  his  recruiting  work  in  Jamestown 
and  enlisted  as  a  private  in  this  regiment.  Many  others 
who  had  originally  preferred  the  cavalry  organization 
followed  his  lead.  Soon  after  the  departure  of  the  202nd 
from  Buffalo,  he  became  sergeant  major  of  the  re.si- 
ment,  and  when  it  was  assigned  to  w-inter  duty  in  Cuba 
he  was  commissioned  second  lieutenant,  a  distinction 
won  through  faithful,  soldierly  service.  He  served  with 
the  202nd  until  its  return  in  the  following  year  and 
subsequent  demobilization,  .■\lthough  Mr.  Allen  was 
beyond  the  draft  age  in  the  World  War,  he  sought 
opportunity  for  service,  and  when  the  armistice  was 
signed  he  was  making  preparations  to  close  up  his 
affairs  and  to  enlist  as  a  private  for  overseas  duty. 

Mr.  .Mien  married  Mrs.  Helen  Crane,  of  Buffalo,  N, 
Y.  They  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Virginia  M. 
.-Mien,  named  after  Mr.  .-Mien's  mother. 

.Mfred  D.  .-Mien,  youngest  son  of  .\lfred  D.  and  Vir- 
ginia M.  CMahon)  .Mien,  was  born  in  Jamestown,  N. 
Y..  in  1877.  He  was  educated  in  Jamestown  public 
schrjols  and  compli-tcd  his  studies  in  the  Berkeley 
School,  New  '^'ork  City.  In  1906,  he  went  to  Okla- 
homa and  entered  the  hotel  business  and  has  operated 
in  Oklahoma,  Illinois,  and  Texas.  He  is  a  veteran  of 
two  wars.  He  served  in  the  Spanish-.Amcrican  War  in 
the  -i^ith  United  States  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served 
nrarly  two  years  in  the  Phillipinc  Inlands.  When  the 
United  States  entered  the  World  War.  he  enlisted  and 
v.as  commissioned  a  second  lieutenant.  He  served  with 
the  .VS'h  Division  in  France  and  went  tbroufjh  the  hard 
fiKhtin;;  that  this  division  had  withrjut  any  serious 
woimd^. 


WALTER  RECORD— Thre.-  generations  f,f  R 
or'!',  have  I'-ft  their  imprint  upon  the  history  of  Ch; 
taufjiia   county,  N.   Y.,  10  v.hich  the   first   of  the  nai 


Israel  Record,  came  less  than  a  century  ago.  Israel 
Record  settled  in  the  town  of  Sherman,  in  1830,  but 
later  moved  to  the  town  of  Hanover,  where  he  ended 
his  years,  eighty-nine,  fifty-seven  of  which  had  been 
spent  in  Chautauqua  county,  and  nearly  all  of  them  in 
the  town  of  Hanover.  He  was  one  of  the  strong  Demo- 
crats of  his  day,  and  never  surrendered  an  iota  of  his 
confidence  in  the  party  of  Jefferson  and  Jackson.  His 
memory  was  a  wonderful  storehouse  of  knowledge,  and 
and  it  is  said  that  within  a  few  days  after  President 
Cleveland's  inaugural  address  was  published  he  repeated 
it  verbatim  and  remembered  it  perfectly  until  he  died. 
Dates  and  places,  laws  and  State  constitutions,  amend- 
ments and  the  men  who  advocated  them,  were  as 
familiar  to  his  memorj'  when  past  eighty  years  of  age 
as  to  the  eye  of  an  ordinary  man  when  looking  at  the 
printed  page  of  an  open  book,  and  when  he  once 
asserted  the  correctness  of  a  statement  it  was  useless 
to  refer  to  a  book  for  corroborative  proof — he  was  al- 
v.ays  bound  to  be  correct.  The  old  pioneer  left  sons 
who  worthily  bore  his  name,  and  one  of  these  sons, 
John  G.  Record,  practiced  law  for  thirty-six  years  at  the 
Chautauqua  count)-  bar,  and  in  turn  left  a  son,  Walter 
Record,  who  after  the  privilege  of  association  in  law 
practice  with  his  honored  father  until  the  latter's  death, 
then  assumed  the  business,  and  for  another  quarter  of 
a  century  has  maintained  the  high  reputation  the  Record 
name  has  always  borne  in  the  profession  and  in  private 
life. 

The  Records  came  to  Chautauqua  county  from  the 
\'alley  of  the  Hudson,  where  Rev.  John  Record,  an 
active  minister  of  the  Baptist  church  of  Poughkeepsie, 
was  later  prominent  in  business,  operating  a  grist  mill 
for  several  years.  His  son,  Israel  Record,  born  in 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  12,  17Q8,  died  in  the  village  of 
Silver  Creek,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  July  16,  1887. 
In  1830,  with  wife  and  two  children,  he  came  to  the  town 
of  Sherman,  Chautauqua  county,  and  a  few  years  later 
moved  to  the  town  of  Hanover,  where  his  entire  after 
life  was  spent.  He  was  a  farmer  and  cattle  dealer  all 
his  active  years,  and  a  man  universally  esteemed.  He 
married  Mary  Gardner,  born  in  Dutchess  county,  N. 
Y.,  died  in  Perrysburg,  Cattaraugus  county,  in  1880,  aged 
eighty-four  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren :  Emily,  married  William  Wood ;  Ursula,  married 
Norman  Babcock,  of  Silver  Creek;  Laura,  married 
William  Parkman ;  William  K. ;  John  G.,  of  fiirthc'- 
mention;  Walter;  Cornelius;  and  Daphne. 

John  G.  Record,  son  of  Israel  and  Mary  (Gardner) 
Record,  was  born  at  Smith's  Mills,  in  the  town  of  Han- 
over, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  2,  1836,  died  at  his 
home  in  Forestville,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  12,  i8fi5.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  public  schools,  Middlcbury  and  Wyoming  acad- 
emies, his  law  studies  beginning  immediately  after  his 
graduation  from  Wyoming  Academy.  He  studied  law 
imder  the  perceptorship  of  Sherman  &  Scott  of  the 
Chautauqua  bar,  then  practicing  in  Forestville.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  Chautauqua  bar  in  December,  lB$C),  and 
practiced  his  profession  very  successfully  in  Forestville 
until  his  death,  thirty-six  years  later.  In  politics  Mr. 
K'ecord  was  a  zealous  Democrat  of  Jcffersonian  views, 
always  stfiod  upon  the  platform  of  the  old  time  genuine 
princijiles  of  his  parly,  and  advocated  honesty  and  econ- 
omy in  Stale  as  well  as  National  affairs.     In  187O,  Mr. 


'^:^<^^^.^>^  ^t/- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


433 


Record  was  elected  supervisor  of  the  town  of  Hanover, 
and  several  times  accepted  nominations  from  his  party 
for  other  offices,  in  its  plucky  but  hopeless  fights  against 
the  overwhelming  Republican  majority  in  Chautauqua 
county. 

Mr.  Record  married  (first)  in  1862,  Mary  Farnham, 
of  Forestville,  who  died  in  March,  1886,  leaving  four 
children;  Nellie,  married  I.  K.  Dye;  Walter,  of  further 
mention ;  Charles  F.,  and  Ralph.  Charles  F.  Record, 
although  a  Democrat  in  politics,  is  serving  in  the  capaci- 
ty of  postmaster  of  Forestville,  having  been  appointed  in 
April,  1916.  Mr.  Record  married  (second)  Oct.  2,  1887, 
Nora  M.  Hayward,  of  Versailles.  N.  Y.,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  two  daughters.  Daphne  and  Mollie. 

Walter  Record,  son  of  John  G.  Record  and  his  first 
wife,  Mary  (Farnham)  Record,  was  born  in  Forest- 
ville, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  June  4,  1868,  and  there 
yet  resides.  After  finishing  the  full  course  of  study 
furnished  by  the  Forestville  schools,  he  studied  law 
under  the  able  teaching  of  his  father  and  in  October, 
1892.  was  admitted  to  the  New  York  bar.  He  was  at 
once  admitted  to  a  partnership  with  his  father,  but  that 
association  was  dissolved.  Aug.  12,  1895,  by  the  death 
of  the  honored  senior  partner.  Since  that  date  Walter 
Record  has  practiced  alone  and  has  won  high  standing 
at  the  Chautauqua  bar.  A  Democrat  in  politics,  Mr. 
Record  has  allowed  his  name  to  be  used  as  the  party 
candidate  for  Assembly  and  district  attorney,  not 
through  expectation  of  success  or  political  ambition  for 
his  party  in  so  decided  a  minority,  but  party  loyalty 
alone  induced  him  to  accept  the  nomination.  In  local 
affairs,  where  politics  is  forgotten,  he  has  met  with 
better  success,  and  has  served  as  president  of  the  village. 

Mr.  Record  married  (first)  July  20,  1889,  Nellie  M. 
Judd,  who  died  Aug.  26,  1894.  He  married  (second) 
March  16,  1898,  Minerva  P.  Strong.  The  family  home 
is  in  Forestville. 


DARWIN    RUSSELL    CLARK,   JR.— When    Mr. 

Clark  left  his  father's  farm  in  the  town  of  Carroll,  he 
became  an  employ  of  the  Lake  View  Cemetery  Associ- 
ation in  Jamestown,  where  he  now  holds  the  position 
of  assistant  superintendent.  His  choice  of  work  was 
most  natural,  for  his  great-grandfather,  his  grandfather, 
and  an  uncle  all  were  engaged  in  cemetery  manage- 
ment and  care.  He  is  a  son  of  Darwin  Russell  and 
Nellie  A.  (Bull)  Clark,  his  father  a  farmer  of  the  town 
of  Carroll. 

Darwin  Russell  Clark,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Jamestown,  N. 
Y.,  Sept.  27,  1882.  He  was  educated  in  the  district 
schools  of  the  town  of  Carroll,  and  later  completed  a 
business  course  at  Jamestown  Business  College.  Until 
about  nineteen  years  of  age,  Mr.  Clark  was  his  father's 
assistant  at  the  farm  in  Carroll,  and  then  came  to  James- 
town, securing  employment  with  the  Lake  View  Cemetery 
Association,  and  until  the  present  year  (1920)  has  con- 
tinued his  connection  with  the  association,  now  being 
assistant  superintendent.  For  many  years  he  has  been 
a  notary  public  in  and  for  the  county  of  Chautauqua. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  a  member  of  the  Wood- 
men of  the  World,  and  of  the  First  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  of  Jamestown.  For  many  years  Mr.  Clark 
was  a  member  of  Company  F.  b^th  Regiment,  New 
York  National  Guard,  and  as  cook  served  with   Com- 


pany E.,  74th  Regiment  New  York  National  Guard,  in 
the  service  of  the  United  States  Government,  on  the 
Mexican  border  under  call  of  the  president.  His  service 
on  the  border  extended  from  July  i,  igi6,  to  Nov. 
5,  1916,  when  by  reason  of  Paragraph  33,  Special  Order, 
264,  Southern  Department,  1916,  he  was  finally  mustered 
out  at  Fort  Hamilton,  N.  V.,  with  a  full  and  honorable 
discharge. 

Mr.  Clark  married,  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  28,  1904, 
Minnie  Mary  Akins,  daughter  of  Frank  Seymour  and 
Katherine  Amanda  (Heinemann)  Akins.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Clark  are  the  parents  of  five  children  :  Frank  Brooks, 
born  Sept.  7,  1905;  Virginia  Naomi,  born  July  i.  1908; 
Lynn  Russell,  born  Nov.  4,  1915;  Nellie  Katherine, 
born  Sept.  5,  1917;  Barbara  Akins,  born  Nov.  10.  1919. 
The  family  home  is  at  No.  52  Buffalo  street,  James- 
town. 


JOSEPH  A.  BERGWALL— The  present  satisfac- 
tory standing  of  the  Bergwall  Printing  Company  among 
the  successful  business  enterprises  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
is  mainly  the  result  of  the  continued  efforts  of  its 
founder,  the  late  Joseph  A.  Bergwall,  who  was  a  prom- 
inent publisher  and  citizen,  and  his  two  sons,  Harold  J. 
and  Milton  E.  Joseph  A.  Bergwall  followed  the  business 
as  a  printer  in  Jamestown  for  more  than  thirty  years, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  considered  a  dean  in 
his  trade  here. 

He  was  a  native  of  Sweden,  his  birth  occurring  there, 
Aug.  17,  1870.  He  came  to  this  country  when  a  young 
man,  and  in  1882  established  himself,  in  a  small  way,  as 
an  independent  printer,  setting  up  his  plant  in  a  base- 
ment at  the  corner  of  Main  and  East  Third  streets, 
Jamestown.  Later,  the  business  having  increased  to 
large  proportions,  he  moved  to  more  spacious  quarters 
in  the  building  of  the  American  National  Bank.  Dur- 
ing the  course  of  time  the  printing  plant  changed  loca- 
tion several  times,  until  1912,  when  it  finally  became 
established  at  its  present  address,  the  corner  of  West 
Second  and  Washington  streets.  This  final  installation 
must  have  been  the  source  of  much  gratification  and 
pleasure  to  Mr.  Bergwall  when  he  realized  how  different 
the  new  plant  was  in  comparison  to  the  humble  begin- 
ning he  made  thirty  years  previously  In  Jamestown.  He 
then  had  but  one  hand  press,  and  in  the  new  plant  there 
were  six  presses  of  which  two  are  cylinders  and  four 
job  presses,  the  latter  being  I^inotype  machines,  and  a 
complete  modern  apparatus  for  binding  and  folding.  In 
1920  a  building  adjoining  the  one  erected  in  1912  by  Mr. 
Bergwall  was  acquired  for  additional  space,  and  this 
was  converted  into  the  press  department  of  the  plant. 
This  company  now  turns  out  all  forms  of  magazine, 
book  and  catalogue  work,  as  well  as  considerable  job 
printing  and  book  binding. 

The  Bergwall  Printing  Company,  Incorporated,  re- 
ceived its  charter  of  incorporation  in  1910,  and  its  orig- 
inal ofl^cials  were :  Joseph  A.  Bergwall,  president  and 
treasurer;  E.  E.  Carpenter,  vice-president;  and  Mrs. 
Sclma  V.  Bergwall,  secretary.  Following  the  death  of 
Mr.  Bergwall,  in  1915,  the  personnel  became  as  follows: 
Harold  J.  Bergwall,  president ;  Mrs.  Selma  V.  Bergwall, 
vice-president ;  and  Milton  E.  Bergwall,  secretary  and 
treasurer. 

Aside  from  the  business  activities  in  his  own  organ- 


434 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


ization.  Mr.  Berg%vall  was  prominently  connected  with 
other  interests  and  well  abreast  with  the  affairs  of  the 
city. 

He  was  a  director  and  president  of  the  Vart  Land 
Newspaper,  a  Swedish  journal  issued  daily  to  a  large 
subscription  throughout  the  section.  When  the  city  of 
Jamestown  was  represented  in  the  Interstate  Baseball 
League,  Mr.  Bergwall  was  one  of  the  local  club's  strong- 
est si'.pporters  and  once  its  president.  While  not  a 
member  of  its  official  board,  he  was  a  stockholder  in 
the  .-Kmcrican  National  Bank  of  Jamestown  and  did 
much  to  assist  in  the  good  will  of  this  institution.  The 
Jamestown  Board  of  Commerce  was  also  benefited  by 
his  attiliation.  as  he  was  one  of  its  organizers.  In  club 
and  fraternal  life,  Mr.  Bergwall  was  one  of  the  found- 
ers of  the  Norden  Club,  member  of  the  Loyal  Order  of 
.Moose.  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  various  Swedish  fra- 
ternal orders.  Politically,  while  he  did  not  seek  nor  hoM 
pfblic  office,  he  was  one  of  the  strong  supporters  of  the 
Republican  party  and  was  active  in  the  management 
of  the  party's  affairs  locally.  He  and  his  family  were 
members  of  the  First  Lutheran  Church  of  Jamestown, 
ar.d  it  can  be  said  that  Mr.  Bergwall  was  truly  a  Chris- 
tian. 

Mr.  Berg^vall  married,  in  Jamestown,  Selma  V. 
Swanson.  a  native  of  Sweden.  To  them  were  born  two 
sons:  Harold  Joseph  and  Milton  Earl,  both  of  whom 
appear  in  the  following  lines. 

Mr.  Bergwall  was  a  man  of  good  business  foresight 
and  well  regarded  in  business  circles.  He  was  ahvays 
interested  in  the  welfare  of  Jamestown  and  aided  in 
movements  of  civic  interest.  In  a  social  way  he  had 
hosts  of  warm  friends,  and  when  his  death  occurred, 
Sept.  2;.  iQi;,  it  was  a  sad  loss  to  the  conimunitv-at 
large. 


HAROLD  J.  BERGWALL  was  bom  in  Jamestown, 
July  30.  1805.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  and  high 
schools  of  that  city.  In  order  to  equip  himself  ade- 
quately for  successful  cooperation  in  the  printing  busi- 
ness, he  went  to  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  and  there  took  the 
printing  and  advertising  course  at  the  Carnegie  Insti- 
tute of  Technology,  graduating  in  191 7.  The  Bergwall 
Printing  Company  was  then  mainly  under  the  super- 
vision of  his  mother,  so  Harold  J.  returned  to  James- 
town immediately  after  graduating,  and  entered  at  once 
into  business.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  he  was  expert  m 
many  printing  operations  long  before  he  went  tn  Pitts- 
burgh for  the  special  course,  for  it  had  been  his  custom 
tor  m-^ny  years,  while  still  in  scli0"l  iti  Jamestown,  In 
v/ork  in  his  father's  shop  after  school  hours  and  during 
vacation.  In  I'liS  he  became  president  of  the  company, 
and  because  of  his  technical  education  and  natural  in- 
clination, devotes  himself  mainly  to  the  management 
of  the  shops,  leaving  the  commercial  affairs  of  thi-  com- 
pany to  his  younger  brother,  Harold  J.  Bergwall  is  a 
memliT  of  the  Free  and  .'\cceptcd  Masons.  In  rhurch 
artivitifs  he  belongs  to  the  First  Lutheran  Church  of 
Jamestown.  He  is  fond  of  athletics,  and  his  leisure  is 
mainly  <p'-nf  in  boating  and  yachting  during  the  season 
r,n  Chauiauqiia  Lake,  he  being  a  member  of  the  Chada- 
koin   Club. 

He  married.  July  2^1,  1920,  Florinc  A.  Hooker,  of 
Jam'-'.town, 


MILTON  E.  BERGWALL  was  born  in  James- 
town, .\ug.  JO,  1807.  He  was  educated  in  the  James- 
town public  and  high  schools,  and  in  1915,  after  gradu- 
ating from  the  High  School  began  to  work  steadily  in  the 
Bergwall  Printing  plant.  Like  his  brother,  he  had 
worked  previously  in  the  shop  alter  school  hours  and  dur- 
ing vacations,  so  that  he  soon  became  e.xpert.  Such 
knowledge  has  been  of  value  to  him  in  the  later  responsi- 
bilities which  became  his  share  of  the  work.  In  1919,  he 
was  elected  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  corpora- 
tion, and  attends  to  the  coinmercial  phase  of  its  opera- 
tion. He  is  a  member  of  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
and  belongs  to  the  Chadakoin  and  Norden  clubs.  He 
attends  the  First  Lutheran  Church. 


FREDERICK  YALE  TOY— Prominent  among  the 
young  business  men  of  Jamestown  and  well  known  in 
linancial  circles  of  Chautauqua  county  since  his  coming 
here  in  October,  191 7,  is  Frederick  Yale  Toy.  At  the 
time  of  his  coming  to  Chautauqua  county,  Mr.  Toy 
was  affiliated  with  Chandler  &  Company,  bankers  and 
financial  experts  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia.  His 
first  activities  in  the  county  were  to  aid  in  the  organ- 
izing of  the  Second  Liberty  Loan  campaign  under  plans 
of  the  local  administration  and  those  suggested  by  the 
Federal  Reserve  Bank  of  New  York  in  behalf  of  the 
Lhiited  States  Government. 

Frederick  Yale  Toy  is  a  native  of  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
born  April  28,  1894,  son  of  Thomas  Browne  and  Carrie 
Aiken  (Yale)  Toy.  The  elder  Mr.  Toy  was  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  the  owner  of  a  large  wholesale  clothing 
and  men's  apparel  business  in  Richmond,  Va.  He  re- 
tired froin  his  wholesale  business  in  1914  on  account  of 
ill  health,  and  gave  his  attention  in  a  semi-active  way 
to  his  real  estate  and  brokerage  interests.  During  the 
latter  part  of  1917  and  until  March  1919,  he  served  over 
seas  as  a  secretary  for  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation in  France,  afterwards  returning  to  Richmond, 
Va.,  where  he  is  still  residing.  In  the  latter  part  of 
1019,  he  assisted  in  organizing  the  trust  department  of 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Richmond, 

Frederick  Yale  Toy  passed  his  boyhood  at  German- 
town,  one  of  the  suburbs  of  Philadelphia,  where  he  at- 
tended the  local  schools  and  the  Germantown  Academy. 
He  left  the  latter  institution  in  1907,  accompanying  his 
parents  to  Richmond,  Va.,  and  there  studied  at  the  Rich- 
mond Academy,  graduating  in  1910  with  honors.  It 
was  at  this  institution  that  he  won  a  scholarship  which 
entitled  him  to  a  full  course  at  Richmond  College.  In 
the  fall  of  1910  he  entered  Richmond  College  where  he 
pursued  a  scientific  course,  and  graduated  with  the  class 
of  1914  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  -Science.  Mr. 
Toy  then  received  an  appointment  to  the  United  States 
Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis,  Md.,  from  Ex-Governor 
A.  J.  Montague,  of  Virginia,  and  here  he  remained  a 
midshipman  but  one  year  and  resigned  on  account  of 
physical  disability  resulting  from  a  serious  injury. 
Later,  when  his  health  permitted,  Mr.  Toy  secured  a 
Iiosition  as  assistant  estimator  wtth  the  Richmond 
Structural  Steel  Company  of  Richmond.  Va.,  remain- 
ing with  this  concern  for  a  time.  In  October,  I9i.=i.  he 
came  to  New  York  State  and  settled  at  Syracuse  as 
representative  for  Julius  Christenscn  S[  Company,  in- 
vestment bankers   of   that   city.     In    June,    1017,   he  ac- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


435 


cepted  a  position  as  State  representative  with  Chandler 
&  Company  with  headquarters  at  Syracuse,  resigning 
this  position  in  December,  1917.  Subsequently  he  be- 
came associated  with  the  Guaranty  Trust  Company  of 
New  York  as  their  correspondent  with  offices  in  James- 
town, a  position  which  he  still  continues  very  ably  and 
which  identities  him  with  the  financial  interests  of  Chau- 
tauqua county.  Mr.  Toy  has  made  a  deep  study  on 
finance  and  investments,  and  is  regarded  as  an  author- 
ity on  banking. 

While  he  has  given  his  undivided  business  attention 
to  matters  of  financial  interest,  at  leisure  he  has  in  a 
social  way  become  well  known  in  fraternal  and  club 
life.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Phi  Kappa  Sigma  College 
fraternity,  the  Rotary  Club  of  Jamestown,  the  Guaranty 
Club  of  New  York,  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge,  No.  145,  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Jamestown,  and  the  local 
lodge.  No.  263,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks.  In  religious  belief,  Mr.  Toy  is  a  Methodist,  and 
politically,  a   Republican. 

Frederick  Yale  Toy  was  united  in  marriage,  Sept. 
15.  1917,  at  Washington,  D.  C,  with  Lena  Child 
Williams,  a  daughter  of  Robert  Kenon  and  Lucy  (Stith) 
Williams.  Mr.  Williams  is  the  Southern  manager  01 
a  large  European  cotton  company  of  Scotland. 


FRANCIS  A.  IRVINE,  former  city  engineer  of 
Jamestown,  and  now  affiliated  with  the  Jorgenson 
Plumbing  and  Electrical  Company,  is  one  of  the  well- 
known  young  business  men  of  the  city. 

Born  in  Tidioute,  Pa.,  Sept  4,  18S4,  Francis  A.  Irvine 
is  the  son  of  Oscar  and  Christine  (Anderson)  Irvine, 
the  former  having  been  for  many  years  a  prosperous 
builder  of  oil  tanks  in  Tidioute,  where  he  has  been 
living  for  many  years.  After  acquiring  a  good  funda- 
mental education  at  the  local  grammar  and  high  schools, 
young  Irvine  entered  Allegheny  College,  taking  the 
civil  engineering  course,  graduating  in  1908,  his  degree 
being  Civil  Engineer.  Upon  graduating,  about  a  year 
was  spent  in  concrete  work  at  his  home  town,  Tidioute, 
after  which  he  was  appointed  to  the  position  of  drafts- 
man in  the  Pennsylvania  State  Highway  Department, 
Feb.  I,  1909,  with  headquarters  at  Warren.  He  held 
this  position  for  a  year  and  then  accepted  another  posi- 
tion, later  becoming  assistant  division  engineer  in  the 
maintenance  department  of  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Rail- 
road System.  He  remained  in  the  employ  of  the  rail- 
road for  several  years,  until  June  l,  1915,  when  he 
went  to  Jamestown,  entering  the  Jorgenson  plumbing 
and  heating  establishment.  A  year  later,  June  20,  1916, 
Mr.  Irvine  received  the  appointment  of  temporary  city 
engineer  of  Jamestown,  and  shortly  after,  Mayor  Carl- 
son of  that  city  appointed  him  city  engineer,  a  com- 
mission he  held  until  October,  1919.  While  holding  the 
office  he  advocated  many  improvements,  such  as  open- 
ing new  streets,  paving  and  repaving  old  ones,  improve- 
ments on  parkways,  and  many  other  such  suggestions. 

In  June.  1015.  Francis  A.  Irvine  was  married  to 
Madelyn.  daughter  of  Nels  and  Mary  (Lawson)  Jorg- 
enson, at  Jamestown.  They  have  one  child,  Phillip 
Marshall.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Irvine  attend  Holy  Trinity 
English  Lutheran  Church. 

Mr.  Irvine  has  held  membership  for  the  last  few 
years  in  several  of  the  Jamestown  organizations,  among 


them  being  the  Ndrden  Club,  Kiwanis  Club,  the  Order 
of  Eagles,  and  the  Greek  letter  fraternity  of  his  college 
days.  Phi  Delta  Theta.  While  at  Allegheny  College, 
Mr.  Irvine  took  an  active  part  in  all  athletic  sports, 
gaining  quite  a  reputation  in  track  meets.  He  was  also 
very  greatly  interested  in  music,  being  a  member  of  the 
College  Glee  Club. 


GEORGE  LIAS  LOCKWOOD— Being  the  pos- 
sessor of  a  well  established  business  which  stands  well 
in  the  front  ranks  of  Jamestown's  commercial  life, 
George  L.  Lockwood  is  prominent  here  and  is  known 
throughout  the  city  as  a  leading  merchant.  He  was  born 
in  Forestville,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  4,  1883,  his  father  being 
Melzar  A.  Lockwood.  and  his  mother,  Mary  F.  (Oliver) 
Loclcivood. 

When  George  L.  Lockwood  was  very  young  the  fami- 
ly moved  from  Forestville  to  Jamestown,  and  the  lad 
was  entered  as  a  pupil  at  the  grammar  school  of  that 
city,  later  attending  the  high  school.  During  the  holidays, 
Saturdays,  and  after  school  hours,  young  Lockwood 
worked  in  a  dry  goods  store,  and  alter  leaving  school 
became  regularly  employed  by  the  Gokey  Shoe  Company, 
v/here  he  remained  for  the  following  two  years.  After 
that  the  young  man  went  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  obtain- 
ing employment  with  wholesale  shoe  dealers,  the  Cady- 
Iverson  Shoe  Company,  in  iheir  stock  room.  He  only 
remained  in  Cleveland  one  year,  returning  to  his  home 
in  Jamestown  where  his  father,  M.  A.  Lockwood,  was 
engaged  in  the  harness  business,  his  shop  being  at  No. 
106  East  Second  street.  Two  years  after  he  had  entered 
upon  this  new  field  of  labor,  Mr.  Lockwood,  the  elder, 
took  his  son  into  partnership,  extending  the  business 
to  embrace  all  kinds  of  leather  goods.  This  was  con- 
tinued for  some  years,  until  1907,  when  M.  A.  Lock- 
wood  retired  from  active  business  life  and  his  son  con- 
ducted the  enterprise  alone.  The  harness  portion  of 
it  was  abandoned,  confining  the  stock  exclusively  to 
leather  goods,  umbrellas,  novelties  and  other  goods  of 
that  description.  The  firm  had  been  known  as  M.  A. 
Lockwood  &  Son,  but  after  the  retirement  of  the  senior 
partner  it  was  changed  to  George  L.  Lockwood,  leather 
goods  and  novelties,  and  has  so  continued;  the  business 
was  established  in  1890,  when  the  father  moved  to 
Jamestown.  In  January,  1913,  the  business  was  removed 
to  No.  7  West  Third  street,  where  it  is  located  at  the 
present  time.  Mr.  Lockwood  is  a  genial  man,  popular 
among  other  men,  and  interested  in  public  affairs.  He 
i.-  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Commerce  and  of  the 
Jamestown  Auto  Club.  He  is  also  a  Free  Mason ;  with 
his  family  he  attends  the  First  Methodist  Church. 

In  Jamestown.  Sept.  4,  1906,  George  L.  Lockwood 
married  Lillian  Gornall,  daughter  of  William  and  Fanny 
O.  (Wilson")  Gornall.  residents  of  Jamestown.  Mr. 
Gornall  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Empire  Worsted 
Mills   of   Jamestown. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lockwood  have  four  children :  Thomas, 
Jean,  George  L..  Jr.,  and  Betty.  Mr.  Lockwood  has  a 
very  interesting  family,  their  advancement  in  life  being 
his  greatest  ambition. 


PAUL  WALTER  FREDERICKSON,  prominent 
citizen  and  business  man,  is  a  native  of  America,  and 
a  descendant  of  that  sturdy  race,  the  Swedes,  which  rep- 


430 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


resent  one  oi  the  most  progressive  types  of  people  in 
Chautauqua  county.  He  is  a  man  of  education,  sound 
citizenship  and  a  representative  in  the  business  life  of 
the  coninuinity.  and  is  one  of  the  foremost  young  men 
in  llie  town  of  Stockton,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  V. 

Paul  \V.  Frederickson,  son  of  Alfred  and  Matilda 
(Anderson*  Frederickson,  was  born  in  Stockton,  Dec. 
14.  1S03.  He  was  educated  here  in  the  district  schools 
and  later  the  Brocton  and  Fredonia  hi^h  schools. 
He  took  a  teacher's  course  at  the  Fredonia  Normal 
School,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of 
1015.  and  shortly  afterwards  became  the  principal  of 
the  Cassadaga  High  School.  Cassadaga,  N.  Y.  He  re- 
mained here  for  one  year,  and  in  1916  went  to  New  York 
City,  where  he  became  the  principal  of  the  grammar  de- 
partment of  the  Chelsea  School,  which  was  a  branch 
0'  the  Young  Men's  Christian  .\ssociation  Educational 
Department,  this  school  being  located  in  the  -Associa- 
tion's building  on  West  23rd  street.  In  August,  1917,  short- 
ly after  the  United  States  had  entered  the  World  War 
he  enlisted  and  went  to  the  Officers'  Training  Camp  at 
Fort  Niagara.  X.  Y.,  and  there  received  an  intensive 
military  training.  At  Fort  Niagara  he  was  commission- 
ed as  second  lieutenant  in  the  Field  Artillery  Service. 
In  December,  191 7.  he  was  assigned  to  Camp  Travis. 
Tex.,  as  an  instructor,  and  remained  in  this  assignment 
until  January,  1918.  when  he  was  transferred  to  the 
.Aviation  Section  of  the  .Army.  He  had  become  very 
well  equipped  in  the  knowledge  of  his  command,  and 
was  in  charge  of  various  squadrons  at  Kelly  Field,  Te.x., 
and  \'an  Couver  Barracks,  Washington.  He  was  honor- 
ably discharged  from  service,  Feb.  8,  1919.  and  shortl\' 
afterwards  returned  to  his  home  at  Stockton,  where  he 
joined  his  brothers,  Delmar  and  Alvin  L.  Frederickson, 
in  their  manufacturing  industry  of  basket  making  and 
other  wood  products,  the  firm  being  known  as  the  Fred- 
erickson  Brothers,  of  which  he  has  since  been  secretary. 

Mr.  Frederickson  is  identified  with  the  various  town 
interests,  being  a  justice  of  the  peace  and  a  member  of 
the  Town  Board.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the 
varir.us  Masonic  bodies  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows.  In  politics  he  is  a  staunch  Republican, 
and  in  religion  a  memlier  of  the  Stockton  Baptist  Church. 


FREDERICK  YOUNG— Fnr  many  years  Mr. 
■^ount;  has  been  a  resident  of  Celoron,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  and  in  1914  erected  his  present  brick 
residence  on  Ninth  street.  During  his  years  in  the 
county  he  has  steadily  pursued  his  trade  and  is  a  well 
known  contractor.  He  is  a  son  of  Mariin  Van  P.uren 
and  F.lizaUth  (Dunn)  Young,  his  father  born  in  Medina, 
N.   Y. 

Tred'-rick  Young  was  born  in  Hartlnnd,  N.  Y.,  Dec. 
20.  I'-'fiy.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools.  His 
father  was  a  mason  by  trade,  and  when  Frederick 
arrivfd  at  a  suitable  age  he  devoted  his  attention  to 
Warning  a  branch  of  the  same  trade,  becoming  an  expert 
brirklav'T.  Since  cming  to  Chautauqua  county  he 
ha*  worked  at  his  trade  as  a  journeyman  and  a  con- 
tractor. He  has  invested  in  Oloron  property,  and  in 
K/).3  erected  the  building  for  himself  that  stands  next 
to  hi?  pres'-nt  residenrc.  When  he  built  his  first  house 
hi-  adopted  the  "pay  as  you  go"  plan,  and  when  it  was 
completed  everything   was   fully  paid    for.     Mr.   Young 


has  served  as  trustee  for  the  village  of  Celoron  for 
three  years,  he  has  also  served  as  fireman  in  the  city  of 
Jamestown  for  about  eight  years.  He  is  a  Republican 
in  politics,  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  church 
and  of  the  Protected  Home  Circle. 

Mr.  Young  married,  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  .April  21, 
1895,  Ella  Pryde,  born  April  5,  1874,  daughter  of  Daniel 
and  Ellen  (Day)  Pryde,  of  Mercer  county.  Pa.,  her 
parents  born  in  Scotland.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young  were 
the  parents  of  three  cliildren :  i.  Floyd  Franklin,  born 
Feb.  2,  1896;  entered  the  United  States  army,  July  22, 
1918,  saw  eight  months'  service  overseas  with  the 
American  Expeditionary  Forces  and  was  honorably 
discharged,  May  14,  1919.  2.  Maude  Leona,  born  Sept. 
6,  1898.     i.  .Arthur  Eliuer,  born  April  5.  1904. 


HENRY  MARVIN  LUND,  a  young  and  enter- 
prising business  executive  connected  with  the  Linquest 
Electrical  Company  of  New  York,  who  has  proved  him- 
self to  have  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  electrical 
work,  and  also  an  honest  desire  to  give  good  and  effi- 
cient service,  is  a  native  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
born  in  the  city  of  Jamestown,  Feb.  6,  1887.  If  his 
parents,  James  and  Charlotte  Lund,  were  still  alive, 
they  would  have  been  gratified  to  realize  that  their  son 
has  advanced  so  substantially  and  so  rapidly. 

Henry  M.  Lund  was  educated  in  local  grammar  and 
high  schools,  and  when  only  fourteen  years  of  age 
began  to  work,  his  first  employinent  betng  with  the  Amer- 
ican .Aristotype  Company,  which  was  a  branch  of  the 
Eastman  Kodak  Company.  Two  years  later,  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  Bell  Telephone  Company,  at  James- 
town, and  that  may  be  said  to  have  been  his  introduc- 
tion to  things  electrical;  he  started  as  errand  boy,  but 
gradually  became  proficient  in  construction  work,  the 
installing  of  telephones  and  such  like  phases  of  electri- 
cal work,  and  he  remained  with  the  Bell  Telephone 
Company  for  four  years,  giving  much  time,  in  his  spare 
hours,  to  the  study  of  the  science  of  electrical  mani- 
pulation, and  thus  he  became  very  proficient  in  wiring 
operations.  After  leaving  the  eiuploy  of  the  Bell  Tele- 
phone Company,  he  was  with  Hansen,  the  electrician, 
for  a  short  while,  leaving  his  service  in  order  to  take 
the  position  of  electrician  with  the  Chautauqua  Electric 
Company,  where  he  remained  for  three  years.  .After 
this  he  was  for  one  year  with  the  Jamestown  Electric 
Company,  in  like  capacity.  In  191 1,  he  entered  into  part- 
nership with  the  Linquest  Brothers  and  Fred  J.  Sutton, 
the  outcome  of  which  is  the  present  Linquest  Elec- 
trical Company  of  Jamestown.  The  operations  of  this 
firm  in  Jamestown  and  throughout  the  county  have 
developed  a  business  of  considerable  magnitude  and  of 
satisfactory  return.  Mr.  Lund  is  secretary  of  the  cor- 
j)i'ration  and  he  has  the  supervision  of  all  store  and 
fixture  work  undertaken  by  the  company.  Mr.  Lund  is 
an  energetic  man  who  takes  interest  in  all  manly  sports, 
and  in  certain  activities  of  the  life  of  Jamestown,  He 
has  been  particularly  prominent  in  various  Masonic 
bodies  and  the  Shrine.  He  was  past  master  of  the 
Council  in  loiTi,  and  is  [last  i)atroii  of  the  Order  of  the 
Amaranth. 

r)n  Aug.  7,  n/)8,  Mr.  Lund  was  married  in  Jamestown, 
to  Gertrude,  daughter  of  Charles  Wills,  of  Jamestown. 

Aggressive,  active  and   thorough   in   his   undertakings. 


^^^^  C^,  /UiMf^^r^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


437 


Mr.  Lund  is  of  the  type  that  instills  confidence  in  his 
co-workers;  he  has  the  ability  of  concentration,  of  being 
able  to  work  both  rapidly  and  skillfully,  and  to  concen- 
trate his  attention  upon  a  task  until  it  has  reached  sat- 
isfactory completion.  And  with  steadiness  of  purpose, 
and  consistent  enterprise,  he  will  in  all  probability  in 
the  future  come  even  more  prominently  into  the  aiTairs 
of  his  native  city. 


town.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sutton  are  the  parents  of  one 
child,  a  daughter,  Virginia,  born  June  27,  1913,  and 
has  recently  commenced  to  go  to  school. 


FRED  JOHN  SUTTON,  treasurer  of  the  Linquest 
Electrical  Company,  one  of  the  leading  firms  of  elec- 
trical contractors  in  Chautauqua  county,  has  manifested 
commendable  traits  in  his  business  advancement.  He 
started  as  a  farm  boy,  then  became  a  grocery  clerk, 
after  which  he  was  a  machinist,  and  then,  with  the 
firm  resolution  to  fit  himself  for  commercial  aft'airs, 
he  left  his  trade  and  entered  a  commercial  college. 

Fred  J.  Sutton  was  born  in  Stockton,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  16,  1884,  the  son  of  William  and 
Emma  Sutton.  The  elder  Suttons  still  live  at  the  home- 
stead in  Cassadaga,  Chautauqua  county,  where  both  are 
much  respected  and  have  very  many  friends.  As  a  boy, 
Fred  J.  Sutton  attended  the  public  school  of  Stockton, 
after  which  he  assisted  his  father  in  the  operation  of  the 
home  farm.  When  he  had  reached  eighteen  years, 
Fred  J.  took  employment  in  a  local  grocery  store,  as  a 
clerk,  and  remained  so  employed  for  several  years. 
Eventually,  he  entered  the  machine  shop  of  the  Ameri- 
can Locomotive  Works,  at  Dunkirk,  this  county,  and 
worked  for  three  years  as  machinist.  Then  came  the 
turning  point  in  his  business  career ;  he  decided  to  leave 
his  work  and  trade  and  go  to  Jamestown,  and  there 
become  a  student  at  the  Jamestown  Business  College, 
with  a  view  to  gaining  proficiency  in  the  commercial 
phase  of  business.  He  found  it  required  much  strength 
of  will  and  steadfastness  of  purpose  to  continue  in  his 
resolution  under  the  conditions  he  had  to  carry  through 
in  order  to  remain  at  school  until  he  had  graduated, 
so  he  worked  after  school  hours.  After  graduation,  he 
immediately  obtained  a  position  as  bookkeeper  with  the 
Jamestown  Shale  Paving  Company,  in  the  employ  of 
which  firm  he  remained  for  six  months,  thereafter  tak- 
ing a  like  position  with  the  Chautauqua  Electric  Com- 
pany, remaining  for  one  year.  After  this,  for  three 
years,  he  was  with  the  Hansen  Electric  Company.  In 
l(,ll,  he  joined  the  Linquest  Brothers  and  Henry  M. 
Lund,  the  four  forming  business  partnership  to  con- 
stitute a  firm  of  electrical  contractors,  which  firm,  as 
it  now  is,  is  the  well  known  and  successful  Linquest 
Electrical  Company,  of  Jamestown.  Of  that  corpora- 
tion, Mr.  Sutton  is  treasurer,  and  has  direction  of  the 
commercial  phase  of  the  business.  .All  the  partners  are 
young,  alert,  and  enterprising,  each  skilled  in  his  depart- 
ment, and  all  bent  upon  making  the  company  the  best  in 
its  line  in  the  countj-  and  contiguous  territories.  Mr. 
Sutton  is  interested  in  the  activities  of  Jamestown. 
Among  the  business  men  of  the  city  he  is  well  placed 
and  recognized  as  a  capable  young  executive.  He  is 
one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  Jamestown  Rotary 
Club,  belongs  to  the  United  Commercial  Travelers* 
Association,  and  in  fraternal  affiliations  is  identified 
with  the  Eagles  and  the  Masonic  bodies. 

Mr.  Sutton  was  married  in  Jamestown,  June  23,  190Q, 
to  Mildred,  daughter  of  Charles  J.  Moflfette,  of  James- 


AUGUST     FREDERICK     NELSON— Jamestown 

has  no  citizen  more  enterprising  than  the  one  whose 
name  heads  this  article.  As  a  large  real  estate  holder, 
as  manager  of  the  local  G.  R.  Kinney  Company's  store, 
and  as  stockholder  in  this  corporation,  which  is  the 
largest  shoe  retailing  organization  in  the  world,  he  has 
become  quite  prominent  in  the  mercantile  life  of  the 
community.  In  a  public  capacity,  Mr.  Nelson  stands 
among  the  front  rank  citizens  for  his  public  spirit  in 
municipal  affairs,  having  been  a  member  of  the  local 
Board  of  Health  for  many  years  and  its  secretary.  He 
has  recently  been  appointed  secretary  of  the  Milk  Ser- 
vice Commission  of  this  city,  this  body  being  the  first 
municipal  Milk  Service  Commission  appointed  in  the 
United  States,  functioning  for  the  purpose  of  distribut- 
ing milk  and  milk  products  by  direct  municipal  owner- 
ship and  control. 

.August  Frederick  Nelson  was  born  Jan.  i,  1876,  in 
Sweden,  the  only  child  of  Gustaf  .A.  and  Margaret 
(Johnson)  Nelson.  At  the  age  of  three  and  a  half 
years  he  was  brought  to  the  United  States  by  his  parents 
who  settled  first  in  Antrim.  Pa.,  removing  thence  to 
LaSalle,  111.,  and  eventually  making  their  permanent  home 
in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  August  Frederick  Nelson  attended  the 
grammar  schools  of  that  city.  After  leaving  school  he 
worked  for  various  people,  and  during  leisure  hours  he 
acquired  an  education  by  self-study.  In  1904  he  came  to 
Jamestown  and  leased  a  store  in  the  Fenton  building, 
at  the  corner  of  Second  and  Main  streets,  in  which  he 
established  himself  in  business.  In  1907  he  opened  a 
retail  shoe  store,  which  included  a  repairing  department 
equipped  with  modern  machinery  and  giving  employ- 
ment to  several  men.  The  venture  proved  successful 
and  he  became  the  head  of  a  large  and  constantly  grow- 
ing business.  In  October,  1919,  he  disposed  of  this 
business  and  interested  himself  in  the  G.  R.  Kinney 
Shoe  Company,  assuming  management  of  this  local  store. 
While  building  up  his  trade  in  the  shoe  business  he  be- 
came interested  in  real  estate,  and  is  now  the  owner  of 
many  business  blocks,  tenements  and  dwellings,  having 
purchased  and  developed  various  properties  from  an 
investment  standpoint.  He  has  built  many  fine  blocks 
and  remodelled  others.  Opposite  the  Jamestown  High 
School  he  has  built  a  brick  block  with  stores,  having  all 
modern  improvements;  on  Winsor  and  Second  streets  he 
has  erected  five  stores,  and  on  East  Seventh  street  he 
built  several  houses,  and  improved  others  elsewhere. 

In  the  sphere  of  politics.  Mr.  Nelson  is  very  active 
on  the  side  of  the  Republicans,  rendering  valuable  ser- 
vice as  a  speaker.  For  many  years  he  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Health  and  for  about  nine  years 
has  served  as  its  secretary.  The  careful  study  he  has 
made  of  preventative  medicine  peculiarly  fits  him  for 
service  in  the  health  department.  He  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Commerce.  His  only  club  is  the 
Norden  Club  of  Jamestown.  He  affiliates  with  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  having  passed  the  chairs 
and  during  1918  held  the  rank  of  noble  grand,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Encampment. 

Mr.  Nelson  married,  at  Niagara  Falls,  .Kpri!  2^.  1800 


43^ 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Mary,  daughter  of  Joseph  X.  and  Emma  A.  ^Waluiiiaii) 
Boehler.  of  Hamburg.  Canada.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kolson 
are  the  parents  of  the  following  children  :  i.  .Augustus  C. 
bom  March  17.  1S9S,  educated  in  the  public  and  high 
schools  of  Jamestown,  and  Albany  Law  School.  2.  Nor- 
man F..  bom  Oct.  24.  1002,  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Jamestown.  3.  Elbert  \'.,  born  Sept.  l6,  1913, 
now  attending  the  graded  schools  of  this  city. 

Most  emphatically  Mr.  Xelson  is  a  self-made  man; 
he  has  acquired  by  his  own  efforts  a  knowledge  of  sub- 
jects taught  in  high  schools  and  colleges,  and  has  read 
with  appreciation  the  works  of  English  and  American 
scientists,  as  well  as  many  other  books  of  standard 
literature.  In  any  community  he  would  be  a  valuable 
man,  and  his  fellow-citizens  of  Jamestown  have  evinced. 
on  many  occasions  and  in  various  ways,  their  thorough 
appreciation  of  his  sterling  character  and  fine  abilities. 


CARL  A.  ANDERSON,  business  manager  of  the 
Jame;;own  store  of  the  J.  G.  McCrory  Company,  owners 
of  n\e  and  ten  cent  stores  throughout  the  United  States, 
has  been  a  resident  of  Jamestown  for  fourteen  years, 
and  during  that  time  has  created  a  good  impression, 
being  considered,  by  those  who  know  him,  as  a  good  man 
of  business,  as  an  efficient  store  manager,  and  as  a 
man  of  marked  community  interest 

He  was  bom  in  Sweden.  May  17,  1S79,  the  son  of 
Magnus  O.  and  .\nna  H.  .\nderson,  who  came  to  this 
country  from  Sweden,  settled  in  Utah,  where  Mr.  .An- 
derson acquired  a  farm,  which  he  operated  until  his 
death:  his  widow  resides  in  L'tah  at  the  present  time 
0920>. 

Carl  \.  .\ndcrson  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  place,  and  when  nineteen  years  of  age 
c?me  to  this  country.  He  immediately  went  West,  to 
Omaha.  N'eb..  and  appears  to  have  early  grasped  the 
desirability  of  taking  a  commercial  course  of  study.  He 
attended  the  Omaha  Commercial  College,  and  in  due 
course  became  a  graduate,  which  was  creditable,  bear- 
ing in  mind  that  he  had  so  recently  arrived  in  the 
country,  and  that  the  language  would  have  been  a 
serious  handicap  to  him  in  his  study,  ^\^^ile  at  school 
he  also  worked,  finding  cmplo>nnent  in  a  packing  house 
in  Omaha.  .Vfter  graduating  from  the  commercial  col- 
lege, he  was  a  checker  in  the  packing  house  for  a  year, 
and  then  went  into  the  employ  of  the  McCrory  Com- 
pany, as  ris?.ist,->nt  manager  of  their  Omaha  store.  He 
held  that  position  for  nine  months,  and  then  received 
appointment  as  manager  of  their  store  at  Anderson, 
Ind.  .Xfter  a  service  of  eleven  months  at  that  place. 
he  was  called  to  Jamestown,  X.  ^'.,  to  assume 
direction  of  the  store  interests  in  that  city.  The 
NfcCrory  st'ire,  which  was  opened  in  1889,  in  the  new 
WarnT  Mock,  Brooklyn  Square,  was  managed  for  a 
f'-v.-  months  aftT  C'lablishmcnt  by  Mr.  J.  G.  McCrory 
him.'i'lf.  and  'he  center  was  considered  an  important 
one  for  the  company,  and  demanderl  the  services  of  a 
provd  manager.  Hence,  in  I'/),;.  Mr.  .Anderson  was 
callf-d  to  it  and  has  since  remain'-d.  In  August,  loo^, 
it  wru  removed  to  its  present  location,  N'os.  207-209  Main 
•  treet.  Jamf-t^town,  and  for  a  time  the  two  stores  were 
main'atn»-d  in  operation.  Mr.  .Anderson  having  the  di- 
r'-  lion   of   V.th,      Evntually,   however,    the   Jamestown 


business  of  the  company  was  concentrated  in  the  new 
store,  and  the  original  store  was  closed. 

It  is  almost  needless  to  say  that  as  a  store  manager 
Mr.  .Anderson  is  a  success;  that  might  be  inferred  from 
the  fact  that  he  has  been  in  the  employ  of,  and  in 
managerial  capacity  with  such  a  corporation  as  the  J,  G. 
McCrory  Company  for  so  long.  Men  who  rise  to  the 
position  of  manager  in  stores  of  such  a  corporation 
necessarily  do  so  by  ability  only.  And  continuance  in 
oflice  indicates  that  no  mistake  was  made  in  the  choice 
of  manager.  Such  corporations  have  so  many  men  to 
choose  from,  and  do  business  upon  adaptability  and 
merit  only,  that  appointment  is  practically  a  certificate 
of  amply  demonstrated  efficiency. 

Outside  business  hours,  Mr.  Anderson  has  given  his 
time  unselfishly  to  community  afliairs.  He  is  an  ardent 
member  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Jamestown,  and 
interests  himself  actively  in  Sunday  school  work,  being  at 
present  assistant  superintendent.  Fraternally,  he  be- 
longs to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Chautauqua  Encampment. 

On  Oct.  I,  1908,  Mr.  Anderson  was  married  to 
Carrie  M.  Howe,  of  Jamestown.  Tliey  have  five  chil- 
dren :  Lowell,  Maxine,  Burdett,  Irene,  and  Kermit. 


GILBERT   THOMAS   BOUCK— As   a  builder   of 

small  boats  for  lake  use.  Mr.  Bouck  is  well  known  in 
Celoron,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  his  yard  is 
located.  He  is  of  Canadian  birth,  son  of  John  F.  and 
Elizabeth  (Fader)  Bouck,  who  at  the  time  of  the  birth 
of  their  son  were  living  at  South  Mountain,  Province 
of  Ont.Trio,  Canada. 

Gilbert  T.  Bouck  was  born  April  22,  1850,  and  ob- 
tained his  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  place. 
He  learned  the  ship  carpenter's  trade,  at  which  he  has 
worked  all  his  active  life,  and  in  Celoron  established  a 
yard  where  he  builds  small  boats  and  transacts  a  general 
business  in  that  line.  Mr.  Bouck  is  a  man  well  liked 
and  esteemed,  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Protected  Home 
Circle,  and  the  First  Baptist  Church.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican. 

Mr.  Bouck  married,  Dec.  14,  1880,  in  St.  Lawrence 
county,  N.  Y..  Arzetta  Smith,  born  Dec.  12,  1863.  dau.gh- 
ter  of  Harrison  and  Laura  Smith.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bouck 
arc  the  parents  of  two  children  :  Mabel,  born  Sept.  28, 
1882;  and  Alviii,  born  Feb.  28,  18S4. 


REUBEN  R.  WILLIAMS,  for  more  than  fifty 
years  a  resident  in  Conewango  Valley,  Chautauqua 
county,  X.  Y.,  and  for  long  well  known  throughout  the 
county  as  a  prosperous  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  and  as 
an  extensive  dealer  in  cattle,  was  born  in  Leon,  Cattar- 
aui'tis  county,  N.  Y.,  March  II,  1S67.  the  son  of  Norman 
I).  Williams,  formerly  of  Otto,  N.  Y.,  and  Rebecca 
L.  (Ross)  Williams,  who  was  a  native  of  Leon.  His 
father  possessed  a  farm  in  Lenn,  and  there  Reuben  R. 
was  borrr. 

After  passing  through  flu-  grades  nf  the  district  school 
nearest  to  his  home,  Reuben  R.  Williams  entered  the 
Ellington  High  School,  and  eventually  graduated  there- 
from, after  which  he  entered  seriously  into  farming 
pursuits.     He  resolved  to  become  a  skilled  farmer,  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


439 


throughout  his  life  has  followed  the  developments  in 
scientific  farming  with  keen  interest  and  comprehen- 
sive understanding,  and  has  been  particularly  interested 
in  modern  methods  of  stock  raising  and  dairy  farming. 
As  a  judge  of  cattle,  and  an  extensive  dealer  in  them, 
as  well  as  an  extensive  raiser,  he  has  gained  an  enviable 
reputation,  as  well  as  substantial  success,  and  probably 
the  subject  in  which  he  is  most  keenly  interested,  and 
upon  which  he  can  talk  with  the  authority  of  an  expert, 
is  the  raising  and  care  of  cattle.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
local  Grange.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  but 
throughout  his  life  has  manifested  much  more  interest 
in  agriculture  and  stock  raising  than  in  national  political 
issues.  And  he  has  never  sought  political  office.  He  has 
felt,  with  one  exception,  that  the  proper  management  of 
his  farm  was  of  greater  consequence  to  him  than  even 
the  most  far-reaching  political  issue  could  ever  be.  The 
one  exception  was  the  World  War,  just  ended  so  suc- 
cessfully, and  even  in  that  issue  he  felt  that  attention  to 
production  on  his  own  farm  was  vital  both  to  him  and, 
in  its  degree,  to  the  cause.  He  gave  his  son  to  the 
cause,  as  an  American  soldier,  and  he  fought  at  home 
to  win  for  the  country  and  its  allies  his  portion  of  that 
increased  production  of  food  stuffs  the  government 
stated  that  it  relied  upon  the  farmers  of  this  country 
to  furnish  for  the  sustenance  and  continuance  in  the 
fight  of  its  allies.  And  in  the  various  financial  cam- 
paigns to  raise  necessary  national  funds  during  the  war, 
Mr.  Williams  took  his  due  share,  and  when  his  son  also 
returned  safely  from  the  inferno  of  the  battlefields  of 
France,  it  was  with  gratification  and  sincere  thankful- 
ness that  he  looked  back  upon  the  contribution  of  his 
own  family  to  the  success  gained  by  the  forces  of 
Right,  against  the  breakers  of  international  law  and 
honor,  who  threatened  to  bring  the  entire  world  into  its 
heartless  dominion. 

Reuben  R.  Williams  was  married  at  Conewango,  N. 
Y.,  March  i6,  1893,  to  Amy  Mason,  born  May  2,  1873, 
daughter  of  George  J.  and  Josephine  (Cowen)  Mason, 
They  are  the  parents  of  eight  children  :  George  M.,  born 
Jan.  22.  1S94;  Helena  J.  born  Aug.  18.  1S9S ;  Jesse  P., 
bom  Aug.  9,  1897;  Florence  R.,  born  Aug.  15,  1899; 
Cora  M.,  born  June  13,  1903;  Laura  M.,  born  Feb.  7, 
1909;  Vincent  G.,  born  Feb.  8,  1914;  Margaret  P.,  born 
April  21,  1919. 

Jesse  P.  Williams  did  not  wait  to  be  drafted;  when 
war  was  declared,  or  rather  when  President  Wilson 
declared  this  country  to  be  in  a  state  of  war,  he  re- 
solved to  enlist  as  soon  as  ever  he  could  close  his 
business  and  private  affairs,  and  on  July  26,  1917,  he 
became  a  member  of  Company  H,  49th  Infantry,  at  Syra- 
cuse. Eventually,  he  was  sent  to  Camp  Merritt,  N.  J., 
and  sailed  for  France,  July  23,  1918,  just  after  the 
commencement  of  the  historic  counter-drive  which 
kept  the  Germans  on  the  run,  and  eventually  accom- 
plished their  defeat.  Young  Williams  was  in  France 
for  six  months,  returning  to  America  in  February,  loio, 
and  being  honorably  discharged,  Feb.  15,  ipig. 


neers.  Baker  street,  Jamestown,  received  that  name  as  a 
tribute  to  his  grandfather.  Colonel  Henry  Baker,  who 
was  one  of  the  first  settlers  and  acquired  extensive  real 
estate  holdings  in  the  locality,  and  even  to  this  day  a 
copy  of  his  deed  is  attached  to  transfers  of  real  estate 
once  belonging  to  the  Baker  family.  Baker  Park,  the 
first  park  in  the  city  of  Jamestown,  was  a  gift  of 
Colonel  Baker. 

Scott  Baker  was  born  in  Jamestown,  Aug.  18,  1876, 
the  son  of  Charles  S.  and  Katherine  (Heffernan)  Baker. 
He  attended  the  Jamestown  public  schools,  and  after- 
wards passed  through  the  High  School,  graduating  there- 
from in  1895.  To  properly  fit  himself  for  a  business 
career  he  pursued  the  full  course  of  study  at  the  James- 
town Business  College.  His  first  employment  was  in 
the  local  freight  office  of  the  Erie  Railroad  Company, 
where  he  was  well-grounded  in  clerical  work.  Later, 
he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Atlas  Furniture  Company, 
of  Jamestown,  and  still  later  was  connected  with  the 
Bailey  Table  Company,  in  each  case  in  executive  capac- 
ity. He  evidently  was  a  reliable  executive,  for  in  the 
spring  of  1904  he  was  offered  the  secretaryship  of  the 
Star  Furniture  Company  of  Jamestown.  Since  that 
year  he  has  been  connected  with  that  important  man- 
ufacturing company,  latterly  as  treasurer,  and  has  taken 
due  part  in  its  development.  Mr.  Baker's  well  ordered 
life,  both  in  business  and  private  affairs,  has  brought 
him  a  host  of  sincere  friends  in  Jamestown,  and  his 
success  is  all  the  more  gratifying  to  the  historian  to 
note  because  of  the  early  association  of  the  Baker  fam- 
ily with  the  city  of  Jamestown. 

He  is  a  member  of  St.  Luke's  Episcopal  Church,  a  di- 
rector of  the  local  Young  Men's  Christian  Association, 
a  member  of  the  Norden  Club,  the  Kiwanis  Club,  Satur- 
day Night  Club,  Moon  Brook  Country  Club,  and  Mount 
Moriah  Lodge,  No.  145,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons. 
Although  he  does  not  very  actively  interest  himself  in 
political  affairs,  he  took  prominent  part  in  furthering 
the  cause  of  the  Progressive  party  during  the  years  of 
its  existence.  Primarily,  he  attends  to  the  affairs  of  his 
business  and  to  the  maintenance  of  his  home  circle  in 
comfort  and  wholesome  Christian  spirit. 

Mr.  Baker  married  (first)  in  1895,  at  Jamestown, 
Blanche  Fisher,  who  died  Jan.  17,  1914.  On  March  17, 
IQIS,  he  married  (second)  Bernice  A.  Lawson,  of  Sugar 
Grove,  Pa.  He  has  four  children,  all  born  to  his  first 
wife.  They  are :  Ruth  E.,  Margaret  J.,  S.  Sheldon, 
Scott  F. 


SCOTT  BAKER,  well  regarded  citizen  of  James- 
town, N.  Y.,  one  of  its  representative  men,  and  treas- 
urer of  an  important  manufacturing  industry  of  that 
place,  comes  into  Jamestown  history  in  another  notable 
connection,  for  he  is  of  the  family  of  one  of  its  pio- 


ALTON  E.  HAZELTINE,  who  was  a  city  con- 
tractor in  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and 
also  is  a  prosperous  farmer  in  the  county,  is  a  native  of 
Chautauqua  county,  born  in  Jamestown,  the  son  of  one 
of  the  honored  veterans  of  the  Civil  War. 

Alton  E.  Hazeltine  was  born  May  4,  1867,  a  son  of 
Daniel  C.  and  Margaret  Jane  (Robbins)  Hazeltine.  His 
father  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  but  during  the  Civil 
War  had  a  notable  record  as  a  member  of  the  famous 
Ninth  New  York  Cavalry.  Alton  E.  Hazeltine  received 
a  good  education  in  Jamestown  schools,  passing  from 
the  graded  school  to  the  high  school  of  the  city.  He 
satisfactorily  graduated  from  that  school,  and  then 
entered  business.  For  many  years  he  was  a  contractor 
in  Jamestown,  in  partnership  with  another  well  known 


440 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Jamesiown  man  of  business,  aiui  acquired  substantial 
means.  But  his  inclination  has  led  him  into  farming 
pursuits,  and  as  a  man  of  keen  business  intuition  and 
alert  intelligence,  he  has  seen  the  advantage  of  and  has 
adopted  many  modern  methods  of  scientific  farming, 
to  his  material  advantage,  while  many  a  farmer  of  the 
old  school  has  continued  on  in  the  old  way  while  ponder- 
ing over  the  problem.  And  he  has  found  much  delight 
in  farming,  as  well  as  profit,  and  has  many  friends 
among  the  leading  agriculturists  of  the  county. 

Politically.  Mr.  Hazeltine  is  a  Republican;  fraternally, 
he  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He 
is  well  known  in  Jamestown,  and  is  also  very  popular, 
and  had  he  wished  for  public  office  he  probably  might 
easily  have  secured  election.  He  has  never,  however, 
shown  any  indication  that  he  would  favorably  consider 
the  question  of  standing  for  office ;  in  fact,  he  has  more 
than  once  made  it  clear  that  political  office  has  no  attrac- 
tion for  him.  and  would  not  in  tlie  slightest  influence 
his  decision  upon  any  vital  question.  He.  however,  is 
an  earnest  Christian,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Congregational   church    for   many   years. 

On  July  II,  1894,  Mr.  Hazeltine  married  Jennie  W. 
Wills,  born  Oct.  6,  1867,  daughter  of  Christopher  Wills. 
They  have  one  child,  Robert  L.  Hazeltine,  born  Dec.  3, 

During  the  progress  of  the  recent  World  War,  Mr. 
Hazeltine  took  keen  part  in  many  of  the  home  activities 
connected  therewith.  He  subscribed  to  the  various 
funds  promoted  to  further  some  phase  of  the  nation's 
activities,  and  upon  his  farm  he  did  his  share  in  further- 
ing the  ctTort  of  the  .\merican  farmers,  as  a  class,  to 
farm  more  closely,  so  as  to  bring  an  increased  yield 
of  loodstufts,  which  increase  the  nations  of  Europe 
stood  so  desperately  in  need  of.  So  much  has  been 
written  about  the  glorious  achievements  of  the  young 
Americans  who  went  into  the  actual  field  of  battle,  that 
one  is  apt  to  overlook  the  less  spectacular,  but  in  reality 
very  consequential  part  played  in  the  final  victory  by  the 
American  farmer  and  others  who  worked  in  the  national 
cause  at  home.  In  its  comprehensive  aspect,  the  part 
taken  by  the  American  farmer  has  been  recorded;  in 
the  individual  aspect,  the  part  of  the  individual  -Amer- 
ican farmer  might  well  be  recorded  whenever  oppor- 
tunity occurs.  In  all  his  business  activities,  Mr.  Hazel- 
tine has  ever  held  to  the  truest  surety  of  success — 
honesty.  He  has  endeavored  always  to  do  to  others  as 
he  would  expect  to  be  done  by,  and  thus  he  has  gained 
general  respect  as  well  as  material  success. 


EMMETT  PARD  BARMORE.  prosperous  and 
rfip(!rt'-d  farmer  of  Gcrrry.  Ch;iMtaur|ua  comity,  N.  Y.,  is 
rcjiresentativc  of  the  enterprising  younger  g'-ncration  of 
successful  agriculturists  of  the  county.  He  has  a  good 
prfi(K-rty,  farms  it  f-ncrgetically,  but  intelligently,  and  is 
cvT  r'-ady  to  intrwlucc  modern  methods  which  have 
l)*-<m  demonstrated  to  be  an  improvement  upon  the 
method?  of  former  days.  AnrI  he  fakes  an  active  in- 
terest also  in  public  and  community  affairs,  and  partic- 
ularly in  school  and  church  work.  He  is  a  trustee  of 
th<-  I'.ral  school  I)'<ard. 

}]<■  is  a  native  of  Chautauqua  county.  N.  Y..  the 
Earmorc  family  having  had  residence  within  its  borders 


for  at  least  four  generations,  including  that  of  his 
children.  And  he  is  enthusiastic  in  all  matters  that  have 
reference  to  the  comity  and  its  advancement;  and 
certainly,  in  his  productive  farming,  he  is  well  carrying 
through  the  part  of  one  resident  to  maintain  the  county 
in  substantial  prosperity.  His  birth  date  was  March  3, 
iSSi,  and  place  of  birth,  Gerry,  where  his  parents, 
Frederick  \'.  and  Rachel  O.  (Shepardson)  Barmore, 
had  lived  all  their  married  life  and  where  his  father  had 
been  born.  He  received  the  customary  public  school 
education  of  the  time,  and  after  leaving  school  took  to 
farming  occupations  upon  his  father's  farm.  He  has  re- 
mained at  farming  ever  since,  and  always  in  or  near 
the  place  of  his  birth.  Mr.  Barmore  is  a  Prohibitionist, 
althougli  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  is  not  a  blind 
follower  of  any  party.  And  upon  certain  questions  of 
national  politics  he  has,  in  the  past,  been  outspoken  in 
his  opinions.  During  the  recent  World  War,  Mr.  Bar- 
more  followed  the  progress  of  national  affairs  with  in- 
tense interest ;  he  was  a  substantial  contributor  to  the 
various  funds  which  were  raised,  in  the  form  of  loans 
or  subscriptions,  to  meet  the  purposes  of  the  nation  in 
the  prosecution  of  the  war.  Mr.  Barmore  has  prob- 
ably a  generation  of  productive  effort  in  agriculture 
still  before  him.  but  up  to  now  he  has  done  commendably, 
and  has  proved  himself  to  be  a  good  patriot,  a  good 
citizen,  and  a  good  neighbor. 

Mr.  Barmore  married,  at  Gerry,  June  5,  1906,  Mildred 
Ostrander,  who  was  born  in  Gerry,  April  7,  1888,  and 
also  comes  from  a  family  long  resident  In  the  county, 
her  parents,  Orville  and  Lana  (Fargo)  Ostrander, 
having  also  been  born  in  thecounty.  To  Mr.and  Mrs.  Bar- 
more  have  been  born  three  children :  Merritt,  born  May 
24,  1908;  Harriet  Oneita,  born  May  22,  1910;  Elwood 
O..  born  March  25,  1015. 


KLOID  STANLEY  RICE,  a  prominent  and  pros- 
perous farmer  of  Klliiigtoii.  where  he  has  been  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits  for  a  number  of  years, 
is  a  native  of  this  place,  his  birth  having  occurred  Jan. 
9,  1891.  Mr.  Rice  is  a  son  of  Charles  H.  and  Myrtle  C. 
(Carpenter)  Rice,  respected  residents  of  Ellington,  where 
the  former  is  also  a  farmer. 

Mr.  Rice  attended  the  Ellington  public  schools  and 
was  graduated  from  the  high  school  here  with  the  class 
of  1909.  His  childhood  was  spent  on  his  father's  farm 
where  he  became  familiar  with  farm  work,  and  he  later 
purchased  farm  property  of  his  own  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  former  place.  Since  that  tme  he  has  devoted  his 
attention  to  dairying  and  apple  growing  and  disposes 
of  this,  his  produce,  in  the  surrounding  local  markets. 
He  has  already  Imilt  up  a  large  and  substantial  business, 
and  is  known  as  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the 
place.  Mr.  Rice,  in  addition  to  his  farm  activities,  has 
taken  a  considerable  interest  in  the  business  operations 
of  the  community,  and  is  associated  with  the  Conewango 
Valley  National  Bank  of  Conewango  Valley.  Mr.  Rice 
has  also  been  prominent  in  public  affairs  and  was 
elected  in  the  year  1917  to  the  office  of  justice  of  the 
peace,  which  he  continues  to  hold  at  the  present  time. 
Mr.  Rice  is  a  member  of  the  local  Grange  of  Kllington, 
and  has  been  active  in  promoting  the  general  agricul- 
tural interests  of  the  region.   In  his  religious  belief,  he  is 


•j^  MO .  &  ^^^-^^  > 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


441 


a   Congregationalist   and    attends    the   First    Congrega- 
tional church  in  Ellington. 

Kloid  Stanley  Rice  was  united  in  marriage,  Aug.  24, 
1918,  with  E.  Frankie  Johnson,  a  native  of  Sheridan, 
N.  Y.,  where  her  birth  occurred  July  10,  1892,  a  daughter 
of  William  E.  and  Cora  E.  (Aldrich)  Johnson,  Mr. 
Johnson  a  native  of  Sheridan,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  V., 
and  Mrs.  Johnson  a  native  of  Hamburg,  Erie  county,  N. 
Y.  

FRANK  MATHEWS  EVANS,  D.  D.  S.— In  view 
of  the  fact  that  he  is  now  postmaster  of  Fredonia,  and 
e.x-president  and  ex-trustee  of  the  village,  the  public 
might  almost  be  expected  to  become  unmindful  of  Dr. 
Evans'  professional  standing  were  it  not  that  the  skill 
which  has  brought  relief  to  so  many  does  not  allow  them 
to  forget  it.  Dr.  Evans  is  influential  in  Masonic  affairs, 
and  a  figure  of  prominence  in  the  social  circles  of  his 
home  town. 

Frank  Mathews  Evans  was  born  Oct.  29,  1S76,  on  his 
father's  farm  near  Boston,  N.  Y.,  a  son  of  John  and 
Mary  (Hatch)  Evans.  Mr.  Evans  is  now  deceased,  and 
his  widow  resides  at  Springville,  N.  Y.  Frank  Mathews 
Evans  attended  local  district  schools,  passing  thence  to 
Springville,  N.  Y.,  High  School,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1900.  It  was  Mr.  Evans  intention  to  study 
for  admission  to  the  bar,  but  in  1900  he  obtained  a 
position  at  the  Pan-American  Exposition  in  Buffalo, 
and  while  there  was  induced  by  the  prediction  of  a 
clairvoyant  to  turn  his  attention  to  dentistry.  Accord- 
ingly, he  worked  his  way  through  the  dental  depart- 
ment of  Buffalo  University,  being  obliged  to  take  four 
years  for  a  three  years'  course,  and  in  1905  graduating 
with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Dental  Surgery.  After 
working  one  year  in  a  dentist's  office.  Dr.  Evans  came 
to  Fredonia  in  August,  1906,  where  he  has  built  up  an 
extensive  and  lucrative  practice. 

As  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  principles  of  the  Dem- 
cratic  party.  Dr.  Evans  has  been  for  many  years  a 
prominent  political  worker,  and  before  coming  to  Fre- 
donia was  well  known  as  a  campaign  orator,  taking  the 
stump  as  a  supporter  of  William  J.  Bryan.  .After  serv- 
ing as  president  and  trustee  of  the  village,  he  was  ap- 
pointed in  .April.  igi6,  postmaster  of  Fredonia,  and  his 
administration  has  been,  as  his  fellow-citizens  can 
testify,  fully  satisfactory  in  every  respect.  He  affiliates 
with  the  Masons  of  Fredonia,  the  Elks  of  Dunkirk,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Citizens'  Club  of  Fredonia.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  his 
home  town. 

Dr.  Evans  married,  Dec.  6,  1905,  ^^abel,  daughter  of 
Randolph  and  Sarah  McWilliams,  of  Pittsburgh,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  the  following  children  :  Stanley, 
Mendal,  Charles,  and  Arthur.  All  these  are  in  school  with 
the  exception  of  the  youngest  who  attends  the  kinder- 
garten. Dr.  and  Mrs.  Evans  first  met  while  the  former 
was  employed  at  the  Pan-American  E.xposition  in  Buff- 
alo. Frank  Mathews  Evans  is,  most  emphatically,  a 
man  who  counts  in  his  community  and  always  on  the 
side  of  progress,  reform  and  enlightened  government. 


one  of  the  representative,  responsible  and  industrious 
residents  of  that  section  of  the  county,  was  born  in 
Poland,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  25,  1875,  the 
son  of  George  Frank  and  Eunita  (Page)  Williams. 
His  father,  who  by  trade  was  a  carpenter,  was  well 
known  in  the  district  and  erected  many  buildings  in 
that  section  of  the  county.  He  was  an  industrious,  un- 
assuming, steadygoing  man  and  had  many  sincere 
friends. 

Earl  R.  Frisbee,  who  has  taken  the  name  of  Myron 
Frisbee,  who  adopted  him  when  he  was  two  years  old, 
and  with  whom  he  remained  until  his  marriage, 
went  to  the  Ellington  public  school  in  his  boyhood, 
and  he  had  not  advanced  far  into  his  teens  when  he  was 
in  full  work,  from  morning  until  night,  taking  any 
honest  labor  that  offered.  Eventually  he  became  estab- 
lished as  a  blacksmith  and  farrier  at  Conewango  Valley. 
As  such,  during  the  long  period  he  has  been  at  the  forge 
and  anvil,  he  has  come  into  close  contact  with  most  of 
the  agriculturists  of  the  neighborhood,  and  he  is  gener- 
ally held  in  high  regard.  And  his  business  has  steadily 
prospered.  In  political  allegiance,  he  is  a  Republican, 
but  he  has  shown,  on  more  than  one  occasion,  that  he  is 
a  man  of  original  thought,  and  that  he  will  not  follow 
any  party  platform  blindly.  And  although  he  has  taken 
some  part  in  political  activities,  he  has  never  accepted 
political  office.  He  does  not  belong  to  any  fraternal 
societies,  secret  orders,  nor  other  organizations  of  that 
type,  but  throughout  his  life,  since  he  reached  adult  age. 
he  has  been  an  earnest  Congregationalist.  conscientious 
in  his  observance  of  Christian  duties  and  principles. 

Mr.  Frisbee  married,  March  9,  1898,  at  Cherry  Creek, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y..  Edna  M.  Hinds,  born  March 
7,  1875,  daughter  of  Thomas  P.  and  Mary  M.  CArnold) 
Hinds.  They  have  two  children :  Eunice  Bell,  born 
May  13,  1903;  Myron  George,  born  July  21,  1908. 

During  the  terrible  war  just  ended,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Frisbee  took  proper  and  enthusiastic  part  in  the  various 
movements  promoted  to  further  the  cause,  and  they 
contributed  substantially  to  the  several  patriotic  funds. 


EARL  R.  FRISBEE,  who  has  been  in  independent 
business  as  a  blacksmith  in  Conewango  Valley,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,   for  so  many  years,  and  who  is 


PETER  E.  LARSON— There  have  been  few  ele- 
ments in  the  general  life  of  Jamestown.  Chautauqua 
ccunty,  N.  Y.,  so  highly  valued  as  that  supplied  by  the 
large  population  of  Swedish  birth  or  extraction  that 
have  made  that  city  their  home,  members  of  which  have 
engaged  in  well  nigh  every  form  of  activity  in  the 
region  and  become  successful  financiers,  manufacturers, 
business  men,  merchants  and  farmers.  Among  these 
there  is  no  name  better  known  than  that  of  Peter  E. 
Larson,  who  conducts  a  successful  business  in  the  city. 

Mr.  Larson  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  March  23, 
1861,  a  son  of  Peter  and  .\nna  (Krestena)  Larson,  the 
former  an  agriculturist  in  his  own  land.  He  was  a 
young  man  when  he  came  from  Sweden  to  the  United 
States,  and  it  was  on  July  13,  1883,  that  he  first  came  to 
Jamestown  to  make  his  permanent  home.  He  had  al- 
ready received  a  thorough  training  In  agriculture  as  a 
lad  on  his  father's  farm,  as  well  as  an  excellent  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  near  his  native  town  in  Sweden.  He 
is  engaged  in  the  sale  of  milk  and  cream,  and  is  a 
much  respected  figure  in  the  business  life  of  the  com- 
munity.   In  his  religious  belief,  Mr.  Larson  is  a  Sweden- 


44^ 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


borgian  and   attends   the   church  of   that   denomination 
at  Jamestown. 

Peter  E.  Larson  was  united  in  marriage,  December, 
-.  lS5,-,  with  Sophia  Grieph,  a  daugliter  of  John  and  Anna 
S.  (  Erepon)  Grieph,  old  and  highly  respected  residents 
of  Jamestown,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  l.  Walter,  horn  Sept-  22.  1S88,  was 
educated  and  grew  to  manhood  in  Jamestown ;  he  was 
drafted  into  the  United  States  Arniy,  Sept.  30,  1017, 
and  was  sent  to  Syracuse.  X.  Y.,  for  his  preliminary 
training:  from  there  he  went  to  France  and  saw  active 
scr\ice  in  the  terrible  closing  campaigns  of  the  World 
War,  taking  part  in  no  fewer  than  five  battles.  2. 
Plenney  S..  born  March  15.  iSgi ;  he  was  also  drafted, 
entering  the  army,  July  20,  igiS,  and  three  days  later, 
upon  his  acceptance  by  the  board,  was  sent  directly  to 
Europe,  where  his  training  took  place :  he  remained  six 
months  abroad  and  was  honorably  discharged  from  the 
service,  Feb.  4.  IQIO.  3.  Elmer  E.,  born  Nov.  24,  1S92;  he 
received  his  education  in  the  Jamestown  schools,  and 
upon  completing  his  studies  secured  a  position  in  the 
post  oSce  in  Washington,  D.  C. ;  his  death  occurred  in 
Jamestown.  March  S,  1916.  4.  .-Knna  S.,  born  Nov.24,  1894, 
died  in  early  infancy.  5.  Ruth  E.,  born  .\pril  2,  1896.  6. 
Harry  R.,  born  Sept.  30,  iSoJ:';  he  enlisted  in  the  United 
States  navy,  Jan.  8,  iQiS,  and  was  assigned  to  the  task 
of  carrying  our  troops  to  France,  crossing  the  Atlantic 
no  less  than  eleven  times.  7.  Esther  A.,  born  Feb.  2, 
1900.     S.  May  Dora,  born  May  9,   1901. 


JACOB  H.  JONES— Many  years  ago,  David  Jones 
came  from  Wales,  Great  Britain,  and  found  a  home  in 
Prince  Edward  county,  province  of  Ontario,  Canada. 
There  his  son,  Thomas  Jones,  was  born,  and  spent  his 
life,  and  there  Jacob  H.  Jones,  son  of  Thomas  Jones, 
and  grandson  of  David  Jones,  the  pioneer  settler,  was 
bom.  Thomas  Jones  married  Rachel  Verex  and  both 
died  in  Belleville.  Ontario,  Canada.  They  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  the  father 
was  a  lifelong  farmer. 

Jacob  H.  Jones  was  Ijorn  near  Pict<^iu,  the  capital  oi' 
Prince  Edward  coimty.  province  of  Ontario,  Canada, 
.•\ug.  24.  1849.  and  there  he  pas.^cd  the  first  fifteen  years 
of  his  life.  He  had  limited  school  opportunities  and 
at  a  very  early  age  became  a  farm  worker.  This  con- 
dition roused  dissatisfaction  in  his  breast,  and  he  re- 
solved to  leave  home,  which  at  the  age  of  fifteen  he 
did.  having  as  a  companion  a  boy  but  little  older  than 
himself,  Levi  Carr.  neither  having  any  amount  of  money. 
The  b'lvs  maric  their  way  across  the  border  anfj 
rt-achcd  the  Uni'ed  States  safely,  continuing  across  New 
^'ork  State  until  Jacob  H.  made  his  way  into  Chau- 
tat:r)iia  cunty,  and  found  employment  with  .'\scl  Burn- 
h;im,  a  farmer  of  the  town  of  Arkwright.  He  received 
$20  monthly  a.s  wages,  and  he  was  in  the  employ  of 
difTefnt  farmers  r.f  (hat  section.  During  the  follow- 
injf  winter  he  a'tendcd  district  school  No.  8  in  the  town 
'f  Charlott'-.  In  iW»7  he  entered  the  employ  of  Nelson 
Cha»c.  who<c  son-in-law  he  later  became.  Aft'-r  some 
yr,-;r^  he  went  Wet  to  the  State  of  Iowa,  bought  a 
farm  n'-ar  the  .Minnf^^.ta  boundary,  and  became  a  grain 
frow-r  and  a  maniifacltir'-r  of  rherse.  a  trade  he  had 
learned  in  Chautauf|!ia  rounty.  After  three  years  in  the 
West  he  sold  hii  farm  and  business  and  returned  East, 


going  to  the  oil  holds  at  Bradford,  Pa.,  there  remaining 
one  year.  His  next  move  was  to  return  to  Charlotte, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  there  purchasing  a  farm  in 
the  Chase  neighborhood  known  as  the  Crampton  Farm, 
containing  120  acres.  Mr.  Jones  engaged  in  stock  rais- 
ing and  dairy  farming  very  successfully  until  1893,  then 
leaving  the  farm  he  came  to  Jamestown  and  opened  up 
Inisincss  in  the  Broadhead  building,  on  what  is  now 
Roosevelt  square,  as  a  wholesale  dealer  in  butter,  eggs, 
and  other  produce.  He  continued  that  business  very 
successfully  for  eight  years,  then  sold  out  and  later 
opened  a  wholesale  fruit  business  in  the  GifFord  block, 
v/hich  he  conducted  for  two  years.  He  then  moved  to 
a  location  at  East  Second  and  Winsor  streets,  taking  in 
his  son  Earl  C.  as  a  partner,  and  operating  as  J.  H. 
Jones  &  Son,  and  conducting  a  retail  grocery  for  five 
years.  Mr.  Jones,  Sr.,  then  retired  from  the  firm,  and 
bought  a  tract  of  ten  acres  of  fertile  land  which  he 
has  since  cultivated  as  a  market  garden,  supplying  the 
local  market. 

A  man  of  whole-souled  generous  impulse,  Mr.  Jones 
is  greatly  liked  and  esteemed  in  his  community,  and  is 
a  citizen  beyond  reproach.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics, 
but  neither  seeks  nor  desires  public  ofhce.  He  is  a 
member  of  Sylvanus  Lodge,  No.  303,  Sinclairville,  and 
his  religious  creed  is  the  Golden  Rule.  Honorable  and 
upright  in  all  his  dealings,  he  is  a  good  exemplifica- 
tion of  the  value  of  that  rule  and  of  its  practicability. 

Jacob  H.  Jones  married,  in  Charlotte,  Chautauqua 
count.v,  N.  Y.,  in  1875,  Celinda  Chase,  born  in  that 
town,  daughter  of  Nelson  Chase,  and  a  sister  of  Albert 
N.  Chase,  of  Charlotte.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  are  the 
parents  of  five  children:  I.  Jennie,  married  E.  Jay 
Harris,  superintendent  of  the  Watson  Manufacturing 
Company  of  Jamestown,  and  they  have  three  children: 
Marion,  Rachel,  and  Wilbur.  2.  Earl  C,  now  with  the 
Watson  Manufacturing  Company,  formerly  his  father's 
business  partner;  he  married  Mildred  Flagg,  and  has 
two  chilldren,  Flora  and  Roger.  3.  Clara  R.,  who  re- 
sides in  Vancouver,  British  Columbia.  4.  Jessie,  died 
young.  5.  Frances  Victoria,  married  J.  A.  Carlson,  a 
farmer  of  the  town  of  Ellicott,  Chautauqua  county.  N. 
Y.,  and  has  a  daughter,  Virginia  Mary  Carlson.  The 
Jones  home  is  at  No.  40  Flagg  avenue,  Jamestown. 


HERBERT  DEYO  TERWILLIGER— Five  years' 
residence  in  Fredonia  has  fully  established  Mr.  Ter- 
williger  in  the  position  of  one  of  her  leading  business 
men  and  most  public-spirited  citizens.  As  head  of  the 
wH'll  known  firm  of  Terwilligcr  &  Salzer,  and  as  the 
present  inciunbcnt  of  the  responsible  office  of  city  trus- 
tee, he  rcfpn'res  no  introduction  in  a  work  of  this 
character. 

Herbert  Dcyo  Terwilligcr  was  born  March  17, 
1883,  on  a  farm  in  Broome  county,  N.  Y.,  and  is  a  son 
of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Adams)  Terwilligcr.  Mrs. 
Terwilligcr  passed  away  in  1917,  in  Binghamton,  N. 
\.,  and  Mr.  Terwilligcr  is  still  living  in  that  place.  The 
education  of  their  son  was  received  in  local  district 
schools  and  at  the  Binghamton  High  School.  Without 
waiting  to  graduate  he  entered,  at  an  early  age,  into  the 
MTi')Us  work  of  life,  finding  employment  in  a  candy 
factory,  wlnri-  In-  nmained  two  years.  He  thoi  became 
an  orderly    in  the  IJingliamton  City  Hospital,  his  desire 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


443 


being  to  study  medicine  and  graduate  as  a  member  of 
the  medical  profession.  Lack  of  funds  frustrated  his 
ambition,  but  he  entered  Bellevue  Hospital,  New  York, 
graduating  there,  and  also  at  the  Mills  Training  School, 
in  1904,  with  the  degree  of  R.  N.,  having  worked  his 
way  through  these  institutions.  He  passed  in  the  same 
way  through  the  Renard  School  of  Embalming,  gradu- 
ating in  1909.  Going  then  to  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  Mr. 
Terwiiliger  became  an  undertaker  and  furniture  dealer, 
combining  the  two  lines  of  business  until  the  spring 
of  1914,  when  he  moved  to  Fredonia,  and  formed  a 
partnership  with  E.  J.  Salzer  under  the  firm  name  of 
Terwiiliger  &  Salzer.  They  conduct  a  large  furniture 
store,  at  the  same  time  carr\'ing  on  a  business  as  funeral 
directors. 

In  civic  affairs  Mr.  Terwiiliger  has  long  taken  a  very 
active  part,  and  in  various  forms  of  war  work  was  an 
acknowledged  leader.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican, 
and  is  now  serving  his  second  term  as  trustee  of  the 
town  of  Fredonia.  He  affiliates  with  Eastern  Light 
Lodge,  No.  126,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Greene, 
N.  Y. ;  with  the  Chapter  of  Greene ;  and  with  the  Con- 
sistory and  Shrine,  of  Binghamton.  He  has  attained 
to  the  thirty-second  degree.  He  also  affiliates  with 
Chautauqua  Lodge,  No.  382,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  of  Fredonia;  Grape  Vine  Lodge,  No.  81,  Mac- 
cabees, in  which  he  is  recorder ;  and  belongs  to  Fre- 
donia Grange  and  Citizens'  Club.  He  occupies  a  seat 
on  the  Board  of  Commerce.  His  religious  membership 
is  in  the  Episcopal  church  of  Fredonia.  in  which  he 
holds  the  office  of  vestryman  and  treasurer. 

Mr.  Terwiiliger  married.  March  10,  1903,  in  "The 
Little  Church  around  the  Comer,"  New  York  City, 
Josephine  Alice,  daughter  of  Gustavus  and  Pauline 
(Bowers)  Russ,  whom  he  met  while  serving  in  Belle- 
vue Hospital.  Mrs.  Terwiiliger  is  a  graduate  of  that  in- 
stitution and  also  of  the  Renard  School  of  Embalming, 
and  is  now  her  husband's  very  valuable  assistant  in  his 
business.  Most  emphaticallv  is  Mr.  Terwiiliger  a  self- 
made  man  and,  equally  emphatically,  is  he  a  man  with  a 
record  to  be  proud  of. 


of    the    Independent   Order   of    Odd    Fellows    and    the 
Grange. 

Guy  VV.  Milspaw  was  united  in  marriage  on  Christ- 
mas Day,  1901,  at  Falconer,  N.  Y.,  with  Jennie  A. 
Bedient,  a  nativfe  of  that  town,  born  May  8,  1872,  a 
daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Erwin  Bedient,  of  Falconer. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Milspaw  six  children  have  been  born, 
as  follows:  Ray  H.,  born  June  19,  1903;  I'la  B.,  born 
25,  1905;  Irwin  W.,  born  Oct.  15,  1909;  Harry  M., 
born  May  15,.  igii;  Hazel  B.,  born  Oct.  14,  1913;  and 
Lynn  G.,  born  July  7,  1916. 


GUY  W.  MILSPAW,  who  has  been  recognized  as 
one  of  the  most  substantial  and  influential  citizens  of 
Cherry  Creek,  Chautauqua  county.  N.  Y.,  for  a  number 
of  years,  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Ellington  in  the 
same  county,  a  son  of  William  and  Martha  (Magee) 
Milspaw,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  the 
latter  place.  The  elder  Mr.  Milspaw  was  also  born  at 
Ellington,  in  the  year  1847,  and  there  for  many  years 
conducted  extensive  farming  operations  and  was  highly 
successful.  He  married  Martha  Magee,  a  native  of 
Ohio,  born  in  1845,  and  one  of  their  children  was  Guy 
\V.  Milspaw,  with  whose  career  we  are  here  concerned. 

Guy  W.  Milspaw  was  born  Oct.  22.  1875,  and  passed 
his  childhood  in  his  native  town  of  Ellington,  where  he 
attended  the  local  public  schools  and  was  finally  gradu- 
ated from  the  high  school  there.  Since  that  time  Air. 
Milspaw  has  been  engaged  successfully  in  the  milling 
and  feed  business  at  Cherry  Creek,  where  he  also  makes 
his  home.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  but  although 
his  talents  and  abilities  amply  fit  him  to  hold  public 
office  he  has  never  been  ambitious  for  political  prefer- 
ment of  any  kind,  choosing  rather  to  exert  his  influence 
as  a  private  citizen.    He  is  a  member  of  the  local  lodge 


SANDERS  M.  THAYER— No  record  of  the  suc- 
cessful men  of  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
would  be  complete  without  mention  of  Sanders  M. 
Thayer,  who  has  for  many  years  been  engaged  in  the 
occupations  of  farming  and  contracting,  and  who  has 
now  reached  a  well  assured  place  in  the  general  esteem 
of  the  community.  Mr.  Thayer  is  a  native  of  the  town 
of  Ellicott,  N.  Y.,  born  Oct.  15,  1858,  a  son  of  Manley 
and  Mary  L.  (Be wen)  Thayer,  the  latter  a  native  of 
Portland,  N.  Y.  The  elder  Mr.  Thayer  was  a  farmer 
and  builder,  and  founded  the  double  business  of  agri- 
culture and  contracting  that  has  been  carried  on  so 
successfully  by  his  son. 

Sanders  M.  Thayer  passed  his  childhood  and  early 
youth  in  his  native  region,  and  after  completing  his 
studies  at  the  local  schools,  which  he  attended  for  a 
number  of  years,  served  a  period  of  apprenticeship 
under  the  direction  of  his  father.  Eventually,  upon  the 
death  of  the  elder  man,  he  took  over  the  prosperous 
business  developed  by  the  latter,  and  since  that  time 
has  consistently  carried  on  the  same,  in  the  conduct  of 
which  he  has  displayed  unusual  ability  as  an  organizer 
and  executive,  and  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
substantial  citizens  of  Jamestown,  which  has  always  been 
the  scene  of  his  activities,  .-^s  a  farmer  he  has  shown 
a  progressive  conservatism  which  has  been  productive 
of  the  most  gratifying  results,  combining  in  the  culti- 
vation of  his  farm  his  own  practical  experience  and  that 
of  his  agricultural  forbears  with  the  more  theoretical 
knowledge  evolved  by  modern  science.  The  same  char- 
acteristics have  marked  him  in  his  contracting  enter- 
prises, his  shrewd  grasp  of  practical  affairs  being,  per- 
haps, an  inheritance  from  his  old  Scottish  ancestry, 
it  being  from  that  sturdy  stock  that  the  Thayers  are 
sprung.  He  has  always  exhibited  a  public-spirited  inter- 
est in  the  general  welfare  of  the  community,  especially  in 
connection  with  its  agricultural  development,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  intelligent  and  active  members  of  the 
local  Grange.  Another  characteristic  derived  from  his 
Scottish  forbears  is  his  strong  religious  convictions  and 
beliefs,  and  he  is  one  of  the  stanchest  members  of  the 
Jlethodist  church  of  Jamestown. 

Sanders  M.  Thayer  was  united  in  marriage,  Oct.  15. 
1888,  at  Jamestown  with  Jessie  Denslow,  an  native  of 
that  city,  born  Aug.  30,  1861,  a  daughter  of  Willard  T. 
and  Laura  Jane  (Smiley)  Denslow,  who  were  born 
respectively  in  Batavia  and  Ellicott,  N.  Y.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Thayer  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  as  follows: 
Ralph  E.,  born  June  27,  1880,  married  Isabel  Morgan, 
by  whom  he  has  had  three  children :     Ros^;,  Ralph,  and 

Ruth:     and     Robert    L.,    born    Oct.    17.    1806,   married 
.Mvida   Swanson.  by  whom  he  has  had  two  children: 

Robert,  and  William. 


444 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


ANDREW  PAUL  JONES— At  the  age  of  sixty- 
eight  Andrew  Paul  Jones  was  called  away  without 
warning,  his  death  the  result  of  an  accident  on  the  Erie 
Railroad  at  Celoron.  Chautauqua  county.  N.  V.  His 
widow.  Anna  Sophia  (Morgan^  Jones,  yet  sur\ives  him, 
her  home  also  the  home  of  her  youngest  son,  Charles 
Russell  Tones,  a  cabinetmaker  and  ofiicial  of  the  village 
of  Celoron.  The  excellencies  of  the  boats  built  by 
Andrew  Paul  Jones  brought  him  local  fame,  and  he  is 
yet  spoken  of  ,is  a  builder  of  good  boats  and  as  a  good 
citizen.  In  his  own  line  of  mechanical  work  the  son, 
Charles  R..  emulates  the  example  of  his  father,  and  in 
his  mcHlem  home  in  Celoron  are  many  articles  testi- 
fying to  his  expertness  as  a  worker  in  wood. 

.\ndre\v  Paul  Jones  was  bom  in  Sweden,  March  31, 
liLp,  died  in  the  village  of  Celoron,  Chautauqua  count>, 
N.  v..  Oct.  12.  1010.  He  became  a  skilled  mechanic,  and 
for  several  years  after  coming  to  the  United  States 
he  was  eng:3ged  with  his  brother  as  a  carriage  builder, 
continuing  in  that  business  in  Jamestown  irom  1870 
until  1S92.  He  then  opened  a  boat  livery  at  Burtis  Bay 
on  the  shore  of  Chautauqua  Lake,  which  he  conducted 
until  his  accidental  death,  eighteen  years  Tater.  During 
the  Civil  War.  Mr.  Jones  enlisted  and  served  one  year 
in  the  L'nited  States  navy.  He  allied  himself  with  the 
Republican  party,  the  Grand  .Army  of  the  Republic  of 
Jamestown,  and  the  Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.. 

Mr.  Jones  married,  in  Jamestown,  in  1878,  Anna 
Sophia  Morgan,  bom  Aug.  31, 1847,  in  Sweden,  daughter 
of  Charles  and  Mary  (Larsen)  Morgan.  Mrs.  Jones 
continues  her  residence  in  Celoron.  She  is  the  mother 
of  two  sons:  i.  Clayton  M..  born  Oct.  2,  1879,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Chautauqua  county  bar.  practicing  in  James- 
town, his  law  office  in  the  Fenton  building;  he  married 
.Aimee  Cedarquist,  and  has  two  children:  Marietta  and 
Clayton  ^f.,  Jr.  2.  Charles  Russell,  born  Nov.  5,  1884, 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  graduated  from 
the  Jamestown  High  School  and  after  finishing  his 
studies  learned  the  cabinetmaker's  trade,  which  he  still 
follows ;  he  has  taken  a  deep  interest  in  Celoron  village 
affairs,  and  has  served  as  tax  collector,  village  trustee, 
assessor,  and  for  the  pa.st  three  years  treasurer  of  the 
Celoron  Ho«e  Company ;  he  built  the  home  in  Celoron, 
now  occupied  by  his  widowed  mother  and  himself. 


ELMER  C.  GIFFORD— The  auto  industry,  that 
mo^t  flourishing  and  .'•ggressive  of  morlern  enterprises, 
has  no  more  energetic  representative  in  Cha\itauqua 
county  than  the  citizen  of  Jamestown  whoso  name  the 
bi'/graphcr  has  just  written.  Mr.  GifTord  in  influentially 
associated  with  the  financial  interests  r)f  his  community 
and  is  well  known  in  fraternal  and  social  circles. 

Elmer  C.  GifTord  was  t>orn  Jan.  11,  1874.  in  Riisti, 
Chautaufjua  county,  N'.  V.,  and  is  a  son  of  Charles  D. 
and  Clem-ni'ine  J.  f Hitchcock)  GifTord.  The  death  of 
Mr,  Giffr.rd  '■<<-currfd  in  firi^  and  in  1018  Mrs.  GifTord 
pa-^fd  away.  The  'duTiiiin  of  Elmer  C.  GifTord  was 
received  in  l^rral  grammar  and  high  schools  and  was 
stippl'nnenled  by  a  course  at  the  Jamestown  Business 
C'/Mr-y.  I'ntil  the  sprin/  of  loi^  he  worked  on  the 
GifTord  hom'-st'-ad.  This  farm  was  purchased  from  the 
Holland  I^nd  0->mpany  and  is  devoted  to  general  dairy 
work  and  the  breeding  of  cattle.     The  estate  originally 


consisted  of  200  acres,  but  has  been  reduced  by  the  sale 
of  nine  farms,  leaving  only  about  40  acres  for  the  use 
of  the  owners. 

In  IQ16  Mr.  GifTord  engaged  in  the  auto  business  as 
agent  for  the  Interstate  Company.  In  May  of  the  same 
year  he  bought  land  and,  in  association  with  Albert  G. 
Johnson,  erected  a  building  containing  a  showroom  and 
service  station.  The  venture  proved  successful  and 
Mr.  Gifford,  in  association  with  L.  B.  Parker,  now  con- 
trols the  agency  for  the  Buick,  Chevrolet,  and  Haynes 
automobiles,  and  the  Case  tractor  and  Stewart  trucks,  for 
Jamestown  and  the  surrounding  territory,  Mr.  Gifford 
has  been  for  sixteen  years  a  director  of  the  Farmers' 
anil  Mechanics'  Bank. 

In  politics  Mr.  Gifford  is  a  Republican,  but  has  never 
been  active  in  public  afTairs.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
.Auto  Dealers'  Association  of  Jamestown,  belongs  to  the 
Grange,  and  affiliates  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  His 
only  club  is  the  Rotary. 

Mr.  Gifford  married.  Sept.  20,  1800.  Pearl  Terry, 
daughter  of  Jay  Terry,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three 
children:  Louise,  Charles,  and  Corydon.  Mr.  Gifford 
has  one  sister.  Mrs.  Marion  G.  Martin,  of  Jamestown. 

El.mer  C.  Gifford  has  certainly  proved  a  most  valuable 
reenforcenient  to  the  auto  interests  of  Chautauqua 
county.  Undoubtedly  he  will  do  much  to  make  the  in- 
dustrv  flourish  in  Western  New  York. 


EMMETT  W.  ALEXANDER— Hugh  Alexander, 
grandfather  of  Emmett  W.  Alexander,  of  Lakewood,  N. 
Y.,  came  to  Chautauqua  county  from  the  State  of  Ver- 
mont and  settled  in  the  town  of  Harmony.  There  he 
followed  the  occupation  of  farmer  and  there  his  son, 
Daniel  .Alexander,  was  born,  who  settled  on  a  farm  at 
RIockville,  in  Harmony,  and  there  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  days.  He  married  Charlotte  Scofield,  also  born  in 
the  town  of  Harmony,  and  they  were  the  parents  of 
Emmett  W.  .Alexander,  now  of  Lakewood,  N.  Y.,  a 
merchant  and  an  esteemed  citizen. 

Emmett  W.  Alexander  was  born  at  the  home  farm 
in  Blockville,  Harmony,  N.  Y'.,  June  10,  1850.  He  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  home 
town.  He  began  his  business  career  as  a  farmer,  but 
later  became  a  contractor.  He  settled  in  the  village  of 
Lakewood.  where  he  is  engaged  in  business  as  a  retail 
coal  dealer.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  for  twenty-nine 
years,  1891-1020,  has  been  a  member  of  Lakewood 
Tvodge,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

Mr.  A.lexander  married,  Sept.  20,  1871,  at  Blockville, 
N.  Y.,  Mary  Jones,  born  at  French  Creek,  Chautauqua 
coimty,  N.  Y.,  March  14,  1854,  died  at  the  family  home 
fjn  Chautauqua  avenue,  Lakewood,  May  i?,  1020.  Mrs. 
Alexandir  was  the  daughter  of  James  H.  and  Laura 
(■  Sullivan)  Jones,  her  mother  born  in  Clymer,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  a  Clymer  farmer 
and  minister.  Two  sons  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Alexander:  Roy  C,  born  Oct.  2,  187S,  married  Effie  J. 
I'elersoii,  in  Jamestown,  and  they  arc  the  jiarents  of 
two  children:  Emmett  W.  and  Dorothy  J.  Alexander; 
Seward  G.,  born  July  0,  1880.  married  Mabel  J.  White, 
risides  in  Warren,  Pa.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  a 
sun,  Donald  M.  Alexander. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


445 


ALVIN  E.  PETERSON— Now  that  the  Swedes  of 
Jamestown  are  believed  to  number  about  20,000,  the 
question  of  priority  of  settlement  becomes  one  of  in- 
terest. The  pioneer  actual  settlers  were  two  young 
women,  both  born  in  Sweden,  who  first  went  to  Sugar 
Grove,  Pa.,  with  other  Swedes  who  settled  there.  The 
two  young  women,  Johanna  Charlotta  Johnson  and  Lisa 
Lena  Anderson,  left  Sugar  Grove  in  the  summer  of 
1849,  found  employment  in  the  nearby  village  of  James- 
town, and  became  its  first  actual  Swedish  residents. 
One  of  these  young  women,  Lisa  Lena  Anderson,  born 
in  Sweden,  July  30,  1833,  married,  June  28,  1851,  Otto 
Peterson,  a  farmer  and  tanner,  born  in  Sweden,  March 
3,  1831,  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  James- 
town in  1850,  and  there  died  Nov.  24,  1903.  His  widow, 
Mrs.  Lisa  Lena  (.\nderson)  Peterson,  yet  survives  her 
husband,  and  is  now  (1920),  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven, 
residing  in  Jamestown  at  No.  296  Harrison  street. 
Among  the  twelve  children  of  Otto  and  Lisa  Lena 
(Anderson)  Peterson  was  a  son.  Alvin  E.,  eleventh 
child  and  second  son. 

Alvin  E.  Peterson  was  born  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Feb. 
26,  1873.  and  is  now  (1920)  a  resident  of  the  village  of 
Celoron,  and  one  of  the  prosperous  business  men  of 
that  popular  lake  resort.  He  was  educated  in  the  James- 
town public  schools,  finishing  in  high  school,  and  from 
an  early  age  has  been  a  wage  earner  and  business  man. 
He  has  long  been  associated  with  the  development  of 
Celoron  as  a  summer  resort,  and  until  its  destruction 
by  fire  owned  and  managed  the  large  amusement  pavil- 
lion.  He  is  now  proprietor  of  a  confectionery  and  ice 
cream  parlor  in  the  park  and  does  a  good  business.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  First  Swedish  Lutheran  Church, 
and  in  politics  is  an  independent.  He  built  his  present 
residence  in  Celoron  and  has  other  real  estate  invest- 
ments in  the  village. 

Mr.  Peterson  married,  Sept.  23,  1908,  Rev.  Julius 
Lincoln,  pastor  of  the  First  Lutheran  Church  of  James- 
town, officiating,  Jennie  Maria  Warner,  born  in  Sweden, 
daughter  of  Ludvig  and  Maria   (Ryd)  Warner. 


EARL  JESTIE  FOSTER,  an  enterprising  young 
farmer  who  is  succeeding  well  in  the  cultivation  of  his 
acreage  in  Ripley  township.  Chautauqua  county.  N.  Y., 
has  shown  himself  to  be  a  worthy  son  of  a  worthy 
father,  the  latter,  William  Foster,  having  had  responsi- 
ble and  consequential  connection  with  agriculture  in 
Chautauqua  county  for  many  decades. 

Earl  Jestie  Foster  was  born  in  the  town  of  Westfield, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  6,  1877.  the  son  of 
William  and  Julia  (Bunville)  Foster.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  district  schools  of  Westfield  and  Brocton, 
Chautauqua  county,  and  for  a  time  in  district  schools 
of  Erie  county,  N.  Y.  After  completing  his  schooling, 
he  resolutely  applied  himself  to  farming  and  has  since 
continued  to  pass  his  entire  time  in  agricultural  pursuits 
with  the  exception  of  six  years,  three  years  working 
in  the  Liternational  Street  Car  Company,  and  three 
years  in  the  Buffalo  &  Lake  Erie  Street  Car  Company, 
in  Buffalo.  N.  Y.  In  1915,  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Rip- 
ley township  and  he  has  since  appreciably  improved  it. 
It  is  63  acres  in  extent,  quite  enough  in  these  days  of 
highly  paid  and  scarce  help,  and  he  has  erected  a  new 
granary,  silo,  and  milk  house.     He  has  about  nine  acres 


of  his  land  in  vineyard,  and  has  an  additional  acreage 
of  other  fruits,  but  his  main  farming  is  dairy,  which 
means  hard  work,  but  consistently  substantial  returns. 

Mr.  Foster  is  a  Republican  in  his  political  allegiance, 
and  fraternally  belongs  to  the  Ripley  branch  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  is  much  inter- 
ested in  the  functioning  of  the  Ripley  Grange,  of  which 
he  is  a  member,  and  he  is  interested  in  all  matters  per- 
taining to  farming.  Upon  his  farm  he  is  adopting  many 
modern  methods,  and  is  an  observant  student  of  agri- 
cultural developments.  Religiously,  he  is  a  Methodist, 
which  denomination  he  substantially  supports. 

Mr.  Foster  married,  Feb.  20,  1901,  Mary  Homewood, 
of  a  well  known  Ripley  family.  ■  They  have  two  chil- 
dren :    Leigh,  who  now  attends  school ;  and  Clara. 

Mr.  Foster  is  an  aggressive,  optimistic,  and  skillful 
farmer,  and  probably  has  another  generation  of  conse- 
quential connection  with  Chautauqua  county  agriculture 
still  before  him,  and  he  will  probably  advance  in  mater- 
ial possessions  as  rapidly  as  he  has  during  the  last  four 
or  five  years,  for  he  is  of  the  type  that,  having  put  his 
shoulder  to  the  wheel,  will  hold  to  the  task  as  long  as 
the  task  exists.  And  Mr.  Foster's  task  will  probably 
last  until  old  age,  for  he  indicates  in  his  work  that 
farming  pursuits  are  to  him  his  hobby  and  pleasure,  as 
well  as  his  means  of  subsistence.  He  is  reputed  to  be 
a  good  neighbor,  and  since  he  has  been  on  his  present 
farm  he  and  his  wife  have  made  many  friends,  and  have 
taken  part  in  community  movements.  During  the  war 
he  manifested  a  worthy  patriotism,  subscribing  to  the 
various  loans  and  other  funds  raised  for  the  needs  of 
the  government  during  that  period. 


CHARLES  EDWARD  BROWN  is  among  the  suc- 
cessful representatives  of  the  agricultural  interests  of 
Chautauqua  county.  The  appearance  of  his  name  wins 
instantaneous  and  appreciative  recognition  as  that  of  an 
enterprising  citizen  of  Ripley.  He  has  long  been  active 
in  the  political  life  of  his  community,  filling  with  credit 
numerous  local  offices,  and  is  now  holding  that  of  deputy 
sheriff. 

Charles  Edward  Brown  was  born  .'\pril  27,  1863,  on 
a  farm  in  South  Otselic,  N.  Y.,  and  is  a  son  of  Win- 
sor  and  Lucy  (Seldon)  Brown.  Charles  Edwara 
Brown  attended  the  district  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  assisted  in  the  labors  of  the  farm,  later  find- 
ing employment  in  the  cheese  factory  of  which  his 
father  was  the  owner  and  which  he  conducted  in  con- 
junction with  the  management  of  his  farm.  In  1874  the 
family  moved  to  Ripley,  Chautauqua  county,  and  there 
Charles  Edward  worked  on  the  farm  and  attended 
school.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  engaged  in  the  retail 
meat  business,  meeting  with  such  success  that  he  con- 
ducted his  own  establishment  for  thirteen  years.  \t  the 
end  of  that  time  he  sold  out  and  with  the  capital  which  he 
had  accumulated  he  purchased  a  farm,  which  he  still 
cultivates.  In  addition  to  his  work  as  an  agriculturist, 
Mr.  Brown  has  the  ice  business  in  Ripley  village, 
where  he  has  a  very  attractive  home.  During  the  busy 
season  he  employs  as  many  as  twenty  hands.  In  politics 
Mr.  Brown  is  a  Republican,  and  has  at  different  times 
been  summoned  by  his  fellow-citizens  to  fill  many  of  the 
offices  at  their  disposal.  He  has  held  that  of  deputy 
sherifif  for  thirteen  years,  his  present  term  expiring  in 


446 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


IWI.  For  twenty-tive  years  he  served  on  the  School 
Board,  being  president  of  the  board  from  1917  until  the 
present  time  (.19-^)  :  and  for  thirty  years  has  been  con- 
stable, combining  the  office  with  that  of  probation  officer. 
He  alfiliates  with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  attends  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Br.-iwn  married.  Nov.  12.  1SS4,  Lizzie  E.,  daughter 
of  Joel  and  .Mmira  l  Staples')  Colvin,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  the  following  children :  i.  Carl  K.  W.,  edu- 
cated in  the  common  schools  and  high  school  of  Ripley 
and  at  Syracuse  I'niversity.  taking  the  degree  of  Bache- 
lor of  -\rts ;  he  is  unmarried.  2.  Bessie  Marie,  educated 
in  the  same  manner  as  her  brother,  including  the  libra- 
rian's degree;  married  Clarence  O.  Johnson  and  became 
the  mother  of  one  child,  Marjorie;  Mrs  Johnson  died 
Dec.  II.  1018.  and  Marjorie  now  lives  with  her  maternal 
grandparents.  3.  Almira,  educated  as  above,  but  did 
not  take  a  degree:  married  Louis  .K.  Pease,  of  North 
East.  Pa.,  superintendent  of  the  Buffalo  and  Erie  Trac- 
tion Company,  and  they  have  three  children,  Charles 
Louis.  Ruth,  and  Edith.  4.  Florence  Lucy,  educated 
m  Ripley  grammar  and  high  schools  and  at  the  New 
Haven,  (Conn..)  Normal  School  of  Gymnastics,  now 
physical  training  teacher  in  the  Buflfalo,  N.  Y.,  schools. 
5.  Elizabeth  Winifred,  now  attending  Ripley  High 
School. 

In  all  worthy  ambitions  Mr.  Brown  has  been  success- 
ful, and  his  children,  with  the  advantages  he  has  given 
them  and  the  example  he  has  set  them,  cannot  fail  to 
be  good  citizens  and  blessings  to  their  respective  com- 
n'uni'ie^. 


DANIEL  JAMES  HARRINGTON,  who  for  the 
last  tive  or  si.x  years  has  been  one  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial farmers  in  Chautauqua  township,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  farming  an  e.xtensive  acreage,  cannot 
strictly  be  considered  a  native  of  the  county,  yet  it  is 
almost  due  to  him,  for  he  lived  in  it  for  thirty-two  of 
the  first  thirty-three  years  of  his  life,  and  his  father 
owned  a  farm  in  Chautauqua  countj'  for  more  than 
fifty  years.  The  name  Harrington  can  be  found  among 
the  early  records  of  Chautauqua  township,  Chautauqua 
county. 

Daniel  James  Harrington  had  an  interesting  birth- 
place: he  was  born  in  an  emigrant  wagon,  near  Oregon 
Grove,  now  known  as  New  Oregon,  Iowa,  July  2.S,  1855, 
the  son  of  James  and  Sarah  (Raynor)  Harrington.  ?Iis 
father  had  the  sturdy  spirit  of  the  early  pioneers,  aiid 
had  left  his  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  farm  under 
rental,  and  had  gone  into  the  unknown,  but  supposedly 
rich  western  part  of  the  United  .States,  seeking  foe  a 
JiCtt'T  farm  holding,  and  with  venturesome  spirit  harl 
taken  his  wife  with  him.  Within  a  year  of  the  birtli  of 
Daniel  James,  the  Harrington  family  retnrncrl  to  Chau- 
tauqua county,  and  the  fath'-r  did  not  again  go  west- 
ward. He  trv,k  up  the  cultivation  rif  his  own  farm  in 
Chautauqua  township,  and  farmed  it  until  his  death. 

Daniel  J.  Harrington  received  the  whole  of  his  .school- 
ing in  Chautauqua  county  district  schools,  and  after- 
ward", a-'^is'ed  his  father  in  the  operation  f>f  the  parental 
farm.  In  iWi.  however.  Daniel  James  IlarringtriU 
wa^  agnin  in  Iowa,  and  there  acquired  a  farm  of  77 
acrei,  which  he  farmed  very  successfully,  and  aiiprcci- 
ably  improved.     He  lived  in  Iowa  until   i';!.-;.   when   h'' 


was  forced  to  return  to  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  to 
care  for  his  interests  there.  He  therefore  sold  his  Iowa 
farm,  and  took  the  management  of  the  property  be- 
queathed to  him  by  his  father,  a  farm  of  170  acres  in 
Chautauqua  township,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  later 
buying  also  the  Crossgrove  homestead  farm,  which 
adjoins  the  other,  and  is  125  acres  in  extent,  so  that  he 
now  cultivates  and  owns  almost  300  acres  of  agricultural 
land,  a  big  undertaking  in  these  days  of  expensive  and 
scarce  help.  The  land  is  in  good  condition,  and  the 
improvements  are  mainly  modern  and  quite  adequate  to 
the  requirements  of  the  acreage;  they  were  built  either 
by  his  father  or  by  himself.  Mr.  Harrington  has  a 
line  herd  of  milch  cows,  all  of  which,  with  one  excep- 
tion, were  raised  by  him,  and  are  from  registered  stock. 

Mr.  Harrington  has  ample  means  to  follow  his  incli- 
nation in  respect  to  the  farms  he  owns,  and  he  evidently 
intends  to  have  fine  cattle,  which  probably  in  the  end 
will  give  ample  return  for  the  outlay.  He  is  indefatig- 
able in  his  work,  has  taken  practically  no  recreation, 
excepting  in  automobiling,  for  many  years,  and  he  prob- 
ably will  continue  to  get  increasing  yields  from  his  two 
farms,  for  he  is  an  efficient  farmer.  Regarding  his  one 
diversion  from  agricultural  work,  his  possession  of  a 
fine  automobile  may  be  attributed  to  his  desire  to  meet 
the  wish  of  his  younger  daughter,  Delia,  to  whom  he 
is  devoted,  and  who  has  remained  at  home  with  her 
parents. 

In  political  allegiance  he  is  a  Republican,  but  has 
not  taken  prominent  part  in  national  politics.  His  own 
agricultural  ties  are  so  many  and  consequential,  that 
he  does  not  feel  that  he  can  aflFord  the  time  necessary  to 
participate  actively  in  local  affairs.  He  is,  however,  of 
markedly  generous  spirit,  and  where  it  has  been  possible 
to  help  local  interests  or  movements  by  financial  con- 
tributions he  has  been  ever  ready  to  co-operate  in  that 
way.  And  during  the  war  just  ended  he  contributed 
very  substantially  to  the  various  funds  raised  by  the 
government,  and  governmental  agencies. 

He  has  always  manifested  worthy  characteristics  of 
steadiness  and  self-reliance,  and  he  early  entered  upon 
the  serious  responsibilities  of  life;  he  was  only  twenty- 
one  years  old  when  he  married  Helen  Smith,  Dec.  24, 
1S76.  They  have  two  children  :  i.  Edna,  born  in  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  married  James  Oliver,  an  ener- 
getic and  successful  young  farmer  in  Iowa.  2.  Delia, 
born  in  Iowa ;  she  entered  the  teaching  profession,  but 
since  the  family  returned  to  New  York  State  she  has 
remained  at  Imme. 

Daniel  James  Harrington  is  continuing  the  long  asso- 
ciation of  the  Harrington  family  with  Chautauqua 
county  and  is  making  that  association  more  conse- 
quential. He  is  a  man  of  fine  characteristics,  and  the 
regard  for  him  by  tlie  people  of  the  district  will  increase 
as  the  years  pass,  and  the  people  of  tlie  township  become 
more  acquainted  with  his  commendable  qualities;  and 
his  farminr  of  la)  acres  is  one  of  the  appreciable 
a'.^ricnltnral  enterprises  of  the  county. 


JACOB  WILLIAM  BELSON— For  nearly  half  a 
century  Mr.  P.elson  li:is  bei-ti  numbered  among  the  pros- 
perous farmers  of  K'iplcy,  whillier  he  came  with  a  fund 
of  cxperieine  i^-itlirrrd  in  cither  places.  As  a  citizen 
hr  Ii;is  always  been   ipiiitly  active  and   unnbtriisively  in- 


?l^,  Q^^^^^^'^^  <  ^^  O. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


447 


fluential  for  all  that  he  deemed  best  calculated  to  serve 
the  true  interests  of  his  commimity. 

Jacob  William  Belson  was  born  Nov.  14,  1850,  in 
Great  Yarmouth,  England,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  (Pastel)  Belson,  who  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  in  Norfolk  county,  N.  Y.  At  this  time 
Jacob  William  Belson  was  two  years  of  age,  and  he 
attended  the  schools  of  Norfolk  county  until  reaching 
his  thirteenth  year.  As  a  youth  he  engaged  in  farming, 
sometimes  in  Michigan  and  sometimes  in  New  York 
State.  In  1870  he  came  to  Ripley,  where  he  purchased 
the  farm  on  which  he  now  lives.  The  estate  comprises 
115  acres  and  was  wild  land  when  Mr.  Belson  became 
possessed  of  it,  all  the  improvements  which  it  now  boasts 
being  his  own  work.  He  has  fifty  acres  of  grape  vine- 
yard which  he  set  out  himself  and  an  orchard  which  he 
planted.  He  not  only  cleared  the  land,  but  built  the 
house  and  constructed  the  barns  and  outbuildings. 
For  some  years  he  has  had  a  residence  in  the  village 
of  Ripley,  but  pa\-s  almost  daily  visits  to  his  farm, 
giving  the  closest  attention  to  all  his  affairs.  In  political 
principle  Mr.  Belson  is  a  Republican,  always  voting  with 
that  party.  In  community  affairs  he  has  ever  taken  a 
helpful  interest  and  at  various  times  has  served  as  school 
collector.  His  family  are  members  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Belson  married.  Feb.  6,  1876,  Ellen  Hardgener, 
of  Ripley,  and  the  following  children  have  been  born  to 
them:  Ann  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Harry  Walker,  a  real 
estate  man  of  Providence,  R.  I. ;  John ;  and  Charles, 
married  Rose  Belson  (no  relation). 

During  his  long  residence  in  Ripley,  Mr.  Belson  has 
not  only  achieved  material  prosperity,  but  has  won  the 
cordial  friendship  of  his  neighbors  and  commanded 
the  respect  of  the  entire  community. 


PETER  CADY,  a  native  of  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y., 
where  his  birth  occurred  Dec.  i,  1829,  was  a  son  of 
Calvin  and  Polly  Cady.  He  came  to  Jamestown,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  when  a  young  man,  and  was  here 
engaged  principally  as  a  farmer  and  gardener.  He  was 
one  of  the  ardent  members  of  the  local  grange.  Patrons 
of  Husbandry,  a  staunch  Democrat  and  an  ardent 
admirer  of  Horace  Greeley.  Mr.  Cady  was  a  man  of 
affairs  and  had  many  friends.  He  was  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative citizens  of  his  city  and  did  everything  possi- 
ble to  advance  the  welfare  of  his  community.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  lodge.  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen, 

Mr.  Cady  married  Helen  Sherwin  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  two  children,  as  follows :  Willis  C,  of  whom 
further;  and  Nellie  C,  born  April  9,  1861,  died  April 
21,  1863.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cady  adopted  a  daughter. 
Mary  L-,  born  Oct.  17,  1857,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Albert  C.  Brunson,  to  whom  she  has  borne  four  chil- 
dren :  Grace,  Lulu,  Florence,  and  Ruth. 

Undoubtedly  one  of  the  most  venerable  and  deeply 
beloved  figures  in  the  life  of  Jamestown  is  that  of  ATrs. 
Cady,  who  after  a  long  and  active  career  is  now  (1920) 
living  in  the  home  with  her  son,  Willis  C.  Cady,  at 
Jamestown.  Mrs.  Cady  was  born  Feb.  25.  1838,  in 
Jamestown,  and  as  a  girl  had  the  usual  educational 
advantages  for  the  time,  attending  the  local  public 
school    and    the    Old    Jamestown    Academv.      She    is    a 


member  of  the  old  Sherwin  family  of  this  region,  a 
daughter  of  Milton  and  Flora  (Griffith)  Sherwin, 
highly  esteemed  residents  of  Jamestown,  where  the 
former  named  was  engaged  in  business  as  a  carpenter 
and  pattern  maker  for  many  years.  Mrs.  Cady  is  a 
Methodist  in  religious  belief,  and  she  and  the  members 
of  her  family  attend  the  Methodist  church  at  Falconer, 
in  which  she  still  takes  an  active  part,  as  well  as  in 
other  organizations.  She  graduated  from  the  Chautau- 
qua Literary  and  Scientific  Circle  at  Chautauqua  in  the 
class  of  1915. 

Willis  C.  Cady,  only  son  of  Peter  and  Helen  (Sher- 
win) Cady,  was  born  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  28,  1859. 
He  was  educated  in  the  district  and  high  schools  of 
Jamestown.  In  early  life  he  was  engaged  in  the  occu- 
pation of  farming,  and  later  followed  the  wood  working 
trade.  In  1895,  after  the  death  of  his  father,  he  ac- 
quired a  small  farm  in  the  town  of  Ellicott,  and  since 
then  has  followed  the  occupation  of  gardening  thereon. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Mechanics  .Associa- 
tion, and  in  politics  is  a  Democrat,  but  acts  independent- 
ly in  casting  his  vote. 

Mr.  Cady  married,  in  Frewsburg,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  21,  1882, 
Nellie  Fox,  by  whom  he  has  one  daughter.  Bertha 
Nellie,  born  May  11,  1883,  now  the  wife  of  Lee  W. 
Swart,  of  Washington,  D.  C,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  one  child,  Leslie  Swart. 


NELSON     AUGUSTUS     JOHNSON,     D.     O.— 

Among  the  many  prominent  men  of  Swedish  origin 
who  have  made  Chautauqua  county  their  home,  no  name 
stands  higher  than  that  of  Dr.  Nelson  Augustus  John- 
son, who  has  been  active  in  medical  circles  here  for  a 
number  of  years  and  who  has  built  up  a  large  practice 
in  his  profession  and  a  reputation  of  the  highest  order 
during  that  time.  Dr.  Johnson  was  born  in  Sweden, 
March  3,  1866,  a  son  of  John  Nelson  and  Clara  (Nel- 
son) Johnson,  the  former  a  farmer  in  Sweden,  where 
his  death  occurred.  The  elder  Mr.  Johnson  and  his 
wife  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Anna 
M.,  who  resides  in  Sweden ;  Carl  J.,  who  came  to  this 
country  and  settled  at  Rutland,  Vt.,  Elizabeth,  who 
resides  with  her  mother  at  Rutland,  Vt. ;  Alfred,  who 
is  employed  as  a  foreman  in  the  carpentry  department 
of  the  New  England  Butt  Company,  a  concern  known 
all  over  the  world,  with  headquarters  at  Providence,  R. 
I. ;  Nelson  Augustus,  with  whose  career  we  are  here 
especially   concerned. 

Dr.  Johnson  obtained  his  elementary  education  in  the 
grammar  schools  in  his  native  country,  and  when  old 
enough  engaged  in  farming  there  and  also  secured  a 
position  in  a  grist  mill,  where  he  remained  for  three 
years.  After  his  father's  death,  when  twenty  years  of 
age,  he  came  to  the  LTnited  States,  his  mother  coming 
later,  and  for  a  time  worked  in  the  iron  mines  in  Essex 
and  Clinton  counties,  N.  Y.  He  was  advanced  to  the 
position  of  foreman  of  a  slope  and  held  this  post  for 
five  years.  He  then  served  an  apprenticeship  in  a 
machine  and  tool-making  establishment  and  followed 
this  occupation  for  about  fifteen  years.  The  young  man 
was,  however,  exceedingly  ambitious  and  was  deter- 
mined upon  a  professional  career,  with  which  end  in 
view  he  entered  in  1004  the  .American  School  of  Osteo- 
pathy, at  Kirkville,  N.  Y.     He  was  graduated  with  the 


448 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


class  of  1906  with  the  degree  of  D.  O.,  and  in  the  same 
year  passed  the  examination  of  the  State  Board  of  Ex- 
aminers. He  then  came  to  Fredonia  and  opened  an 
office  here  in  the  month  of  July,  1906,  began  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  and  has  remained  actively  engaged 
ever  since.  In  u>X)  he  opened  another  office  at  Dunkirk, 
N.  Y.,  extended  his  practice  largely,  and  now  enjoys  a 
splendid  reputation  both  for  skill  and  for  the  high 
standards  of  professional  ethics  which  he  has  main- 
tained throughout  the  region.  Dr.  Johnson  is  a  promi- 
nent figure  in  the  general  life  of  Fredonia,  and  is  a 
mcml>er  of  many  fraternal  organizations  in  this  place. 
He  is  affiliated  witli  the  .\ncient  Free  and  .\ccepted 
Masons,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  Knights  Templar,  Ancient 
Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  Sovereign 
Princess  of  the  Royal  Secret,  and  has  taken  his  thirty- 
second  degree  in  Free  Masonry.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  the 
Atlas  Club  of  the  American  School  of  Osteopathy.  In 
religious  belief  Dr.  Johnson  is  a  Methodist  and  attends 
the  church  of  that  denomination  at  Fredonia.  He  is 
active  in  church  work  and  has  held  a  number  of  offices 
in  connection  with  the  congregation,  including  those  of 
steward  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school,  and 
financial  secretary  of  the  official  hoard.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  and  a  strong  advocate  of  prohibition. 
Dr.  Ji>hnson  was  united  in  marriage  at  Plattsburg, 
Clinton  county,  X.  Y.,  April  29,  1807,  with  .Mice  V. 
Hilton,  of  Dunkirk,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Mary 
(Frizzein  Hilton,  old  and  highly  respected  residents 
of  that  place.  They  are  the  parents  of  one  daughter, 
Florence  Dorothv. 


EMMET  HAMILTON  ROSS— Prominent  among 
the  yo'ire  professional  nun  nf  the  city  of  Jamestown  is 
Emmet  Hamilton  Ross.  .\s  an  attorney  of  law,  Mr. 
Ross  stands  well  abreast  in  the  Chautauqua  county 
bar,  and  is  a  member  of  the  well  known  law  firm  of 
Rice  &  Ross,  with  offices  at  Suite  200 — Squier's  Court, 
in  Jamestown. 

Emmet  Hamilton  Ross  was  liorn  in  Rochester,  N. 
Y..  Oct.  14,  18S7,  son  of  William  and  Louise  J.  (Nye) 
Ross.  His  parents  for  a  number  of  years  resided  in 
Rochester,  where  they  were  well  known  and  highly 
respected ;  later  they  moved  to  Jamestown.  Eirimet 
Hamilton  Ross  attended  the  public  schools  of  Roches- 
ter until  the  family  came  to  Jamestown,  in  looi,  and 
here  he  rompleted  his  grammar  school  education.  He 
entered  the  Jamestown  High  School  and  graduated 
with  honors  in  \<fyj  as  president  of  the  senior  class. 
I'c-ides  iKfinK  well  identified  as  a  student  at  high  school, 
Mr.  Ross  was  prominent  in  athletics.  After  leaving 
hit'h  'ch<-)ol  he  matriculated  in  the  law  department  of  the 
.Mbany  Law  School.  .Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  two  >ears  later, 
iti  X't^f),  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Law.  A  year  later,  in  1910.  he  was  admitted  to  the  New 
Y'Tk  Stale  bar  and  began  the  practice  of  law  in  the  city 
of  Jam<stown,  where  he  has  since  been  identified. 

Mr.  Koss'  first  venture  in  the  legal  world  was  in 
partnership  with  the  well  knr.wn  late  James  L.  Weel<s. 
This  partnership  continued  for  seven  years,  up  to  the 
lime  of  thf-  death  of  Mr.  Weeks.  In  T91K,  Mr,  Ross 
j'.in'-d  Joset)h  F.  Rirc  and  this  l.iw  firm  has  been  known 
as  Rice  &•  Ross,  and  has  acquired  a  large  and  well  estab- 
lished practice  in  Jamestown  and  throughout  the  county. 


Their  former  address  was  in  the  Chadakoin  building, 
but  on  Dec.  i,  1920,  they  acquired  ownership  of  Squier's 
Court  adjacent  to  the  previous  address.  Squier's  Court 
contains  many  suitable  offices  and  some  commercial 
space,  and  in  a  section  of  it  is  located  the  well  equipped 
law  office  of  Rice  &  Ross. 

Mr.  Ross  is  prominent  in  a  number  of  other  things 
outside  of  his  profession,  being  vice-president  of  the 
Sportsmen's  Supply  Company,  Inc.,  of  Jamestown,  N. 
Y.,  formerly  a  member  of  Company  E,  74th  Infantry, 
which  served  on  the  Mexican  Border  in  1916,  member 
of  the  Delta  Chi,  College  fraternity,  and  the  Fraternal 
Order  of  Eagles  at  Jamestown.  In  the  matter  of  poli- 
tics, Mr.  Ross  does  not  take  an  active  part,  but  is  a 
firm  believer  in  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party. 

He  married,  in  Jamestown,  April  10,  1912,  Anna 
Frances  Britton,  daughter  of  Edward  R,  and  Ella 
(West)    Britton. 


CHARLES  WILLIAM  MERRICK— A  native  son 
of  Jamestown,  Mr.  Herrick  has  attained  position  in  the 
business  world  of  his  city  as  financier  and  manufacturer, 
being  first  vice-president  of  the  Bank  of  Jamestown, 
and  president  of  the  C.  W.  Herrick  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany of  Falconer.  He  is  a  son  of  .Anson  L.  and  Eliza- 
beth A.   (Devoe)   Herrick,  his  father  a  farmer, 

Charles  W.  Herrick  was  born  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
Nov.  19,  1867,  and  there  has  spent  his  years,  fifty- 
three.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  and  after 
graduation  from  high  school  completed  his  school  term 
with  a  course  at  a  Bryant  &  Stratton  Business  College. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  became  an  employee  of  the 
Chautauqua  County  National  Bank,  and  for  ten  years, 
1S86-1896,  was  connected  with  that  institution.  In 
ig03,  when  the  Bank  of  Jamestown  was  organized,  Mr. 
Herrick  was  one  of  the  incorporators,  being  elected 
vice-president,  also  chairman  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee, offices  he  has  held  until  the  present,  1920,  He 
holds  intimate  connection  with  the  manufacturing  inter- 
ests of  the  city  as  president  of  the  C.  W.  Herrick 
Manufacturing  Company,  a  corporation  engaged  in 
manufacturing  furniture,  with  their  plant  at  Falconer. 
Whether  considered  as  banker  or  manufacturer,  Mr. 
Herrick  measures  up  to  all  requirements  and  has  always 
met  every  demand  made  upon  his  business  sagacity. 
Mr.  Herrick  is  affiliated  with  both  rites  of  the  Masonic 
order,  being  a  member  of  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge,  chapter, 
council,  and  Jamestown  Commandery;  he  holds  the 
thirty-second  degree  of  the  Ancient  Accepted  Scottish 
Rite;  and  is  a  noble  of  Isniailia  Temple,  Nobles  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine.  His  clubs  are  the  Rotary,  Jamestown, 
Sportsman's,  and  Moon  Brook  Golf.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  F'irst  Presbyterian  Church  of  Jamestown,  and 
president  of  the  board  of  trustees. 

Mr.  Herrick  married,  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  June  7, 
1894,  Oertnidr  V,.  Proiulfit,  daughter  of  William  H.  and 
Ellen  E.  (Hall)  Proudfit,  her  father  one  of  J.amcstown's 
vi-tcran  business  nun,  her  mother  of  the  eminent  Hall 
family  of  Jamestown  and  Chautauqua  county. 

This  brief  review  reveals  Mr.  Herrick  as  a  man  of 
energy  and  ability,  interested  in  the  social  and  religions 
activities  of  his  city  as  well  as  in  its  material  side.  All 
good  causes  appeal  to  him  ;ind  he  is  always  ready  to 
"lend  a  hand."  To  his  interest  and  careful  supervision 
the  chapter  on  "Banks"  in  this  work  is  due. 


Qy^''(AA.ct^'u^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


449 


WILTON  H.  DeLANEY,  well  known  dry  goods 
merchant  of  Jamestown,  and  considered  an  expert  in 
this  business,  had  many  years  of  experience  in  merchan- 
dising before  becoming  the  president  of  the  well  known 
concern,  DeLaney  &  Throop,  Inc.,  at  Nos.  14-16  North 
Main  street,  Jamestown.  Wilton  H.  DeLaney  is  a 
native  of  Stockton,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  born 
March  20,  1858,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Maryette  (Howard) 
DeLaney.  The  elder  Mr.  DeLaney  was  a  well  known 
resident  of  Stockton,  where  he  kept  a  general  store,  and 
was  a  justice  of  the  peace  before  his  removal  to  Cherry 
Creek  in  this  county. 

Wilton  H.  DeLaney  attended  the  village  schools  of 
Stockton  and  later  Cherry  Creek,  this  being  followed 
by  a  course  at  Randolph  Institute,  Randolph,  N.  Y. 
When  he  was  but  eighteen  years  of  age  he  had  a  firm 
desire  to  start  out  and  earn  his  own  livelihood,  and 
connected  himself  in  a  line  of  business  which  afterwards 
proved  him  to  be  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  mercantile 
life  of  Jamestown.  His  first  attempt  was  at  Panama, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  clerked  in  a  general  store  for  one  year, 
after  which  he  was  in  the  employ  of  DeForest  Weld 
in  the  latter's  stores,  first  at  Bradford,  Pa.,  and  then  at 
Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  until  about  1884, 
when  Mr.  Weld  went  out  of  business.  Following  this 
he  became  connected  with  the  well  known  merchant, 
A.  D.  Sharpe,  in  whose  employ  he  remained  for  a  period. 
The  subsequent  fourteen  years  were  spent  respectively 
with  the  old  merchants,  Scofield  &  Adams,  later  changed 
to  Scofield  &  Dinsmore,  whose  interests  were  disposed 
to  Jones  &  Audette,  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Dinsmore. 

It  was  in  the  year  1904  that  Mr.  DeLaney,  after  work- 
ing diligently  in  the  pursuit  of  merchandising,  particu- 
larly of  dry  goods,  felt  himself  experienced  enough  to 
embark  in  this  endeavor  himself;  he  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  the  late  Henry  W.  Throop,  and  with  a  small 
capital  started  a  dry  goods  store  at  No.  16  North  Main 
street.  The  small  beginning  prospered,  and  five  years 
later  they  added  two  more  floor  spaces  above  the  street 
floor,  one  being  directly  over  the  original  address.  No. 
r6  North  Main  street,  and  the  other  over  an  adjoining 
store  at  No.  14.  A  few  years  later,  in  1917,  they  further 
expanded  and  took  the  adjoining  floor  space  on  the  street 
at  No.  14,  thereby  giving  them  spacious  quarters  in  which 
to  conduct  their  growing  business.  The  building  has 
been  remodeled  and  improved,  and  now  it  has  a  double 
store  with  basements ;  first  and  second  floors,  at  Nos. 
14  and  16  North  Main  street,  making  it  the  second 
largest  dry  goods  store  in  Chautauqua  county.  The  title 
in  1917  become  DeLaney  &  Throop,  Inc.,  Mr.  Throop 
being  the  president  until  his  death,  Aug.  2,  1920,  and  Mr. 
DeLaney  secretary  and  treasurer.  After  Mr.  Throop's 
death,  Mr.  DeLaney  succeeded  to  the  presidency,  and 
R.  M.  Stewart,  a  long  time  employee,  became  secretary 
and  treasurer. 

As  a  business  corporation,  DeLaney  &  Throop  have 
a  most  excellent  reputation  as  conservative  merchants 
of  high  standing.  Their  customers  number  among  the 
well  known  families  of  Chautauqua  county,  and  the 
mark  of  quality  can  truly  be  placed  upon  the  goods 
handled  by  this  concern.  This  firm  now  conducts  a 
large,  general  dry  goods  business  and  is  a  shopping 
center  for  Jamestown  and  the  surrounding  country. 

Mr.   DeLaney   married,   in  Jamestown,  June   16,    1887, 


Harriet,  daughter  of  G.  C.  and  Loretta  (Butler)  Smith. 
Mr.  Smith  was  a  well  known  resident  of  this  city,  a 
veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  being  commissioned  a  captain 
near  the  close  of  hostilities.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  DeLaney 
have  one  daughter,  Florence  L.,  now  the  wife  of  Henry 
L.   Beakes,  a  chemist  of   Louisville,  Ky. 

Aside  from  his  own  business,  Mr.  DeLaney  has  been 
active  in  the  general  afi'airs  of  the  city.  He  is  one  of 
the  Exempt  Firemen  of  Jamestown,  member  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles, 
and  the  various  Masonic  bodies.  Politically  he  is  a 
Republican,  and  has  always  taken  an  interest  in  the 
political  situation  as  a  voter,  but  has  not  sought  office. 


A.  FRED  HELGRAN,  who  for  almost  twenty  years 
has  been  a  responsible  enterprising  merchant  and  con- 
tractor of  Jamestown,  as  one  of  the  principals  of  Carl- 
son &  Helgran,  and  latterly  as  the  head  of  A.  Fred 
Helgran  &  Son,  painters  and  decorators,  and  wholesale 
and  retail  dealers  in  wall  paper  and  like  commodities, 
has  had  well  merited  success.  He  is  a  native  of  James- 
town, has  lived  in  it  for  almost  fifty  years,  and  has  many 
times  manifested  his  sincere  interest  in  the  development 
of  the  city. 

He  was  born  on  March  10,  1871,  the  son  of  John  and 
Hilda  Helgran.  The  Helgran  family  is  of  Swedish 
origin,  and  has  had  honorable  part,  with  other  industrious 
residents  of  Swedish  origin,  in  the  development  of  James- 
town. His  father,  John  Helgran,  industriously  worked 
in  the  city  almost  until  his  death,  and  gained  many  true 
friends.  His  mother,  Hilda  Helgran,  is  still  living  in 
Jamestown,  esteemed  asid  respected  as  a  good  Christian 
woman  of  charitable  spirit. 

A.  Fred  Helgran  attended  the  public  schools  of  James- 
town. When  he  finally  put  aside  his  academic  studies, 
and  definitely  entered  business  life,  he  was  fifteen  years 
old.  He  engaged  with  the  Jamestown  Lounge  Company, 
learning  the  upholstering  business.  With  that  company 
he  remained  for  fourteen  years,  until  1900,  when  he  ven- 
tured into  independent  business.  He,  in  partnership  with 
another  Jamestown  man,  C.  F.  Carlson,  established  the 
firm  of  Carlson  &  Helgran,  undertaking  to  trade  as 
wholesale  and  retail  merchants  in  paint,  oils,  wall  paper, 
and  allied  commodities  of  interior  decorating,  and  also 
to  work  as  painting  and  decorating  contractors.  The 
partnership  was  maintained  in  successful  operation  until 
May  I,  1916,  when  Mr.  Carlson  died.  Mr.  Helgran  soon 
thereafter  purchased  the  interest  of  the  relatives  of  his 
deceased  partner  in  the  business,  and  soon  afterwards 
he  took  his  son,  A.  Gordon,  into  business  partnership, 
and  caused  the  firm  name  to  be  changed  to  that  of  A. 
Fred  Helgran  &  Son.  As  such  it  has  sihce  been  con- 
tinued. 

Mr.  Helgran  is  a  business  man  of  commendable  appli- 
cation to  and  concentration  upon  his  business,  and  the 
keynote  of  his  success  has  been  his  consistent,  persistent 
effort,  and  close  attention  to  grade  of  workmanship. 
Politically,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Republican  party,  and 
has  taken  some  part  in  local  political  activities.  For 
four  years  he  was  alderman  of  the  fourth  ward,  and  now 
is  supervisor  of  the  fourth  and  fifth  wards.  He  is  a 
director  of  the  Norden  Club,  of  Jamestown,  and  also 
of   the   Eagle   Temple.     Religiously,   he   belongs   to   the 


45>3 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Lutheran  churcli,  and  attends  the  First  Lutheran  Church 
of  Jamestown. 

His  wile.  Mar>-  Louise  Helgran,  whom  he  married 
in  Jamestown,  has  borne  to  him  three  children,  all  of 
whom  have  given  satisfaction  to  their  parents  by  their 
lives.  The  children,  in  their  order  of  birth,  are:  i. 
Hazel,  who  is  married,  and  lives  in  Jamestown.  2.  Ches- 
ter, who  is  an  able  executive,  and  is  secretary  and  treas- 
urer 01  the  Chautauqua  Cabinet  Company,  of  Mayville. 
3.  .\.  Gordon,  who  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  A.  Fred 
Helgran  &  Son,  and  also  a  veteran  of  the  Great  War ; 
he  was  in  France  for  nineteen  months,  a  member  of  the 
First  (Regular)  Division,  which  probably  was  the  most 
famous  of  all  the  American  divisions. 


in  direct  line  for  a  commission  when  the  armistice  was 
signed.  In  his  religious  belief  Dr.  Lodico  is  a  Roman 
Catholic  and  attends  the  Italian  Church  of  St.  Anthony 
at  Fredonia.  while  in  politics  he  is  an  Independent.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  St.  Anthony  Club.  Dr.  Lodico 
is  unmarried. 


LOUIS  JOSEPH  LODICO,  D.  D.  S.,  who  in  spite 
of  his  youth  and  the  comparatively  short  time  that  he 
has  been  established  here  is  already  regarded  as  one  of 
the  leading  members  of  the  dental  profession  at  Fre- 
donia, Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y.,  is  a  native  of  Buffalo, 
bom  Dec.  29,  1896.  Dr.  Lodico  is  a  son  of  Frank  and 
Mari'  (Siragusa)  Lodico,  who  resided  at  Buffalo  for  a 
number  of  years,  but  afterwards  removed  to  Fredonia, 
where  they  now  make  their  home. 

Louis  J.  Lodico  was  but  three  years  of  age  when  he 
was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Fredonia,  and  since  that 
time  has  continued  to  reside  there,  taking  an  active  part 
in  its  general  life  since  he  has  reached  maturity.  As 
a  lad  he  attended  the  public  schools  of  Fredonia,  and 
completed  his  studies  at  the  high  school  of  the  Fredonia 
State  Normal  School.  In  the  meanwhile,  however,  the 
youth  had  determined  upon  a  professional  career,  and 
with  this  end  in  view,  after  his  graduation  from  the 
Normal  School  in  1915.  matriculated  at  the  Dental  De- 
partment of  the  University  of  Buffalo,  where  he  pursued 
his  professional  studies  until  1918,  when  he  was  grad- 
uated with  the  degree  of  D.  D.  S.  In  the  same  year 
he  also  passed  the  examinations  of  the  New  York 
State  Examiners,  and  at  once  returned  to  Fredonia 
and  opened  a  handsome  office  at  No.  7  East  Main  street 
and  engaged  in  active  practice.  It  was  not  long  before 
the  community  began  to  realize  the  ability  and  skill  of 
the  young  dental  surgeon  who  had  come  amongst  them, 
and  his  fatrons  rapidly  and  steadily  grew  in  numbers, 
so  that  at  the  present  time  his  clientele  is  a  large  one 
and  still  is  increasing  uninterruptedly. 

Dr.  Lodico  is  prominent  among  his  professional  col- 
leagues, by  whom  he  is  respected  and  honored  for  his 
technical  knowledge  of  his  subject  and  his  native  skill, 
as  well  as  for  the  close  observance  which  he  consistently 
gives  to  the  etiquette  of  the  profession  and  his  high 
code  of  ethics.  His  career  seems  assured  for  the  future, 
and  such  success  as  he  has  already  won  or  inay  win  in 
time  to  come  is  entirely  deserved  and  the  result  of  his 
own  indefatigable  efforts  and  earnest  devotion  to  the 
work  he  has  ukcn  up.  There  is  no  advance  in  dental 
science  with  which  he  d(jes  not  keep  abreast,  and  his 
constant  ctid'.-avor  is  to  keep  himself  familiar  with  its 
most  mofk-rn  theory  and  practice.  During  the  interval 
between  his  graduation  from  the  University  and  the 
close  of  the  late  war.  Dr.  I^xJico  offered  his  services  to 
hii  country  in  that  gigantic  struggle.  These  were 
acccpited,  and  after  his  recommendation  for  the  army  he 
wa»  undergoing  a  course  in  the  training  school  and  was 


LEONARD  J.  FIELD  has  for  years  been  one  of 
the  leading  furniture  merchants  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
executive  of  the  Field  and  Wright  Company,  successors 
to  the  .'Mdrich  Furniture  Company,  and  once  prominent 
in  the  city  administration.  He  was  born  in  Gerry,  N.  Y., 
Dec.  19,  1867,  son  of  Myron  and  Lucy  B.  (Thompson) 
Field,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  His  father, 
Myron  Field,  who  had  an  agricultural  estate  at  Cherry 
Creek,  and  followed  farming  industriously,  was  a  man 
of  steady  purpose,  strong  character,  and  fixed  convic- 
tions. He  was  one  of  the  pioneer  Prohibitionists  of  his 
section  of  the  State,  and  courageously  expressed  his 
opinions  long  before  the  subject  was  received  with  the 
present  favor  accorded  to  it ;  in  fact,  at  a  time  when 
only  a  man  of  courageous  spirit,  and  the  most  unbending 
Christian  principle,  would  raise  his  voice  in  a  public 
place  in  its  favor.  His  mother,  Lucy  B.  (Thompson) 
Field,  was  a  woman  of  superior  education,  and  prior  to 
her  marriage  was  a  school  teacher. 

Leonard  J.  Field  attended  local  schools,  and  acquired 
a  good  education.  After  attending  the  Cherry  Creek 
High  School,  he  took  a  course  at  the  Fredonia  Normal 
School.  He  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one  years 
before  he  closed  his  years  of  schooling  and  entered  upon 
a  business  career.  His  first  employment  was  in  the  capac- 
ity of  bookkeeper  for  the  furniture  firm  of  H.  M.  Gage, 
on  Third  street,  Jamestown,  and  as  such  he  remained  for 
six  years,  when  he  was  apixaintcd  manager  of  the  Aldrich 
Furniture  Company,  Main  street,  that  company  also 
being  owned  by  Mr.  Gage.  He  was  manager  of  that 
branch  for  eight  years  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Gage,  soon 
after  which  occurrence  he  took  even  greater  respon- 
sibility. He  took  part  in  the  organization  of  a  com- 
pany, which,  when  incorporated,  took  over  the  business 
interests  of  a  large  part  of  Mr.  Gage's  estate,  and  there- 
after conducted  it  under  the  corporate  name  of  the 
Field  and  Wright  Company.  The  incorporators  were : 
Leonard  J.  Field;  Mary  M.  Field,  his  sister;  Judson  S. 
Wright,  and  John  J.  Beustrom,  both  substantial  James- 
town business  men.  The  present  officials  of  the  corpora- 
tion are:  H.  T.  Wilson,  president;  L.  W.  Brainard,  vice- 
president;  Leonard  J.  Field,  treasurer  and  general  man- 
ager; and  M.  M.  Field,  secretary.  The  business  is  a 
substantial  one,  handling  furniture  and  rugs  of  all  grades, 
crockery  and  allied  commodities,  and  having  extensive 
salesrooms.  By  those  who  know,  it  would  hardly  be 
considered  an  extravagant  statement  to  state  that  the 
success  of  the  Field  and  Wright  Company  has  been 
due  in  great  measure  to  the  business  ability  and  enter- 
prise of  Mr.  Field. 

Mr.  Field  is  a  man  much  interested  in  the  prosperity 
of  the  city,  and  cooperates  in  all  ways  within  his  power 
and  means  to  aid  in  its  development,  but  in  later  years 
has  not  taken  an  active  part  in  public  affairs  because  of 
impaired  health.  Mr.  Field  is  interested  in  the  cause  of 
Prohibition,  and  manifests  in  this  and  in  many  other 
ways    much   of    the    estimable    character   of    his    father. 


JOSl^Pll  C.  WIiLLARI) 


4 

> 

O 

PC 

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BIOGRAPHICAL 


451 


'\nd  although  in  general  political  campaigns  he  has  not 
;aken  conspicuous  part,  he  has  been  outspoken  in  his 
ifforts  to  further  the  cause  of  Prohibition,  which  met 
tvith  such  signal  national  success  in  the  year  1919. 
During  the  years  190S  and  1909,  Mr.  Field  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Jamestown  Board  of  Aldermen,  representing 
the   first  ward. 

His  rise  to  important  place  in  business  life,  and  to 
a  post  of  honor  in  the  affairs  of  the  community,  is  com- 
mendable and  noteworthy,  seeing  that  it  came  wholly 
a  result  of  a  resolute  purpose,  consistently  main- 
tained. Mr.  Field  is  a  member  of  the  First  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  of  Jamestown,  and  substantial  in  his 
support  thereof.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  James- 
town  Board  of  Commerce. 

On  Oct.  17,  1895,  at  Utica,  N.  Y.,  Leonard  J.  Field 
[was  married  to  Florence  L.  Hebron,  daughter  of  Har- 
jvey  Hebron,  of  that  place.  They  have  three  chil- 
'dren:  i.  Helene  Mara,  who  married  D.  Niel  Fleek,  of 
-Jamestown.  2.  Jeanette  Francis,  who  has  finished  her 
.academic  schooling,  and  having  marked  musical  ability 
lis  now  studying  the  piano  and  pipe  organ  at  AUentown, 
I  Pa.    3.  Lois  Minnie,  who  is  still  a  student  at  Jamestown 

'  schools.  

ERNEST  CAWCROFT  was  born  at  Lawrence, 
Mass.,  April  29,  1881.  He  is  a  son  of  Aquilla  Cawcroft, 
who  now  resides  at  Cassadaga,  Fla.,  and  Elizabeth 
(Carden)    Cawcroft,  deceased. 

Mr.  Cawcroft  attended  the  Jamestown  public  schools 
and  the  New  York  University.  He  toured  North  Amer- 
ica, Central  America  and  Europe  for  various  magazines. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  New  York  Bar  in  1907,  and 
formed  a  co-partnership  with  William  L.  Ransom,  now 
of  the  firm  of  Whitman,  Ottinger  &  Ransom,  of 
New  York.  He  has  practiced  law  at  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
since  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar. 

Mr.  Cawcroft  has  acted  as  special  counsel  for  the  city 
of  Jamestown  in  connection  with  various  charter  and 
ordinance  provisions.  He  was  nominated  for  State 
treasurer  of  the  Progressive  party  of  New  York  in 
1912;  in  1916  was  elected  Republican  presidential  elector 
on  the  Hughes  ticket;  and  in  191 5  was  appointed  deputy 
treasurer  of  New  York  State.  Mayor  Samuel  A.  Carl- 
son named  him  as  corporation  counsel  of  the  city  of 
Jamestown  in  191 8,  and  he  has  been  the  legal  advisor 
of  the  city  of  Jamestown  since  that  time.  During  the 
fall  of  1918  he  was  special  counsel  to  the  United 
States  Shipping  Board  in  connection  with  the  legal  or- 
ganization of  the  various  shipping  towns  created  on 
the  coast  by  that  board.  In  addition  to  his  professional 
activities,  Mr.  Cawcroft  has  been  connected  with  many 
business  and  civic  enterprises.  He  initiated  the  building 
of  the  Eagle  Temple,  which  is  the  civic  center  of  James- 
town, and  is  now  the  chairman  of  the  board  of  directors 
of  that  institution.  He  is  a  member  of  the  board  of 
trustees  and  on  the  executive  board  of  the  Chautau- 
qua Institution.  Mr.  Cawcroft  is  a  member  of :  The 
Jamestown  Bar  .\ssociation ;  the  New  York  State  Bar 
Association;  the  .\merican  Bar  .Association;  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association;  Jamestown  Club;  Amer- 
ican Academy  of  Political  Science ;  a  thirty-second 
degree  Mason;  a  director  of  the  Jamestown  Board  of 
Commerce;  and  is  interested  in  many  other  fraternal, 
social  and  civic  welfare  bodies. 


JOSEPH  CHARLES  WELLARD,  respected  and 
prosperous  farmer  of  Ripley  township,  where  he  has 
lived  for  seventy-two  years,  is  one  of  the  worthy  and 
representative  agriculturists  of  Chautauqua  county. 
Although  blind  for  the  last  thirty  years,  he  has  con- 
tinued cheerfully  pursuing  a  useful  life  of  industry  and 
productiveness,  has  undertaken  many  public  duties, 
and  has  lived  honored  and  respected  among  his  neigh- 
bors. 

He  comes  of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  Chautau- 
qua county,  and-  was  born  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of 
Mina,  this  county,  Sept.  5,  1848,  the  son  of  Joseph  and 
Polina  (Geer)  Wellard.  Seven  weeks  after  his  birth, 
his  parents  removed  to  the  farm  upon  which  he  has 
ever  since  lived,  that  is,  for  more  than  seventy-two 
years.  His  mother  died  when  he  was  quite  young,  and 
a  worthy  uncle  came  to  superintend  the  operation  of 
the  farm,  and  to  care  for  and  rear  the  children,  includ- 
ing Joseph  C.  The  children  were  all  educated  in  the 
Ripley  township  district  schools,  after  passing  through 
which,  Joseph  C.  took  resolutely  to  farming,  manfully 
helping  his  uncle.  Joseph  C.  Wellard  was  thirty-seven 
years  old  when,  in  1885,  his  uncle  died,  and  during  the 
twenty  or  more  years  in  which  he  had  steadily  farmed 
since  the  close  of  his  school  days  he  had  accumulated 
some  material  wealth,  sufficient  to  enable  him,  after  the 
death  of  his  uncle,  to  acquire  the  farm  upon  wliich  he 
had  been  reared  and  had  worked  for  so  long.  Since 
tliat  time  the  property  has  remained  his,  and  he  has 
materially  helped  in  its  cultivation  for  the  greater  part 
of  the  time,  notwithstanding  that  four  years  after  he 
purchased  the  farm  he  liad  the  crowning  misfortune 
to  lose  his  sight  altogether.  He  is  fortunate  in  having 
a  worthy  son  who  with  filial  faithfulness  stayed  near 
his  father,  and  of  late  years  has  taken  the  entire  burden 
of  the  farm  management  from  his  father's  shoulders. 
Mr.  Wellard's  eyes  were  weak  even  in  his  early  days, 
but  to  have  completely  lost  sight  when  still  in  the  prime 
of  vigorous  manhood  must  have  been  a  very  great 
misfortune,  one  very  hard  to  bear.  He  bore  the  calam- 
ity cheerfully  and  determined  that  it  should  not  end  his 
usefuhiess  nor  undermine  his  general  health.  That 
was  thirty  years  ago,  and  he  is  still  in  good  health  and 
still  maintains  the  farm  in  successful  cultivation,  thanks, 
it  must  be  admitted,  to  the  loyalty  and  labor  of  his  sor., 
who  is  a  skillful  and  energetic  farmer. 

Mr.  Wellard  has  been  a  Republican  in  politics  for 
the  greater  part  of  his  life,  and  at  times  has  shown 
much  interest  in  national  politics.  During  the  World 
War  he  felt  the  loss  of  his  sight  more  keenly  than  per- 
haps at  any  other  time,  for  he  longed  to  be  able  to 
read  all  the  news  that  the  papers  printed  of  the 
momentous  happenings  of  those  days.  He  has  always 
been  interested  particularly  in  local  affairs,  and  has  held 
some  local  ofliccs  including  those  of  school  trustee  and 
collector,  which  offices  he  has  held  several  times.  Of 
course  all  matters  pertaining  to  farming  are  of  interest 
to  him.  that  having  been  his  life  long  occupation,  and 
bearing  in  mind  his  physical  handicap  he  is  particularly 
well  informed  on  most  subjects.  For  many  years  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  local  grange,  and  in  his 
younger  days  took  active  part  in  its  functioning.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  a 
consistent   supporter  of  the  local  church.     Throughout 


452 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


his  lite  he  has  manifested  worthy  characteristics  such  as 
would  emanate  from  the  wholesome  thoughts  of  a  con- 
scientious Christian,  and  as  a  neighbor  he  has  been  ever 
ready,  where  possible,  to  lend  a  helping  hand  and  ever 
ready  to  receive  his  neighbors  with  open-hearted  hos- 
pitality. He  is  a  good  conversationalist,  and  his  con- 
pany  is  appreciated. 

Mr.  Wellard  was  also  blessed  by  another  loyal  loved 
one.  as  well  as  his  son,  during  his  many  years  of  sight- 
lessness:  his  dear  wile  was  more  than  a  companion  to 
him.  so  that,  as  is  so  often  the  case,  he  has  had  blessings 
to  compensate  for  rnisfortunes.  To  go  back  to  the  year 
of  his  marriage  is  a  stretch  of  forty-six  years,  for  it 
was  on  Sept.  lo.  lS~j,  that  he  married  Mary  Hubbard, 
of  Sherman.  Chautauqua  county.  Her  death  occurred 
March  20.  1003.  Five  children  were  bom  to  them,  but 
cnly  tliree  still  live.  The  five  children,  in  the  order  of 
birth,  were:  l.  Mary  Jane,  who  was  educated  in  the 
district  school  of  Ripley  township,  married  (first)  Willis 
Urch :  they  had  two  children,  Mildred,  and  Nelson; 
Mr.  Urch  died  .Tan.  5.  1919.  and  she  married  (second) 
Thomas  Urch.  2.  Flora,  who  died  when  only  three 
montli*;  old.  3.  Henry  D..  who  was  educated  in  the  dis- 
trict school  of  the  township,  and  afterwards  stood  man- 
fully at  his  father's  side,  ready  to  assist  him  in  all 
things;  he  lives  on  the  farm,  and  of  late  years  the 
entire  management  has  devolved  upon  him ;  he  mar- 
ried Rua  Whitford,  and  they  have  two  children,  Blos- 
som and  Jesse.  4.  Nellie  Polina,  who  duly  passed 
through  the  local  school,  married  Clyde  Wilson ;  died 
in  KXJi.  leaving  one  child.  Nellie,  who  married  Edward 
.\!brecht.  5.  Nancy,  educated  in  the  local  district 
schcM"'! ;  became  the  wife  of  Ernest  Scott,  to  whom  she 
has  borne  four  children :  X'irgil,  Kenneth,  Helen  and 
Cecil. 

The  life  of  Joseph  Charles  Wellard  has  been  one  of 
upright,  manly  endeavor  and  commendable  fortitude  in 
misfortune.  He  accepted  with  good  cheer  the  will  of 
destiny,  and  by  his  many  spheres  of  usefulness  since  has 
aemonstrated  that  the  will  to  accomplish  is  the  greater 
part  r.i  the  task  to  be  accomplished.  He  has  lived 
through  practically  three  generations  of  Chautauqua 
county  life,  and  for  more  than  fifty  years  has  been  a 
producer.  He  is  therefore  w'orthy  of  note  in  the  present 
historical  record  of  worthy  sons  of  Chautauqua  county. 
.\nd  in  any  case,  he  would  be  so  deserving  by  reason  of 
the  association  of  his  family  with  the  early  pioneer 
•  fTr.ns  within  the  countv. 


DR.  ELMER  AUGUSTUS  JONES,  M.  D.— One 

of  thi"  phy-jriaiis  ni  di  tiiutirm  in  tin-  city  of  J;imcstnwn, 
Cham;iiir|ua  county.  N.  ^'.,  who  hrjlds  ;i  place  of  high 
e-'te'.-m,  is  Elmer  Augustus  Jones,  .M.  ]).,  whose  reputa- 
tion a<,  a  physician  and  as  a  man  is  valued  in  great  degree 
fy.th  in  the  circles  of  the  mclical  profession  and  in  the 
r».-alm  of  citizenship.  He  was  horn  in  Chandlers  Valley, 
in  the  .State  of  t'eimsylvania,  Feb.  11,  1872,  a  son  of  ,\u- 
pu'tni  William  and  Carrie  I^Miise  (Lawson)  Jones.  His 
lather  was  thf  owner  of  a  saw  mill  and  lumber  husi- 
neis  in  Chandlers  V'all'-y  for  many  years,  but  later  in 
life  er(;a((ed  in  th<-  vrrri-ry  business  in  North  Warren, 
Pa,  V  here  he  and  his  wife  still  reside.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Aiiifu-ttis  W.  Jones  are  the  jiarents  of  thnir  children: 
Dr.   Elmer   A.  Jones,  of    whom    further;    Alice   Carrie, 


the  wife  of  H.  D.  Wade,  an  oil  operator,  who  lives  at 
Warren,  Pa. ;  and  Dr.  Claud  William  Jones,  a  dentist 
of  Corry,  Pa. 

The  elementary  portion  of  Dr.  Elmer  A.  Jones'  educa- 
tion was  acquired  at  the  local  public  schools  of  Chandlers 
X'allcy.  and  he  next  attended  the  Sugar  Grove  Seminary, 
where  he  took  the  usual  preparatory  course  and  gradu- 
ated in  1S03.  Having  decided  upon  the  career  of  a  medi- 
cal doctor  as  his  life's  work,  he  entered  the  University  of 
Buffalo,  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  where  he  pursued  the  study 
of  medicine,  resulting  in  his  graduation  with  honors 
therefrom  in  1896  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medi- 
cine. That  same  year  he  passed  the  New  York  State 
board  examinations  which  entitled  him  to  the  privilege 
of  the  general  practice  of  his  profession.  He  came 
almost  immediately  to  the  city  of  Jamestown,  and  here 
he  began  in  active  practice  as  a  physician  on  his  own 
account.  His  residence  in  Jamestown  has  covered  a 
period  of  almost  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  here  his  time 
has  been  devoted  to  unrestricted  and  faithful  service  in 
behalf  of  those  whom  he  was  able  to  serve  both  as  a  phy- 
sician and  citizen. 

Dr.  Elmer  .A.  Jones  is  a  member  of  the  Jamestown  and 
Chautauqua  Medical  societies,  the  American  Medical  .As- 
sociation, and  various  others.  Fraternally,  he  is  affiliated 
with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Mt.  Tabor 
Lodge,  No.  780,  of  Jamestown,  and  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  Lodge  No.  248,  of  Jamestown.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Medical  Corps  of  the  113th  Separate  Com- 
pany, National  Guard  New  York,  during  the  Spanish- 
American  War.  During  the  recent  World  War,  Dr. 
Jones  gave  much  of  his  time  to  the  various  war  activi- 
ties. He  was  on  the  reserve  list  for  medical  service  and 
rendered  what  aid  he  could  to  his  country.  In  his  politi- 
cal faith.  Dr.  Jones  is  a  Republican.  He  and  his  family 
attend  the  First  Congregational   Church,  of  Jamestown. 

Four  years  after  his  removal  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Dr. 
Jones  was  united  in  marriage,  Dec.  30,  1900,  to  Helen  B. 
Selandcr,  of  that  city.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  are  the  par- 
ents of  two  children,  as  follows :  Everett  William,  bom 
March  14,  1907;  and  Margaret  Helen,  born  .'\pril  25, 
1909. 


CLARE  A.  PICKARD,  one  of  the  prominent  attor- 
neys of  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  also 
a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  business  life  of  this  com- 
munity, is  a  member  of  a  family  which  has  for  four 
generations  taken  an  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  this 
region.  He  is  a  grandson  of  the  late  Major  Henry  Pick- 
ard,  who  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  town  of  Ellery, 
where  be  settled  on  Pickard  Hill  as  early  as  1816.  Major 
Pickard's  father,  John  Pickard,  was  also  one  of  the 
early  settlers  in  this  part  of  the  country. 

Alonzo  C.  Pickard,  father  of  Clare  A.  Pickard,  was 
born  Feb.  17,  1838,  at  Ellery,  N.  Y.,  and  was  the  .son  of 
Major  Henry  and  Maria  (Vanderwarker)  Pickard. 
Alonzo  C.  Pickard  attended  the  local  schools  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  after  which  he  studied 
at  the  Meadville  Academy,  and  later  matriculated  at 
Allegheny  College.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War, 
however,  he  left  college  to  enroll  in  the  Allegheny  Col- 
lege Volunteers,  afterwards  Company  L,  of  the  loth 
Pennsylvania  Reserves.  He  later  became  a  member  of 
the  Ii2tb  Regiment  of  the  New  York  Volunteer  Infan- 


<£■ 


'^- 


.;^^^- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


453 


try,  where  he  was  commissioned  first  lieutenant,  and  sub- 
sequently brevated  major  for  gallantry  in  the  field.  He 
was  seriously  wounded  in  the  Battle  of  the  Wilderness, 
and  after  his  recovery  was  assigned  to  court  martial  duty 
in  Washington  and  later  was  made  judge  advocate  in 
Alexandria,  Va.  After  his  discharge  from  the  army,  in 
1865,  he  returned  to  Western  New  York,  where  he  taught 
school  for  several  years.  He  was  school  commissioner 
for  two  terms,  and  for  several  years  supervisor  of  his 
town.  He  commenced  the  study  of  law  with  the  late 
Judge  Cook,  and  continued,  subsequently,  with  John  G. 
Wicks.  After  his  admission  to  the  bar  he  engaged  con- 
tinually in  the  practice  of  his  profession  until  the  time 
of  his  death,  in  1910.  He  married,  June  16,  1865,  Rozilla 
Flagg,  a  daughter  of  Captain  Madison  Flagg,  of  Stock- 
ton. They  became  the  parents  of  three  children ;  Clare 
A.,  of  whom  further ;  Ray  F. ;  and  Fern,  who  became 
the  wife  of  E.  W.  Stevens. 

Clare  A.  Pickard  was  born  Sept.  9,  1866,  at  Busti, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  As  a  lad  he  attended  the 
Frewsburg  Union  School,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
in  1882.  He  displayed  unusual  aptitude  as  a  student  and, 
like  his  father,  began  his  career  in  life  as  a  school 
teacher,  being  employed  in  several  different  schools  in 
Chautauqua  county.  In  1885  he  gave  up  his  work  in 
order  to  enter  the  employ  of  the  Remington  Typewriter 
Company  at  Pittsburgh.  In  this  work  he  displayed  much 
business  ability  and  made  himself  of  such  value  to  his 
employers  that  he  was  appointed  manager  of  the  Rem- 
ington Company's  offices  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  later  at 
Wheeling,  W.  Va.  He  remained  with  this  concern  for 
about  four  years  and  then  located  at  San  Francisco,  Cal., 
having  been  sent  to  that  point  by  the  New  York  Life 
Insurance  Company  as  metropolitan  manager.  Here 
also  Mr.  Pickard  made  a  marked  success  and  continued 
to  fill  this  responsible  post  for  about  seven  years.  In 
1895  he  returned  to  the  East,  having  severed  his  connec- 
tion with  the  New  York  Life,  and  settled  at  Jamestown. 

Before  going  to  the  West,  Mr.  Pickard  had  taken  up 
the  study  of  law  and,  upon  returning  to  Jamestown,  he 
resumed  his  study  of  this  subject,  which  he  pursued  to 
such  good  purpose  that  he  was  admitted  to  the  practice 
of  law  in  June,  1898.  He  then  opened  offices  in  the  El- 
licott  building  and  engaged  in  the  general  practice  of  his 
profession,  meeting  with  a  high  degree  of  success  from 
the  outset.  Later  he  changed  his  location  to  the  Well- 
man  building,  where  his  headquarters  are  at  the  present 
time.  He  conducts  a  large  legal  practice,  making  a  spe- 
cialty of  corporation  and  business  law.  He  has  engaged 
in  the  trial  of  many  cases,  some  of  which  have  been 
among  the  most  important  held  within  the  county.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1920,  he  took  into  partnership  Hugh  V.  N.  Bodine, 
formerly  of  Friendship,  N.  Y.,  who  is  now  associated 
with  him  under  the  firm  name  of  Pickard  &  Bodine.  Mr. 
Pickard  is  a  member  of  the  Jamestown  Bar  Association, 
the  New  York  State  Bar  Association,  and  the  Lawyers' 
Club  of  Buffalo. 

In  addition  to  his  law  practice,  Mr.  Pickard  has  actively 
engaged  in  many  business  enterprises  in  Jamestown  and 
Chautauqua  county.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  board 
of  directors  of  a  number  of  important  business  con- 
cerns. During  the  participation  of  the  United  States  in 
the  great  World  War,   Mr.   Pickard  served  his  country 


efficiently  and  well  in  the  responsible  office  of  United 
States  Food  .Administrator  for  Chautauqua  county. 

Mr.  Pickard  is  prominent  in  fraternal  circles,  especially 
in  the  Masonic  order,  in  which  he  has  taken  the  thirty- 
second  degree  in  Freemasonry,  and  is  a  member  of : 
Mount  Moriah  Lodge,  Free  and  .Accepted  Masons ;  West- 
ern Sun  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons ;  Jamestown  Coun- 
cil, Royal  and  Select  Masters ;  Jamestown  Commandery, 
Knights  Templar;  Ismailia  Temple,  Ancient  .Arabic 
Order  Nobles- of  the  Mystic  Shrine;  and  Buffalo  Con- 
sistory, Sovereign  Princes  of  the  Royal  Secret. 

Clare  A.  Pickard  married,  Feb.  25,  1896,  Rachael  Giles, 
a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Rachael  (Longshore)  Giles. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pickard  were  born  three  children,  as 
follows :  Clarence  Giles,  who  is  now  a  student  at  Ham- 
ilton College,  with  the  class  of  1921  ;  Rachael  Long- 
shore, a  high  school  student  with  the  class  of  1922;  and 
Rozilla  Putnam,  aged  ten  years. 


HENRY  LEWORTHY— Were  Mr.  Leworthy  to 
be  classed  according  to  his  business,  "antiquarian"  would 
be  his  classification,  for  his  storerooms  at  No.  32  West 
Main  street,  Fredonia,  are  filled  with  old  furniture,  pic- 
tures, curios,  engravings,  silver,  pewter,  china,  glass  and 
brass,  a  veritable  "Curiosity  Shop."  But  the  character 
of  the  man  varies  greatly  from  the  classification,  for  in 
heart,  spirit  and  deed  he  is  progressive,  alert  and  help- 
ful. He  radiates  kindliness  and  helpfulness,  and  "Ye 
Olde  Booke  Shoppe"  is  a  favorite  resting  place  for  both 
town  and  country  folk.  Nearly  half  a  century  ago  he 
first  made  Fredonia  his  abiding  place,  and  there  are  few, 
or  rather  none,  in  the  village  or  town  who  do  not  know 
him.  He  is  a  native  son  of  Chautauqua,  born  in  the  town 
of  Villenova,  of  English-Irish  parents,  his  father,  Wil- 
liam Beer  Leworthy,  of  North  Devon,  England,  and  his 
mother,  Mary  Jamison,  of  Waterford,  Ireland.  They 
were  married  in  the  village  of  Johnson  Creek,  Niagara 
county,  N.  Y.,  in  1855,  lived  in  Chautauqua  county, 
1855-60,  Niagara  county,  1860-67,  then  in  the  State  of 
Michigan  until  the  husband's  death,  in  1878.  Mrs.  Mary 
(Jamison)    Leworthy  died  in   Michigan,  in   1904. 

The  Leworthys  are  an  old  Devonshire  family ;  the 
little  village  of  Charles,  about  nine  miles  distant  from  the 
city  of  Barnstable,  has  been  the  family  home  for  about 
four  centuries.  In  the  village  church,  visited  by  Mr. 
Leworthy  while  on  tour  abroad,  the  register  dates  back 
to  1531.  In  that  record  the  sixth  marriage  entry  is  that 
of  John  Leworthie  and  Englishe  Bright,  the  date  June 
28,  1547.  On  the  largest  of  the  five  bells  in  the  old 
church  tower  he  found  the  inscription :  "Given  to  the 
parish  by  George  Leworthy,  Gentlemen,  in  1733,  during 
the  pastorate  of  John  Rosier."  John  Leworthy,  great- 
grandfather of  Henry  Leworthy,  was  an  English  soldier 
and  fought  under  Wellington  at  Waterloo. 

Henry  Leworthy  was  born  in  the  town  of  Villenova, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  2,  1856.  He  was  taken 
by  his  parents  to  Southern  Michigan  in  1867,  but  in  l86g 
returned  to  Villenova  and  entered  the  employ  of  his 
uncle,  Edwin  Leworthy,  a  merchant  in  the  village  of 
Hamlet.  In  that  country  store  he  developed  a  taste  for 
mercantile  life  and  there  remained  until  1875,  when  he 
became  a  student  at  the  Fredonia  State  Normal,  con- 
tinuing until    1878.      In  that  year  and   for  twelve  years 


454 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


thereafter,  he  was  a  clerk  in  the  Jesse  K.  Starr  store  in 
Fredonia,  leaving  in  iSiX)  to  become  a  partner  with  Bert 
Belden.  they  trading  as  Belden  &:  Leworthy,  dealers  in 
groceries  and  crocker>'.  The  partnership  existed  until 
lOoS:  Mr.  Leworthy  then  served  as  town  assessor  for  a 
time.  .\t  tlie  failure  of  Dorset  Brothers  he  bought  their 
drug  and  grocen-  business,  soon  closing  out  the  drugs 
and  later  selling  the  groccrv  stock  to  the  firm  of  Annas 
&  Dorset. 

In  the  spring  of  igiS  Mr.  Leworthy  opened  "Ye  Olde 
Booke  Shoppe"  at  Xo.  3,-  ^^'cst  Main  street,  and  there 
continues,  a  dealer  in  books  and  antiques.  He  has  a  won- 
derful collection  of  old  china,  that  having  long  been  a 
specialty  with  him,  and  he  possesses  some  pieces  of  great 
historical  interest  and  value.  His  collection  of  antique 
furniture  is  remarkable  and  includes  pieces  rare  and 
valuable.  He  is  considered  an  authority,  especially  upon 
old  china,  and  has  given  little  addresses  upon  the  subject 
to  gatherings  of  persons  interested  in  the  ceramic  art. 

Mr.  Leworthy  is  interested  in  the  preservation  of  local 
history  and  has  aided  in  the  gathering  of  material  for 
this  present  work.  Anything  historic  in  books,  pictures, 
china  or  furniture,  possesses  a  peculiar  interest  for  him, 
and  their  collection  and  arranging  is  his  favorite  recrea- 
tion. He  has  been  an  official  member  of  the  First  Metho- 
dist church  of  Fredonia  for  over  forty  years,  and  is  an 
active,  interested  member  of  the  County  Committee  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  All  good  works 
appeal  to  him  and  his  time  is  freely  given  to  helpful 
church  or  association  work.  During  the  World  War 
period,  1917-18,  he  gave  himself  unreservedly  to  war 
work  of  various  kinds  and  was  one  of  the  enthusiastic 
"drive"  workers. 

Mr.  Leworthy  married,  Sept.  2,  1885,  Arabelle  Wheeler, 
daughter  of  Dan  and  Mary  A.  (Kirkland)  Wheeler.  The 
Wheelers  and  Kirklands  were  early  settlers  of  the  town 
of  Hanover.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leworthy  are  the  parents  of 
two  sons:  i.  Ralph  Hall,  born  Nov.  s,  iSoo;  a  veteran 
of  the  World  War,  serving  with  the  306th  Machine  Gun 
Battalion.  Si.x  weeks  after  leaving  Fredonia  he  was  in 
Northern  France,  where  his  outfit  engaged  in  many 
historic  battles,  and  fought  up  to  the  signing  of  the 
armistice.  2.  Henry  K.,  born  Aug.  15,  1806;  also  a  vet- 
eran of  the  World  War,  a  member  of  the  First  Division, 
Third  Battalion,  Naval  Militia,  of  the  State  of  New 
York.  Three  days  after  President  Wilson's  declaration 
of  a  state  of  war  existing  between  the  United  States 
and  Germany  he  was  in  active  service,  serving  fiom 
Easter  Sunday,  1917.  until  July  i,  1919.  During  this  time 
he  crossed  the  .■\tlantic  ocean  twenty-eight  times. 

The  Ix;worlhy  brothers  arc  the  authorized  agents  for 
the  Ford  .\utomobile  Company  for  the  city  and  town  of 
Dunkirk. 


LEVI  LUCE — Among  the  prominent  merchants  of 
Kllington,  Chautar'iua  county.  N.  Y.,  is  Levi  Luce,  a 
native  of  this  plar<-,  whi-re  his  birth  occurred  Aug.  14, 
1874,  and  a  son  of  Joseph  and  I-ucy  (Simons)  Lu(  r,  the 
former  a  prominent  farmer  nf  these  parts  for  many 
years.  I>-vi  F^urc  obtained  his  education  at  (he  public 
vhry/l-  of  Ellington  and  the  Ellington  High  .School. 
Ulf<n  completing  his  studies  at  the  latter  institution,  Mr. 
Ellington  began  his  business  career  by  opening  a  general 
store,   and    met    with   notable   success    from    the   outs't 


Since  that  time  Mr.  Luce  has  developed  a  large  and  suc- 
cessful business  and  his  establishment  is  regarded  as  one 
of  the  finest  of  its  kind  in  the  community  to-day.  Mr. 
Luce  has  not  confined  himself  to  the  carrying  on  of  his 
private  business  but  has  become  affiliated  with  a  number 
of  important  financial  institutions  in  this  region.  He  has 
always  taken  a  keen  interest  in  public  affairs  and  at  the 
present  time  holds  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  at 
Ellington,  where  he  has  established  an  enviable  record 
on  account  of  his  just  and  impartial  treatment  of  all 
who  come  before  him  in  that  capacity.  Mr.  Luce  is  a 
Free  Methodist  in  his  religious  belief  and  attends  the 
church  of  that  denomination  at  Ellington. 

Levi  Luce  married,  Feb.  7,  1900,  at  Ellington,  Minnie 
Pritchard,  a  native  of  this  place,  where  her  birth  oc- 
curred March  23,  1876,  and  a  daughter  of  Amos  and 
Anna   (Wilcox)    Pritchard. 


CHARLES  HENRY  WIBORG,  well  known  law- 
yer and  prominent  in  various  activities  of  civic,  fra- 
ternal and  club  life  of  Jamestown,  is  a  native  of  this  city, 
having  been  born  here  Oct.  30,  1873,  son  of  Jacob  N. 
and  Christine  (Ahlstrom)  Wiborg.  The  elder  Mr. 
Wiborg  was  a  native  of  Sweden  and  was  among  the  first 
settlers  of  this  nationality  to  come  to  Chautauqua  county. 
He  was  engaged  for  many  years  in  the  manufacture  of 
pianos,  being  connected  with  the  Ahlstrom  Piano  Com- 
pany of  Jamestown.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jacob  N.  and 
Christine  (Ahlstrom)  Wiborg  were  born  five  children: 
Charles  Henry,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  ;  Jennie  M., 
deceased;  Florence  W.,  who  became  the  wife  of  T.  H. 
W.  Meredith,  of  Jamestown;  Lillian,  who  became  the 
wife  of  H.  H.  Roberts,  also  of  this  city;  and  Leonard, 
deceased. 

Charles  Henry  Wiborg  has  spent  his  entire  life  in 
Jamestown,  having  been  educated  in  the  public  schools 
and  Jamestown  High  School,  graduating  from  the  lat- 
ter in  1893.  As  a  youth  he  determined  upon  law  as  a 
profession  and  accordingly  entered  the  law  offices  of 
Green  &  Woodbury,  prominent  attorneys  of  Jamestown, 
where  he  read  law  for  two  years.  He  then  matriculated 
at  the  law  school  of  Cornell  University,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1897  with  the  degree  of  LL.  D.  He 
began  general  practice  in  his  profession  on  July  29  of 
the  same  year  in  Jamestown,  and  for  a  time  was  in  part- 
nership with  C.  D.  Babcock.  fn  1904  this  association 
was  discontinued  and  since  that  time  Mr.  Wiborg  has 
practiced  alone,  with  ofiices  in  the  Fenton  building. 

Mr.  Wiborg  is  a  man  of  much  versatility  and  has  been 
identified  with  many  important  movements  of  Jamestown 
and  the  county,  and  is  widely  known.  During  the  great 
World  War,  liis  patriotic  endeavors  were  appreciated  in 
the  various  campaigns  of  the  Liberty  I^oans,  the  Red 
Cross,  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and  the 
United  War  Work  Drives.  In  every  movement  of  this 
kind  he  gave  much  of  his  time,  and  was  a  most  active 
and  energetic  worker.  Mr.  Wiborg  may  be  considered  an 
e.xiK-rt  in  creating  a  sentiment  of  good  fellowship  and 
cheer  in  the  many  things  he  has  been  asked  to  give  his 
leadership  to.  He  has  been  in  much  demand  as  a  cheer 
and  song  leader  at  many  public  banquets  and  other  funr- 
(iriiis  held  by  the  civic,  church,  fraternal  and  club  organi- 
zations in  this  city  and  all  over  the  county. 


^'' 


'^h-< 


£^r6.  JLctJi  Hucc 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


455 


Mr.  Wiborg  is  eminently  a  strong  community  fignrer 
and  public-spirited.  In  all  his  activities  he  never  loses 
sight  of  the  interest  and  promotion  of  good  fellowship 
among  his  fellow-citizens. 

The  review,  herewith,  gives  a  number  of  the  affiliations 
in  which  he  has  been  prominent.  Politically  he  is  a 
staunch  Republican.  At  the  present  time  he  is  an  acting 
judge  of  the  City  Court;  transfer  tax  appraiser  for 
Chautauqua  county  since  June,  1916;  member  of  the 
New  York  State  Motor  Federation ;  Legislative  Com- 
mittee, and  has  done  much  for  the  advancement  of  good 
roads  and  road  regulations ;  member  of  the  Jamestown 
Bar  Association,  of  which  he  has  been  secretary  and 
treasurer  since  1906.  His  fraternal  and  club  organiza- 
tions are :  The  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
being  a  member  of  its  Blue  Lodge,  chapter,  commandery 
and  shrine ;  he  is  one  of  the  organizers  and  was  one  of 
the  first  directors  of  the  Rotary  Club ;  member  of  the 
Norden  Club;  the  Jamestown  Automobile  Club,  of  which 
he  was  secretary  in  1915;  the  Chadakoin  Boat  Club,  of 
which  he  has  been  commodore  for  nine  years ;  trustee  for 
twelve  years  of  the  Jamestown  High  School  Alumni  As- 
sociation ;  and  member  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  of  Jamestown. 


BRAINARD  T.  HARKNESS— A  residence  of  forty 
years  in  Jamestown  has  made  the  name  we  have  just 
written  so  familiar  to  a  majority  of  her  citizens  as  to 
render  wholly  unnecessary  any  introductory  clause  or  par- 
agraph. Not  only  is  the  name  of  Mr.  Harkness  familiar, 
but  any  mention  of  it  is  always  greeted  with  respect, 
inasmuch  as  it  is  the  name  of  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War 
and  an  upright,  public-spirited  citizen. 

The  following  is  the  "Mayflower"  lineage  of  the  Hark- 
ness family : 

(I)  Edward  Doty,  came  in  the  "Mayflower"  in  1620. 
He  married,  Jan.  6,  1634,  Faith  Clark,  born  1619,  prob- 
ably a  second  wife,  daughter  of  Tristram  Clark. 

(H)  John  Doty,  son  of  Edward  and  Faith  (Clark) 
Doty,  was  born  at  Plymouth,  Mass.,  1639.  He  married, 
about  1667,  Elizabeth  Cook,  born  in  1648,  daughter  of 
Jacob  Cook,  born  in  Holland,  who  was  a  son  of  Francis 
Cook,  who  came  in  the  "Mayflower,"  1620. 

(HI)  John  (2)  Doty,  son  of  John  (l)  and  Elizabeth 
(Cook)  Doty,  was  born  at  Plymouth,  Mass.,  .A.ug,  24, 
1668.  He  married,  February,  1692,  Mehitable  Nelson, 
born  April  5,  1670,  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Wood) 
Nelson.  John  Nelson,  born  1647,  was  son  of  W.  Nelson, 
who  came  early  to  New  England,  and  married  Martha 
Ford. 

(IV)  John  (3)  Doty,  son  of  John  (2)  and  Mehitable 
(Nelson)  Doty,  was  born  at  Plymouth,  Mass.,  Feb.  5, 
1700.  He  married,  July  8,  1724,  Lidiah  Dunham,  born 
1704,  daughter  of  Elisha  and  Johanna  Dunham.  The 
Dunhams  were  early  at  Plymouth. 

(V)  Ebenezer  Doty,  son  of  John  (3)  and  Lidiah 
(Dunham)  Doty,  was  born  1727.  He  married,  June  12, 
1750,  Mary  Whiting. 

(VI)  Amaziah  Doty,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Mary 
(Whiting)  Doty,  was  born  at  Plymouth,  Mass.,  May  17, 
1756,  died  at  Cazenovia,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  24,  1833.  He  mar- 
ried, 1779,  Bertha  Hamlin,  of  Banistable,  Mass.  They 
moved  to  Lee,  Mass.;    fifteen  years  later  they  moved  to 


Bennington,  Vt. ;  a  short  time  thereafter  they  moved  to 
Granville,  N.  Y.,  then  to  Chenango  county,  N,  Y.,  and 
about  1813  to  Cazenovia,  N.  Y. 

(VII)  Mary  Doty,  daughter  of  Amaziah  and  Bertha 
(Hamlin)  Doty,  was  born  at  Lee,  Mass.,  June  20.  1786. 
She  married,  at  Granville,  N.  Y.,  November,  1805,  Jacob 
Harkness. 

(VIII)  Henderson  Harkness,  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary 
(Doty)  Harkness,  was  born  in  Granville,  N.  Y.,  1816. 
He  was  twelve  years  old  when  his  parents  moved  to 
Salem,  Washington  county,  N.  Y.,  where  they  were 
pioneer  settlers.  Henderson  Harkness  was  a  farmer  all 
his  life,  owning  and  operating  for  many  years  a  farm  in 
Salem  township.  Later  he  moved  to  North  Greenwich, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  also  engaged  in  farming,  settling,  when 
he  retired  from  active  life,  in  the  village  of  Greenwich, 
where  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  days.  Mr.  Hark- 
ness married  Sarah  Ann  Bishop,  of  Lyons,  N.  Y.,  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  their  home  in 
Greenwich.  They  were  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  Mrs.  Harkness  was  born  in  Dutchess 
county,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  Ann 
(Dunning)  Bishop.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harkness  were  the 
parents  of  five  children :  Julia,  Brainard  T.,  Edward, 
Sarah,  and  William. 

(IX)  Brainard  T.  Harkness,  son  of  Henderson  and 
Sarah  Ann  (Bishop)  Harkness,  was  born  July  3,  1845, 
in  Salem,  Washington  countv',  N.  Y..  and  was  reared  to 
farm  life,  acquiring  his  education  in  Salem  school.  While 
still  a  boy  he  exchanged  the  quiet  environment  of  the 
country  for  that  of  the  camp  and  the  battle  field,  enlist- 
ing, Dec.  26,  1861,  for  a  term  of  three  years,  in  Company 
D,  4th  Regiment,  New  York  Heavy  Artillery,  under  Cap- 
tain Jones  and  Colonel  Doubleday.  On  Dec.  28,  1863, 
he  reenlisted,  as  a  veteran,  as  corporal  in  the  same  com- 
pany and  regiment,  and  participated  in  the  battles  of  the 
Wilderness  and  Spottsylvania,  receiving.  May  ig.  1864, 
at  Spottsylvania.  a  wound  in  the  left  knee  which  sent 
him  to  the  field  hospital  and  later  to  the  Lincoln  Hospital 
in  Washington.  Later  he  was  sent  to  the  hospital  at 
Davids  Island,  Long  Island  Sound,  and  finally  to  the  hos- 
pital in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  whence  he  was  transferred  to  the 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  April  15,  1865,  received  his  dis- 
charge at  Indianapolis.  Ind.,  Oct.  3,  18^5. 

On  returning  home,  Mr.  Harkness  learned  the  black- 
smith's trade  in  Greenwich,  and  followed  it  in  that  town, 
later  going  to  Cambridge,  N.  Y.,  where  he  enga.ged  in 
general  blacksmithing  on  his  own  account  for  a  period  of 
ten  years.  In  1879,  Mr.  Harkness  came  to  Jamestown 
and  established  himself  as  a  blacksmith  on  Second  street, 
but  at  the  end  of  a  year  obtained  a  position  as  black- 
smith and  iron  worker  in  the  Jamestown  Worsted  Mills, 
which  were  then  under  the  supcrintendency  of  the  late 
Samuel  Briggs.  Mr.  Harkness  has  now,  for  forty  years, 
been  continuously  employed  by  this  corporation,  which  is 
one  of  the  oldest  in  Jamestown.  In  politics,  Mr.  Hark- 
ness is  a  staunch  Republican.  He  belongs  to  James  M. 
Brown  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  of  James- 
town, in  which  he  has  filled  many  offices,  including  that 
of  post  commander. 

Mr.  Harkness  married.  Feb.  10,  1875.  in  Jamestown, 
Effie  B.  Tefft,  a  native  of  that  place,  daughter  of  Benja- 
min   Franklin    and    Harriet     (Hanchett)     Tefft,    grand- 


456 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


daughter  of  Benjamin  Cottrell  and  Margaret  (Xelson) 
Tent,  and  great-granddaughter  of  Asa  Tefft.  a  Revohi- 
tionar>-  soldier.  Her  grandfather  ser^'ed  as  a  soldier  in 
the  War  of  1S12.  and  her  father  served  in  the  Civil  War, 
was  quartermaster  sergeant  in  Company  E,  21st  New 
York  Ca\-alry,  discharged  Sept.  9,  1S60,  at  Camp  Collins, 
Col.  Mrs.  Harkness  is  a  niece  of  Lathrop  L.  Hanchett, 
justice  of  the  peace,  and  the  late  Theodore  D.  Hanchett, 
of  Jamestown.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harkness  are  the  parents 
of  a  son  and  a  daughter:  Louis  Tefft  Harkness.  super- 
intendent of  the  -Automatic  Registering  Machine  Com- 
pany of  Jamestown,  who  married  Myrtle  Guild;  and 
Harriet  M.  Hark-ness.  Mrs.  Harkness  is  a  woman  of 
culture,  devoted  to  household  ties.  She  is  a  past  presi- 
dent of  tlie  Woman's  Relief  Corps.  The  beautiful  fam- 
ily home,  which  was  built  by  Mr.  Harkness  some  years 
ago.  is  situated  on  Winsor  street,  Jamestown. 

If  to  make  a  good  record  as  soldier,  citizen,  and  busi- 
ness man  is  to  succeed,  Brainard  T.  Harkness  must  cer- 
tainly be  counted  a  successful  man,  especially  as,  over  and 
above  the  causes  for  congratulation  already  mentioned,  he 
has  won  the  high  respect  and  warm  regard  of  his  neigh- 
bors and  fellow-citizens. 


HARVEY  FRANKLIN  JONES,  the  well  known 
business  man  of  Falconer,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
is  a  native  of  Pine  Grove,  Warren  county.  Pa.,  bom 
April  14,  1859,  a  son  of  Jehu  P.  and  Harriett  CHerrick') 
Jones,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  that  place. 
The  elder  Mr.  Jones  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and 
died  about  twenty-five  years  ago.  He  was  a  native  of 
Pine  Grove  townsliip,  as  was  also  his  wife,  and  he  was 
for  many  years  well  known  as  a  leading  Republican 
there.  Harvey  Franklin  Jones  is  a  great-grandson  of 
Isaiah  Jones,  who  took  part  in  the  Revolutionary  War 
and  served  under  General  Washington.  He  was  a  man 
of  unusual  ability,  and  could  speak  the  Indian  language, 
so  that  he  became  a  well  known  figure  in  the  dealings 
of  the  early  .\mericans  with  their  savage  neighbors. 

The  early  life  of  Harvey  Franklin  Jones  was  passed 
in  his  native  region,  and  it  was  there  that  he  gained  his 
education,  attending  the  local  district  schools  for  this 
purp'^se.  While  still  quite  a  youth,  however,  he  aban- 
doned his  studies  and  secured  a  position  on  a  neighboring 
farm,  working  for  a  time  both  for  his  father  and  for 
fAhcr  agriculturalists  in  the  region.  Upon  attaining  his 
majority,  Mr.  Jones  secured  a  position  with  E.  H. 
French,  of  Russell,  Pa.,  who  was  engaged  in  the  feed 
business  there,  and  remained  with  him  for  two  years. 
Desiring  to  be  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  account, 
Mr.  Jones  then  took  charge  of  the  mill  at  Kinzua,  War- 
ren county.  Pa.,  which  he  operated  for  about  five  years. 
While  he  resided  in  Kinzua,  Mr.  Jones  held  the  office  of 
constable  for  the  township  and  discharged  the  duties  of 
this  office  lor  three  years.  He  then  removed  tr)  McKcan 
county,  Pa.,  where  he  worker!  for  the  firm  of  ["rench  & 
VirUcH,  who  conducted  a  large  lumber  business  in  that 
rogion.  For  two  years  he  was  superintendent  of  that 
ronccm.  and  in  if</>  came  to  Falconer,  N.  Y.,  and  en- 
gaged in  th':  meat  bu.sincss,  founding  the  City  Meat 
Market  on  Main  street.  F-'or  two  years  he  continued  in 
thi<  mtcriirisc,  with  a  high  degree  of  success,  by  him- 
Jcll,  and  then  admitted  as  a  (lartner  E.  L.  Elderkin,  an 


association  which  continued  for  three  years  longer.  At 
the  end  of  tluit  period,  Mr.  Jones  sold  out  his  interest  in 
the  business  and  formed  the  Falconer  Milling  Company, 
Inc.,  of  which  he  was  elected  the  president  and  manager, 
an  office  which  he  continued  to  hold  until  igoo.  In  that 
year,  Mr.  Jones  was  elected  to  the  office  of  town  clerk 
of  Ellicott,  and  served  the  community  in  that  capacity 
for  a  period  of  eleven  years.  He  is  a  staunch  Republican 
in  politics,  and  in  addition  to  his  post  as  town  clerk  has 
also  served  as  assessor  to  the  town  of  Ellicott,  and  was 
twice  elected  a  trustee  of  the  village.  In  1913  Mr.  Jones 
sold  his  interest  in  the  milling  business  and  entered  the 
grocery  business,  opening  an  establishment  at  No.  67 
West  Main  street.  Still  later  he  repurchased  his  old  mill- 
ing concern  at  Falconer,  to  which  he  was  again  elected 
president  and  general  manager,  an  office  that  he  con- 
tinues to  hold  at  the  present  time.  Mr.  Jones  attends  St. 
Luke's  Episcopal  Church  at  Jamestown,  and  has  been 
active  in  supporting  the  work  of  the  parish,  liberally  sup- 
porting its  philanthropic  and  benevolent  undertakings. 

Mr.  Jones  was  united  in  marriage,  Dec.  5,  1888,  at  Rus- 
sell, Warren  county.  Pa.,  with  Estelle  French,  who  was 
born  at  Pine  Grove,  a  daughter  of  Edwin  H.  and  El- 
lenore  (Jones)  French,  the  former  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts, who  came  to  Pennsylvania  as  a  small  boy,  and  the 
latter  of  Warren  county.  Pa.  Mr.  French  was  engaged 
in  a  mercantile  business  at  Russell,  Pa.,  and  also  dealt  in 
lumber.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  two  children  have  been 
born,  as  follows :  Helen  Marie,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Robert  P.  Hussey,  of  Falconer,  to  whom  she  has  borne 
one  child,  Gwendolyn ;  Florence  Aline,  who  became  the 
wife  of  William  F.  May,  of  Falconer,  to  whom  she  has 
borne  one  child,  Mary  Genevieve. 


GEORGE  RAPPOLE— The  narrowest  part  of 
Chautauqua  Lake  is  at  Bemus  Point,  a  ferry  there  cross- 
ing the  lake  to  Stow,  in  the  town  of  Harmony.  Eleven 
acres  of  this  Bemus  Point  tract  was  formerly  owned  by 
Albertus  W.  Rappole,  who  started  the  ferry  and  was  one 
of  the  early  builders  of  the  Bemus  Point  settlement,  now 
a  prosperous  summer  resort,  and  an  incorporated  village, 
with  a  permanent  population  reported  by  the  State  cen- 
sus of  191 5  to  be  270.  The  eleven  acres  he  owned  be- 
came valuable,  and  upon  part  of  his  holdings  Mr.  Rap- 
pole  erected  in  1893  the  Columbian  Hotel,  a  house  of  en- 
tertainment, containing  forty-five  rooms,  built  at  a  cost 
of  $17,000.  The  hotel  was  well  patronized  in  the  sum- 
mer months,  the  balance  of  the  little  farm  of  eleven  acres 
producing  the  fruits  and  vegctal^Ies  whioh  supplied  its 
table. 

At  the  Bemus  Point  farm  George  Rappole,  now  pro- 
prietor of  the  hotel,  and  an  electrician,  was  born  Oct. 
13,  1881,  son  of  Albertus  W.  and  Velona  (Stone)  Rap- 
pole. He  attended  public  schools,  completing  grammar 
grades,  then  became  interested  in  electricity  and  adopted 
its  application  to  home  uses  as  a  business.  He  completed 
a  course  of  study  with  the  International  Correspondence 
School  of  Scranton,  and  spent  four  years  in  the  business 
in  th'-  city  of  Buffalo,  and  became  an  expert  electrician. 
In  i<)')l  his  father  was  killed.  The  management  of  the 
hotel  ilicn  fell  upon  George  Rapjiolc,  and  to  that  duty 
he  h.'is  dcviilc'l  his  summers,  following  his  business  of 
electrician   during  the  balance  of  the  year.     The  Colum- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


457 


bian  Hotel  is  a  popular  house  and  well  patronized  during 
the  vacation  period,  Bemus  Point  being  one  of  the  most 
popular  of  the  many  lake  resorts.  In  1920  100  rooms 
were  added  thereto,  80  having  baths  connected  with 
them.  Mr.  Rappole  formed  a  stock  company,  took  over 
the  Pickard  Hotel,  now  adjoining,  also  the  McKinzey 
farm  consisting  of  109  acres,  which  was  turned  into  golf 
links,  also  the  Ferry  property,  and  he  is  now  the  presi- 
dent and  manager  of  the  same,  Clarence  D.  Held  serving 
in  the  capacities  of  secretary  and  treasurer.  Mr.  Rap- 
pole  organized  and  installed  the  first  telephone  service 
in  the  village,  serving  seventy-four  subscribers,  a  busi- 
ness which  he  later  sold  to  the  Bell  Telephone  Company. 
He  is  also  interested  in  the  ownership  of  the  Eagle  Garage 
in  Jamestown,  and  is  a  very  successful  business  man.  He 
is  a  Republican  in  politics ;  member  of  the  Sons  of  the 
American  Revolution,  Board  of  Commerce,  the  Sports- 
man's Club,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  Fraternal  Order  of 
Eagles,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  of 
the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons. 

Mr.  Rappole  married,  in  1903,  Elizabeth  R.  McLaugh- 
lin, daughter  of  Patrick  and  Fanny  (Smith)  McLaugh- 
lin, and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  children :  Albertus 
W.  and  George,  Jr. 


CHARLES  JEFFORDS  CARPENTER,  late  of 
Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  his  death 
occurred  at  his  home,  March  30,  1912,  was  for  many 
years  one  of  the  prominent  manufacturers  and  business 
men  of  the  community  and  a  public-spirited  citizen.  He 
was  a  native  of  Jamestown,  born  Nov.  20,  1857,  a  son  of 
William  and  Sybbel  (Jeffords)  Carpenter,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  this  city. 

He  was  a  lad  of  only  six  years  of  age  when  his  father 
died,  and  he  was  brought  up  by  his  mother  who  gave 
the  greatest  devotion  and  affection  to  her  children,  pro- 
viding them  with  the  best  education  that  her  limited 
means  could  afford.  After  attending  the  local  schools 
of  Jamestown  for  a  number  of  years,  Charles  J.  Car- 
penter began  at  an  early  age  to  be  regularly  employed  in 
order  to  assist  in  supporting  the  family,  working  in  the 
axe  factory  in  which  his  father  had  met  his  death  and 
his  elder  brother  Elial  was  already  employed.  The  two 
brothers  worked  at  this  establishment  for  a  time,  and  in 
1881,  having  laid  by  a  little  capital,  left  their  employer  and 
formed  a  partnership  with  Charles  Tew  and  John  Kofod 
and  began  the  manufacture  of  axes  and  other  tools.  This 
company  did  business  under  the  style  of  the  Jamestown 
Axe  and  Edge  Tool  Manufacturing  Company,  and  was 
highly  successful  in  the  enterprise,  a  very  large  business 
being  worked  up  with  a  market  extending  throughout 
the  region.  The  business  was  continued  uninterruptedly 
up  to  the  time  of  Mr.  Elial  Carpenter's  death  and  for  a 
short  time  afterwards,  but  it  was  then  sold  by  the 
brother,  Charles  Jeffords  Carpenter,  who  had  accepted  a 
position  with  the  American  Express  Company.  This  he 
continued  to  hold  until  he  again  took  up  mechanical  work, 
at  which  he  was  actively  engaged  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death. 

Mr.  Carpenter  was  exceedingly  active  in  the  general 
life  of  the  community  of  which  he  was  a  member,  and 
took  a  prominent  part  in  many  of  its  affairs.  During  his 
youth  he  was  not  active  in   religious  matters,  but  later 


in  life  he  was  converted  and  joined  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church  of  Jamestown,  and  became  the  superintendent 
of  the  Sunday  school  there.  He  also  became  a  strong 
advocate  of  temperance  and  did  much  to  promote  the 
cause  in  this  region.  Mr.  Carpenter  was  a  member  of  a 
number  of  fraternal  organizations,  and  was  prominent  in 
Masonic  circles,  being  affiliated  with  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge, 
Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons ;  Western  Sun  Chap- 
ter, Royal  Arch  Masons ;  Jamestown  Commandery, 
Knights  Templar;  Ismailia  Temple,  .Ancient  Arabic 
Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  of  Buffalo.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  the  Jeffords  Hose  Company  of  James- 
town, and  the  Exempt  Firemen's  Association,  and  did 
much  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  fire  department. 

Charles  Jeffords  Carpenter  was  united  in  marriage, 
Sept.  5,  1882,  at  Jamestown,  to  Jennie  Young,  born  at 
Jamestown,  Jan.  29,  1862,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Moody)  Young,  and  a  member  of  a  well  known 
family  here.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  children,  as 
follows:  I.  Charles  Raymond,  who  resides  at  James- 
town ;  married  Olive  Phillips,  by  whom  he  has  had  two 
daughters,  Allene  E.stella  and  Donna  Marion.  2.  Allene, 
who  became  the  wife  of  T.  N.  Nelson,  the  well  known 
merchant  tailor  of  Jamestown,  to  whom  she  has  borne 
three  children :  Jane  Elizabeth,  Helen  .A.llene,  and  Mary 
Louise. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON— The  Harrison 
family  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  Jamestown,  where  they  are 
well  known  and  highly  respected  citizens.  The  first  mem- 
ber of  the  family  to  be  known  here  was  Dr.  James  J. 
Harrison,  a  dentist,  who  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
but  who  came  to  Jamestown  prior  to  1830.  He  was  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  this  section. 

William  H.  Harrison,  son  of  Dr.  James  J.  Harrison, 
was  born  in  Jamestown  in  1830  in  a  dwelling  house  which 
stood  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  one  of  the  Jamestown 
banks,  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Second  streets.  Wil- 
liam H.  Harrison  married  Mary  Moynahan  and  among 
their  children  is  William  Henry,  of  whom  further. 

William  Heniy  Harrison  was  born  in  Jamestown,  April 
30,  1871.  His  education  was  gained  in  the  local  schools 
of  this  city,  but  when  fourteen  years  of  age  he  left  school 
and  sought  employment  in  the  dry  goods  store  of 
Hevenor  Brothers  in  a  minor  position.  Young  Harrison 
remained  with  them  until  he  was  twenty  years  old ;  in 
the  meantime  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  sales- 
man. On  May  16,  1891,  Mr.  Harrison  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  A.  D.  Sharpe,  the  dry  goods  dealer,  as  a  sales- 
man in  the  dress  goods  department,  later  being  trans- 
ferred to  the  silk  dress  goods  department  in  a  similar 
capacity.  He  is  now  well  identified  with  this  company 
and  is  in  charge  of  the  purchasing  department.  Mr.  Har- 
rison has  always  been  to  the  fore  in  the  matter  of  ren- 
dering service  to  his  city.  For  more  than  twenty-one 
years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Fenton  Guards,  having 
the  rank  of  second  lieutenant.  When  the  Spanish-Amer- 
ican War  broke  out  he  enlisted,  but  as  it  was  of  so  short 
a  duration,  he  did  not  have  an  opportunity  to  leave  the 
United  States.  Mr.  Harrison  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Columbus,  being  a  past  grand  knight  of  that  order; 
he  is  also  district  deputy  for  the  Catholic  Mutual  Benev- 
olent  Association,   and  a   member  of   the   C.    M.    B.   A. 


45S 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


Council.  Mr.  Harrison  and  his  family  are  all  mem- 
bers of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  St.  Peter  and  St. 
Paul. 

On  July  i6.  iSg5.  Mr.  Harrison  married  in  James- 
town, X.  Y.,  Mary  Kennedy.  Of  this  union  six  children 
were  bom :  Catherine.  Cecelia,  Richard,  Francis,  Jose- 
phine. William  H..  Jr. 


MARVIN  H.  KENT— .\  dealer  in  tires  and  auto- 
mobile accessories  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Kent  has  a 
good  business  and  one  with  which  he  has  long  been 
familiar.  He  has  prospered  through  close  attention  to 
business  and  through  ability  as  a  mechanic,  he  being  an 
expert  vulcanizer  and  repair  man.  He  is  a  son  of  George 
Kent,  of  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y..  a  farmer  and  teams- 
ter, and  his  wife,  Louise  (Cook)  Kent,  of  Cattaraugus 
county. 

Marvin  H.  Kent  was  born  m  Perrysburg,  Cattaraugus 
coiinty.  X.  Y.,  Oct.  29,  1S72.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  that  section,  worked  on  the  farm  in 
early  life,  then  became  interested  in  automobile  work 
and  for  several  years  has  been  successfully  engaged  in 
that  business.  At  his  place  of  business  in  Jamestown  he 
ministers  to  the  needs  of  automobilists  generally.  He  is 
a  Republican  in  politics.  Mr.  Kent  has  prospered  in 
business,  and  has  acquired  considerable  real  estate  in  the 
section  in  which  he  resides. 

Mr.  Kent  married,  Jan.  13,  i8q6,  in  Leon,  Cattaraugus 
county,  X'.  Y.,  Elvina  Hamilton,  born  in  Leon,  June  i, 
1888,  daughter  of  Leroy  and  Susan  (Samuel)  Hamilton. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kent  are  the  parents  of  four  children:  i. 
Herman,  born  June  30,  1S97;  he  enlisted  in  the  service  of 
his  country,  and  served  in  Company  E,  io8th  New  York 
Infantry,  from  February,  1916,  to  Sept.  29,  1918,  when 
he  was  killed  in  action.  2.  Xellie,  born  March  12,  1S99. 
3.  Leroy.  born  July  12.  igoi.  4.  Eva,  born  March  8, 
1911. 


ERNEST  JOHN  BAILEY,  one  of  the  leading 
rcMdents  of  Brocton,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  a  suc- 
cessful building  contractor  who  has  to  his  credit  many 
large  contracts,  has  advanced  far  in  material  wealth,  and 
at  the  same  time  has  held  the  sincere  respect  of  the  peo- 
ple of  the  county  who  have  known  him  under  all  con- 
ditions. He  has  manifested  commendable  characteristics, 
is  a  man  of  distinct  business  ability,  and  has  exhibited 
a  praiseworthy  public  spirit,  and  a  practical  desire  to 
help  on  the  well  being  of  the  community  in  general,  and 
the  fxKjr  and  needy  in  particular.  In  business  enterprise, 
he  has  been  very  successful,  and  has  many  consequential 
associations;  he  has  for  two  decades  had  a  contracting 
business  which  has  found  employment  for  a  consider- 
able number  of  mtn,  has  taken  part  in  the  establishment 
and  direction  of  other  important  mainifarturiny;  ron- 
rerns,  and  is  vice-president  of  the  Brocton  Furniture 
Comiiany. 

Ernest  J.  Bailey  v.as  born  in  Charlotte  Center,  Char- 
lotte township,  Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y.,  Oct.  27,  1868, 
the  son  of  John  J.  and  Barliara  fBeha)  Bailey,  or  Bal- 
lay,  as  the  family  is  known  in  I-'rancc,  wherein  is  the 
original  family  seat.  Ernest  John  Bailey  is  French  in 
Ujth  paternal  and  maternal  anteced'.nts,  the  paternal  line 
oriitinalinK    in    ChamiBigiie,   and    his    maternal   ancestors 


being  from  .-Msace-Lorraine  provinces  of  France.  The 
patronymic,  as  originally  spelled,  was  Ballay,  and  the 
American  progenitor  of  the  branch  of  the  Ballay  family 
to  which  Ernest  John  Bailey  belongs  was  of  that  name, 
and  it  is  not  clear  why  the  name  became  changed  in 
spelling.  It  probably  was  wrongly  written  in  real  estate 
deeds,  to  substantiate  the  title  to  which  the  heirs  took  the 
Americanized  version  of  the  French  patronymic.  How- 
ever that  may  be,  the  family  in  America  has  for  some 
generations  been  known  by  the  name  of  Bailey. 

Ernest  John  Bailey  was  born  on  a  farm,  and  in  due 
time  attended  the  district  school  nearest  to  his  father's 
farm,  after  passing  through  which  he  seems  to  have 
commenced  working  at  farming  occupations  quite  early 
in  his  teens.  By  such  work  he  accumulated  sufficient 
means  to  carry  him  through  business  college,  where  he 
gained  the  fundamentals  of  executive  work  which  were 
later  of  inestimable  value  to  him  in  the  management  of 
his  own  important  enterprises.  He  perhaps  had  mapped 
out  his  career  well  in  advance,  and  knew  the  various 
steps  by  which  sound  success  would  come.  He  appren- 
ticed himself  to  carpentry,  serving  an  apprenticeship  of 
five  years,  and  later  for  six  years  was  a  journeyman  car- 
penter, by  which  time  he  was  thoroughly  conversant  with 
most  phases  of  building  construction.  By  steadiness  of 
life,  and  by  industrious  continuance  in  work  during  the 
years,  he  had  by  that  time  acquired  some  financial  means, 
sufficient  at  all  events  to  induce  him  to  enter  inde- 
pendently into  business  as  a  builder  and  contractor.  He 
had  come  to  Brocton  in  1893,  and  had  worked  as  a  car- 
penter upon  many  contracts  in  that  place,  so  that  he  was 
comparatively  well  known  in  the  village  when  he  started 
in  contracting  business  for  himself  in  1900.  During  the 
almost  two  decades  to  the  present,  he  has  had  very  sub- 
stantial success  as  a  contractor,  and  has  to  his  credit  the 
erection  of  many  important  buildings.  Many  of  the  fine 
residences  in  that  section  of  Chautauqua  county  have 
been  built  by  him,  and  among  the  buildings  of  public 
institutions  and  business  corporations  constructed  by  Mr. 
Bailey  may  be  listed  the  following,  all  of  which  do  credit 
to  his  thoroughness  as  a  builder :  The  Brocton  State 
Bank  building;  the  .\hira  Memorial  Library  building, 
Brocton ;  the  Crandall  building,  Brocton ;  the  Bailey 
building,  which  is  a  very  fine  structure,  and  used  mainly 
by  Mr.  Bailey  for  his  own  business  offices;  the  Norquist 
Afctal  Door  Company  plant,  at  Jamestown,  a  huge  build- 
ing ;  additions  to  the  American  Loco  Works,  and  to  the 
Atlas  Crucible  Steel  Company  plant  at  Dunkirk ;  con- 
struction work  for  the  Buffalo  &  Lake  Erie  Traction 
Company,  including  the  car  barns  at  Fredonia,  and  all  the 
stations  with  the  exception  of  two  between  Buffalo  and 
Erie,  Pa.;  the  Court  House  at  Mayville,  Chautauqua 
county ;  the  Church  of  Christ  at  Chautauqua ;  the 
Chautaucpia  High  School;  the  Falconer  High  School; 
the  Jamestown  Grammar  School ;  the  Sherman  Library  ; 
the  Armour  Grape  Juice  Company  headquarters  at  West- 
field,  Chautauqua  county  ;  the  gymnasium  and  other  addi- 
tions to  the  Normal  School  at  Fredonia;  some  of  the 
builflings  of  the  Redwing  Grape  Juice  Company,  Fre- 
donia; warehouses  of  the  same  coinpany  at  Fredonia; 
the  Memorial  Hospital  at  Lillydale;  the  St.  Hedwick 
Roman  Catholic  Church  at  Dunkirk;  and  the  plant  of 
the    Brocton    I'urniture    Company,   and    in    addition,    Mr. 


/j<//A  // 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


459 


Bailey  has  undertaken  many  important  building  con- 
tracts outside  Chautauqua  county.  He  has  during  the 
period  given  employment  to  an  average  of  about  140 
workmen.  It  may  therefore  be  inferred  that,  with  mod- 
erate success,  he  must  have  acquired  an  appreciable  de- 
gree of  material  wealth  during  the  many  years  he  has 
spent  in  consequential  business  as  a  contractor.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  he  has  been  universally  successful,  for  he 
knew  his  business  thoroughly  before  committing  himself 
to  independent  work.  And  latterly,  as  a  capitalist,  he  has 
been  brought  into  connection  with  many  other  outside 
enterprises.  He  owns  stock  in  many  manufacturing  cor- 
porations in  Chautauqua  county ;  Mr.  Bailey  is  one  of 
the  largest  stockholders  of  the  Brocton  Furniture  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  is  vice-president. 

Politically,  Mr.  Bailey  is  an  independent  Democrat,  but 
has  been  too  busy  with  business  affairs  that  needed  almost 
his  undivided  time  to  have  much  time  to  spare  for  partici- 
pation in  political  movements,  and  he  has  never  allowed 
himelf  to  consider  the  thought  of  taking  public  office. 
He  has  nevertheless  always  been  closely  interested  in 
local  affairs,  and  has  been  ready  to  lend  his  support  to 
any  worthy  local  project.  In  fraternal  affiliations,  he 
has  been  faithful  and  is  identified  particularly  with  the 
Masonic  order.  He  has  risen  to  the  thirty-second  degree 
in  the  order,  and  is  a  member  of  the  following :  Blue 
Lodge  of  Brocton;  the  Chapter,  Council,  and  Command- 
ery,  of  Dunkirk  ;  the  Buffalo  Shrine  ;  and  the  Consistory 
of  Jamestown,  also  of  Buffalo. 

On  Sept.  12,  1900,  Ernest  John  Bailey  married  Ruth 
Hall  Pettit,  grand-niece  of  Ahira  Hall,  whose  genealogy 
will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  historical  work.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bailey  have  been  born  three  children :  Kath- 
leen Elizabeth,  now  in  high  school ;  Angeline  Sarah, 
twin  sister  of  the  first-named,  and  also  a  high  school 
student ;  Florence  Edith,  who  also  attends  the  local 
school. 

The  business  success  of  Ernest  John  Bailey  has  been 
notable,  especially  so  bearing  in  mind  that  it  has  come 
to  him  entirely  by  his  own  efforts,  and  he  has  a  definite 
place  among  the  worthy  Chautauqua  county  people  of  his 
generation. 


HARRY  RICHARD  LEWIS,  one  of  the  promi- 
nent attorneys  of  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
and  a  much  respected  citizen  of  the  community,  is  a 
native  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  born  June  23.  1854.  He  is  a 
son  of  Richard  and  Jane  (Hatch)  Lewis,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  Jamestown. 

Harry  Richard  Lewis  attended  the  grammar  schools  of 
Cincinnati,  and  later  the  Woodward  High  School  of  that 
city,  where  he  was  prepared  for  college  and  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1872.  He  then  attended  the  University 
of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor  in  that  State,  where  he  took 
a  three  years'  classical  course.  He  was  then  transferred 
to  the  law  school  of  the  same  university  and  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1876,  receiving  the  degree  of  LL.  B. 
He  spent  a  probationary  period  of  one  year  in  the  law 
offices  of  Cook  &  Lockwood,  prominent  attorneys  of 
Jamestown,  and  in  1877  was  admitted  to  the  Chautauqua 
county  bar,  and  engaged  in  practice  here  on  his  own 
account.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Lewis  has  developed  a  large 
general  practice  and  has  been  successful  in  his  profes- 
sion.    Mr.   Lewis  is  a  member  of   the  Jamestown   Bar 


Association,  and  is  also  affiliated  with  a  number  of  Ma- 
sonic bodies,  including  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge,  Ancient  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons ;  Western  Sun  Chapter,  Royal 
Arch  Masons;  Jamestown  Commandery,  No.  61,  Knights 
Templar. 

Mr.  Lewis  married  (first)  Frances  Adams,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Charles  P.  and  Cornelia  (Crane)  Adams.  To  this 
union  seven  children  were  born,  as  follows:  i.  Frances, 
who  was  educated  at  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of 
Jamestowit,  and  became  the  wife  of  Claude  K.  Ahlstrom, 
of  Jamestown.  2.  Richard,  who  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Jamestown,  and  is  now  at  the  head  of 
a  large  mercantile  business  at  Norwich,  Conn.  3.  Cor- 
nelia, who  was  also  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
Jamestown,  and  became  the  wife  of  Fred  H.  Balcom,  of 
Jamestown.  4.  Charles  Adams,  who  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Jamestown,  and  later  at  the  Worcester 
Polytechnic  Institute,  from  which  he  graduated  with  the 
degree  of  Chemical  Engineer;  at  the  present  time  he 
holds  a  very  responsible  position  in  a  large  industrial 
plant  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  5.  Harry  Richard,  Jr.,  who  stud- 
ied in  the  Jamestown  public  schools,  and  later  at  the 
Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  where  he  received  the 
degree  of  Chemical  Engineer ;  he  is  now  prominently 
associated  with  a  large  manufacturing  concern  at  Shelby, 
Ohio.  6.  Bryce,  who  received  the  degree  of  Mechanical 
Engineer  from  the  University  of  Michigan ;  he  now 
holds  an  important  position  in  a  Detroit  manufacturing 
plant.  7.  Jane,  who  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
Jamestown,  and  at  the  Leland  Powers  School  at  Boston, 
from  which  she  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1917; 
she  is  now  very  successful  in  her  career  as  an  actress, 
being  now  in  a  large  stock  company  at  Schenectady, 
N.  Y.  All  Mr.  Lewis's  children  have  been  successful 
and  have  entirely  justified  their  father's  large  expenditure 
of  time  and  money  in  securing  them  the  best  possible 
education  in  their  chosen  subject.  The  first  Mrs,  Lewis 
died  in  the  year  1910.  On  May  19,  1919,  Mr.  Lewis  mar- 
ried   (second)    Harriet  Woodford,  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y. 


JOHN  FRANCIS  RHINEHART,  for  nineteen 
terms  a  teacher  in  Chautauqua  county  schools,  and  lat- 
terly a  substantial  and  successful  farmer  in  the  Ripley 
section  of  the  county,  is  a  man  well  known  and  respected 
in  the  neighborhood,  and  prominent  in  many  phases  of 
its  public  affairs,  having  been  school  trustee  and  collector, 
justice  of  the  peace,  and  assessor.  He  is  an  active 
granger  and  a  charter  member  of  the  local  branch  of  the 
Odd  Fellows  order.  His  life  of  si.xty-five  years  has  been 
lived  wholly  within  the  county,  and  since  early  manhood 
he  has  been  connected,  for  at  least  part  of  his  time  each 
year,  with  worth-while  agricultural  production. 

He  was  born  in  Ripley,  Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y., 
Aug.  23,  1854,  the  son  of  James  and  Jane  (Sinden) 
Rhineliart.  His  mother  was  of  English  birth,  but  for 
years  had  been  resident  in  Ripley.  His  father  was  an 
old  Ripley  resident,  respected  and  prosperous,  having  a 
good  blacksmithing  business,  and  owning  a  good  farm 
in  Ripley.  Their  children,  John  F.  and  Effie,  attended 
the  Ripley  schools.  John  F.  Ripley  was  an  apt  pupil, 
and-  of  studious  inclination,  and  eventually  he  entered  the 
teaching  profession,  which  he  followed  for  nineteen 
terms  in  Ashville  and  Chautauqua  countj'  schools.     How- 


4CiO 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


ever,  he  was  characteristically  a  man  oi  energy  and  ac- 
tion, as  well  as  of  vigorous  intellect,  and  each  summer 
he  devoted  his  time  to  occupations  upon  his  father's  farm. 
Finally,  his  father  purchased  from  Thomas  Sinden  a  rich 
farm  of  200  acres  at  Ripley,  and  ultimately  it  passed  into 
the  possession  of  John  F.  Ripley,  since  which  time  he  has 
lived  there  and  devoted  himself  wholly  to  its  management. 
It  is  a  rich  farm,  having  fine  modern  buildings,  and  Mr. 
Rhinchart  has  proved  that  he  is  a  skillful  farmer.  He  has 
a  large  herd  of  cattle,  and  as  a  dairy  and  general  farm 
the  property  has  brought  him  substantial  return. 

His  education,  his  general  ability,  his  likable  disposi- 
tion, and  his  estimable,  general  character,  have  brought 
him  preferment  to  many  positions  of  honor  and  responsi- 
bility in  the  local  administration,  and  in  political  matters 
he  has  been  a  factor  of  some  consequence  in  his  district. 
He  has  for  ver>'  many  years  given  staunch  allegiance  to 
the  Republican  party  in  national  politics,  and  he  might 
have  held  many  more  offices  in  the  local  administration 
than  he  has  undertaken  had  he  so  wished,  for  he  has 
always  been  well  regarded  in  the  district.  He  has  been 
assessor  of  Ripley,  and  has  also  been  justice  of  the  peace, 
to  which  judical  office  he  brought  an  impartial  mind  and 
a  firm  resolve  to  administer  justice  rightly,  so  far  as  he 
was  able,  and  that  he  was  able  has  been  manifested  upon 
many  occasions,  his  findings  being  such  as  would  have 
brought  credit  to  a  higher  court.  He  has  always  been 
thorough  and  conscientious  in  all  that  he  has  under- 
taken, and  in  general  has  been  able  rapidly  to  assimilate 
knowledge,  and  there  is  every  reason  to  suppose  that  soon 
after  he  was  appointed  to  judicial  office  he  rapidly  became 
well  versed  in  the  fundamentals  of  law.  He  is  a  man 
of  clear  mind  and  logical  thought,  and  has  a  good  know- 
ledge of  men,  so  that  as  a  justice  he  was  well  placed  in 
the  public  senice.  He  has  also  been  interested  actively 
in  educational  affairs,  as  might  have  been  expected  of  a 
man  of  his  academic  inclinations  and  earlier  associations; 
he  has  been  a  school  trustee  for  many  years,  and  has  also 
undertaken  the  duties  of  collector  of  taxes.  Fraternally, 
he  is  associated  with  the  Odd  Fellows  organization,  and 
is  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  local  body.  And  he 
has  been  a  member  of  Ripley  Grange  for  many  years, 
actively  interesting  himself  in  its  functioning  and  con- 
tinuance in  usefulness. 

Mr.  Rhinchart  married  (first)  Rose  B.  Stone,  of  a 
well  known  Ripley  family.  They  were  married  on  April 
18,  1876,  at  Ripley,  and  to  them  were  born  three  chil- 
dren :     I.  Myma,  who  married  Baxter,  wlio   for 

many  years  has  been  connected  with  railroad  administra- 
tions. 2.  Murray,  who  was  well  educated,  primarily  in 
Ripley  schools;  he  eventually  entered  profession.!]  life, 
as  a  civil  engineer,  and  is  now  connected  with  the  Nickel 
Plate  Railroad  Company.  3.  Ross,  whose  history  is 
very  similar  to  that  of  his  elder  brother,  he  also  being  a 
civil  engineer,  and  also  connected  with  the  same  railroad. 
Mr.  Rhinchart  married  C second)  Mertie  Williams.  She 
was  born  in  Wisconsin,  and  they  were  married  in  Octo- 
ber. I<X)2. 

Th'-  home  of  thi;  Rhiticharts  in  Ripley  is  a  fine  one, 
and  has  ever  been  ojK.-n  to  their  friends.  In  earlier  years 
Mr.  Rhinchart  twjk  much  part  in  social  and  community 
movements  in  the  town,  and  has  very  many  friends.  His 
record  of  more  than  sixty  years  is  an  enviable  one,  his 
life  having  been  given  to  useful,  public  service,  and  to 
consc'jucntial  jirfyluclion  in  his  native  county. 


NEWTON  LINCOLN— Filling  more  than  one 
minor  public  office  with  credit,  Mr.  Lincoln  is,  perhaps, 
more  thoroughly  identified  with  that  of  county  librarian 
than  with  any  other.  In  each  one,  however,  his  name  is 
synonymous  with  talent  and  fidelity,  and  his  fellow-citi- 
zens of  Mayville  congratulate  themselves  on  having  se- 
cured his  services.  Newton  Lincoln  was  born  Nov.  21, 
i86;i,  on  his  father's  farm  at  Summerdale,  N.  Y.,  a  son 
of  Harrison  and  Adeline  (Dickerson)   Lincoln. 

Newton  Lincoln  received  his  education  in  district 
schools  and  at  the  Mayville  High  School,  being  then  for 
a  time  employed  in  a  hotel.  For  four  years  thereafter  he 
was  engaged  in  farming,  going  then  to  Michigan  and 
spending  five  years  on  his  grandparents'  farm.  Return- 
ing to  his  home  in  Mayville,  he  was  quietly  employed 
for  thirteen  years  in  hotels  there  and  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
and  in  1904  obtained  a  position  in  the  surrogate's  office. 
He  is  now  deputy  clerk  to  the  Surrogate's  Court  of  the 
county.  In  loio  he  was  appointed  librarian  and  still  re- 
tains the  office,  being  devoted  to  its  duties,  which  he  finds 
thoroughly  congenial.  He  has  charge  of  between  five 
and  six  thousand  volumes.  Cataloguing  and  similar 
duties  he  attends  to  personally.  So  highly  is  his  work 
appreciated  that  he  is  frequently  complimented  on  its  ex- 
cellence. From  1887  to  1900,  Mr.  Lincoln  was  a  Demo- 
crat, but  has  since  been  allied  with  the  Republicans.  His 
favorite  recreation,  in  the  few  leisure  hours  which  atten- 
tion to  duty  permits,  is  gardening,  the  cultivation  of  flow- 
ers and  vegetables  alike  affording  him  enjoyment. 

Mr.  Lincoln  married,  Oct.  30,  1892,  in  Mayville,  Annie, 
daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  Lundquist,  and  they  are 
the  parents  of  the  following  children:  i.  Edna,  graduate 
of  the  Mayville  grammar  and  high  schools,  and  the  Nor- 
mal School,  Fredonia,  N.  Y.,  class  of  1913.  2.  Margaret, 
graduate  of  the  Mayville  grammar  and  high  schools, 
and  Fredonia  Normal,  class  of  1913;  married  Floyd  A. 
Baker,  of  Erie,  Pa.  3.  Ruth,  also  a  graduate  of  the 
Mayville  grammar  and  high  schools,  and  of  Jamestown 
Business  College ;  now  a  legal  stenographer  in  Buffalo. 
4.  Robert  B.,  in  school.    5.  Molly,  also  in  school. 

The  people  of  Mayville  have  reason  to  wish  that  Mr. 
Lincoln  may  long  continue  to  retain  the  office  of  librarian, 
in  which  he  has  for  so  many  years  given  them  an  exam- 
ple of  exceptional  efficiency. 


A.  MORELLE  CHENEY— The  Cheneys  are  of 
an  ancient  English  family  and  in  Chautauqua  county  date 
from  early  settlement  days.  The  family  in  New  Eng- 
land trace  to  either  John  or  William  Cheney,  both  of 
whom  came  from  England  in  1635,  and  lived  in  Roxbury, 
Mass.  The  Cheneys  of  Chautauqua  county  are  descend- 
ants of  William  Cheney.  The  first  of  the  Cheneys  in 
Chautauqua  county  was  Ebenezer,  a  soldier  of  the 
French  and  Indian,  and  Revolutionary  wars.  He  came 
first  in  June,  1808,  stopping  overnight  at  the  Cross  Roads 
(Westfield)  while  journeying  elsewhere.  He  was  so 
taken  with  lands  on  Lake  Chautau(|ua  that  he  made  a 
selection  and  in  the  early  summer  of  1810  located  perma- 
nently, taking  land  at  what  is  now  the  village  of  Kian- 
tone,  and  there  died,  Aug.  12,  1828,  aged  sixty-seven 
years. 

A.  Morelle  Cheney,  a  son  of  Joshua  and  Mary  (Gif- 
ford)  Cheney,  grandson  of  Calvin,  a?i(l  great-grandson 
of  Jonathan  Cheney,  was  born  in  the  township  of  Ellery, 


^  7?4^>>*^jC  C^^^>ty^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


461 


Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  7,  1857,  and  the  farm 
upon  which  he  was  born,  at  now  Bemus  Point,  he  owns 
and  upon  it  makes  his  home.  He  has  developed  the  farm 
to  a  high  state  of  productiveness,  causing  it  to  yield 
bountifully.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools, 
Jamestown  Union  School,  and  Collegiate  Institute,  class 
of  1879.  He  has  developed  strong  ability  as  a  man  of 
affairs,  and  has  important  business  interests  in  Jamestown, 
He  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  bank  of  James- 
town and  since  its  organization  has  been  a  director  and 
member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  board. 

A  Republican  in  politics,  Mr.  Cheney  was  continuously 
in  county  office  from  1905,  when  he  was  elected  super- 
visor of  his  own  county,  until  the  expiration  of  his  term 
in  1917.  He  has  served  on  many  important  committees  of 
the  board  of  supervisors.  During  the  building  of  the 
court  house  at  Mayville,  he  was  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee on  public  buildings  and  to  him  is  largely  due  the 
credit  of  a  county  court  house,  completed  with  the 
amount  appropriated  therefor.  In  1904  Mr.  Cheney  was 
elected  to  the  State  Assembly  and  served  on  the  follow- 
ing committees :  Revision,  Taxation  and  Retrenchment, 
and  Affairs  of  Villages.  In  1913  he  was  again  elected  to 
the  Assembly,  polling  3,612  votes  against  his  opponent's 
3,537.  He  was  again  elected  in  191 5,  receiving  4,753 
votes  against  1,728  for  his  opponent.  He  was  appointed 
in  that  session  a  member  of  the  following  committees : 
Electricity,  Gas  and  Water  Supply,  Taxation  and  Re- 
trenchment, and  Revision.  He  is  a  member  of  Union 
Grange,  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and  of  Bemus  Point 
Lodge,  No.  585,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 

Mr.  Cheney  married,  in  Falconer,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  28,  1892, 
E.  Maude  Tracy,  daughter  of  Oscar  and  Jemima  (Lent) 
Tracy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cheney  are  the  parents  of  three 
children  :  M.  Allene,  born  Feb.  2,  1893  ;  Lucile  M.,  born 
May  22,  1896;    and  A.  Morelle,  Jr.,  born  July  4,  1902. 


FRANK  W.  BULLOCK— Among  the  class  of  citi- 
zens who  have  helped  to  add  to  the  development  and  im- 
portance of  Jamestown  and  Chautauqua  county,  none 
have  become  more  prominent  by  the  force  of  their  own 
individual  efforts  than  Frank  W.  Bullock.  He  was  born 
in  Busti,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  2,  1874,  a  son 
of  DeForest  and  Nettie  (Blackmar)  Bullock.  Mr.  Bul- 
lock, Sr.,  was  a  farmer  and  occupied  the  old  homestead 
of  ninety  acres  at  Busti,  which  was  formerly  owned  by 
Grandmother  Marietta  Shattuck,  who  came  here  in  an 
ox-cart  and  located  on  this  farm,  in  April,  1819,  more 
than  a  century  ago.  Mr.  Bullock's  grandfather,  Alvin, 
was  a  well  known  farmer  and  cattle  buyer,  and  also  dealt 
in  agricultural  implements,  mowing  machines,  reapers, 
etc.  This  farm  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Bul- 
lock, the  subject  of  this  review,  who  has  improved  and 
is  making  a  fruit  farm  of  it. 

The  early  education  of  Frank  W.  Bullock  was  secured 
in  the  schools  at  Busti  and  the  Sugar  Grove  Seminary  at 
Sugar  Grove,  Pa.  Later  he  took  up  a  course  in  elec- 
tiical  engineering  with  the  International  Correspondence 
School,  of  Scranton,  Pa.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he 
accepted  a  position  with  the  electric  light  plant  at  Lake- 
wood,  and  during  this  time  he  received  practical  experi- 
ence in  power  plant  operations  and  the  repairs  of  genera- 
tors  and  other   electrical   apparatus.     He  worked  in   all 


branches  of  the  trade  and  in  this  he  received  the  practical 
knowledge  which  served  him  so  well  in  the  years  that 
followed.  He  was  with  this  company  three  years  when, 
Oct.  II,  1894,  he  accepted  a  position  with  the  Jamestown 
Electric  Lighting  and  Power  Company.  For  four 
months  he  did  the  inside  wiring  for  the  company  and  then 
was  promoted  to  operating  engineer  in  the  p<jwer  house, 
continuing  thus  until  1000,  when  he  was  made  superin- 
tendent, a  position  which  he  still  holds,  as  well  as  being 
the  superirrtendent  for  the  Western  New  York  Electric 
Company.  He  is  a  stockholder  and  director  of  both  the 
Jamestown  Lighting  and  Power  Company  and  the  West- 
cm  New  York  Electric  Company. 

Mr.  Bullock  takes  great  interest  in  his  work,  as  he  has 
been  much  engaged  in  machinery  and  the  science  of  elec- 
tricity since  his  childhood.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic order,  having  attained  the  Knight  Templar  degree, 
of  which  he  is  past  commander,  having  filled  the  office  of 
commander  in  1912.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Buffalo 
Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  attends  the 
Methodist  church,  of  which  he  is  a  member  of  the  offi- 
cial board.  He  belongs  to  the  Board  of  Commerce  of 
Jamestown,  and  the  National  Electric  Light  Association 
of  New  York  City. 

At  Jamestown,  April  7,  1900,  Mr.  Bullock  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Cassie,  daughter  of  Alvero  and  Alice 
(Foster)  Mathews,  of  Jamestown.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bul- 
lock are  the  parents  of  a  son,  Frederick,  who  is  attend- 
ing the  public  schools  of  Jamestown. 

Mr.  Bullock's  thorough  business  qualifications,  his 
knowledge  of  electricity  and  motive  power,  as  well  as  his 
energy  and  strict  integrity  in  business  relations,  have  won 
for  him  the  warm  personal  regard  he  merits. 


THE  JAMESTOWN  LIGHTING  AND  POWER 
COMPAN"Y — In  1886,  the  old  Jamestown  Electric 
Light  and  Power  Company  was  incorporated,  and  in  1902 
the  present  company  was  incorporated,  under  the  name  of 
the  Jamestown  Lighting  and  Power  Company  and  the 
former  company  was  merged  into  the  new  one.  The 
purpose  of  the  company  was  to  supply  electric  light  and 
power  to  citizens,  manufacturing  plants,  and  other  insti- 
tutions in  Jamestown,  Ellicott  and  Celoron.  The  old 
plant  was  situated  at  Nos.  9  to  11  Race  street,  on  the 
west  side  of   Brooklyn  Square  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y. 

In  1909,  Messrs.  A.  N.  and  S.  B.  Broadhead,  bought 
out  the  Jamestown  Lighting  and  Power  Company,  and  a 
new  sub-station  was  built  during  the  years  1910  and  191 1 
at  No.  101  Washington  street,  and  power  was  also  ob- 
tained from  the  Jamestown  Street  Railway  Company  The 
current  is  generated  at  the  Jamestown  Street  Railway 
Power  Company's  power  plant,  located  at  the  boat  land- 
ing in  Jamestown.  This  current  from  the  power  house 
is  delivered  to  the  sub-station  at  No.  loi  Washington 
street  and  is  transformed  to  the  proper  voltage  for  direct 
and  alternating  current.  The  general  offices  of  the  com- 
pany are  situated  at  No.  316  North  Main  street.  The 
company  is  incorporated  under  the  New  York  State  laws 
with  the  following  officers  :  President,  A.  N.  Broadhead ; 
vice-president,  S.  B.  Broadhead ;  treasurer  and  secretar>', 
Eric  Sundholm;  superintendent,  F.  W.  Bullock.  In  1916, 
this  company  purchased  the  Falconer  Electric  Light  plant. 


46j 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


and  current  is  now   furnished  to  Falconer  and  town  of 
Poland. 

In  igii.  tlie  Western  New  York  Electric  Company, 
which  is  relatively  close  to  the  Jamestown  Lighting  and 
Power  Company,  was  organized  and  incorix>rated  with 
the  following  officers :  President,  A.  \.  Broadhead ; 
vice-president.  S.  B.  Broadhead :  secretary,  \V.  R.  Rey- 
nolds:  treasurer.  Eric  Sundholm:  superintendent,  F.  \\'. 
Bi'llock.  Power  and  light  is  now  furnished  by  this  com- 
pany at  Jamestown  to  both  sides  of  Chautauqua  Lake 
which  includes  the  towns  of  Lakewood,  Bcmus  Point, 
Busti,  Harmony,  Chautauqua,  Ellery  and  Ellicott. 


CLARENCE  DAVID  JACKWAY,  although  now 
living  at  Huron,  Ohio,  is  a  native  of  Chautauqua  county, 
X,  Y..  and  is  part  owner  of  a  substantial  fishery  enter- 
prise centering  at  Barcelona,  Chautauqua  county,  which 
business  for  the  last  decade  or  so  has  found  steady  em- 
ployment for  about  thirty  men. 

He  was  born  in  Barcelona.  X.  Y.,  Sept.  7,  1S75,  the  son 
of  John  and  Adeline  c Fisher)  Jackway.  Thc'jackway 
family  is  of  British  origin,  both  parents  of  Clarence  D. 
having  been  born  in  England,  where  his  father  followed 
the  precarious  and  perilous  occupation  of  fishing.  To 
better  his  condition  John  Jacknvay  came  to  America,  and 
settled  at  Barcelona,  and  upon  Lake  Erie  followed  his 
original  occupation,  fisherman.  He  was  the  father  of  a 
large  family,  Clarence  D.  being  one  of  eleven  children 
born  to  his  parents,  and  they  were  all  young  when  his 
father  died.  The  elder  boys  had  to  work  for  a  living, 
and  to  provide  sustenance  for  the  mother  and  the  younger 
children  as  soon  as  that  great  calamity  came  to  the 
family. 

Clarence  X>.  Jackway  was  adopted  by  an  uncle  soon 
after  his  father's  death,  the  uncle  becoming  responsible 
for  the  boy"s  wellbeing  until  he  attained  his  majority.  But 
as  Clarence  D.  grew  into  manhood,  he  was  drawn  into 
the  alluring  and  adventurous  occupation  followed  by  his 
father,  and  although,  until  IQOS,  he  did  not  con.fine  him- 
self to  fishing,  most  of  his  years  of  labor  since  he 
reached  man's  estate  have  been  passed  in  undertakings 
rx;rilous  and  otherwise,  profitable  and  otherwise,  upon 
Lake  Eric.  In  1908,  he  formed  business  partnership  with 
a  man  of  his  native  place,  and  he  and  his  partner,  Her- 
man Lart,  then  established  the  Barcelona  Fish  Company, 
which  iocm  became  a  flourishing  business.  It  developed 
steadily  until  at  the  present  time  the  partners  own  and 
keep  in  constant  use  during  the  season  eight  fishin„' 
schooners  and  other  boats,  finding  employment  for  thirty 
mf.-n.  .\Ir.  Jackway  undertakes  the  commercial  phase  of 
the  company's  affairs,  and  his  partner,  Herman  Lart, 
supervises  the  operation  of  the  boats.  Roth  are  sub- 
stantial men  of  industry,  who  have  succeeded  by  the 
adoption  of  gwd  and  logical  business  methods,  but 
mainly  by  applying  themselves  industriously  to  that 
business. 

Mr.  Jackway  married,  April  14,  i8fj8,  .'\rras  Wilson,  of 
Fredonia.  X.  Y.  They  have  three  children  :  Flovd  Wil- 
liam, Ethel  Irene.  Ruth  Margaret.  The  children  are  all 
Ixring  ediirated  in  Huron,  Ohio,  which  is  now  the  home  of 
the  family. 

Clarr-nce  D.  Jackway  is  a  member  of  a  Huron.  f;hii,, 
I'xige  of   the   IndciH.-ndent   Order  of   Odd    I'rllows ;    and 


politically  he  is  a  Republican,  but  of  independent  mind. 
He  has  fixed  convictions  upon  certain  national  subjects, 
and  does  not  hesitate  to  follow  those  convictions  even 
though  they  might  temporarily  draw  him  from  his  gen- 
eral allegiance  to  the  Republican  party.  In  general  char- 
acteristics, Mr.  Jackway  is  a  man  of  outspoken  frank- 
ness, but  of  pleasing  disposition.  His  success  in  life  is 
noteworthy,  especially  when  one  considers  the  handicaps 
of  his  early  days. 


ROBERT  LIVINGSTON  NEWTON— One  of  the 

leading  representatives  of  Irving,  N.  Y.,  is  Robert  Liv- 
ingston Xewton,  who  has  been  a  resident  of  this  com- 
munity for  nearly  fifty  years  and  to-day  is  the  owner 
of  extensive  farm  lands  which  cover  250  acres. 

Henry  Newton,  father  of  Robert  Livingston  Newton, 
was  a  farmer  and  mill  owner  during  his  lifetime.  He 
married  Harriett  Lothridge,  and  they  became  the  parents 
of  six  children:  Sarah,  wife  of  George  H.  Potter; 
Henry;  Frances,  wife  of  Albert  Avery,  of  Battle  Creek. 
Mich.;  Melinda;  Robert  L.,  the  subject  of  this  review; 
and  Lora,  all  now  deceased,  except  Robert  L. 

Robert  Livingston  Newton  was  born  June  26,  1844,  at 
Irving,  N.  Y.  After  attending  the  district  schools  and 
graduating  from  the  academy  at  Fredonia,  N.  Y.,  he 
learned  the  trade  of  miller  with  his  father  who  ran  the 
Irving  Mill.  This  mill  was  burned  in  i8.s8  and  was  re- 
built and  destroyed  again  by  fire  in  1861.  After  a  year 
his  father  bought  the  Laona  Mill,  and  a  little  later  Rob- 
ert L.  bought  it  from  his  father,  selling  it  in  1869  and 
buying  a  farm  of  100  acres  at  Laona,  where  he  built  a 
large  brick  house.  This  he  sold  in  1874,  and  then  moved 
to  Irving.  N.  Y.,  where  he  bought  a  large  grist  and  saw 
mill  which  later  was  destroyed  by  flood.  Mr.  Newton  has 
resided  in  Irving,  N.  Y.,  since  1874,  and  to-day  is  the 
owner  of  a  farm  consisting  of  250  acres  on  which  are 
grown  all  kinds  of  vegetables  together  with  fruits  and 
grapes.  By  means  of  this  occupation  Mr.  Newton  has 
become  very  prosperous,  and  is  a  well  known  figure  in  the 
community.  Politically  Mr.  Newton  is  a  Republican, 
giving  to  public  affairs  the  interest  and  attention  de- 
manded of  eveo'  good  citizen.  He  is  a  member  of  St. 
Andrew's  Episcopal  Church.  The  best  proof  of  his  cap- 
able management  is  furnished  by  the  history  of  his  busi- 
ness career,  but  his  countenance  and  personality  seem  to 
make  this  record  appear  quite  a  matter  of  course. 

Mr.  Newton  married,  Dec.  19,  1866,  Harriett  Moore, 
daughter  of  William  and  Flora  (Rood)  Moore,  and  they 
are  the  parents  of  three  children  :  Melinda,  wife  of 
George  P.  Newton,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio;  Carrie,  widow 
of  W.  F.  Nash;  Katherinc,  wife  of  A.  C.  Barbeau,  of 
Silver  Creek,  and  mother  of  two  children,  Katherine  and 
A.  C,  Jr. 

Throughout  his  career  Mr.  Newton  has  been  animated 
by  the  spirit  of  progress,  and  he  has  furnished  a  true  pic- 
ture nf  the  man  who  creates  and  adds  to  the  wealth  of 
nations  while  advancing  his  own  interests. 


FRANK  GUSTAVE  NORDSTRUM— The  domi- 
nanl  rharartcrislirs  in  tin-  life  ,,f  Frank  Gustave  Nord- 
struiTi  havi-  been  ambition  and  determination  to  progress; 
progression,    advancement,    onward    and    upward    being 


-^  '-^ 


feA#*' 


iaobm  Jl.  JlPetoton 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


463 


words  that  unconsciously  filled  his  thoughts  from  early 
boyhood  until  years  after  he  had  attained  his  majority. 

Born  in  Sweden,  Sept.  17,  1861,  Mr.  Nordstrum  was 
thirteen  years  old  when  he  came  to  America,  coming  to 
join  his  father  who  was  a  worker  in  Antrim,  Pa.  The 
elder  Nordstrum  had  come  to  this  country  some  time 
before,  sending  for  his  family,  a  wife  and  ten  children, 
after  he  became  located  in  his  new  environment.  The 
boy  found  ready  employment  in  the  coal  mines  in  An- 
trim during  the  working  hours,  and  at  night  he  studied 
constantly  to  make  up  for  the  forced  neglect  of  an  early 
education.  This  strenuous  form  of  living  was  continued 
until  the  lad  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one,  when  he  left 
the  mines  and  hired  out  to  a  farmer  for  the  sum  of  ten 
dollars  a  month  and  board,  with  the  privilege  of  attend- 
ing the  local  school.  This  only  continued  for  six  months, 
when  he  went  into  the  blacksmithing  business,  continuing 
in  that  for  several  years,  when  he  had  an  opportunity  to 
work  for  a  railroad  as  foreman  of  a  construction  gang. 
At  the  end  of  six  months,  Mr.  Nordstrum  went  West, 
settling  in  De  Moines,  Iowa,  where  for  five  years  he  was 
salesman  and  later  assistant  manager  of  the  store  of  F.  L. 
Harbeck,  a  furniture  dealer  of  that  city,  continuing  his 
studies  as  before. 

After  leaving  the  employ  of  Mr.  Harbeck,  Mr.  Nord- 
strum returned  East,  going  to  Mansfield,  Pa.,  where  he 
entered  the  State  Normal  School,  remaining  for  one 
term ;  then  he  went  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  remained  for 
a  year  as  salesman  for  D.  E.  Morgan  &  Son,  dealers  in 
furniture  and  carpets.  Ke  then  found  an  opening  in  the 
Iroquois  Hotel  to  act  as  timekeeper,  having  the  oppor- 
tunity of  devoting  his  spare  time  to  the  study  of  the 
jewelry  trade,  which  he  determined  to  settle  upon  as  his 
future  method  of  earning  a  living.  For  a  year  he  re- 
mained at  the  Iroquois  Hotel,  then  in  1891  went  to  Wal- 
tham,  Mass.,  where  the  Howard  and  Waltham  watch 
companies  conduct  their  large  factories  for  the  manufac- 
turing of  watches.  Here  he  paid  Zalg  Brothers  fifty 
dollars  to  allow  him  to  learn  more  of  the  details  of  the 
jewelry  business,  working  there  for  a  time  and  else- 
where, wherever  an  opportunity  in  that  line  occurred.  In 
1896  lie  was  in  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  and  rode  from  that  city 
on  a  bicycle  to  Jamestown,  where  he  intended  going  into 
business  for  himself.  Taking  a  little  store  at  No.  12 
East  Second  street,  Mr.  Nordstrum  entered  upon  the 
career  of  which  he  had  dreamed  for  years ;  he  under- 
stood every  smallest  detail  of  the  work  and  he  gave  his 
customers  such  satisfaction  that  in  three  years  the  busi- 
ness grew  to  such  a  flourishing  condition  that  it  was 
necessary  to  enlarge  his  facilities,  so  he  moved  to  Main 
street  into  larger  quarters.  This  store  soon  proved  too 
small  for  his  constantly  growing  trade,  so  he  bought  out 
the  jewelry  business  of  Fred  Fuller  at  No.  213  Main 
street,  enlarged  the  store  to  accommodate  his  large  stock 
and  furnishings,  and  entered  upon  the  most  successful 
era  of  his  long  and  patient  preparation.  Mr.  Nordstrum 
has  the  largest  jewelry  store  in  Jamestown,  and  one  of 
the  finest  in  the  western  part  of  New  York  State.  His 
advancement  is  well  deserved,  for  the  best  years  of  his 
life  were  spent  in  overcoming  the  paucity  of  advantages 
in  his  youth  and  in  fitting  himself  by  constant  application 
for  his  later  occupation. 

True  to  the  inborn  love  of  everything  connected  with 
the  country  of  his  birth,  Mr.  Nordstrum  finds  his  pleas- 


ure in  associating  with  others  of  his  nationality,  being  a 
member  of  the  Norden  Club,  and  of  the  Swedish  Brother- 
hood. He  is  also  connected  with  the  Order  of  Eagles, 
and  with  the  local  lodge.  No.  248,  Knights  of  Pythias. 
He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church. 

In  1893  Frank  Gustave  Nordstrum  married  May  Fran- 
ces Bacon,  a  resident  of  Wellsboro,  who  died  in  April, 
1916.  Of  this  marriage  two  children  were  born:  i. 
Frances  Albertine,  who  married  Raymond  Bates  Bush, 
of  Kennedy,  N.  Y.,  a  chemist,  at  present  connected  with 
the  Nestle  Food  Company  of  New  York  City ;  Mr.  Bush 
is  a  graduate  of  Cornell  University.  2.  Chester,  now  a 
student  in  the  medical  school  of  the  University  of  Buf- 
falo. Mr.  Nordstrum  enjoys  the  respect  and  confidence 
of  his  fellow-townsmen,  and  he  is  devoted  to  the  inter- 
ests of  Jamestown  and  its  inhabitants. 


SAMUEL  P.  KIDDER— Upon  the  farm  which  he 
now  owns  in  the  town  of  Kiantone,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  Samuel  P.  Kidder  was  born,  April  18,  1868.  Upon 
the  same  farm,  which  was  then  included  in  the  town  of 
Carroll,  his  father,  Samuel  (2)  Kidder,  was  born  Oct. 
12,  1825,  and  in  1816  his  grandfather,  Ezbai  Kidder,  first 
settled  on  the  same  farm,  one  hundred  five  years  having 
since  elapsed,  and  during  those  years  the  farm  has  not 
been  out  of  the  possession  of  the  family.  The  farm  was 
originally  300  acres  in  extent,  bought  from  the  Holland 
Land  Company.  The  Kidders  were  originally  from  Dud- 
ley, Mass.,  and  there  Samuel  (i)  Kidder  was  born. 
Later  he  moved  to  the  State  of  Vermont,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  his  death  in  January,  1805.  He 
married  Zilpah  Bacon,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  four 
sons  and  three  daughters.  One  of  these  sons,  Ezbai  Kid- 
der, was  the  founder  of  the  branch  of  the  family  of 
which  Samuel  P.  Kidder  is  representative. 

Ezbai  Kidder  was  born  in  Dudley,  Mass.,  in  1787,  and 
died  at  his  farm  in  Kiantone,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
in  1879,  s  nonagenarian.  In  early  childhood  he  was  taken 
by  his  parents  to  their  new  home  in  Wardsboro,  Vt.,  and 
there  he  spent  the  years  until  1813,  coming  to  Chautau- 
qua county  in  that  year.  He  did  not  remain,  however, 
but  returned  to  Vermont,  coming  again  to  Chautauqua 
county  in  1816,  and  settling  on  the  farm  in  Carroll,  now 
Kiantone,  upon  which  his  grandson,  Samuel  P.  Kidder, 
resides.  He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  in  addition 
to  clearing,  cultivating  and  improving  his  own  acres  he 
did  a  great  deal  of  carpenter  work  in  Kiantone  and  Car- 
roll, erecting  many  of  the  frame  houses  and  barns  in  his 
section.  At  the  first  town  meeting  held  in  Carroll,  March 
6,  1826,  he  was  elected  commissioner  of  highways.  In 
1838  he  was  supervisor  of  Carroll,  and  when  Kiantone 
was  set  off  he  was  elected  supervisor  of  that  town  at  the 
first  election  held  Feb.  21,  1854.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  church  at  Jamestown,  and  in  politics 
a  Whig,  later  a  Republican.  Ezbai  Kidder  married,  in 
1824,  Louisa  Sherman,  who  died  Nov.  14,  1867,  daugh- 
ter of  Noah  and  Laura  (Hubbard)  Sherman,  her  father 
born  in  Wardsboro,  Vt.,  her  mother  in  Brimfield.  Mass. 
The  children  of  Noah  and  Laura  Sherman  all  came  in 
after  years  to  the  "Holland  Purchase."  Ezbai  and  Louisa 
(Sherman)  Kidder  were  the  parents  of  a  son  Samuel,  of 
further  mention,  and  three  daughters. 


464 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Samuel  (.2)  Kidder  was  bom  at  the  Kidder  homestead, 
then  in  the  towni  of  Qirroll,  Oct.  i:;,  1825,  and  died  there, 
Oct  iS.  iSoS.  He  was  his  I'atlier's  helper  from  youth, 
and  in  the  winter  months  attended  the  district  school. 
Later  he  was  a  pupil  at  Jamestown  Academy,  and  devoted 
himself  to  additional  reading  and  self-improvement,  be- 
coming a  well-informed  man.  He  was  the  owner  of  a 
farm  left  to  him  by  his  father,  which  is  well  adapted  to 
general  and  dairy  farmuig.  He  was  also  the  owner  of 
considerable  land  in  Jamestown.  He  was  originally  a 
Whig  in  politics,  but  later  became  a  Democrat.  He 
served  the  town  of  Kiantone  three  terms  as  assessor  and 
three  terms  as  supervisor,  1S86-87  and  1S90.  His  father, 
Ezbai  Kidder,  was  the  first  supervisor  of  tlie  town,  and 
his  son.  George  C.  Kidder,  held  the  same  office,  1910-17, 
eight  terms.  Samuel  Kidder  was  a  member  of  the  James- 
town Congregational  Church.  He  married,  Oct.  17,  1S54, 
Elnora  Partridge,  daughter  of  Joel  Partridge,  of  James- 
town. Samuel  and  Elnora  (Partridge)  Kidder  were  the 
parents  of  ten  children:     i.  Ida,  married  \V.  C.  Parker. 

2.  Willard,  a  farmer  of  Kiantone,  married  Anna  Miller. 

3.  J.  Edward,  died  aged  eighteen  years.  4.  Henry  E., 
married  Grace  Sherrod,  and  removed  to  Knoxville,  Tenn. 
5.  George  C,  a  farmer  of  Kiantone,  married  Lillian  Van 
Duzee.  6.  Dora.  7.  Samuel  P.,  of  further  mention.  8. 
Mary  L.     0.     Fanny  E.     10.  Jay  H. 

Samuel  P.  Kidder,  son  of  Samuel  and  Elnora  (Par- 
tridge") Kidder,  was  born  at  the  homestead  in  Kiantone, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  April  18,  1868,  and  yet  resides 
upon  the  old  farm.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  finishing  at  Jamestown  High  School,  and  when 
school  days  were  over  he  became  his  father's  farm  as- 
sistant. He  later  took  the  burden  of  management  upon 
his  shoulders  and  now  owns  the  old  farm.  He  conducts 
general  farming  in  connection  with  dairy  farming,  and 
is  one  of  the  prosperous  and  substantial  men  of  his  town. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and  of  the 
Congregational  church.     In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 

Mr.  Kidder  married,  in  Bradford,  Pa.,  Oct.  25,  1894, 
Flora  VVyman,  born  in  the  town  of  Carroll,  Chautauqua 
count}-,  X.  Y.,  Oct.  25,  1873,  daughter  of  Frank  and  Kate 
(Van  Arsdale)  Wyman.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kidder  are  the 
parents  of  six  children:  i.  Ruth  M.,  born  March  22, 
1896.  2.  Ralph  \V.,  born  Dec.  26,  1897.  3.  M.  Elnora, 
born  Jan.  9,  1900.  4.  Samuel  F.,  born  Aug.  5,  1909.  5. 
Elliot  H.,  born  April  29,  191,3  d-  Eunice  L.,  born  Sept. 
18.  1016. 

JAMES  E.  HANSON— The  old  proverb  tells  us 
that  "a  rolling  stone  gathers  no  moss;"  in  many  cases 
this  is  true,  but  there  arc  exceptions  to  every  rule,  and 
one  of  these  is  James  E.  Hanson.  Before  settling  himself 
in  business,  Mr.  Hanson  was  interested  in  many  difTcrcnl 
occupations,  almost  always  in  the  line  of  electrical  appli- 
ances, in  various  parts  of  the  country,  in  each  case  gain- 
ing fresh  experiences  which  in  the  aggregate  made  up 
a  complete  knowledge  of  the  business  which  he  finally 
made  his  life  work,  that  of  general  electrical  work. 

While  the  Hanson  family  was  really  of  English  birth, 
the  [larents  of  James  E.  Hanson  came  to  this  continent 
in  1878,  and  lived  for  a  time  in  Canada,  eventually  going 
to  Rhvle  Island.  At  the  present  time  James  Hanson, 
father  of  James  E.  Hanson,  is  living  in  Vonngstown, 
Ohio.     The  r>on,  James  E.  Hanson,  was  Uirn  in  luigland, 


March  15,  1875,  and  was  three  years  old  when  he  arrived 
in  Canada.  While  very  young  he  attended  the  schools  in 
the  town  where  the  family  lived,  but  later,  when  they 
went  to  Rhode  Island,  the  boy  obtained  employment  in  a 
cotton  mill  and  worked  there  for  some  time.  In  1888, 
James  HaTison,  the  father,  went  to  live  in  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.,  and  the  son  again  attended  school  for  a  short 
period,  this  time  at  the  Central  Branch  School  of  James- 
town. This  was  followed  by  employment  in  the  Broad- 
head  Worsted  Mills,  he  remaining  there  for  a  few 
months,  and  then  working  at  various  odd  employments 
until  finally  he  became  much  interested  in  electricity.  In 
1893,  when  seventeen  years  old,  young  Hanson  went  to 
Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.,  and  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Union  Electric  Railway,  going  later  to  Troy  with  the 
Gilbert  Car  Works.  Following  this  he  obtained  a  posi- 
tion with  the  New  York  Central  Railroad  in  the  lighting 
and  power  department,  gaining  considerable  practical  ex- 
perience thereby.  Later  Mr.  Hanson  went  to  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  and  while  there  was  in  the  employ  of  the 
Glen  Echo  Electric  Railway  Company  for  a  short  time. 
When  he  returned  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  in  1805,  he  was 
employed  by  J.  C.  Stearns  &  Company,  contractors  of 
Buffalo,  who  had  the  contract  for  building  St.  Luke's 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  When  this  was  finished 
the  young  man  went  to  Falconer,  N.  Y.,  with  the  Amer- 
ican Manufacturing  Company  in  their  shipping  depart- 
ment. This  not  being  in  his  line  of  work,  he  only  re- 
mained there  a  short  time,  when  he  returned  to  electri- 
cal work,  this  time  with  Sooliday  &  Miner,  they  having 
the  contract  to  wire  the  city  hall.  After  the  conclusion 
of  this  job,  he  worked  for  his  father  who  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  municipal  lighting  plant,  the  son  continu- 
ing in  the  commercial  department  for  two  years.  Again 
the  desire  for  a  change  sent  the  young  man  to  Chicago  to 
enter  the  service  of  Richards  &  Meecham,  electrical  con- 
tractors, where  he  gained  still  further  experience  in  his 
chosen  pursuit. 

It  was  in  the  latter  part  of  1897  that  he  returned  to 
Jamestown  and  formed  a  partnership  with  M.  W. 
Vaughan,  as  Hanson  &  Vaughan,  on  East  Second  street, 
in  a  short  time  taking  Mr,  Vaughan's  brother  into  the 
business,  the  name  being  changed  to  Hanson  &  Vaughan 
Brothers.  Near  the  end  of  the  first  year,  Mr.  Hanson 
withdrew  from  the  firm  to  do  electrical  work  for  the 
Gokey  Electric  Light  Plant  on  several  buildings  then  in 
course  of  construction,  among  them  being  the  Burnham 
Brothers' building,  the  Sherman  House  (since  destroyed 
by  fire),  the  Jamestown  Brewery,  and  the  residence  of 
.Samuel  Briggs.  After  the  completion  of  these  contracts, 
Mr.  Hanson  went  into  partnership  with  David  Maloney, 
the  firm  being  Maloney  &  Han.son,  this  continuing  for 
three  and  a  half  years,  then  Mr.  Maloney  severed  his  con- 
nection with  the  firm  to  enter  the  Home  Telephone  Com- 
pany and  Mr.  Hanson  continued  the  business  alone  for 
two  years.  Then  E.  P.  Barley  joined  with  him,  the  part- 
nership being  known  as  the  Hanson  Electric  Company, 
electrical  contractors  and  suppliers  for  the  wholesale  and 
retail  trade.  This  continued  for  a  year.  Then  Mr.  Han- 
son carried  on  the  business  for  several  years,  until  1913. 
when  Edwin  W.  Shier  became  his  partner,  continuing  for 
three  years,  since  which  time  Mr.  Hanson  has  conducted 
the  affairs  of  the  Hanson  Electric  Company  at  No.  30 
Main  street.      .Mr.    Hanson   began   at  the   very   bottom  of 


JO.M^  P.c. 


^M^cA^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


465 


his  line  of  work,  learning  every  detail  in  every  form  of 
labor,  and  may  now  be  considered  a  past  master  of  elec- 
trical construction.  Mr.  Hanson  is  much  interested  in 
public  affairs  in  Jamestown,  being  an  active  worker  in 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce;  he  is  a  member  of  the  local 
lodge  of  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and 
of  the  beneficial  order  of  Knights  of  Pythias.  .At  one 
time  he  was  a  member  of  the  Fire  Department  of  James- 
town. 

In  Randolph,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  i,  1903,  Mr.  Hanson  married 
Anna  B.  Murray.  They  have  three  children  :  James  E., 
now  at  school :  Paul  M.,  at  school ;  William  J.  Mr. 
Hanson  is  regarded  among  his  associates  as  a  "hustler" 
in  business,  and  as  a  man  who  thoroughly  understands 
the  work  he  has  in  hand. 


ALTON  DELISLE  JOBES,  D.  C— At  the  time 
Dr.  Johes  took  his  degree  at  the  Universal  Chiropractic 
College,  that  institution  was  located  in  Davenport.  Iowa, 
but  it  now  has  become  an  incorporated  body  of  the  State 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  is  located  at  No.  1940  Fifth  avenue, 
Pittsburgh.  This  school  of  drugless  therapy  attracted  his 
interest,  and  since  1915  he  has  been  its  successful  advo- 
cate in  Fredonia,  his  present  seat  of  practice.  Mrs.  Jobes 
is  also  a  practitioner  of  the  drugless  methods  in  associa- 
tion with  her  husband. 

Alton  D.  Jobes,  son  of  William  and  Caroline  (Ayling) 
Jobes,  was  born  near  the  village  of  North  East,  Erie 
county,  Pa.,  Aug.  14,  1859.  His  father  was  a  farmer  of 
that  section  at  the  time  of  the  birth  of  his  son,  but  soon 
after  moved  to  Lottsville,  Pa.,  where  he  lived  until  the 
time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  the  summer  of  1865. 

Alton  D.  Jobes  attended  the  public  schools  in  Lotts- 
ville, also  the  South  Lancaster  Academy,  in  South  Lan- 
caster, Mass.  During  his  youth  and  manhood,  he  was 
variously  employed,  farming,  lumbering,  etc.,  and  later 
on  was  engaged  as  a  jeweler,  doing  watch,  clock,  and 
jewelr)'  repairing  in  Conneautville,  Pa.,  but  finally  en- 
tered the  Universal  Chiropractic  College  of  Davenport, 
Iowa,  whence  he  was  graduated  Doctor  of  Chiropractic. 
He  located  in  Fredonia  in  1915,  and  is  there  well  estab- 
lished in  practice.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Seventh  Day 
Adventist  church,  and  in  politics  is  a  Prohibitionist. 

Dr.  Jobes  married,  Dec.  30,  1885,  Hattie  V.  Johnson, 
of  Fredonia.  They  are  the  parents  of  two  children:  i. 
Lottie  Evelyn  (Jobes)  Kaelin,  of  Takoma  Park,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. ;  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Michigan, 
and  Mount  Vernon  Academy,  Mount  Vernon,  Ohio,  also 
a  graduate  of  the  Jamestown  Business  College.  Mrs. 
Kaelin  and  her  husband  hold  lucrative  positions  in  the 
Review  &  Herald  Publishing  Company,  at  Takoma  Park, 
Washington,  D.  C.  2.  Vernon  LeRoy  Jobes,  who  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Pennsylvania,  and  Cedar 
Lake  Academy,  Cedar  Lake,  Mich. ;  married  Mary 
Knapp,  of  Corydon,  Pa.,  and  has  two  children  :  Theo- 
dore, and  Ariel ;  he  is  an  expert  machinist  in  garage 
work,  and  is  located  in  East  Randolph,  N.  Y. 


JOHN  W.  WITHERS,  who  comes  of  a  worthy 
British  family,  and  has  for  so  many  years  lived  in 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  in  the  Kiantone  township  of 
which  he  has  a  well-improved  farm,  is  a  citizen  of  high 
moral  character  and  commendable  traits  in  general,  and 
Chau— 30 


is  highly  regarded  in  that  section  of  the  county.  He 
was  born  Jan.  29,  1869,  in  England,  the  son  of  James  and 
Sarah  (Watson)  Withers,  the  former  at  one  time  a 
miller,  but  later  a  farmer,  having  in  his  later  life  fol- 
lowed his  natural  inclination  for  agricultural  pursuits. 

John  W.  Withers  was  educated  in  Appleby,  England, 
and  with  his  parents  came  to  this  country  in  18S2.  They 
at  first  settled  in  Busti,  but  eventually  John  W.  Withers 
acquired  a  farm  in  Kiantone  township,  and  there  he  has 
lived  for  thirty  years,  during  which  time  he  has  mani- 
fested a  comprehensive  understanding  of  farming  and  a 
marked  interest  in  community  affairs.  He  is  a  man  of 
upright  character,  and  has  definite  and  fixed  convictions 
upon  many  subjects,  regarding  which  there  has  been 
much  elasticity  of  opinion  among  less  conscientious  men. 
He  has  endeavored  to  live  in  strict  accordance  with  his 
reading  of  the  Bible,  and  his  general  understanding  of 
right  and  wrong,  good  and  bad.  He  is  an  ardent  church- 
man, a  member  of  the  local  Presbyterian  church ;  in  poli- 
tics he  is  a  resolute,  outspoken  Prohibitionist.  Fra- 
ternally he  belongs  to  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen. 

During  the  war,  he  was  intensely  interested  in  the 
progress  of  national  affairs,  in  fact,  as  a  man  of  British 
birth,  he  was  interested  in  the  struggle  long  before  this 
country  entered  into  it,  and  he  showed  by  his  actions  that 
he  was  whole-heartedly  patriotic.  He  subscribed  as  much 
as  he  was  able  to  the  war  funds,  both  to  the  loans  and  to 
other  funds  which  were  for  the  purposes  of  the  nation  in 
some  phase  of  its  war  aims.  As  a  loyal  farmer,  he 
sought,  to  the  limit  of  his  ingenuity  and  energy,  to  co- 
operate with  the  Department  of  Agriculture  in  a  national 
endeavor  to  bring  into  profitable  bearing  every  acre  of 
agricultural  land  that  was  possible,  and  thus,  by  increas- 
ing production  and  preventing  waste,  be  able  to  send  to 
the  impoverished  allies  of  the  nation  foodstuffs  that  they 
stood  sorely  in  need  of.  The  result  of  that  national  effort 
by  patriotic  American  farmers  is  of  course  well  known 
in  the  aggregate,  and  it  has  its  proper  place  of  honor  in 
the  national  historical  records  of  the  war  period,  and  it  is 
generally  well  known  to  what  an  appreciable  extent  the 
sending  of  foodstuffs  by  this  country  to  Europe  affected 
the  prospects  of  the  combatants.  But  a  proper  recording 
of  the  individual  effort  of  every  American  farmer  has 
not  been  possible  in  the  comprehensive  national  records, 
and  must  be  left  to  compilation  of  local  history  such  as 
this.  Mr.  Withers,  as  an  earnest  man  of  English  birth, 
probably  felt  the  awfulness  of  the  calamity  which  had 
befallen  his  homeland  long  before  this  nation  was  drawn 
into  the  struggle,  and  probably  felt  his  own  helplessness 
even  more  keenly,  so  that  when  the  opportunity  did  come 
to  aid  in  the  good  cause  it  must  have  been  a  relief  to  him, 
and  it  is  but  proper  that  record  should  be  made  of  his 
share  in  the  combined  effort  of  nations,  not  only  armies, 
to  hold  back  and  finally  defeat  the  domineering  aims  of  a 
cruel  and  unrighteous  autocracy  which  sought  to  hold 
sway  over  all  the  nations  of  the  earth. 

John  W.  Withers  married,  July  12,  1894,  Jennie  B. 
Osborn,  the  marriage  ceremony  taking  place  in  Busti, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  Mrs.  Jennie  B.  (Osborn) 
Withers  was  born  in  Warren  county.  N.  Y.,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  George  F.  and  Roxana  (Stultz)  Osborn,  her 
father  being  of  English  birth,  and  her  mother  of  Dutch. 
Her   father  was  a  veteran  of  the  American  Civil  War, 


466 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


and  belonged  to  a  regimental  unit  which  was  sent  in  1864 
to  the  Federal  capital  at  Washington,  D.  C,  to  garrison 
it  at  a  critical  period,  and  tliere  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged at  the  termination  01  hostilities.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
\\'ithers  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  a  daughter,  Annie, 
born  Dec.  u.  uxv. 


PARK  L.  STARR  is  a  prominent  and  well  known 
fanner  of  the  town  of  Gerry,  where  he  was  born  and  has 
spent  most  of  his  active  life.  He  comes  from  the  pioneer 
stock  of  Western  New  York,  known  for  its  activity  and 
rugged  energ>-.  His  father  and  mother  were  both  born 
in  the  town,  and  both  were  descendants  of  the  earliest 
settlers,  when  Gerry  was  known  as  Little  Vermont,  a 
designation  that  honored  the  State  from  w^hich  many  of 
the  early  settlers  came.  Mr.  Starr  has  taken  an  active 
interest  in  the  affairs  of  his  town  and  county  ever  since 
attaining  his  majority,  and  has  successfully  filled  the 
offices  of  assessor  and  of  town  and  county  supervisor, 
being  repeatedly  elected  to  these  positions  by  the  votes 
of  his  fellow-townsmen  and  women.  His  public  service, 
like  his  private  service,  has  been  performed  for  the  good 
of  the  community,  in  a  painstaking  way  that  has  won  for 
him  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  people  of  his  com- 
munity. 

Park  L.  Starr  was  born  in  the  town  of  Gerry,  May  7, 
18' 6,  the  son  of  Henry  and  Mary  T.  (Fargo)  Starr.  He 
spent  his  boyhood  life  upon  the  farm  of  his  father,  at- 
tending the  common  schools  of  his  neighborhood  and 
securing  the  foundations  of  an  education  which  he  has 
built  upon  by  practical  observation,  experience  and  a  line 
of  reading  that  has  kept  him  in  touch  with  the  affairs  of 
the  day  at  home  and  abroad.  His  father,  Henry  Starr, 
served  the  town  of  Gerry  in  the  same  capacity  as  the  son 
is  now  serving,  in  the  office  of  supervisor,  for  many 
years,  and  until  the  infirmities  of  age  demanded  rest  and 
retirement  from  public  activities. 

While  engaged  in  business  off  the  farm,  the  early  train- 
ing of  Park  L.  Starr  enabled  him  to  take  hold  of  the 
farm  and  manage  and  develop  it  at  the  death  of  his 
father,  adding  more  modern  equipment  than  the  old  time 
farmers  were  accustomed  to.  During  the  recent  war. 
Park  L.  Starr  did  his  full  share  with  the  farmers  of  the 
State  and  Nation  to  tnect  the  requirements  placed  upon 
agriculture  by  the  government  at  Washington,  and  in  the 
interests  of  the  people  of  the  entire  World.  He  also  re- 
sponded to  every  call  for  funds  to  prosecute  the  activities 
of  war,  and  he  served  as  one  of  the  great  army  of  work- 
ers behind  the  men  in  the  trenches  wherever  opportunity 
called  and  health  and  strength  permitted.  As  a  practical 
farmer,  Mr.  Starr  long  ago  became  identified  with  the 
work  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbanrlry  and  is  a  member  of 
Gerry  Grange. 

Mr.  Starr  was  united  in  marriage  at  East  Aurora,  Erie 
rounly.  \,  Y.,  June  10,  1890,  to  Lillie  Rose  Monchow, 
who  was  l»rn  at  Marilla,  Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  March  i, 
iHfif),  the  daughter  of  Herman  Augustus  and  Melissa 
I'h'cbe  fStedman)  Monchow.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Starr 
hai  fxren  t>'jrn  one  son,  Troy  Scranton  Starr,  Sept.  10, 
i'/<4.  ;>t  Marilla.  Eric  county,  N.  Y.;  he  is  now  a  student 
at  Falfomr   High   School. 

I'ark  I,.  .Starr  r'prc'-nts  the  type  of  farmer  and  busi- 
ness man  who  is  safe  and  sane  in  the  transaction  of  his 


own  business  and  that  of  the  public ;  the  kind  of  citizen 
that  is  at  the  foundation  of  honest  Democratic  govern- 
ment, dependable  in  public  service  or  the  privacy  of  his 
home.  His  public  services  have  been  recognized  by  his 
continued  election  to  public  office.  He  is  a  Republican  by 
inheritance  and  by  inclination,  and  at  every  State  or  Na- 
tional election  he  has  given  the  best  service  that  he  could 
to  the  cause  of  the  Republican  party  and  its  candidates. 


FRANCIS  E.  HARRIS— Although  his  older  broth- 
ers, Oscar  and  Gilbert  Harris,  came  earlier  to  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  Francis  E.  Harris  did  not  arrive 
until  1852.  He  was  a  son  of  Jonathan  and  Lucy  (Mil- 
ler) Harris,  and  a  grandson  of  John  Harris,  who  served 
as  a  private  in  the  Revolutionary  army  when  only  a  lad 
of  fourteen  years.  Jonathan  and  Lucy  (Miller)  Har- 
ris were  natives  of  Vermont,  living  in  Halifax  and  Ben- 
nington, that  State,  many  years  before  coming  to  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.  J'onathan  Harris  was  a  carpen- 
ter and  farmer  in  Vermont  and  later  in  New  York. 
They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children:  I.  Oscar,  a 
farmer  in  later  years  in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
where  he  died.  2.  Gilbert,  a  soldier  of  the  Union 
army,  killed  at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness.  3.  Francis 
E.,  of  whom  further.  4.  Malinda,  who  is  now  (1921) 
one  hundred  years  old;  lives  at  Ripley,  N.  Y.,  the 
widow  of  Addison  Burton.  5.  Mandana,  deceased,  was 
the  wife  of  Lucius  Correll,  of  Portland,  N.  Y.  6. 
Maria,  died  in  young  life  in  Portland,  N.  Y.  7.  Vic- 
toria, deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Joel  Stratton,  of  Spar- 
tensburg,  Pa.  Jonathan  Harris  married  (second)  Jane 
Bruce,  of  Bennington,  Vt.,  and  they  became  the  par- 
ents of  four  children:  Jennet,  Reuben,  Mary  and  Ed- 
win. These  four  children  were  born  in  Vermont,  and  in 
later  life  resided  in  various  parts  of  this  country  and 
Canada,  where  their  death  occurred. 

Francis  E.  Harris  was  born  in  Marlboro,  Vt.,  Nov. 
29,  1830,  died  Aug.  12,  1890,  at  Iiis  home  in  Ellicott, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  He  obtained  few  educa- 
tional advantages  in  his  youth,  a  fact  he  deplored  all  his 
later  life,  as  at  the  age  of  eleven  he  was  hired  out  to 
the  farmers  of  his  neighborhood  by  his  father  and  they 
seemed  to  have  no  interest  in  the  motherless  lad  save  to 
get  all  the  work  possible  out  of  him.  Later  he  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade,  and  so  rapidly  did  he  advance 
that  at  the  age  of  seventeen  he  was  a  contractor  of 
building  and  an  employer  of  men  of  his  trade  many 
years  his  senior.  In  1852,  he  came  to  Chautauqua,  still 
single,  but  four  years  later  married  Lydia  H.  Crandall, 
and  settled  down  to  the  life  of  a  farmer.  He  had  broth- 
ers and  sisters  living  in  Chautauqua  county  when  he 
came,  and  it  was  that  fact  which  inlhienced  his  coming. 
l''rom  1S52  until  1856,  he  was  employed  as  a  carpenter 
and  builder,  but  the  life  of  an  agriculturist  claimed  him 
:iflrr  bis  marriage,  his  farm  being  located  in  the  town 
of  F.llicott.  He  was  a  man  of  splendid  qualities,  sound  in 
judgment,  and  sought  by  his  neighbors  for  counsel  and 
advice.  Honorable  and  upright,  he  was  respected  and 
esteemed  in  life  and  deeply  mourned  in  death. 

h'rauris  K.  Harris  married,  in  T856,  Lydia  Helen 
fr:in'lall.  born  at  Kinderbook-on-the-Hudson,  Colum- 
bia (oiipiiy.  .v.  v.,  but  when  four  years  of  age  was 
Ijrougbt  to  Chautauqua  comity,  N.  Y.,  by  her  parents, 


^:z^^C^^.J^, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


467 


Stephen  and  Christiana  (Benjamin)  Crandall.  From 
Albany  the  Crandalls,  father,  mother  and  nine  chil- 
dren, came  West  to  Buffalo  by  boat  on  the  Erie  canal, 
consuming  about  two  weeks  in  the  journey.  Lydia  H. 
(Crandall)  Harris  was  a  true  helpmeet,  devoted  to  her 
home  and  family,  and  from  early  life  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  church  of  Brocton,  N.  Y.  She  died  Oct.  8,  1918, 
in  the  village  of  Falconer,  N.  Y.  Francis  E.  Harris 
was  a  Universalist  in  his  religious  faith,  and  in  poli- 
tics a  Republican.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Francis  E.  Harris 
were  the  parents  of  six  children:  Cora,  Ida,  Rollin 
Arthur,  Gilbert  D.,  (see  forward)  ;  Jennie  May, 
died  in  early  childhood ;  and  Flory  Belle.  Flory 
Belle  prepared  at  Jamestown  High  School,  en- 
tered Cornell  University,  then  after  graduation  spent 
a  year  in  post-graduate  study,  specializing  in  Romance 
languages;  she  has  taught  in  New  York  and  New  Jer- 
sey cities,  also  two  years  in  California,  and  is  now  a 
teacher  of  Spanish  and  French  in  New  York  City;  she 
is  a  member  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion, and  of  the  Unitarian  church. 

Cora  Harris,  a  graduate  of  Fredonia  State  Normal 
School,  taught  several  years,  and  is  the  author  of  a 
volume  of  child  stories  entitled  "Half  a  Hundred 
Stories."  She  is  a  Daughter  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion, and  a  member  of  the  Unitarian  church. 

Ida  Harris  married  Andrew  J.  Petersen,  in  1892,  and 
died  Aug.  15,  1919,  leaving  two  children,  Francis  and 
Ruth. 

Rollin  Arthur  Harris,  Ph.  D.,  was  born  in  Randolph, 
N.  Y.,  April  18,  1863.  He  received  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  and  high  school  of  James- 
town, N.  y.  In  1881,  he  entered  Cornell  University, 
receiving  the  degree  of  Ph.  B.  in  1885.  He  remained  at 
Cornell,  taking  up  graduate  work  in  mathematics  and 
physics.  In  1886-87,  he  was  a  fellow  in  mathematics, 
and  in  1888  he  received  the  degree  of  Ph.  D.  From 
1889  to  1890,  he  was  a  fellow  in  mathematics  at  Clark 
University,  Worcester,  Mass.,  where  he  pursued  special 
studies  in  mathematics  and  lectured  on  mathematical 
subjects. 

Mr.  Harris  entered  the  Tidal  Division  of  the  United 
States  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey  as  computer  in  1890, 
through  the  United  States  Civil  Service.  After  becom- 
ing familiar  with  the  work,  he  began  the  preparation 
of  a  publication  into  which  would  be  gathered  the  tidal 
information  scattered  in  various  journals  and  memoirs 
and  in  which  the  methods  of  tidal  reduction  and  predic- 
tion would  be  cotirdinated.  Dr.  Harris  threw  himself 
into  the  work  with  enthusiasm.  Because  of  his  splen- 
did training  in  mathematics  and  his  ability,  he  was  spe- 
cially fitted  for  the  work,  and  the  result,  as  embodied 
in  the  "Manual  of  Tides,"  which  appeared  in  six  parts 
in  various  reports  of  the  superintendent  of  the  Coast 
and  Geodetic  Survey,  between  the  years  1884  and  1907. 
has  placed  our  country  well  at  the  front  in  that  branch 
of  scientific  enquiry.  Taken  as  a  whole  the  "Manual  of 
Tides"  is  a  monumental  work  of  some  1,200  quarto 
pages  of  text  and  plate  containing  a  large  amount  of 
original  contributions  in  a  field  cultivated  by  the  most 
brilliant  mathematicians. 

The  "Manual  of  Tides"  has  received  the  recognition 
it  merited  from  scientists  the  world  over,  the  eminent 
French  mathematician,  Henri  Poincare,  in  his  "Meca- 
nique   Celeste,"   subjects   the   various   tidal   theories   to 


searching  analysis  and  sums  up  by  saying  that  "it  ap- 
pears probable  that  the  final  theory  will  have  to  borrow 
from  that  of  Harris  a  notable  part  of  its  essentia! 
features."  Dr.  Harris  published  a  number  of  articles  in 
"Science"  and  other  scientific  journals  on  mathematical 
and  tidal  subjects.  Mention  should  also  be  made  of 
"Arctic  Tides,"  a  monograph  published  by  the  Coast 
and  Geodetic  Survey  in  191 1,  which  is  a  classic  of  its 
kind. 

Personally,  Dr.  Harris  was  a  man  of  modest  bearing, 
somewhat  reticent,  but  possessed  of  a  pleasing  sense  of 
humor.  He  was  an  indefatigable  worker  with  a  high 
conception  of  the  obligations  of  the  scientist.  He  was 
a  member  of  scientific  societies,  both  local  and  national. 
His  loss  will  be  felt  by  his  friends  and  colleagues  of 
the  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey,  and  by  the  many  scien- 
tific men,  engineers  and  explorers  in  many  parts  of  the 
world,  who  brought  their  problems  to  him  and  received 
the  benefit  of  his  wide  knowledge  in  a  peculiarly 
abstruse  branch  of  science.  He  died  Jan,  20,  1918,  of 
heart  disease,  death  coming  suddenly.  He  married 
Emily  Doty,  of  Ellicott,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 

Gilbert  Dennison  Harris  was  born  at  Jamestown,  Oct. 
2,  1864.  He  there  graduated  from  high  school,  in  1882, 
going  thence  to  Cornell  University,  whence  he  was 
graduated  Ph.  B.,  class  of  18S6.  He  was  connected  as 
assistant  with  the  Arkansas  Geological  Survey,  1887-88; 
United  States  Geological  Survey,  1889-92;  Texas  Geo- 
logical Survey,  1892-93;  and  during  1894  was  engaged 
in  geological  research  in  England  and  Northern 
France.  He  was  assistant  professor  of  paleontology  and 
stratigraphic  geology  at  Cornell  University  in  1894- 
1909;  professor  of  the  same  since  1909:  director  of  the 
Louisiana  State  Geological  Survey,  1S99-1909;  editor 
and  proprietor  of  bulletins  of  "American  Paleontology," 
Vols.  I  to  6;  editor  and  proprietor  of  "Palaeonto- 
graphica  Americana,"  Vol.  i ;  special  geologist  to  the 
Louisiana  Sulphur  Company,  1917;  geologist  to  various 
salt  and  oil  companies.  1909;  paleontologist  to  Pear- 
son's Oil  Company,  of  Trinidad,  1919;  and  is  yet  a 
professor  at  Cornell.  He  has  specially  investigated  for 
economic  purposes  the  oil,  sulphur  and  salt  fields,  and 
scientifically  investigated  the  geology  and  paleontology 
of  the  tertiary  formations  of  the  Southern  States  and 
Central  America.  He  is  a  member  of  de  la  Societie 
Geologique  de  France  since  1895;  life  fellow  of  the 
Geological  Society  of  America  since  1899;  member  of 
Phi  Beta  Kappa  and  Sigma  Xi.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican,  and  in  his  religious  views  liberal. 

Mr.  Harris  married,  Dec.  30,  1890,  Clara  Stoneman, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of:  Rebecca,  graduate  of  Cor- 
nell, 1913,  A.  B.,  Phi  Beta  Kappa  and  other  university 
honors. 


JEREMIAH  J.  SULLIVAN,  M.  D.— More  than 
thirty  years  of  active  practice  have  so  firmly  intrenched 
Dr.  Sullivan  in  the  confidence  and  affection  of  his  fel- 
low-citizens of  Dunkirk  and  of  many  far  beyond  the 
limits  of  his  home  town  that  the  appearance  of  his 
name  will  be  instantly  greeted  with  admiring  and  cor- 
dial recognition.  Distinguished  in  his  profession.  Dr. 
Sullivan  is  also  highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen,  ranking 
among  the  foremost  in  his  community. 

Jeremiah  J.  Sullivan  was  born  Dec.  i,  1862,  in  Byron, 
Genesee   county,   N.   Y.,   a   son   of    Michael   and   Julia 


46S 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


(.Cashman")  Sullivan,  the  former  a  small  farmer  who 
worked  for  the  railway.  Jeremiah  J,  Sullivan  attended 
the  public  schools  of  his  birthplace,  passing  thence  to 
the  high  school  of  Akron.  X.  Y..  and  then  entering  the 
medical  department  of  the  University  of  Buffalo.  In 
1SS7.  he  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine,  hav- 
ing sersed  during  his  last  year  as  interne  in  the  Erie 
County  ^X.  Y.">  Hospital.  Immediately  after  gradua- 
tion. Dr.  Sullivan  began  practice  in  Dunkirk,  where  he 
has  ever  since  been  continuously  engaged  in  the  general 
work  of  his  profession  and  in  surgery.  He  is  medical 
examiner  for  the  Xew  York  Life  and  Metropolitan  Life 
Insurance  companies.  Among  the  professional  organi- 
zations in  which  he  is  enrolled  are  the  American  Medi- 
cal Association,  the  X^ew  York  State  Medical  Associa- 
tion, the  Dunkirk-Fredonia  Medical  Association,  and 
the  Chautauqua  County  Medical  Society.  At  the  time  of 
its  foundation  and  for  a  number  of  years  after,  he  was 
a  member  of  the  staff  of  Brooks  Hospital.  He  has  been 
for  thirty  years  house  physician  to  St.  Mary's  and  Holy 
Cross  colleges,  both  of  Dunkirk.  In  public  affairs.  Dr. 
Sullivan  has  never  actively  mingled,  though  always  tak- 
ing a  helpful  interest  in  all  that  he  deems  vital  to  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  his  home  town.  He  belongs  to 
the  Knights  of  Columbus,  and  is  a  member  of  St. 
Mary's   Roman  Catholic  Church. 

Dr.  Sullivan  married.  Sept.  6.  l8g2,  Margaret  Sheehe, 
daughter  of  Timothy  and  Ann  (Conway)  Sheehe,  of 
Dunkirk,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  one  child, 
Roma  J.,  who  died  in  infancy. 

The  professional  record  of  Dr.  Sullivan  is  incorpo- 
rated with  honor  in  the  annals  of  medicine,  and  his 
name  is  written  on  the  grateful  hearts  of  the  many  to 
whom  he  has  carried  health  and  healing. 


ADAM  PERCY  CHESSMAN,  banker  and  promi- 
nent man  of  affairs  of  Fredonia,  N.  Y.,  was  born  in 
Pittsburgh.  Pa.,  Sept.  4,  1867,  a  son  of  Harry  and 
Mary  E.  ('Herspcrger)  Chessman.  Harry  Chessman 
was  born  in  Brighton.  England,  in  1842,  and  when  eight 
years  old  accompanied  his  parents  to  the  L^nited  States, 
they  locating  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  He  was  connected  with 
the  United  States  Pension  Department  practically  all 
the  active  years  of  his  life.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  poli- 
tics, an  Episcopalian  in  religious  belief,  and  a  member 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  in  which 
organization  he  held  local  offices.  His  death  occurred 
in  the  year  tHr/o. 

.Adam  Percy  Chessman  attended  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  city,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  having  com- 
pleted his  studies,  he  accepted  a  position  with  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad,  in  the  general  car  accountants  divi- 
sion, and  remained  so  employed  until  1891.  He  was 
promoted  to  the  position  of  assistant  to  the  chief  of  this 
division,  but  was  compelled  to  retire  on  account  of  ill 
health.  In  1802,  Mr,  Chessman,  in  order  to  recuperate, 
r'-movcd  to  Chautau'|ua  county,  X.  Y.,  and  shortly 
aftrrward  accepted  a  position  with  the  Chautatuiua 
Lake  Mills,  where  he  was  employed  until  i8ov  His 
next  position  was  with  the  State  Bank,  Mayville,  N.  Y., 
and  he  served  in  the  capacity  of  clerk  until  1^)7,  in 
whi'-h  year  he  organized  the  firm  of  Scoficld,  Cippcrly 
&  Chessman,  private  bankers  in  Sinrlairville,  .X.  Y.  In 
if^/j,  he  organized  the  Sinrlairville  C.'inning  Company, 


and  in  1002  consolidated  with  the  Fredonia  Preserving 
Company  and  moved  to  FVedonia,  N.  Y.  In  igo6,  he 
organized  the  Xational  Bank  of  Fredonia,  filling  the 
offices  of  director  and  cashier  from  that  time  to  1920, 
when  he  was  elected  president,  which  office  he  still 
holds.  Mr.  Chessman  is,  without  doubt,  one  of  the  fore- 
most figures  in  the  banking  circles  of  Fredonia,  and  his 
opinion  is  very  often  solicited  on  banking  questions  of 
the  most  delicate  nature.  He  is  a  man  of  keen  business 
foresight  in  all  financial  matters,  and  his  personality  is 
a  stimulant  in  all  banking  matters  with  which  he  is 
identified.  Mr.  Chessman  also  takes  a  prominent  part 
in  the  political  life  of  the  region,  being  a  staunch  Demo- 
crat in  politics.  He  has  served  as  president  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  treasurer  of  the  village.  He  is 
prominent  in  Masonic  circles,  having  attained  the 
Knights  Templar  degree,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Citi- 
zens' Club  of  Fredonia.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a 
Methodist,  but  with  his  wife  attends  the  Episcopal 
church. 

,\dam  Percy  Chessman  married,  at  Mayville,  N.  Y., 
Sept.  II,  189s,  M.  Gertrude  Bond,  a  native  of  Mayville, 
a  daughter  of  Orlando  Bond,  a  highly  respected  citizen 
of  Mayville. 


MOSES  SMITH  STEVENS— There  is  no  charac- 
teristic element  of  our  national  development  of  which 
we  have  more  just  reason  to  be  proud  than  the  fact 
that  in  this  country  advancement  can  be  secured  through 
capability,  merit,  and  labor,  unhampered  by  cast  or 
class,  and  that  the  majority  of  our  strongest  and  best 
citizens  are  self-made  men.  Such  a  one  was  Moses 
Smith  Stevens,  who  was  a  well  known  agriculturist  of 
Charlotte  township. 

The  Stevens  family  are  of  Xew  England  descent,  and 
there  were  many  pioneers  bearing  this  name  identified 
with  the  earliest  settlement  of  Maine,  Massachusetts, 
and  Vermont,  and  their  descendants  are  widely  scat- 
tered and  have  borne  no  inconsiderable  part  in  the  de- 
velopment of  this  nation.  John  Stevens,  of  Newbury 
and  Andover,  Mass.,  left  three  sons:  Sergeant  John 
Stevens,  of  Vermont,  born  in  161 1,  who  left  three  sons; 
Deacon  Stevens,  of  Amesbury.  Mass.,  who  was  a  saw- 
yer and  husbandman,  and  a  prominent  citizen  of  the 
town,  and  who  left  three  sons;  another,  John  Stevens, 
of  .-Vmcsbury,  Mass.,  who  left  two  sons.  It  is  very  prob- 
able that  the  subject  of  this  review  is  a  descendant  of 
Jfihn  Stevens,  of  Vermont. 

David  Stevens,  father  of  Moses  S.  Stevens,  was  born 
in  Lee  township,  Essex  county,  Vt.  Here  he  grew  to 
manhood,  incidentally  learning  the  trade  of  masonry. 
While  still  a  young  man  he  came  to  Chautauqua  county 
and  located  in  Chautauqua  township,  where  he  again 
followed  his  chosen  occupation  of  masonry.  Mr.  Stevens 
soon  purchased  a  tract  of  land,  about  forty  acres,  which 
he  operated  in  his  spare  time.  In  1880  he  retired  from 
active  life  and  spent  his  last  days  with  his  daughter, 
Mrs.  Burns,  of  Delaware  county,  N.  Y.  He  died  at 
the  age  of  eighty-five  years,  and  is  buried  in  the  Wal- 
ton Cemetery,  in  Delaware  county,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  Stevens  married  (first)  Polly  Ward,  of  Mayville, 
X.  Y.,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  five  children: 
M'ises  Smith,  of  whom  further;  Loren,  who  died  in 
.Sinil.iirville;     Lyscomb,    who    died    in    Bradford,    Pa.; 


C^  ir^jM,^\UC^^^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


469 


Thirza,  who  married  (first)  John  Woodworth,  (sec- 
ond) Horatio  Burns;  James,  who  died  in  Chautauqua 
township.  Mr.  Stevens  married  (second)  Mary  Hitch- 
cock. 

Moses  Smith  Stevens,  son  of  David  and  Polly  (Ward) 
Stevens,  was  born  in  Chautauqua  township,  Sept. 
22,  1828,  and  died  Aug.  28,  1920.  He  received  his  early 
education  in  the  district  schools  of  Chautauqua  town- 
ship, and  after  completing  his  course  of  study  took  up 
the  trade  of  masonry.  He  followed  his  trade,  in  partner- 
ship with  his  father,  for  some  time,  making  his  home  in 
Sinclairville,  but  later  moved  to  Charlotte  Center,  where 
he  went  in  business  for  himself.  He  lived  here  for  some 
years,  and  in  i860  located  on  the  Straight  Farm,  a  tract 
of  forty-five  acres  of  land,  on  section  24,  in  Charlotte 
township,  which  he  purchased. 

When  the  Civil  War  was  at  its  height,  Mr.  Stevens, 
seeing  that  his  nation  needed  his  services,  enlisted  in  the 
Union  army,  Aug.  27,  1862,  in  Company  F,  154th  New 
York  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Colonel  Rice  and  Cap- 
tain Donnelly.  Mr.  Stevens  participated  in  several  bat- 
tles, among  which  was  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville, 
where  he  received  a  wound  in  the  right  shoulder, 
making  him  unfit  for  further  active  war  service.  They 
sent  him  to  a  hospital  in  the  South,  where  he  remained 
for  about  a  year,  and  on  July  4,  1865,  at  Trenton,  N.  J., 
Mr.  Stevens  was  mustered  out  of  the  army  with  an 
honorable  discharge,  and  also  honorable  mention  for 
bravery  under  fire. 

In  politics  Mr.  Stevens  was  a  Whig  until  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Democratic  party,  and  after  that  was 
always  a  staunch  supporter  of  that  party  and  its  prin- 
ciples. Fraternally  Mr.  Stevens  was  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

On  Dec.  10,  1851,  Mr.  Stevens  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Mary  Lavina  Hoisington,  who  was  born  in 
Arkwright  township,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  June 
10,  1830,  a  daughter  of  the  late  Daniel  and  Mary  Hois- 
ington. Mrs.  Stevens  died  May  5,  1904,  and  is  buried 
in  the  Ark-wright  Cemetery,  at  Arkwright,  N.  Y.  To 
this  union  were  born  six  children:  Gilbert;  Milton  E., 
whose  biography  follows,  and  the  only  living  member 
of  the  family;  Ida,  late  wife  of  Lamont  Bradford,  of 
Fredonia,  N.  Y. ;  Addison  Alonzo ;  Moses  S.,  Jr.;  and 
Ella  May. 

There  was  much  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Stevens  that  com- 
manded the  highest  commendation  and  awakened  un- 
qualified respect.  In  his  business  he  manifested  the 
typical  spirit  of  the  East,  putting  forth  every  effort  in 
his  power  to  accomplish  what  he  had  undertaken.  In 
matters  of  citizenship  he  was  always  loyal,  and  his  fidel- 
ity to  the  duties  of  home  and  friendship  is  unquestioned. 
His  integrity  stands  as  an  indisputable  fact  in  his 
career,  and  as  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Charlotte 
township  who  has  passed  on,  he  well  deserves  mention 
in  this  work. 


culturist,  he  has  met  with  gratifying  results  in  his 
work,  and  ranks  to-day  among  the  substantial  men  of 
his  community. 

Milton  Emery  Stevens  was  born  April  19,  1855,  at 
Sinclairville,  N.  Y.,  a  son  of  Moses  Smith  and  Mary  L. 
(Hoisington)  Stevens  (q.  v.).  He  received  his  early 
education  in  the  district  school  of  Charlotte  township, 
and  completed  his  studies  with  a  course  at  the  Fre- 
donia Normal  School.  Immediately  after  finishing 
school,  be  accepted  a  position  as  teacher  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  in  Charlotte  township,  continuing  in  this 
occupation  for  nearly  twenty  years.  Incidentally  he 
took  up  the  masonry  trade  and  continued  in  this  for 
many  years.  Many  of  the  cement  bridges  and  culverts 
in  and  about  Charlotte  township  were  finished  by  Mr. 
Stevens  under  the  supervision  of  the  late  Charles  A. 
Willson,  who  was  then  road  commissioner  of  Charlotte 
township.  However,  when  Mr.  Stevens'  father  retired 
in  1904,  he  took  over  the  management  of  his  father's 
farm,  and  has  continued  in  this  occupation  ever  since. 

Politically,  Mr.  Stevens  is  a  staunch  Republican,  hav- 
ing voted  with  that  party  since  casting  his  first  vote  for 
President  in  November,  1876.  Mr.  Stevens  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  United  Brethren  church,  and  is  prominent  in 
all  his  business  as  well  as  social  affairs. 

On  Oct.  18,  1881,  Mr.  Stevens  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Nellie  Hilton,  who  was  born  April  29,  1863, 
in  Charlotte  township,  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Fidelia  (Straight)  Hilton.  Mrs.  Stevens  died  Dec.  5, 
1915.  To  this  union  was  born  one  child,  Lula  May, 
born  in  Charlotte,  and  who  is  now  married  to  George  T. 
Chase,  a  prominent  agriculturist  of  Chautauqua  county. 

The  following  obituary  was  written  by  a  dear  friend 
at  the  time  of  the  passing  away  of  Mrs.  Stevens: 

MRS.  NELLIE  (HILTON)  STEVENS. 
LIFELONG  RESIDENT  OF  THE  TOWN  OF 
CHARLOTTE. 
This  community  was  stricken  with  grief  Sunday 
evening  when  Mrs.  Stevens  died  at  her  home  here.  All 
that  loving  hands  could  do  was  done,  but  in  vain.  The 
end  came  at  six  o'clock.  Mrs.  Stevens  was  the  daugh- 
ter ot  William  and  Fidelia  Hilton,  and  was  born  in 
Charlotte.  She  was  fifty-two  years  ot  age  and  was 
married  to  Milton  E.  Stevens.  Oct.  18,  1881,  and  to  them 
one  daughter  was  born.  Her  whole  life  was  spent  in 
her  home  town,  and  the  whole  community  feel  that  they 
have  lost  a  woman  who  can  not  be  replaced  in  years  to 
come.  Her  willing  hands  were  always  ready  to  help 
others  in  sickness  and  trouble.  Besides  the  husband, 
one  daughter,  tliree  grandchildren  and  one  brother, 
Thomas  Hilton,  survive,  also  an  aged  father-in-law  to 
whom  she  gave  most  devoted  care.  Funeral  Wednes- 
day at  the  home,  Rev.  Esther  Limberg  officiating. 
Burial  at  Charlotte  Center  Cemetery. 

Mr.  Stevens  is  a  man  of  cordial,  genial  manner,  and 
unfailing  courtesy,  and,  like  his  father,  is  most  generous, 
giving  liberally  to  charities  and  to  others  less  fortunate 
than  himself.  Many  a  man  in  distress  has  found  in  him 
a  friend,  and  because  of  his  many  sterling  character- 
istics he  has  gained  a  host  of  warm  friends  who  are 
found  in  all  parts  of  Chautauqua  county. 


MILTON  EMERY  STEVENS— One  of  the  most 

prosperous  and  successful  farmers  of  Charlotte  town- 
ship is  the  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this 
sketch.  He  owns  and  operates  a  fine  farm  of  about  130 
acres  on  section  24,  and  is  quite  extensively  engaged  in 
general  fanning.  A  man  of  good  business  and  execu- 
tive ability,  as  well  as  a  practical  and  progressive  agri- 


EVERETT  H.  PEASE— Now  (1921),  road  com- 
missioner and  town  superintendent,  Mr.  Pease  resides 
in  the  village  of  Cherry  Creek,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  but  he  has  always  been  interested  in  agricul- 
ture and  owns  a  good  farm  in  the  town  of  Cherry  Creek. 
He  is  a  son  of  Hiram  G.  and  Sarah  A.  (Luce)  Pease, 
his  father  born  in  Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  his  mother  of  an 


470 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


old  and  important  family  of  the  town  of  Charlotte, 
Chautauqua  county,   X.   Y. 

Everett  H.  Pease  was  born  in  the  town  of  Cherry 
Creek.  Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y.,  Feb.  19,  1867.  He 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  finishing  in  Sin- 
c'.airville  High  School.  In  addition  to  his  farming  oper- 
ations, Mr.  Pease  has  devoted  considerable  time  to  the 
public  service  of  his  town  and  village,  serving  as  trus- 
tee, member  of  the  Board  of  Education,  town  road  com- 
missioner, and  in  other  ofiices.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Patrons  of  Husbandry,  the  Masonic  order,  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Baptist  church,  and 
in  politics  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Pease  married.  Dec.  i6,  i88S,  at  Cherry  Creek, 
Eva  E.  Walker,  born  Xov.  3,  1S67,  in  the  town  of 
Sanborn.  Xiagara  county.  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  Ira  N. 
and  Mary  E.  (Hill)  Walker,  her  father  born  in  the 
town  of  Wilson.  Xiagara  county,  N.  Y.,  her  mother 
born  in  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pease  are  the  par- 
ents of  three  children:  i.  Rennie  S.,  born  Oct.  10,  1S90, 
m..irried  Merle  Dye,  and  has  a  daughter,  Meriam  M., 
bom  April  26,  1913.  2.  Earl  E..  born  May  21.  1892, 
married  Delphine  Benson,  and  has  a  daughter,  Helen, 
bom  Xov.  9,  1917.  3.  Marjorie,  born  March  19,  1907, 
who  is  now  attending  high  school.  Mr.  Pease  has  a 
farm  of  120  acres  at  Thornton,  but  makes  his  home  in 
the  village  of  Cherry  Creek,  and  here  he  has  a  tract  of 
eleven  acres  with  attractive  residence  and  grounds. 


REV.     MICHAEL     FRANCIS     HELMINIAK— 

There  is  no  figure  better  known  or  more  beloved  in 
Dunkirk,  Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y.,  than  that  of  the 
Rev.  Father  Micliael  Francis  Helminiak,  pastor  of  the 
Church  of  St.  Hyacinth's  at  this  place,  and  a  man  whose 
influence  has  long  been  felt  towards  bettering  the  con- 
dition of  the  members  of  the  community  here. 

Father  Helminiak  was  born  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Sept. 
29,  1882.  He  began  his  education  in  the  parochial 
schools  of  that  city.  He  then  entered  Canisius  College, 
Buffalo,  where  he  took  two  years  in  the  collegiate  de- 
partment. In  the  meantime  the  young  man  had  felt 
very  strongly  the  call  to  the  priesthood,  and  determin- 
ing to  enter  upon  that  high  ministry  became  a  stu- 
dent at  St.  Bernard's  Seminary  at  Rochester,  where  he 
carried  on  his  theological  studies  in  preparation  for 
his  ordination.  He  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  at 
Buffalo,  in  the  year  1907,  by  Bishop  Coltnn,  of  the 
Diocese  of  Buffalo,  and  was  at  once  appointed  assistaiit 
at  the  Church  of  The  Assumption  at  Black  Rock,  N.  Y., 
where  he  remained  for  two  years.  He  was  then  ap- 
pointed pastor  of  the  Church  of  St.  Stanislaus  Kostka 
at  Rochester,  where  he  remained  a  year.  He  was  next 
placed  in  charge  of  the  Church  of  St.  John  Kantius  at 
Buffalo,  and  then  of  the  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart  at 
Medina,  X.  Y.  From  there  Father  Helminiak  was  sent 
to  Dcpcw,  X.  Y.,  where  he  was  made  pastor  of  the 
church  of  .SS.  Peter  and  Paul.  On  Feb.  12,  1916, 
Father  Helminiak  was  appointed  to  his  present  charge 
of  the  Polish  Church  of  St.  Hyacinth's  at  Dunkirk, 
since  which  time  he  has  done  much  for  the  development 
and  improvement  of  the  parish  and  has  made  himself 
greatly  respected  and  beloved,  not  only  by  his  imme- 
diate congregation,  but  by  the  community-at-Iargc,  as 
a  man  of  pious  and  earnest  life,  and  one  who  takes  the 


deepest  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  flo<?K.  At  the  pres- 
ent time  he  has  as  assistants  in  his  parochial  duties  the 
Rev.  Father  John  Melinski  and  Rev.  M.  Klukaczewski. 
Father  Helminiak  is  associated  with  a  number  of  reli- 
gious organizations  here,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Columbus,  of  the  fourth  degree,  and  has 
served  that  organization  as  chaplain,  besides  being  the 
head  of  the  societies  for  men  and  women  in  connec- 
tion with  the  polish  church  liere.  One  of  the  most  im- 
portant works  of  Father  Helminiak  in  connection  with 
his  activities  of  St.  Hyacinth's  parish  is  the  develop- 
ment of  the  fine  parochial  school  which  includes  eight 
grades  and  in  which  are  carried  on  the  most  modern 
and  up-to-date  methods  of  teaching  in  both  the  Eng- 
lish and   Polish  languages. 


HARRY  SPURR,  who  was  the  efficient  and  ener- 
getic superintendent  of  the  Ferncliif  Worsted  Mills  at 
Falconer,  X.  Y.,  came  to  Jamestown  in  1914,  made 
many  friends  in  the  city,  and  was  well  regarded  by 
business  men  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 

He  was  born  in  Bradford,  England,  Dec.  11,  1871. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town  from 
tlie  age  of  four  until  he  had  reached  about  twelve  years, 
at  which  time  it  was  then  legally  permissible  to  go  to 
work  in  England.  He  divided  his  days  between,  school 
and  work,  attending  school  in  the  morning,  and  going 
to  the  mill  in  the  afternoon.  When  his  academic 
schooling  ended,  he  was  able  to  work  full  time  and 
eventually  became  an  expert  operator,  of  practical  ex- 
perience in  all  departments  of  worsted  and  spinning 
mills.  He  received  advancement  to  the  responsibility  of 
overseer  some  years  before  he  left  England.  He  came  to 
America  in  1905,  landing  in  Boston,  Mass.,  going  to 
Lawrence,  Mass.,  where  for  a  while  he  was  connected 
with  the  American  Woolen  Mills.  Later,  he  was  over- 
seer in  the  George  C.  Moore  mill  at  North  Chelmsford, 
Mass..  and  there  remained  for  eighteen  months,  after 
wliich  he  held  a  like  capacity  in  the  Star  Worsted  Mills 
at  Fitchburg,  Mass.,  eventually  being  promoted  and 
[daced  in  charge  of  No.  2  Mill  of  the  same  place.  As 
assistant  superintendent  of  the  plant,  he  remained  in 
Fitchburg  for  eight  years,  and  then  spent  three  months 
in  Canada,  as  superintendent  of  the  Guelph  Worsted 
Spinning  Company's  plant.  In  1914,  he  came  to  James- 
town, N.  Y.,  as  assistant  superintendent  of  the  Odsonia 
Worsted  Mills,  owned  by  the  Cleveland  Worsted  Mills 
Company,  of  Cleveland,  Oliio.  In  1917,  he  was  ap- 
pointed superintendent  of  the  Ferncliff  Worsted  Mills, 
Falconer,  N.  Y.,  which  plant  is  also  owned  by  the  same 
Cleveland  corporation,  and  there  he  remained  until 
his  death,  July  19,  1920. 

Special  reference  is  made  in  the  following  sketch 
regarding  the  Ferncliif  plant,  but  it  may  be  stated  here 
that  when  Mr.  Spurr  was  made  superintendent,  work 
went  forward  and  much  success  was  made  under  his 
management.  He  had  the  ability  to  get  production 
without  driving,  and  was  universally  popular  among 
the  operatives.  His  death  came  as  a  sad  loss  to  his 
Ijeojjle  and  friends  in  and  out  of  the  worsted  industry. 

In  functions  <>i  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, Mr.  .Spurr  had  honored  place.  He  was  a  member 
of  Manchester  Unity,  having  passed  through  all  the 
chairs,   and   was  past  grand  master  of  the  Sons  of  St. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


471 


George,  affiliated  with  the  Shakespeare  Lodge  of  Fitch- 
burg,  Mass.,  of  which  he  was  its  past  president.  When 
a  young  man,  in  England,  he  was  much  interested  in 
military  affairs;  he  served  in  the  voUmteer  forces, 
which  are  about  equivalent  to  the  National  Guard  forces 
of  this  country,  and  rose  to  the  rank  of  gun  sergeant, 
serving  three  years  in  infantry  units,  and  six  years  with 
an  artillery  battery. 

Mr.  Spurr  married  (first)  in  1895,  at  Bradford,  Eng- 
land, Amy  Walker,  who  died  in  Aberdeen,  Scotland,  in 
1903,  without  issue.  He  married  (second)  at  Lawrence, 
Mass.,  in  1906,  Edith  Warrener,  of  Bradford,  England. 
Children:  Harry,  Jr.,  born  March  30,  191 1,  and  Edith, 
born  Feb.  21,  1912,  both  bom  in  Fitchburg,  Mass.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Spurr  and  family  attended  the  First  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church  of  Falconer.  Mr.  Spurr  was  a 
man  of  strong  character  and  served  in  the  high  order 
of  life.  He  was  dutiful  in  his  spiritual,  moral  and  ma- 
terial life,  and  was  a  man  well  thought  of  by  his  neigh- 
bors and  fellow-workers.  He  lived  in  Falconer  but  a 
few  years,  but  sufficient  to  become  established  in  the 
confidence  of  his  townspeople,  and  his  death  was  a  loss 
to  all  who  knew  him. 


THE  FERNCLIFF  WORSTED  MILLS,  at  Fal- 
coner, N.  Y.,  is  now  a  branch  of  the  Cleveland  Worsted 
Mills  Company,  having  been  acquired  by  that  corpo- 
ration in  May,  1914,  but  formerly  it  was  operated  by 
local  capital,  being  organized  in  1900  by  local  men. 
As  now  equipped,  the  plant  is  a  modern  one,  with  full 
installation  of  machines  best  adapted  to  the  lines  in 
which  it  specializes.  The  products  are  worsted  yarns 
and  cloths,  and  the  manufacture  of  serges.  Embraced 
in  the  equipment  are  three  sets  of  worsted  drawing, 
4840  spinning  spindles,  2132  twisting  spindles,  and  44 
looms.  There  is  a  steam  plant  of  335  horse  power, 
with  three  boilers;  and  in  addition  the  plant  uses  a 
large  amount  of  electric  power  from  the  Jamestown 
Lighting  and  Power  Company.  The  mills  find  employ- 
ment for  175  people.  The  plant  was  efficiently  managed 
by  Harry  Spurr  until  his  death,  July  19,  1920,  and 
since  that  time  by  Henry  Foster. 


FRED  SAMUEL  STOW— The  Stows  are  all  doubt- 
less descendants  of  that  thrifty  old  Puritan,  John  Stow, 
who  came  to  Boston,  Mass.,  from  Maidstone,  County 
Kent,  England,  in  1684,  with  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  two 
daughters,  and  four  sons,  two  of  whom,  Samuel  and 
Thomas,  settled  in  Middletown,  Conn.;  Nathaniel  in 
Concord,  Mass.,  and  John  in  Maiden,  Mass. 

The  line  herein  followed  is  traced  through  Samuel 
Stow,  sen  of  John  Stow,  the  emigrant. 

John  (2)  Stow,  son  of  Samuel  Stow,  married  Eliza- 
beth Brigham. 

Manassah  Stow,  son  of  John  (2)  and  Elizabeth 
(Brigham)  Stow,  was  born  in  1731.  He  married  Dinah 
Morse,  in  Marlboro,  Mass.,  and  they  were  the  parents  of 
eleven  children. 

John  (3)  Stow,  son  of  Manassah  and  Dinah  (Morse) 
Stow,  was  born  in  Southboro,  Mass.,  in  1763.  He  was 
a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  enlisting  when 
only  seventeen  years  old,  as  shown  by  the  records  in 
the  Revolutionary  War  archives  of  the  Commonwealth 


of  Massachusetts.  He  married  (first)  Patty  Gibbs,  in 
1783;  she  died  in  Framingham,  Mass.,  in  1790;  of 
the  three  children  born  of  this  union,  Manassah  Stow, 
mentioned  below,  was  the  only  one  who  attained  matur- 
ity. John  Stow  married  (second)  April  2,  1794,  Sarah 
Healy,  and  there  were  nine  children  of  this  marriage, 
all  of  whom  but  one,  who  died  in  childhood,  came  to 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  about  1818,  settling  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  county.  The  surviving  members 
of  the  family  were  as  follows:  Sarah,  the  eldest  daugh- 
ter, married,  in  1818,  in  Worcester,  Mass.,  Adolphus 
Fletcher,  the  founder  of  the  Jamestown  "Journal;"  they 
came  to  Ashville,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  for  their 
wedding  journey,  making  the  trip  with  an  ox  team. 
Hannah,  the  second  daughter,  married  Daniel  Carter, 
and  lived  in  Poland,  N.  Y.  John,  married  Chloe  Gid- 
dings,  and  was  the  owner  of  farms  in  Harmony  and 
Busti,  N.  Y.,  the  village  of  Stow  being  named  for  him. 
Nathaniel  Healy,  married  Eliza  Partridge,  and  lived 
in  Ellicott,  N.  Y.  Lois  Maria,  married  Harvey  Gold- 
thwait,  and  also  made  her  home  in  Ellicott,  N.  Y. 
Bayman,  married  and  lived  in  Ellington,  N.  Y.  Abram, 
married  Susan  Putney,  and  lived  with  his  brother, 
Elmer,  who  never  married,  on  a  farm  in  Levant,  N.  Y. 
John  Stow,  the  father  of  these  children,  died  in  Busti, 
N.  Y.,  in  1837,  and  is  buried  in  Ashville,  N.  Y.,  his 
grave  being  marked  with  a  Revolutionary  War  tablet 
in  commemoration  of  the  services  he  rendered  his 
country  in  its  hour  of  need. 

Manassah  (2)  Stow,  son  of  John  (3)  and  Patty  (Gibbs) 
Stow,  was  born  Sept.  28,  1788,  and  died  May  22,  1844. 
He  was  a  printer  by  trade.  In  1810,  he  went  to  sea  as 
a  common  sailor,  later  becoming  captain,  navigator  and 
explorer  on  the  north  and  southwest  coasts  of  America; 
he  kept  a  journal  of  all  his  voyages,  which  at  the  pres- 
ent time  is  in  a  good  state  of  preservation.  He  married, 
Nov.  19,  1817,  Militiah  Thayer,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  eight  children. 

Samuel  (2)  Stow,  son  of  Manassah  (2)  and  Militiah 
(Thayer)  Stow,  was  born  in  Orange,  Mass.,  Feb.  II, 
1832.  He  was  reared  and  educated  there,  and  subse- 
quently moved  to  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  taking  up 
his  residence  in  the  city  of  Jamestown.  He  possessed 
the  same  spirit  of  adventure  as  his  father,  and  was  one 
of  the  many  daring  men  who  braved  all  danger  in  mak- 
ing the  overland  trip  tor  gold  to  California  in  1S49.  After 
returning  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  he  engaged  in  business, 
then  in  farming.  He  married.  May  22,  1854,  in  South 
Williamstown,  Mass.,  Emily  Dickinson,  born  in  South 
Williamstown,  Mass.,  Oct.  22,  1832,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  five  children:  William  Dickinson,  bom 
April  16,  1855;  Elizabeth  Worthington,  born  Nov.  28, 
1856,  died  Aug.  8,  1881;  Fred  Samuel,  mentioned  be- 
low: Mary  Emily,  born  Dec.  18,  1863;  and  George 
Edward,  born  Feb.  2,  1868,  died  Aug.  15,  1892. 

Fred  Samuel  Stow,  second  son  of  Samuel  (2)  and 
Emily  (Dickinson)  Stow,  was  born  in  Jamestown, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  31,  i860.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  that  city.  He  has  devoted 
his  life  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  is  the  owner  of  a 
good  farm  in  the  town  of  Ellicott  in  that  part  served  by 
Rural  Free  Delivery  Route  No.  76.  He  is  one  of  the 
successful  farmers  of  that  town.  Mr.  Stow  has  never 
married. 


47^ 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


PETER  VALONE— The  real  estate  interests  of 
Chautauqua  county  ha%e  no  more  aggressive  repre- 
sentative than  they  possess  in  this  energetic  citizen. 
Despite  the  fact  that  Mr.  \"alone  has  not  yet  completed 
his  tenth  year  as  a  resident  of  Jamestown,  he  has  long 
been  recognized  as  one  who  endeavors,  in  all  he  under- 
takes, to  further  the  welfare  and  progress  of  his  com- 
munity. 

Louis  Valone,  father  of  Peter  Valone,  is  a  native  of 
Italy,  and  in  that  country  follows  the  calling  of  a 
farmer,  being  also  interested  in  the  grape  industry-. 
He  married  Louise  Polena  and  they  became  the  par- 
ents of  three  sons,  one  of  whom.  Peter,  is  mentioned 
below,  and  one  daughter.  A  number  of  years  ago  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  \'aIone  ^^sited  the  L'nited  States,  but  returned 
to  their  own  country,  where  they  are  still  living. 

Peter  \'alone.  son  of  Louis  and  Louise  (Polena) 
V.Tlone,  was  bom  Sept.  4,  1S84,  in  Palermo,  Italy,  and 
on  Tune  10.  1899.  came  to  the  L'nited  States  to  visit  an 
undo  in  Buffalo.  N.  Y.  His  parents  had  shortly  before 
returned  to  their  home  in  Italy,  but  the  lad  was  so  well 
pleased  with  his  new  surroundings  that  he  decided  to 
remain  in  this  country.  He  had  attended  school  in 
Italy,  advancing  to  the  third  elementary  grade,  and 
after  coming  to  the  L'nited  States  he  attended  night 
school,  also  studying  at  home.  From  1900  to  1906  Mr. 
Valone  was  employed  in  a  leather  factoo'  at  Couders- 
port.  Pa.,  and  he  afterward  sold  life  insurance  there. 
His  ne.xt  venture  was  the  opening  of  a  grocery  store, 
but  in  1910  he  came  to  Jamestown  and  there  sold  insur- 
ance for  the  Standard  Insurance  Company  and  the 
Great  Eastern,  also  serving  as  sole  agent  and  general 
agent  for  Chautauqua,  Allegheny  and  Erie  counties, 
representing  the  Pacific  Coast  Casualty  Company. 
.\fter  a  time  he  connected  himself  with  real  estate  in- 
terests and  is  now  at  the  head  of  a  flourishing  business, 
selling  and  renting  houses  and  farms.  His  well  ap- 
pointed office  rooms  are  located  at  No.  118  East  Third 
street.  Jamestown,  X.  Y.  In  politics  Mr.  Valone  is  a 
Republican,  but  has  neither  time  nor  desire  to  become  a 
candidate  for  office.  He  attends  St.  James'  Italian 
Roman  Catholic  Church. 

Mr.  Valone  married,  April  17,  1904,  at  Coudersport, 
Pa.,  Minnie,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Mary  Manuel, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
Louis,  Samuel.  Louise,  Mary,  and  Aliena. 

In  addition  to  his  other  attainments  Mr.  Valone  holds 
the  office  of  notary  public,  having  passed  an  examina- 
tion in  1915.  He  is  a  fine  type  of  the  self-made  man  and 
is  highly  esteemed  and  cordially  liked.  In  his  upward 
progress  he  has  not  only  become  a  man  of  means,  but 
has  also  won  for  himself  many  loyal  and  warmly  at- 
tached friends.  His  success  socially,  and  in  a  business 
way,  is  due  in  no  small  measure  to  his  pleasing  per- 
sonality, honesty  and  close  application  to  his  interests. 


WILLIAM  R.  BOTSFORD— When  a  young  man 
of  --cvcnt'f-n,  Mr.  Rotsford  located  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
where  he  is  now  the  honored  vice-president  of  the 
Bank  of  Jamestown.  He  came  to  Jamestown  from 
Canada,  although  he  is  a  native  son  of  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  and  since  the  year  1877  that  city  has 
Iiern  his  home.  His  business  connections  have  been 
almost   exclusively   financial,   and   since    1903   with    the 


Bank  of  Jamestown  as  assistant  cashier,  cashier,  and 
vice-president.  He  is  a  son  of  Myron  H.  Botsford, 
born  in  Cayuga  county,  N.  Y.,  March  20,  1830,  and 
Laura  .\.  (Buck)  Botsford,  bom  in  the  town  of  Busti, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  in   1831. 

William  R.  Botsford  was  born  in  Kiantone,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  March  18,  i860,  but  during  his 
youth  his  parents  moved  to  Belleville,  Ontario,  Canada, 
and  there  he  received  his  education  in  public  schools 
and  tlie  business  college.  In  1877,  he  located  in  James- 
town. X.  Y.,  and  became  a  dry  goods  clerk,  entering 
the  employ  of  De  Forest  Weld.  Later  he  accepted  a 
clerkship  with  the  Chautauqua  County  National  Bank, 
and  through  successive  promotions  became  teller  of 
that  institution.  Later  he  engaged  with  others  in  or- 
ganizing the  Bank  of  Jamestown,  was  elected  its  first 
assistant  cashier,  and  later  cashier  and  vice-president. 
The  bank  was  incorporated  in  1903,  and  Mr.  Bots- 
ford's  service  as  assistant  cashier,  cashier  and  vice- 
president  has  been  continuous. 

From  i88r  to  1894,  Mr.  Botsford  was  a  member  of 
Eagle  Hose  Company,  Jamestown  Volunteer  Fire  De- 
partment, and  from  1887  until  1897  was  an  enlisted 
private  of  the  Fenton  Guards.  Thirteenth  Separate 
Company,  Xew  York  National  Guard.  He  is  affiliated 
with  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
its  treasurer  for  twenty-five  years;  member  of  Western 
Sun  Chapter,  No.  67,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Jamestown 
Council,  No.  32,  Royal  and  Select  Masters;  James- 
town Commandery,  No.  61,  Knights  Templar,  of  which 
he  was  commander  in  1899;  Jamestown  Lodge  of  Per- 
fection; Jamestown  Council,  Princes  of  Jerusalem; 
Buffalo  Consistory,  Ancient  Accepted  Scottish  Rite; 
and  Ismailia  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles 
of  the  Mystic  Shrine.    In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 

Mr.  Botsford  married,  Oct.  24,  1901,  Lucia  C.  Grif- 
fith, daughter  of  Fayette  and  Emily  (Fox)  Griffith, 
and  granddaughter  of  Charles  J.  Fox.  of  further  men- 
tion. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Botsford  are  attendants  of  the 
Universalist  church.  The  family  home  is  at  No.  855 
Prendergast  avenue,  Jamestown. 

(The  Fox  Line). 

Charles  J.  Fo.x,  the  founder  of  this  branch  of  the  Fox 
family  in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  was  of  New  Eng- 
land ancestry,  son  of  Joseph  Fox,  of  Rhode  Island  birth, 
who  settled  in  the  State  of  Vermont,  and  there  lived 
until  1815,  when  he  again  moved,  finding  a  home  in 
Cayuga  county,  N.  Y.  Some  years  afterward  he  left 
Cayuga  county  and  located  in  Spinner's  Hollow,  near 
Otto.  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.,  going  thence  to  Col- 
lins, Erie  county,  N.  Y.  His  father,  Joseph  Fo.x,  was 
an  expert  mechanic,  and  in  1832  was  engaged  in  build- 
ing boats  on  the  St.  Clair  river  in  Michigan.  There 
he  contracted  that  dread  disease,  cholera,  and  died. 
Joseph  Fox  married  Olivia  Everest,  daughter  of  Jared 
and  Hannah  (Sellick)  Everest,  and  they  were  the  par- 
ents of  three  sons:  Charles  J.,  of  further  mention; 
.'Mbert  A.,  and  Horace,  residents  of  Chautauqua  county. 
Mrs.  Olivia  (Everest)  Fox  died  at  the  residence  of 
Mrs.  Charles  J.  Fox,  in  Jamestown,  Dec.  31,  1876,  aged 
eighty-eight  years,   four   months   and  twenty-five   days. 

Charles  J.  h'ox  was  born  in  Middleboro,  Vt.,  Feb. 
17,  iHio,  and  died  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  March  26,  1876. 
In    1815,  he  was  lirought  to  Cayuga  county,  N.  Y.,  by 


0 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


473 


his  parents,  and  in  due  course  of  time  learned  the  trade 
of  millwright,  married,  and  until  1835  was  working  at 
his  trade  in  the  various  parts  of  Western  New  York 
where  he  resided.  In  1835,  he  was  living  in  Collins, 
Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  but  in  that  year,  with  his  wife  and 
members  of  his  father's  family,  he  came  to  Chautauqua 
county,  locating  in  the  town  of  Carroll.  After  thirteen 
years  spent  there,  engaged  as  a  millwright,  he  moved 
in  1848  to  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  purchasing  a 
tract  of  2200  acres  in  Forest  county.  He  became 
extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lum- 
ber, and  founded  the  town  of  Foxburg,  now 
known  as  Lynch,  where  he  built  mills,  homes 
for  the  workmen,  a  church,  and  maintained  a 
school  for  the  children  of  the  village,  holding 
the  first  sessions  in  his  own  home.  He  was  for  some 
time  associated  with  Judge  Ditmars  Wetmore,  of  War- 
ren, Pa.,  in  large  timber  tracts  in  McKean  county.  Pa., 
they  conducting  a  large  business  in  manufacturing  lum- 
ber. He  was  also  a  large  owner  in  western  lands,  and 
was  an  authority  on  the  value  of  standing  timber 
values.  During  the  oil  excitement  in  1865  he  sold  1700 
acres  of  his  Forest  county  lands  to  eastern  operators, 
retaining,  however,  the  most  valuable  timber  tracts. 
About  that  time  he  moved  to  Jamestown,  purchasing 
the  Alexander  Sheldon  home  on  Foote  avenue,  near 
Allen  street,  now  (1921)  the  Women's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation Hospital.  There  he  spent  the  remaining  decade 
of  life,  and  at  its  close  was  laid  at  rest  in  Lakeview 
Cemetery. 

Mr.  Fox  was  a  man  of  strong  character  and  sterling 
worth,  temperate  in  all  things,  well  known  and  highly 
esteemed.  He  was  the  owner  of  the  then  largest  steam- 
boat on  Chautauqua  Lake,  "The  Nettie  Fox,"  and  she 
bore  the  distinction  of  being  a  strictly  temperance  boat, 
and  the  first  of  her  class.  In  religious  faith  he  was  a 
Spiritualist,  and  strong  in  his  convictions.  He  was 
openhanded,  and  generously  gave  to  charity  and  all 
good  causes.    In  poHtics  he  was  liberal  minded. 

Charles  J.  Fox  married,  in  1832,  Clarissa  Mason,  of 
Carroll,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  born  in  1815, 
daughter  of  Martin  and  Polly  (Griswold)  Mason,  and 
granddaughter  of  Samuel  Griswold  and  Benjamin  Ma- 
son, both  Revolutionary  soldiers,  Samuel  Griswold 
enlisting  from  Salisbury,  Conn.  Charles  J.  and  Clarissa 
(Mason)  Fox  were  the  parents  of  fourteen  children: 
I.  Oscar.  2.  Emily,  of  further  mention.  3.  Marie, 
married  Erastus  Lee.  4.  Mercy,  married  George  Hills. 
5.  Henry  Brown,  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  War,  who  was 
killed  at  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run.  6.  Almira,  died 
young.  7.  Franklin,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War.  8. 
James,  died  in  Frewsburg,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 
g.  Mary  Olivia,  died  in  childhood.  10.  Horace,  resid- 
ing at  Niagara  Falls,  N.  Y.  11.  Olive,  married  Well- 
ington Dunn,  of  Alexandria,  Va.  12.  Nettie,  married 
Emerson  Locke.  13-14.  Albert  and  Alfred,  twins, 
both  deceased. 

Emily  Fox,  eldest  daughter  of  Charles  J.  and  Clarissa 
(Mason)  Fox,  was  born  at  Collins,  Erie  county,  N.  Y., 
and  died  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  August,  1914.  She  mar- 
ried (first)  Fayette  Griffith,  who  died  in  Warren,  Pa. 
She  married  (second)  Professor  Henry  Goff  Breed,  an 
accomplished  musician,  and  for  many  years  a  teacher 
of  both  piano  and  pipe  organ.     He  was  organist  of  the 


First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Jamestown,  and  long 
presided  over  that  department  of  church  worship.  He 
died  in  Warren,  in  September,  1912,  his  wife  surviving 
him  nearly  seven  years.  They  were  both  laid  at  rest 
in  Lakeview  Cemetery,  Jamestown.  Fayette  and  Emily 
(Fox)  Grifiith  were  the  parents  of  a  son,  Charles,  an 
engineer,  who  died  in  Jamestown,  in  April,  1918,  and  a 
daughter,  Lucia  C,  of  further  mention.  Professor 
Henry  G.  Breed  and  Mrs.  Breed  were  childless. 

Lucia  C.  Griffith,  only  daughter  of  Fayette  and  Emily 
(Fox)  Griffith,  and  granddaughter  of  Charles  J.  and 
Clarissa  (Mason)  Fox,  was  born  in  Warren,  Pa.  She 
completed  public  school  courses  with  graduation  from 
high  school,  and  then  became  an  accomplished  musician 
under  the  instruction  of  her  stepfather.  Professor 
Henry  GofT  Breed,  she  being  a  teacher  of  the  piano  in 
Warren  and  Bradford,  Pa.,  and  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
for  several  years,  and  all  her  life  has  continued  her  love 
for  her  art.  She  is  a  member  of  Jamestown  Chapter, 
daughters  of  the  American  Revolution;  the  Mozart 
Club,  and  the  Red  Cross  Society.  During  the  World 
War,  she  was  deeply  interested  in  the  Red  Cross  work 
and  was  supervisor  of  the  knitting  department  of  Chau- 
tauqua County  Chapter. 


EDWARD  COOK  BURNS,  C.  E.,  was  born  in  the 
city  of  New  York,  son  of  Barclay  J.  and  Isabella 
(Cook)  Burns,  and  when  three  years  of  age  was  taken, 
a  motherless  lad,  into  the  home  of  his  grandmother  who 
was  living  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.  From  Jamestown  he 
later  went  West,  became  a  graduate  civil  engineer,  and 
was  engaged  in  professional  work  for  corporations  and 
the  government.  Finally,  in  1885,  at  the  age  of  forty, 
he  returned  to  Jamestown,  where  until  his  death, 
twenty-nine  years  later,  he  was  engaged  as  a  consulting 
engineer,  his  services  always  in  demand.  Mr.  Burns 
was  a  man  of  strong  character  and  high  ideals,  giving 
to  work  his  very  best  thought  and  action.  His  work 
reflected  his  integrity  of  character,  and  nothing  cheap 
or  poorly  done  went  out  under  his  name.  With  well 
stored  mind,  kept  so  by  constant  reading  and  study,  he 
was  fully  abreast  of  the  times  in  all  that  pertained  to  his 
profession,  and  was  very  progressive  in  his  own  ideas. 
Considerate  and  courteous,  he  made  many  friends  by 
whom  he  will  long  be  remembered.  To  those  nearest 
him  his  pleasing  personality,  his  kindliness  and  thought- 
fulness,  bound  them  closely  to  him,  and  his  chief  wish 
seemed  to  be  to  add  to  their  pleasure  and  lighten  tlieir 
burdens. 

Edward  Cook  Burns  was  born  near  the  corner  of 
Broadway  and  Chambers  street.  New  York  City,  Jan. 
30,  1845,  and  died  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Oct,  29.  1914, 
after  a  year's  illness.  His  father,  Barclay  J.  Bums, 
was  engaged  in  publishing  and  newspaper  work  at  the 
time  of  the  birth  of  his  son,  and  three  years  after  his 
birth  his  mother,  Isabella  (Cook)  Burns,  died.  Edward 
C.  Burns  was  then  taken  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  attended  private  schools.  Later  he  was  sent  to  Pat- 
terson Preparatory  School,  Detroit,  Mich.,  going 
thence  to  the  department  of  civil  engineering,  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan,  whence  he  was  graduated.  Civil  En- 
gineer, class  of  1868.  Three  of  his  close  friends  at  the 
university  were  C.   H.   Bezinberg,  Alfred   Noble,  both 


474 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


later  presidents  of  the  American  Society  of  Civil  En- 
gineers: and  Charles  E.  Brush,  the  inventor  of  modem 
electric  lighting. 

Mr.  Burns  had  been  employed  during  his  summer 
vacations  from  1S65  to  1S67  as  assistant  with  the  United 
State  Lake  Survey.  In  August.  1S6S,  he  was  appointed 
levelman  on  the  Rockford,  Rock  Island  &  St.  Louis 
Railway,  remaining  in  that  position  until  January,  1S69, 
when  he  was  made  division  engineer.  From  May  to 
December.  1S70,  he  was  employed  as  assistant  engineer 
on  the  Central  Railroad  of  Iowa,  and  from  April  to 
July,  1S71.  as  division  engineer  on  the  Burlington. 
Cedar  Rapids  &  Minnesota  Railroad.  Mr.  Burns  then 
returned  to  the  East  as  engineer  in  charge  of  the  exten- 
sion of  the  Pittsburgh,  Bessemer  &  Lake  Erie  Rail- 
road, remaining  until  May.  1S72.  when  he  was  ap- 
pointed assistant  engineer  in  charge  of  the  construction 
of  the  Buffalo  &  Southwestern  Railroad  from  Gowanda 
to  Jamestown,  N.  Y..  under  General  Robert  Ewing. 
From  .\pril.  1S73,  to  .August,  1874,  Mr.  Burns  served  as 
acting  superintendent  of  the  Jamestown  Gas  Light 
Company.  In  the  latter  named  month,  he  returned  to 
the  Buffalo  &  Jamestown  Railroad  as  assistant  engi- 
neer, which  position  he  retained  until  June,  1875.  From 
1877  to  1885,  he  was  employed  as  United  States  assistant 
engineer  in  river  and  harbor  improvements  at  various 
places,  including  such  important  works  as  the  con- 
struction of  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie  canal,  the  improve- 
ment of  the  St.  Clair  Flats  canal,  the  dredging  of  the 
Livingston  channel,  etc.  In  1SS5.  Mr.  Burns  returned 
to  Jamestown,  X.  Y.,  where  until  his  death  he  was 
engaged  in  private  practice  as  a  consulting  engineer. 
He  was  connected  with  many  of  the  principal  construc- 
tion enterprises  in  Jamestown  and  the  surrounding 
country,  having  served  as  engineer  of  the  Board  of 
Public  Works  from  1894  to  1898.  He  was  also  one  of 
the  Conewango  Swamp  drainage  commissioners,  and 
had  charge  of  the  construction  of  its  line  for  the  Chau- 
tauqua Traction  Company.  He  was  always  in  demand 
throughout  the  vicinity  as  an  e.xpert  in  the  design  and 
construction  of  highway  and  railroad  bridges,  and  had 
planned  and  supervised  the  construction  of  the  old  and 
new  I)oat  landing  bridges  and  also  the  new  Winsor 
bridge,  the  latter  two  having  been  his  last  important 
work  before  ill  health  compelled  him  to  give  up  active 
practice.  Mr.  Bums  became  a  member  of  the  Ameri- 
can Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  July  5,  1882,  and  con- 
tinued until  his  death.  He  was  a  member  of  Delti 
Kappa  Epsilon  fraternity,  and  of  the  Masonic  order, 
holding  the  thirty-second  degree,  ,\ncient  Accepted 
Scottish   Rite. 

Mr.  Bums  married,  Oct.  t,,  1872,  Mary  Graham, 
daughter  oi  Major  Thompson  Graham,  of  Mercer,  Pa. 
Mrs.  Burns  survives  her  husl^and  with  one  daughter, 
Uat/':IIa  Sutherland  Burns.  They  reside  in  James- 
town. 


education  in  local  grammar  and  high  schools,  graduat- 
ing from  the  high  school  in  1904  as  president  of  his 
class.  In  the  summers  of  1902  and  1903,  while  still  a 
student.  Mr.  Swanson  was  employed  as  a  reporter  by 
the  "Post."  and  in  the  winter  of  1904-05  he  did  gen- 
eral reporting  for  the  Jamestown  "Journal."  During 
the  summers  of  1904  and  1905  he  was  the  "Post"  cor- 
respondent at  the  Chautauqua,  N.  Y.,  Assembly,  and 
was  also  a  member  of  the  reportorial  stafT  of  the  "Chau- 
tauqua Assembly  Herald."  In  1905  and  1906  he  was  a 
student  in  tlie  law  scliool  of  Cornell  University,  and  in 
March,  1907,  having  returned  to  Jamestown,  he  became 
a  reporter  for  the  "Post,"  his  work  including  courts, 
politics  and  city  hall.  In  May,  1913,  he  became  city 
editor.  During  the  World  War,  Mr.  Swanson  served 
as  secretary  of  the  Home  Defense  Council  and  also  as 
a  member  of  tlie  entertainment  committee,  assisting 
with  the  farewell  dinners  and  home-coming  receptions 
in  honor  of  Jainestown  soldiers  and  sailors.  In  April, 
1918,  he  was  appointed  by  Mayor  Samuel  A.  Carlson  a 
member  of  the  Municipal  Civil  Service  Commission. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Swanson  is  a  Republican,  and  he  is  a 
member  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church; 
James  Hall  Camp,  Sons  of  Veterans;  Norden  Club; 
and  Eta  Chapter,  Alpha  Zeta  fraternity. 

Mr.  Swanson  married,  Jan.  8,  1910,  in  Jamestown, 
Elizabeth  O.  Peterson,  daughter  of  Augustus  S.  and 
Mary  (Johnson)  Peterson,  late  of  the  town  of  Carroll, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.   Y. 


J.  HAROLD  SWANSON— Among  the  young  ncws- 
j)ap<;r  men  of  the  city  of  Jamestown,  is  J.  Harold 
.Swan-on,  city  editor  of  the  "Morning  Post." 

J.  Harold  Swan'ion  was  born  in  Jamestown,  f'hau- 
taii'|ii;i  fonnly,  N.  V.,  Nov.  19,  1884,  the  son  of  John  A. 
and   Charlotte   CHultbcrg^    Swanson.      He   received   his 


AARON  GOODIER  ANDERSON,  prosperous  and 

respected  farmer  of  Ellington,  N.  Y.,  road  commis- 
sioner for  twelve  years,  and  now  superintendent  of 
highways  in  the  state  administration,  is  a  native  of 
Chautauqua  county,  in  which  he  has  lived  his  entire 
life  of  fifty-eight  years. 

Aaron  Goodier  Anderson  was  born  in  Ellington,  this 
county,  March  20,  1854,  son  of  George  S.  and  Alma 
(Leach)  Anderson.  After  receiving  a  good  education, 
including  the  high  school  course  at  Ellington,  Aaron 
G.  Anderson  entered  upon  agricultural  occupations, 
helping  his  father  in  the  management  of  his  large  farm. 
Eventually,  he  took  a  farm  for  himself,  and  for  the 
remainder  of  his  life  to  the  present  has  consistently 
held  a  farming  property,  and  given  a  good  deal  of  his 
time  to  its  cultivation.  That,  however,  has  not  been 
his  only  industrial  undertaking.  He  has  been  an  active 
man  in  public  affairs  of  his  town  for  many  years.  He 
is  a  loyal  and  influential  Republican,  and  has  given  the 
party  good  active  service,  both  in  .State  and  National 
campaigns,  in  his  district,  and  he  has  undertaken  some 
technical  offices  in  the  county  administration.  He  is  at 
present  superintendent  of  highways,  and  for  twelve 
years  he  has  been  a  road  commissioner.  He  is  a  man 
of  high,  moral  character  and  rigid  purpose,  and  his 
acts  are  governed  by  the  strict  i)rinciples  of  the  Free 
Methodist  church,  which  he  has  attended  for  many 
years. 

Mr.  Anderson  married,  .-it  Ellington,  Chautauqua 
rounty,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  3,  i8cS7,  M.iry  Shaw,  who  was  born 
May  22,  1859,  in  Quincy,  Midi.,  daughter  of  George 
Harrison  anfl  Julia  (C'hristy)  Shaw.  Mr.  Shaw  was 
well  known  as  a  farmer  in  Michigan  and  later  followed 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


475 


this  occupation  in  the  town  of  Ellington.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Anderson  were  born  two  children:  i.  Clair  L., 
born  Dec.  23,  i88g;  now  married  and  has  a  child.  2. 
George  S.,  born  Sept.  s,  1891.  3.  Clauss,  born  March 
17.  1893.  died  June  10,  1893. 

George  S.  Anderson  left  home  with  good  courage 
and  cheerful  spirits,  May  26,  1918,  for  the  military 
training  camp,  where  he  was  assigned  to  the  469th 
Motor  Truck  Company,  and  soon  afterwards  was  sent 
to  France,  where  he  saw  much  actual  front  zone 
service.  His  European  service  extended  over  four 
countries  within  the  war  zone:  France,  Germany,  Lux- 
emburg and  Belgium.  He  remained  in  the  occupied 
territory  of  Germany  long  after  the  signing  of  the 
armistice;  in  fact,  he  did  not  leave  France  for  home 
until  June,  1919,  and  was  ultimately  honorably  dis- 
charged from  an  American  demobilization  center,  July 
2,   1919. 

Aaron  G.  Anderson  has  ever  taken  a  keen  interest 
in  all  matters  of  National  import,  and  he  followed  the 
progress  of  the  war  very  closely,  not  only  because  of 
his  son's  association  with  it,  but  otherwise.  He  took 
active  part  in  the  various  home  activities  pertaining  to 
Liberty  Loans,  Red  Cross  work,  etc.,  and  subscribed 
to  the  limit  of  his  means  to  the  various  funds  raised 
for  the  several  purposes  of  the  war.  He  is  a  man 
whose  record  has  always  been  open  and  has  had  the 
respect  of  his  fellowmen.  He  has  earned  a  consider- 
able degree  of  esteem  from  those  who  know  him  and 
his  numerous   friends  are   spread  over  the  county. 


FRANK  W.  MEERDINK— Until  the  year  1890  Mr. 
Meerdink,  now  a  prosperous  merchant-miller  of  North 
Clymer,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  followed  the  occu- 
pation into  which  he  was  inducted  in  boyhood,  farming. 
He  was  the  son  of  a  Chautauqua  county  farmer,  and 
faithfully  remained  at  the  home  farm  during  his  years 
of  minority,  in  fact,  he  was  twenty-three  years  of  age 
before  he  changed  his  occupation.  In  North  Clymer 
he  was  long  a  member  of  the  mercantile  and  lumbering 
firm,  Meerdink  Brothers,  but  for  seven  years  has  been 
in  sole  control.  He  is  not  only  known  as  the  successful 
business  man,  but  also  as  the  public-spirited  citizen 
who,  during  the  quarter  of  a  century,  1895-1920,  has 
given  much  time  to  the  public  service  and  to  com- 
munity affairs.  Frank  W.  Meerdink  is  a  son  of  Garrett 
Meerdink,  a  farmer  of  the  town  of  Clymer,  and  a  vet- 
eran of  the  Civil  War.  serving  in  Company  D,  112th 
Regiment,  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry. 

Frank  W.  Meerdink,  son  of  Garrett  and  Hannah  M. 
Meerdink,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Clymer,  Chautauqua 
county.  N.  Y.,  Sept.  29,  1867.  He  there  obtained  his 
education  in  the  public  school.  He  grew  to  manhood 
at  the  home  farm,  and  was  his  father's  assistant  until 
leaving  to  engage  in  business  for  himself.  From  farm- 
ing he  turned  to  a  lumber  mill,  and  from  iSgo  until 
1895  drove  a  team  hauling  logs  and  lumber  for  that 
mill.  In  189s  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother 
and  as  Meerdink  Brothers  they  operated  a  store  and 
saw  mill  at  the  village  of  North  Clymer.  In  1901,  they 
added  a  grist  mill  and  conducted  business  under  the 
same  firm  name  mitil  1913.  In  that  year  the  firm  dis- 
solved,  Frank  W.   Meerdink  continuing  the   grist  mill 


and  mercantile  business  very  successfully  to  the  present 
date,  1921.  A  Republican  in  politics,  Mr.  Meerdink 
has  served  the  village  as  postmaster,  beginning  in  De- 
cember, 1895.  as  deputy,  and  two  years  later  was 
appointed  postmaster,  holding  the  same  from  December, 
1897,  until  December,  1914.  He  was  then  out  of  the 
office  until  March,  1919,  when  he  was  reappointed  and 
is  still  serving.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  school 
board  during  the  period  of  township  law.  He  is  an 
earnest  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and 
deeply  interested  in  Sunday  school  work,  serving  that 
department  of  the  church  as  superintendent.  He  is 
highly  regarded  in  his  community  and  possesses  the 
respect  and  friendship  of  a  very  wide  acquaintance. 

Mr.  Meerdink  married,  in  Clymer,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y..  June  20,  1895,  Mary  E.  Damcot.  daugh- 
ter of  John  H.  and  Jane  Damcot.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meer- 
dink are  the  parents  of  a  son,  Doyle  E.,  born  July  30, 
1913.  The  family  home  is  in  the  village  of  North 
Clymer. 

BENJAMIN  OTTO  SCHLENDER,  son  of  Henry 
and  Mary  (Slade)  Schlender,  was  born  in  Angola,  Erie 
county,  N.  Y.,  in  1875.  After  graduation  from  the 
Angola  High  School,  he  entered  mercantile  life  and 
until  1907  was  a  merchant  of  Angola.  He  then  located 
in  the  village  of  Sheridan,  Chautauqua  county,  where 
he  resumed  business  and  continued  a  merchant  until  a 
serious  illness  caused  him  to  sell  his  store  and  engage 
in  a  less  confining  business.  He  has  since  been  engaged 
as  a  shipper  of  produce,  and  is  now  (1920)  associated 
with  the  Erie  Grape  Union  in  Westfield,  N.  Y.  He  is 
a  director  of  the  Silver  Creek  National  Bank  of  Silver 
Creek,  N.  Y.,  has  other  business  interests,  and  is  now- 
serving  his  second  term  as  Sheridan's  representative  on 
the  Chautauqua  County  Board  of  Supervisors.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  a  member  of  the  Unitarian 
church  of  Dunkirk,  and  affiliated  with  the  Masonic 
order  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

Mr.  Schlender  married,  in  1809,  in  Angola,  N.  Y., 
Olive  D.  Roberts,  born  in  Angola,  in  1876,  daughter  of 
Adelbert  and  Ida  (Platte)  Roberts.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Schlender  are  the  parents  of  two  daughters,  Evelyn  and 
Kathryn. 

Mrs.  Olive  D.  (Roberts)  Schlender  is  a  graduate  of 
Angola  High  and  Buffalo  Normal  schools,  and  for  two 
years  before  her  marriage  taught  school.  She  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Unitarian 
church  of  Dunkirk.  Through  her  patriotic  ancestry 
she  has  gained  membership  in  Major  Benjamin  Bos- 
worth  Chapter,  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution, 
of  Silver  Creek:  is  a  member  of  the  Saturday  Study 
Club  of  Sheridan:  the  Women's  Literary  Club  of  Dun- 
kirk, and  for  two  years  was  first  vice-president  of  the 
Western  New  York  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs. 
Mrs  Schlender  contributed  to  this  history  of  Chautau- 
qua county  her  article  on  "Books  and  Authors,"  read 
before  the  Chautauqua  County  Historical  Society  at  the 
annual  meeting  at  Mayville  in  1920. 


CLAYTON  T.  BAGG,  a  resident  of  Ellington,  N. 
Y.,  is  a  nati\c  of  that  town,  bom  Dec.  5,  i860,  son  of 
Allen  and  .Allison  Bagg,  the  former  named  having  fol- 


470 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


lowed  "lie  occupation  of  farming  during  tlie  activt  years 
of  his  life. 

Clayton  T.  Bagg  attended  the  Ellington  Union 
School,  acquiring  a  practical  education  that  prepared 
him  for  the  active  duties  of  life.  He  followed  farming 
as  an  occupation  for  many  years,  and  in  iQio  accepted 
the  position  of  a  traveling  salesman  for  the  Grandin 
Milling  Company,  Jamestown,  X.  Y.,  in  which  capacity 
he  is  ser\-ing  at  the  present  time  (icjiit.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  served  as  superintendent  of  docu- 
ments. Xew  York  State  Senate,  1001-02.  and  as  post- 
master of  the  Xew  York  Senate,  1003-04-05-06.  He  is 
a  Congregationalist  in  his  religious  belief. 

Mr.  Bagg  married,  in  Ellington.  X.  Y.,  Jan.  7,  1883, 
Xellie  E.  Terry,  daughter  of  Hiram  and  Jerusha 
(Hatch)  Terry.  Two  children  have  been  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bagg,  namely:  Marion  Luce,  born  June  6, 
1SS5.  and  Xellie  Priscilla,  born  March  15,  1902. 


CHARLES  J.  CARLSON,  proprietor  of  one  of  the 
finest  theaters  in  Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y.,  is  not  a 
native  of  this  country,  but  was  born  in  Sweden,  Sept. 
26,  1875.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Hannah  Carlson, 
who  were  natives  of  Sweden  and  came  to  this  country 
in  1886.  leaving  their  son,  Charles  J.,  under  the  pro- 
tection of  his  uncle.  Charles  J.  and  his  uncle  followed 
one  year  later,  landing  in  .\merica  in  1887. 

Charles  J.  Carlson  received  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  land,  and  after  coming  to  this 
country-  joined  the  family  at  Gerry,  N,  Y.,  assisting  his 
father  in  the  work  upon  the  farm  there  which  the  elder 
man  had  purchased.  He  also  bought  and  sold  timber 
to  the  veneer  companies  hereabouts,  sawing  and  ship- 
ping same,  in  which  line  he  was  engaged  for  a  period 
of  eight  years.  Mr.  Carlson  was  an  adventurer  by 
nature,  and  hearing  of  the  boom  in  the  southern  states, 
came  to  Texas,  in  1906,  where  he  purchased  a  saw  mill 
and,  engaging  125  men  to  assist  him,  began  operating 
the  same.  He  continued  in  this  business  for  a  period 
of  about  four  years,  and  in  1910  returned  to  the  Xorth 
and  settled  at  Sinclairville,  X.  Y.,  where  he  opened  a 
moving  picture  theatre  with  a  capacity  of  200  seats,  and 
equipped  it  thoroughly.  He  sold  this  place  in  1915, 
and  then  went  to  Union  City,  Pa.,  and  purchased  the 
Star  Theatre,  with  a  capacity  of  400  seats.  It  was  not 
until  October,  1916,  that  Mr.  Carlson  went  to  Westfield 
and  at  this  place  he  built  a  fine  brick  building,  on  the 
corner  opposite  Welche's  office  building,  which  he 
operates  as  a  theatre.  This  building  was  erected  on  a 
plot  of  ground,  70x130  feet  and  is  a  two-story  struc- 
ture, comprising  the  Grand  Theatre,  with  a  capacity  of 
760  scats  and  boxes  on  the  main  floor,  and  175  seats  in 
the  balcony.  On  the  second  floor  of  this  building  Mr. 
Carlson  has  his  apartments,  his  rooms  being  arranged 
on  the  fashion  of  a  hotel.  Mr.  Carlson's  theatre  can 
claim  a  very  large  stage,  which  can  accommodate  any 
producli''/n.  The  theatre  displays  moving  picture 
shows,  and  at  times  a  stock  company  plays  here.  It  is 
the  atiditorium  of  Westfield  for  lectures  and  special 
church  services,  and  is  the  finest  place  of  its  kind  in 
the  county,  claiming  a  large  patronage.  In  his  religious 
belief,  Mr.  Carlson  is  a  Lutheran  and  attends  the 
Swedish  Lutheran  church  here,  ardently  supporting  the 


charitable  and  pliilanthropic  undertakings  of  the  con- 
gregation. He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  his 
enormous  activities  do  not  permit  him  to  take  any 
great  part  in  politics,  although  his  abilities  well  fit  him 
for  public  office. 

Charles  J.  Carlson  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Jessie  Gretchin  Kennedy  at  Corry,  Pa.,  Jan.  20,  1904, 
a  daughter  of  Charles  H.  and  Elsie  K.  (Lewis)  Ken- 
nedy, old  and  highly  respected  citizens  of  this  place. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carlson  one  child  has  been  bom, 
.Alfred  Henry,  who  is  a  student  in  the  schools  of  this 
region.  

HERBERT  S.  CHASE— Among  the  farmers  and 
agriculturists  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  there  are 
many  of  the  more  progressive  type  who  have  added 
other  allied  activities  to  their  original  occupation,  and 
have  built  up  large  and  prosperous  businesses  of  a  com- 
mercial or  industrial  character,  making  use  of  the 
produce  of  their  own  farms  as  well  as  that  of  the  other 
farms  in  the  neighboring  region.  There  are,  for  in- 
stance, many  of  the  larger  grape  growers  who  have 
turned  to  the  successful  manufacture  of  grape  juice  and 
otlier  grape  products  and  established  enterprises  that 
have  grown  into  a  national  reputation.  Others  have 
used  the  products  of  their  orchards  as  the  basis  of  large 
canneries  or  preserving  plants,  while  the  owners  of 
large  dairy  farms  have  developed  extensive  milk  busi- 
nesses. There  are  still  others  who  have  turned  to  the 
milling  business  with  a  high  degree  of  success,  and 
among  these  in  the  region  of  Cherry  Creek  is  Herbert 
S.  Chase,  whose  large  modern  mill  was  a  conspicuous 
object  in  the  industrial  life  of  this  town. 

Mr.  Chase  is  a  son  of  Stephen  and  Carnila  (Spencer) 
Chase,  Stephen  Chase,  a  native  of  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
from  which  place  he  removed  as  a  young  man  to  Char- 
lotte, Chautauqua  county,  and  there  followed  the  occu- 
pation of  farming  with  much  success  until  the  time  of 
his  death.  Their  son,  Herbert  S.  Chase,  was  born  at 
Charlotte,  and  there  passed  his  childhood,  attending 
the  local  public  schools  and  gaining  an  excellent  gen- 
eral education.  He  also  became  acquainted  with 
agricultural  methods  through  assisting  his  father  on  the 
latter's  farm,  and  upon  reaching  manhood  took  up  that 
occupation.  In  the  year  1871  he  became  the  owner  of 
his  present  fine  farm  in  the  vicinity  of  Charlotte  Center, 
several  miles  from  Cherry  Creek,  and  since  then  has 
carried  on  general  farming  on  an  extensive  scale.  Mr. 
Chase  has  always  been  one  of  those  men  who  have  real- 
ized and  combined  the  knowledge  that  comes  from  long 
practical  farm  experience.  Being  enterprising,  Mr. 
Chase  conceived  that  great  opportunities  awaited  the 
man  who  should  establish  an  adequate  mill  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Cherry  Creek,  so  he  set  about  to  ac- 
complish this  purpose,  and  in  1910  built  his  present 
mill,  equipping  it  with  every  modern  device  and  in- 
stalling a  powerful  electric  dynamo  for  the  motive 
power.  He  conducted  this  mill  with  great  success 
tnitil  he  sold  it  to  E.  A.  Tickner  &  Company,  1920. 
Mr.  Chase  is  a  member  of  the  local  grange,  and  in  his 
religious  belief  is  affiliated  with  the  Church  of  the 
Unitcfl  Rrethreu.  Mr.  Chase  is  a  Prohibitionist  and 
has  dou<-  uuii'li  for  the  advancement  of  this  worthy 
cause. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


477 


Herbert  S.  Chase  married  (first)  Oct.  31,  1876, 
Philema  Collins,  whose  death  occurred  July  28,  1892. 
He  married  (second)  July  3,  1894,  Mrs.  Emelia  A. 
(Fluker)  Moore,  the  widow  of  Morris  Moore.  To 
Mrs.  Chase  was  born  one  daughter  by  her  former 
marriage,  Elvy  Moore,  who  married  Bernel  Gardner  of 
Villenova,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 


WALTER  SKELLIE— Among  the  late  successful 
merchants  of  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
the  name  of  Walter  Skellie  was  prominent,  both  on 
account  of  the  large  and  high  class  business  built  up 
by  him  during  his  thirty-five  years  activity  and  be- 
cause of  his  consistent  adherence  to  the  best  standards 
of  business  integrity  and  honor.  Mr.  Skellie  was  a 
native  of  Washington  county,  N.  Y.,  born  Aug.  9.  1845, 
a  son  of  Andrew  and  Jane  (Edie)  Skellie,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  that  place. 

As  a  lad,  Walter  Skellie  attended  the  schools  of 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  and  upon  graduation  from  the 
Eastman  Business  College  of  that  city,  began  at  once 
his  successful  business  career.  For  thirty-five  years  he 
was  continuously  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  at  the 
corner  of  Third  and  Pine  streets,  Jamestown,  having 
removed  to  Chautauqua  county  when  about  twenty 
years  of  age.  He  showed  throughout  his  long  career 
a  most  commendable  public  spirit  and  always  kept  the 
best  interests  of  the  community  of  which  he  was  a 
member  at  heart.  He  won  the  universal  respect  and 
esteem  of  his  fellow-townsmen  and  did  much  for  the 
materia!  advancement  of  Jamestown.  His  grocery 
establishment,  which  he  always  conducted  in  the  most 
up-to-date  manner,  was  one  of  the  largest  of  its  kind 
in  the  city  and  drew  upon  a  large  area  for  its  extensive 
patronage.  He  was  a  Presbyterian  in  religious  belief 
and  attended  the  church  of  that  denomination  at  James- 
town, having  been  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  active 
and  liberal  members  of  the  congregation. 

Walter  Skellie  was  united  in  marriage,  Oct.  16,  1904, 
at  Jamestown,  with  Mary  E.  Wiard,  a  daughter  of 
George  A.  and  Keziah  (Patterson)  Wiard,  of  Watts- 
burg,  Pa.  Mr.  Skellie  died  in  1908,  at  his  home  in 
Jamestown. 


HIRAM  ALDRICH  DAMON— In  Cattaraugus  and 
Chautauqua  counties,  N.  Y.,  the  two  places  of  his  resi- 
dence in  his  busy  and  active  life,  Mr.  Damon  has  been 
constantly  in  some  form  of  the  public  service,  in  elec- 
tive offices  to  which  he  was  called  by  the  votes  of  his 
fellow-citizens.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  Cherry 
Creek,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  since  1006,  and  since 
that  time  has  filled  the  offices  of  president  of  the  vil- 
lage for  six  years  and  justice  of  the  peace  for  fourteen 
years.  Mr.  Damon's  position  in  his  community  is  one 
of  usefulness  and  influence,  and  the  weight  of  his  sup- 
port has  ever  been  on  the  side  of  right  and  progress. 

Hiram  Aldrich  Damon  is  a  son  of  Edmund  and 
Achsah  (Aldrich)  Damon,  and  grandson  of  Charles 
Damon.  Charles  Damon  was  a  native  of  Scituate, 
Mass.,  and  in  early  life  moved  to  Salisbury,  Vt..  where 
he  operated  a  grist  mill.  He  also  conducted  farming 
operations,  and  soon  after  his  marriage  moved  to  Ran- 
dolph,  Cattaraugus  county,   N.   Y.,   in   1854  moving  to 


Conewango  in  the  same  county.  Here  he  took  up  land, 
continued  in  the  pursuit  of  agriculture,  and  here  both 
he  and  his  wife  died.  Achsah  (Aldrich)  Damon  was 
born  in  Shrewsbury,  Vt.,  daughter  of  Abner  Aldrich, 
a  farmer  of  that  place. 

Hiram  Aldrich  Damon  was  born  in  Randolph,  Cat- 
taraugus county,  N.  Y.,  July  25,  1851,  and  spent  his 
early  life  on  his  father's  farm  at  Conewango.  He 
attended  the  district  schools  and  a  select  school,  and  as 
a  young  rnan  was  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of  Cone- 
wango, remaining  in  this  calling  for  fourteen  years,  all 
of  the  time  in  Cattaraugus  county  schools.  Pte  became 
the  owner  of  farms  in  Conewango  and  Leon,  Cattarau- 
gus county,  residing  in  the  latter  place  for  a  period  of 
eleven  years.  Farming  has  always  been  his  principal 
occupation,  and  in  this  line  of  endeavor  he  has  been 
uniformly  successful. 

Mr.  Damon's  first  public  office  was  as  supervisor  of 
highways  in  the  town  of  Conewango,  to  which  position 
he  was  elected  as  a  young  man  of  twenty-four  years, 
being  then  the  youngest  man  ever  elected  to  that  office 
in  the  State  of  New  York.  Through  successive  annual 
re-elections  he  remained  in  the  supervisor's  post  for 
six  years.  In  1887  he  was  first  elected  justice  of  the 
peace  in  Conewango,  and  was  in  office  continuously 
until  his  removal  to  Cherry  Creek,  in  igo6.  His  ap- 
pointment in  that  year  to  the  same  responsible  place 
in  Cherry  Creek  to  fill  an  unexpired  term,  was  a 
strong  tribute  to  his  reputation  for  impartiality  and 
even  judgment  that  accompanied  him  from  his  former 
home.  At  the  following  election  his  appointment  was 
confirmed  for  another  term  of  four  years,  and  he  has 
been  successively  re-elected  ever  since.  In  the  current 
year  (1920)  he  was  reelected  for  his  fourth  full  term  in 
Cherry  Creek,  where  he  has  thoroughly  and  conscien- 
tiously performed  the  duties  of  his  place.  Throughout 
his  active  political  career,  Mr.  Damon  has  remained 
steadfast  in  the  support  of  the  Republican  party,  whose 
principles  embody  his  firm  personal  convictions. 

Mr.  Damon  married,  Nov.  12,  1872,  Addie  M.  Brand, 
of  Leon,  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.,  a  native  of  Canan- 
daigua,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  Lamay  Brand,  a  farmer. 
Mr.  Damon  and  his  family  are  attendants  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church.  Children:  Edmund  L.,  a  farmer 
of  Leon,  N.  Y. ;  Harris  A.,  also  a  farmer  of  that  place; 
Milton  E.,  of  Ripley,  Chautauqua  county,  and  Alva  M., 
married  Guy  E.  Cooper,  of  Cherry  Creek. 


JOSHUA  ERWIN  CUSHMAN— The  Cushmans  of 
Silver  Creek,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  trace  descent 
from  the  Pilgrim,  Robert  Cushman,  and  in  Chautauqua 
county,  from  Mason  Cushman,  born  in  Hamilton.  N. 
Y.,  who,  on  coming  to  the  county,  settled  in  the  town 
of  Villenova.  There  he  engaged  in  farming,  but  later 
moved  to  the  town  of  Hanover,  where  he  purchased 
200  acres  of  land  which  he  improved  and  devoted 
largely  to  grape  culture.  Mason  Cushman  married 
Melissa  Tanner,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  three 
children:  Mason,  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y.;  Joshua  Erwin,  to 
whom  this  review  is  dedicated,  and  Livia  Melissa,  who 
married  Willis  B.  Horton,  of  the  town  of  Hanover, 
N.  Y. 

Joshua  Erwin  Cushman  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Vil- 


4rs 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


lenova.  Chautauqua  county.  X.  Y..  April  12,  1851.  He 
was  young  when  the  family  moved  to  Hanover,  and 
there  was  educated  in  the  public  schools.  He  remained 
at  home,  his  father's  assistant,  until  the  death  of  the 
latter,  when  Joshua  E.  succeeded  to  the  management 
of  the  homestead,  operating  its  acres  and  large  vine- 
yards with  profit  and  success,  his  farm  and  vineyards 
yielding  abundantly.  In  1905.  he  removed  from  the 
homestead  to  the  village  of  Silver  Creek,  but  retained 
his  interest  in  the  farm.  He  entered  the  employ  of  the 
then  postmaster  of  Silver  Creek  as  assistant,  and  from 
tliat  year  until  his  death  in  Silver  Creek  in  August, 
1916.  he  held  that  position.  He  is  buried  in  the  ceme- 
tery at  Hanover  Center,  Chautauqua  county.  Mr. 
Cushman  was  a  Republican  in  politics  and  for  many 
years  was  a  member  of  the  county  committee.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Cushman  married,  in  Hanover,  Millie  E.  Young, 
born  in  Dayton,  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.,  daughter 
of  George  and  Emily  (Sherman)  Young,  her  mother 
a  descendant  of  one  of  the  important  early  families  of 
Rhode  Island.  Miss  Young  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  Westfield  Academy,  and  Fredonia  State  Nor- 
mal, teaching  in  Chautauqua  and  Cattaraugus  county 
schools  until  her  marriage,  also  serving  as  principal. 
Since  becoming  a  widow,  she  has  sold  the  Cushman 
homestead  in  Hanover,  and  continues  her  residence  at 
Silver  Creek,  where  she  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  president  of  the  Foreign  Missionary 
Society,  an  active  member  of  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society, 
the  Women's  Christian  Temperance  Union,  and  yet 
retains  membership  in  the  Farmers'  Club  of  Hanover, 
of  which  her  husband  was  a  one-time  president.  Mr, 
and  Mrs.  Cushman  were  the  parents  of  two  children: 
I.  Vera  C,  educated  in  the  public  schools,  Bryant  & 
Stratton's  Business  College,  Buffalo,  Fredonia  State 
Normal  School,  and  Syracuse  University,  receiving  the 
degree  of  Ph.  D.  from  the  last-named  institution;  she 
adopted  teaching  as  her  profession,  and  after  serving 
as  an  instructor  in  the  commercial  department  of 
Youngstown,  Ohio,  High  School,  became  principal  of 
the  ccmmcrcial  department  of  the  East  Technical  High 
School.  Cleveland,  Ohio.  2.  Livia  E.,  who  after  high 
school  graduation,  entered  Syracuse  University,  whence 
she  was  graduated;  she  married  Dr.  R,  S.  Moore,  a 
medical  specialist  in  the  Syracuse  University  Hospital; 
Mrs.  Moore  died  in  October,  1918,  leaving  a  daughter, 
Rachel  Cushman  Moore;  she  was  an  active  Young 
Women's  Christian  Association  worker  and  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Cushman  was  devoted  to  his  family.  He  was  a 
man  of  strong  character,  honorable  and  upright  in  all 
his  dealings,  and  of  sterling  principles.  Mrs.  Cushman 
resides  on  Christy  street,  Silver  Creek,  N.  Y. 


the  recent  World  War  laid  down  their  lives  for  their 
country  and  for  humanity. 

Samuel  Cleland,  great-grandfather  of  Glen  W.  Cle- 
land.  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Charlotte  town- 
ship. He  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1S12,  serving  at 
Fort  Erie.     He  married  Elizabeth  Holdridge. 

Orrin  Cleland,  son  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Hold- 
ridge) Cleland,  married  Drucilla  Rhynder.  Like  his 
father,  he  was  a  resident  of  Charlotte  to\vnship. 

Orrin  W^illiam  Cleland,  son  of  Orrin  and  Drucilla 
(Rhynder)  Cleland,  was  born  in  1858,  in  Charlotte 
township,  and  received  his  education  in  local  schools. 
He  became  a  farmer  in  the  neighborhood  of  Charlotte 
Center.  He  married  Emma,  daughter  of  William  and 
Margaret  (McClaran)  Shannon,  both  of  whom  are  now 
deceased.  Mr.  Cleland  died  Jan.  24,  1888,  leaving  his 
young  widow  to  rear  the  son  to  whom  she  was  devoted 
and  whom  relentless  war  has  taken  from  her.  Mrs. 
Cleland,  who  has  always  lived  in  Charlotte  Center,  now 
resides  in  Cassadaga, 

Glen  W,  Cleland,  son  of  Orrin  William  and  Emma 
(Shannon)  Cleland,  was  born  April  24,  1888,  in  Char- 
lotte township.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  place,  afterward  studying  at  the  Sinclairville 
High  School,  Having  a  mechanical  turn  of  mind  he 
preferred  machinery  to  farming,  and  found  employment 
in  automobile  repair  shops  in  Jamestown,  Cassadaga 
and  Sinclairville.  At  the  time  of  the  outbreak  of  the 
war,  Mr.  Cleland  was  thus  employed,  and  when  the 
United  States  became  a  participant  in  the  .great  con- 
flict, obeying  the  impulse  of  patriotism,  he  responded  to 
the  call  to  arms,  enlisting  in  Company  F,  39th  Battalion, 
and  was  ordered  to  the  camp  at  Syracuse,  N.  Y,  While 
training  in  camp  for  overseas  duty,  Mr.  Cleland  fell  ill 
with  influenza,  which  in  a  few  days  turned  to  pneu- 
monia, and  on  Sept.  28,  191S,  he  passed  away  at  the 
training  camp.  He  was  buried  with  military  honors 
at  Sinclairville,  in  his  native  county.  He  had  been  a 
good  soldier,  ever  faithful  to  duty  and  well  liked  by  his 
comrades. 

The  life  of  Glen  W.  Cleland  was  a  valuable  life,  for 
he  was  a  useful  citizen  and  wholeheartedly  devoted 
to  his  widowed  mother,  but  he  hesitated  not  to  offer 
himself  on  the  altar  of  patriotism,  being  in  this,  as  in 
all  other  respects,  a  typical  representative  of  American 
manhood. 


GLEN  W.  CLELAND— Despite  the  fact  th.it  this  is 
Ih'-  name  of  a  man,  the  span  of  whose  life  embraced  a 
[xrrio'l  of  only  thirty  years,  there  are  few  citizens  of 
Chnutauqua  county  who  will  not  greet  its  appearance 
with  a  heart-throb  of  recognition.  Mr.  Cleland.  who 
always  r';mained  a  resident  of  his  native  township  of 
Charlotte,   was  one  of  those  youthful  patriots,  who   in 


FRED  A.  NELSON,  who  for  many  years  had  been 
responsibly  connected,  in  executive  capacity,  with  the 
furniture  industry  in  the  city  of  J.amestown,  N.  Y.,  was 
one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Jamestown  Upholstery 
Company,  manufacturers  of  high  grade  upholstered  fur- 
niture in  leather  and  fabric,  and  of  later  years  has  been 
its  president.  He  is  a  native  of  Jamestown,  born  Sept. 
21,  1874,  the  son  of  Victor  Fred  and  Caroline  Nelson, 
the  former  for  many  years  connected  with  the  police 
department  of  Jamestown,  but  now  in  business  with  his 
son,  in  the  Jamestown  L'pholstcry  Company. 

Fred  A.  Nelson  received  his  education  in  local 
schools,  taking  the  primary  grades  in  the  grammar 
school  and  then  becoming  a  student  in  the  high  school. 
He  was  an  industrious  boy,  and  for  some  years  while 


^i^>::>'^^=^^^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


479 


at  school  he  worked  during  the  evenings  and  the  whole 
of  Saturdays  in  a  Swedish  book  store  in  Jamestown. 
Eventually  he  went  to  the  Middle  West,  to  an  uncle 
who  was  at  Rock  Island,  111.  While  there  the  boy 
attended  the  Augustana  College,  Rock  Island;  he  took 
the  general  and  business  courses  and  helped  to  pay  for 
his  schooling  by  working  in  a  general  store  after  school 
hours  and  on  Saturdays.  In  1893  he  graduated,  and 
soon  thereafter  returned  to  Jamestown.  On  Aug.  28, 
1893,  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Jamestown  Lounge 
Company,  as  a  clerk.  He  remained,  in  clerical  capacity, 
with  that  company  for  six  years,  and  steadily  advanced 
in  responsibility  until  he  had  entire  clerical  charge  of 
all  the  work  that  went  into  the  factory.  He  became  a 
valuable  executive  and  he  manifested  marked  ability 
in  salesmanship.  From  1900  to  1913  he  spent  practically 
the  whole  of  his  time  traveling  for  the  company  in  the 
middle  and  southwestern  sections  of  the  country,  and 
worked  so  successfully  that  eventually  his  territory  em- 
braced fourteen  states.  During  these  years  of  suc- 
cessful salesmanship,  he  steadily  increased  his  individual 
capital,  and  in  1913  was  the  prime  mover  in  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Jamestown  Upholstery  Company.  Mr. 
Nelson  is  president  of  that  company,  regarding  the 
development  of  which  reference  is  made  in  the  follow- 
ing sketch.  He  has  always  been  popular  in  Jamestown, 
in  the  circles  in  which  he  has  moved,  and  he  has  mani- 
fested a  sincere  interest  in  his  fellows. 

Mr.  Nelson  is  a  veteran  of  the  Spanish-American 
War.  In  his  early  manhood  he  was  much  interested  in 
military  activities,  and  was  a  member  of  the  local  com- 
pany of  the  National  Guard  of  New  York.  When  war 
was  declared  against  Spain,  and  the  various  National 
Guard  units  mobilized,  he  was  a  member  of  Company 
E.  65th  Infantry  of  New  York,  which  regiment  was 
ordered  to  Camp  Black.  There  the  regiment  under- 
went training  and  later  was  ordered  to  Camp  Alger. 
The  shortness  of  the  campaign,  however,  made  it  un- 
necessary to  bring  the  regiment  into  action,  and  it  was 
eventually  mustered  out  of  the  Federal  service  in 
December,  1898.  During  his  military  service,  Mr.  Nel- 
son served  as  brigade  and  division  clerk.  His  service 
during  the  war  brings  him  membership  in  the  Spanish- 
American  War  Veterans'  organization.  He  belongs  to 
several  fraternal  orders,  among  them  the  Masonic 
bodies.  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  the  Maccabees. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Norden  Club  of  Jamestown,  and 
the  Jamestown  Board  of  Commerce,  and  also  belongs 
to  the  Manufacturers'  and  Merchants'  Association  of 
New  York  State,  and  the  National  Association  of  Up- 
holsterers. Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  and  re- 
ligiously he  is  a  Lutheran,  member  of  the  First  Swe- 
dish Lutheran  church,  Jamestown. 

Mr.  Nelson  married  (first)  March  24,  1898.  Bessie 
Nellie  Greenlund,  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Christian 
Greenlund.  This  happy  union  was  all  too  brief,  for 
her  demise  took  place  Dec.  19,  1898,  after  a  short  illness. 
Mr.  Nelson  married  (second)  in  Mayville,  N.  Y.,  June 
28,  1905,  Belle  Carlson,  whose  antecedents  were  Swe- 
dish, but  whose  immediate  family  and  relatives  are  well 
known  in  the  Jamestown  district.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren: Frederick  A.,  Jr.,  and  Philip,  who  are  both  at 
school. 


THE  JAMESTOWN  UPHOLSTERY  COM- 
PANY, Inc.,  which  was  established  in  iQn  by  sub- 
stantial business  men  of  the  city  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
received  corporate  powers,  under  the  laws  of  the  State 
of  New  York,  in  April  of  that  year,  and  proceeded  at 
once  to  erect  a  building  of  four  floors,  having  a  floor 
space  of  24,000  square  feet,  which  they  considered  they 
would  need  for  the  proper  housing  of  their  plant,  which 
was  to  specialize  in  the  making  of  upholstered  furniture 
of  the  highe.st  grade.  Every  device  of  mechanical  nature 
tliat,  without  depreciating  quality,  could  be  advantage- 
ously used  in  their  class  of  work  was  installed,  and 
electric  power  installed,  with  150  horse-power  boiler, 
for  future  use,  and  the  plant  started  operations  with  a 
skilled  force  of  twenty-five  people.  It  has  gone  steadily 
ahead,  and  at  present  needs  forty  employees  to  cope 
with  its  demands.  The  company  is  gaining  a  good 
reputation  for  quality  and  workmanship,  the  fundamen- 
tal principle  of  the  managers,  since  the  inception  of 
the  company,  being  to  send  out  of  their  shops  only  work 
of  the  highest  grade.  The  factory  force  of  forty  does 
not  give  a  true  indication  of  the  volume  of  the  business 
done,  because  the  whole  of  the  band  saw  work  is  done 
in  other  factories,  and  sent  to  the  Jamestown  Uphol- 
stery Company's  plant  to  be  assembled  and  upholstered. 
During  the  World  War  the  company  did  useful  war 
work,  manufacturing  fine  leather  cushions  for  torpedo 
boat  destroyers. 

The  original  officers  and  managers  of  the  company 
were:  J.  H.  Prather,  president;  Fred  A.  Nelson,  vice- 
president:  L.  N.  Olmsted,  secretary  and  treasurer,  and 
Frank  J.  Kling,  superintendent.  In  1916,  the  company 
was  reorganized,  and  Mr.  Nelson  became  president. 
Associated  with  him  in  the  active  management  of  the 
business  is  Mr.  Carl  A.  Hultquist.  They,  together  with 
Clarence  A.  Hultquist.  a  retail  merchant  of  the  city, 
and  Earle  O.  Hultquist,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
Art  Metal  Construction  Company,  constitute  the 
board  of  directors.  The  principals  are  members  of  the 
Jamestown  Board  of  Commerce,  of  the  Manufacturers' 
and  Merchants'  Association  of  New  York  State,  and  of 
the  National  Association  of  Upholsterers. 


RAY  G.  CRANDALL,  one  of  the  well  known  busi- 
ness men  and  prominent  citizens  of  Kennedy,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  and  an  active  figure  in  public 
affairs  here,  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Poland  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  born  Dec.  30,  1865.  He  is  the 
son  of  John  D.  and  Malinda  (Colburn)  Crandall,  the 
former  a  builder  in  this  region  for  many  years 

Rav  G.  Crandall  attended  the  district  and  high 
schools  of  Ellington,  and  Chamberlain  Institute,  where 
he  completed  his  education.  He  afterwards  engaged 
in  the  live  stock  brokerage  business  in  Kennedy.  From 
that  time  to  the  present  (1921")  Mr.  Crandall  has  con- 
tinued most  successfully  in  that  line  and  has  built  up 
a  large  and  successful  business,  which  has  become 
well  known  under  his  able  management.  He  handles 
in  the  course  of  a  year  about  2,000  head  of  cattle,  and 
has  a  well  equipped  plant  for  dressing  beef,  pork  and 
other  cattle:  besides  this  he  has  a  well  established  meat 
market  in  Kennedy,  and  a  farm  consisting  of  112  acres 


4So 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


under  cultivation.  In  addition  to  his  business  interests. 
Mr.  Crandall  has  participated  actively  in  local  public 
affairs  and  has  held  the  office  ot  supervisor  for  the  town 
of  Poland  for  eight  years.  Politically  he  is  a  Prohibition- 
ist and  has  done  much  for  the  advancement  of  this 
cause.  He  is  a  well  known  figure  in  social  and  fraternal 
circles,  being  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry 
and  the  Order  of  Maccabees.  He  is  also  afliliated  with 
the  Farmers'  Club  and  has  been  active  in  agricultural 
affairs.  Mr.  Crandall  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  of  Kennedy.  He  has  been  exceedingly  active 
in  the  work  oi  the  congregation,  serving  as  church  sec- 
retary and  trustee. 

Ray  G.  Crandall  was  united  in  marriage,  June  30, 
1SS7.  at  Randolph.  N.  Y.,  with  Bertha  R,  Cornell,  a 
native  of  the  town  of  Chautauqua,  born  Oct.  30,  1865,  a 
daughter  of  Ephraim  W.  and  Electa  C.  (Hunt)  Cornell, 
old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  Chautauqua.  The 
name  of  Cornell  has  for  years  been  borne  by  many  of 
the  leading  men  and  their  families  in  Chautauqua  county, 
and  they  were  numbered  among  the  pioneer  settlers. 
Mrs.  Crandall  is  one  of  the  prominent  women  in  Ken- 
nedy, and  is  active  in  church,  social,  civic  and  other 
town  activities.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crandall  have  the  fol- 
lowing children:  i.  Una  E.,  born  May  i.  188.S,  became 
the  wife  of  Bliss  Van  Every,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  2. 
Erie  R..  born  April  27,  1892,  married  Mildred  R.  Wil- 
liams, of  Poland.  3.  Edna  B.,  born  July  25,  1893.  died 
in  Februan.-.  1S95.  4.  Fern  B.,  born  July  17,  1S95,  mar- 
ried J.  B.  Wheelock,  of  Pol-ind.  5.  George  A.,  bom 
Dec.  5.  1896,  now  residing  at  home.  6.  Howard  D., 
horn  March  26.  1898,  married  Kathleen  Pcnfield,  of 
Conneautville,  Pa. 


DUANE  M.  CONLEY,  retired  merchant  and  prom- 
inent citizen,  for  many  years  was  engaged  in  business 
at  Randolph,  where  he  met  with  notable  success,  and 
played  an  influential  part  in  the  general  affairs  of  the 
town  while  he  conducted  his  business  and  resided  there. 
He  is  a  native  of  Collins  Center.  N.  Y.,  born  Sept.  2g, 
1853,  a  son  of  Bcnoni  and  Mary  (Fox)  Conley,  the 
former  a  Methodist  Episcopal  minister,  who  in  later 
life  preached  and  resided  in  Conewango  for  a  number 
of  3£ars  and  there  died. 

Duane  M.  Conley  was  educated  at  the  district  schools 
at  Hamlet  and  Conewango.  Chautauqua  and  Catta- 
raugus counties,  respectively.  Upon  completing  his 
studies,  Mr.  Conley  followed  farming  for  a  number  of 
years  and  began  his  business  career  in  1892  by  cojiduct- 
ing  a  bakery  establishment  in  Randolph,  continuing  for 
six  years,  meeting  with  considerable  success,  which  was 
undoubtedly  due  to  the  high  standard  of  service  and 
materi;il  always  maintained  by  him.  He  was  never 
satisfied  with  anything  but  the  best  and  gained  an  envi- 
able reputation  throughout  the  entire  district  for 
quality  and  service.  So  greatly  did  he  prosper  that 
.-ifter  six  years  conduct  of  this  business,  Mr.  Conley 
was  able  to  retire  from  active  business  pursuits,  lie 
disposed  of  his  large  baking  plant  and  store,  and  then 
became  connected  in  a  passive  way  with  George  K. 
.Marsh  in  the  grocery  business,  continuing  for  the  fol- 
lov.ing  six  years.  Upon  the  death  of  his  wife's  father, 
he  left  business  life  and  succeeded  tn  the  management 


of  the  farming  property  at  Waterboro  in  behalf  of  his 
wife.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Conley  conducted  this  farm  for 
seventeen  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  they 
sold  it,  subsequently  removing  to  Kennedy,  where  they 
have  resided  ever  since.  Mr.  Conley  is  a  staunch  sup- 
porter of  the  principles  and  policies  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  has  discharged  his  duties  as  a  citizen  to  the 
fullest  extent.  He  attends  the  Methodist  church  at 
Kennedy. 

Duane  M.  Conley  was  united  in  marriage,  Aug.  10, 
1873,  at  Sinclairville.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  to 
Lois  L.  Ingersall,  a  native  of  Ellington,  born  June 
28.  1855,  a  daughter  of  Martin  Van  Buren  and  Mary 
(Davis)  Ingersall,  well  known  residents  there.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Conley  are  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren; I.  Arthur  Ray,  born  Aug.  23,  1875;  educated  at 
Chamberlain  Institute  and  University  of  Syracuse  Law 
School;  practiced  law  for  a  number  of  years  in  Ran- 
dolph with  Rodney  R.  Crowley,  and  a  few  years  after 
the  death  of  Mr.  Crowley,  went  to  Buffalo,  where  he  is 
now  practicing  his  profession;  married  Louina  Jensen, 
of  Randolph.  2.  Mary  Ingersall,  born  Feb.  3,  1878; 
educated  at  Randolph  and  Chamberlain  Institutes,  after 
which  she  taught  school  for  ten  years  at  Randolph  and 
Conewango ;  she  became  the  wife  of  Thomas  Reid,  a 
farmer  of  Sinclair\ille,  and  they  have  a  child,  Catherine 
L.  3.  Lamont  H.,  born  Sept.  3,  1881 ;  educated  at  Ran- 
dolph and  Chamberlain  Institutes;  has  been  connected 
with  the  furniture  business  for  a  number  of  years  in 
Jamestown  and  other  places.  4.  Lois  Elizabeth,  born 
May  12,  i8g8;  educated  at  Ellington  High  School, 
where  she  trained  and  took  special  courses  in  teaching 
for  two  years;  she  taught  school  for  two  years,  and 
then  accepted  a  position  as  assistant  cashier  in  the 
Conewango  National  Bank,  serving  for  two  years ; 
she  is  now  office  manager  for  the  L.  C.  Strong  Real 
Estate  Agency  in  Jamestown. 


LEON  E.  BUTTON— The  name  Button  as  a  family 
surname  is  first  found  in  the  town  of  Harmony  with  tfle 
coming  of  .Alvin,  Rufus,  Elijah  and  Joseph  Button, 
their  settlement  being  as  early  as  1830.  A  d'e.scendant, 
Joseph  H.  Button,  a  corporal  of  Company  E,  112th 
Regiment,  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry,  was  killed 
at  the  taking  of  Fort  Fisher,  Jan.  15,  1865.  Button's 
Inn.  a  name  made  familiar  by  the  novelist.  Judge  Albion 
W.  Tourgce,  was  located  in  Chautauqua  county  near 
the  crest  of  the  hills  south  of  Westfield,  on  the  main 
road  to  Mayville.  From  1904  until  1920,  inclusive. 
Harmony  has  had  but  six  men  elected  to  the  Board  of 
Supervisors,  and  the  present  supervisor,  Leon  E.  But- 
ton, is  now  serving  his  tenth  term,  his  first  term  be- 
ginning in  1904,  this  being  the  third  time  that  he  has 
been  returned  to  the  office  after  being  out  for  a  time. 
He  is  a  sulistantial  farmer  of  Harmony,  and  a  resident 
of  the  Panama  district. 

Lecn  E.  Button  is  a  grandson  of  Alvin  Button,  who 
came  from  Vermont  to  Panama,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y„  in  1830,  and  a  son  of  Franklin  Button,  born  in 
Pan.ama,  where  he  spent  his  life,  a  farmer.  Franklin 
Fiuttnn  married  Matilda  Cook,  dairghter  of  William  G. 
and  Amy  rHentley)  Cook.  William  G.  Cook,  son  of 
Warham  and   Olive   (Gay)   Corjk,  was  born  in  Oneida 


€>^  £^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


county,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  14,  1808,  came  to  Chautauqua 
county  in  1S28,  bought  part  of  lot  No.  51  in  the  tovvTi 
of  Harmony,  but  ten  years  later  moved  to  the  vicinity 
of  Panama.  In  1832  he  married  Amy  Bentley,  and 
they  were  the  parents  of  a  son,  Lyman  C,  and  a  daugh- 
ter, Matilda,  who  became  the  wife  of  Franklin  Button. 
In  1831,  William  G.  Cook  lost  his  right  arm,  but  he 
afterward  performed  many  kinds  of  farm  labor  and 
even  cleared  land  for  others,  contracting  that  work  by 
the  acre.  He  died  April  12,  1894,  surviving  his  wife, 
Amy  (Bentley)  Cook,  two  years.  They  joined  the  Bap- 
tist church  in  Panama  in  1834. 

Leon  E.  Button,  son  of  Franklin  and  Matilda  (Cook) 
Button,  was  born  in  Panama,  town  of  Harmony,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  June  17,  i860.  He  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools,  and  has  all  his  life  been  engaged 
in  farming  in  his  native  town,  and  is  there  most  highly 
regarded  as  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and  character.  Mr. 
Button  has  given  a  great  deal  of  time  to  the  public 
service,  and  in  an  unselfish,  public-spirited  way,  has 
done  much  for  the  good  of  his  town.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  was  first  elected  supen'isor  of 
Harmony  for  the  year  1904.  He  was  reelected  in  1905 
and  1906,  then  was  out  of  the  board  until  1912,  but  in 
the  meantime  was  elected  sheriff  of  Chautauqua  county, 
an  office  he  held  for  three  years.  He  was  again  elected 
supervisor  of  Harmony  in  1912,  reelected  in  1913, 
1914  and  1915.  He  was  again  out  of  the  board  for  three 
years,  then  was  again  elected,  and  is  now  (1921)  serv- 
ing his  tenth  term.  That  he  has  proven  a  valuable 
public  official  this  evidence  of  the  continued  confidence 
of  his  townsmen  is  ample  proof.  During  the  period  of 
the  war  with  Germany,  1917-1918,  he  was  active  in 
support  of  the  various  county  movements,  and  was 
chairman  of  the  selective  draft  board  in  his  section.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry. 

Mr.  Button  married,  June  20,  1880,  in  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.,  Hattie  L.  Steres,  born  June  3,  1859,  in  Harmony, 
daughter  of  Isaac  E.  and  Mary  (Graves)  Steres,  both 
of  the  town  of  Harmony.  Mrs.  Button  died  Dec.  8, 
1920.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Button  were  the  parents  of  four 
children:  I.  Earl,  born  June  22.  1881 ;  enlisted  in  the 
202nd  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers,  for  service  in 
the  Spanish-American  War,  July  i,  1898,  served  ten 
months,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged  and  mus- 
tered out  at  Savannah,  Ga. ;  he  died  Aug.  i,  1920,  from 
malaria,  contracted  during  his  service  in  the  Spanish- 
American  War.  2.  Ida,  born  May  24,  1883,  died  May 
4.  1895.  3.  Horace  H.,  born  Jan.  7,  1887.  4.  Hattie, 
born  June  30,  1891. 


ALBERT  L.  IRONS,  postmaster  of  Cassadaga,  N. 
Y.,  was  born  in  this  town,  Dec.  21,  1862,  the  son  of 
Albert  N.  and  Lovina  (Richardson)  Irons.  He  is  one 
of  the  foremost  citizens  of  the  community,  having  been 
distinctly  and  prominently  identified  with  every  forward 
movement  during  his  mature  years. 

After  completing  his  studies  in  the  district  school  of 
his  native  place,  he  entered  the  drug  store  of  F.  A. 
Pond  and  there  gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  this 
business,  and  later  established  himself  in  the  drug 
business,  being  thus  engaged  at  the  time  of  his  appoint- 
Chau— 31 


ment  by  President  Wilson  in  1919  to  the  office  of  post- 
master, which  position  he  still  holds.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Irons  is  a  Democrat,  keenly  alive  to  his  responsibilities 
as  a  citizen,  and  taking  an  active  part  in  public  afifairs. 
He  is  well  known  in  fraternal  life,  being  a  member  of 
the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons  and  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Albert  L.  Irons  is  a  man  of 
sterling  character,  strong  in  his  business  integrity  and 
loyal  to  his  friends,  of  which  he  has  a  vast  number. 

Mr.  Irons  married,  Sept.  26,  1902,  L.  Blanche  Sage, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Ruth. 


WELLINGTON  H.  GRIFFITH— Griffiths  came 
to  Chautauqua  county  with  the  earliest  settlers.  Jere- 
miah Griffith,  of  Madison  county,  N.  Y.,  settling  in 
1806,  in  the  now  town  of  Ellery,  at  the  old  Indian  fields 
at  Griffith's  Point.  Many  descendants  sprang  from  Jere- 
miah Griffith,  and  a  most  valuable  grist  and  flour  mill 
was  built  in  1832  by  Seth  and  Samuel  Griffith,  sons  of 
Jeremiah  Griffith,  the  first  settler.  Other  sons  of 
Jeremiah  Griffith  were:  John,  Jeremiah  (2),  and  Alex- 
ander. ■  All  came  to  Chautauqua  and  helped  to  clear 
away  its  forests,  found  its  communities,  schools  and 
churches,  and  on  the  foundation  they  laid  the  present 
prosperity  of  the  county  rests.  On  the  paternal  side 
the  Griffiths  are  of  Welsh  ancestry. 

Wellington  H.  Griffith,  grandson  of  Jeremiah  (i) 
Griffith,  and  son  of  Jeremiah  (2)  and  Margaret  (Loucks) 
Griffith,  was  born  in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  April 
10,  1818.  Wellington  H.  Griffith  was  a  miller  and  learned 
his  trade  from  Henry  Baker.  For  many  years  he  op- 
erated the  old  Grandin  Mills.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  order  in  Jamestown,  and  for  many  years 
a  member  of  the  School  Board.  In  religious  faith  he 
was  a  Presbyterian,  and  a  man  highly  respected. 

\^'ellington  H.  Griffith  married,  Oct.  29,  1846,  in 
Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Rhoda  Bucklin,  born  Jan.  15,  1823, 
died  in  December,  1856.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Griffith  were  the 
parents  of  four  children:  i.  Frances  Isabel,  born  July 
22,  1848;  married,  Sept.  22,  1869,  in  Jamestown,  Wil- 
liam H.  Shaw,  who  died  Oct.  11,  1916,  leaving  two 
children:  Ralph  B.  and  Margaret  Louise.  2.  Georgi- 
ana  Victoria,  born  Oct.  2,  1852;  married  (first)  Sept. 
10.  1873,  Douglas  W.  Clark,  and  to  this  union  was  born 
one  child,  Alice  Cary  Clark;  he  died  Dec.  15,  1879; 
she  married  (second)  Nov.  18,  1891,  Smith  T.  Culver, 
who  died  July  18,  igi6.  3.  Laurence  Wellington,  horn 
Nov.  22,  1856:  married  Jessie  Button.  4.  Florence 
Rhoda,  twin  with  Laurence  W.,  died  July  22,  1859. 


FRANK  L.  KOLPIEN  exemplifies  in  a  remarkable 
degree  not  only  the  achievements  of  a  man  of  great 
natural  talent,  but  the  wonderful  possibilities  whereby 
a  poor  boy  can  attain  distinction  in  a  community  in  a 
sliort  period  of  time.  The  success  of  Frank  L.  Kolpien, 
known  in  the  business  world  of  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  as  the 
head  of  the  O'Donnell  Lumber  Company,  in  all  his  un- 
dertakings is  so  marked  that  his  methods  must  be  of 
interest  to  the  commercial  world.  He  has  always 
based  his  business  principles  and  actions  upon  strict 
adherence  to  the  rules  that  govern  industry,  economy, 
and  strict   integrity.     His  progressive  spirit  has  made 


48-^ 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


him  a  typical  American  in  every  sense  of  the  word, 
and  he  well  deserves  mention  in  a  work  treating  of  the 
business  life  and  substantial  development  of  Chautau- 
qua count>\ 

Frank  L.  Kolpien  was  born  in  Westfield,  Chautauqua 
county.  X.  Y..  Oct.  30,  1S68.  eldest  son  of  Frank  and 
Dora  (Lahn  Kolpien.  He  received  a  meager  education 
in  a  district  school  which  he  was  obliged  to  leave  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  and  go  to  work.  For  the  first  si.x 
years  after  leaving  school  he  worked  among  the  farms 
and  vineyards  in  the  townships  of  Westfield  and  Ripley, 
and  then  started  his  apprenticeship  to  the  carpenter's 
trade,  working  at  this  until  1892,  when  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  Herman  Hutchinson,  this  partnership 
continuing  for  a  period  of  three  years,  at  the  end  of 
which  time,  his  partner  removing  to  another  city,  he 
continued  the  business  alone.  Between  the  years  1895 
and  1907  he  developed  a  remarkably  successful  con- 
tracting business,  employing  a  large  number  of  men  at 
a  time,  and  besides  building  more  than  200  residences 
in  Dunkirk  during  these  twelve  years,  he  received  con- 
tracts tor  the  following  buildings :  Schools  Nos.  i,  2, 
4  and  5:  the  temple  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows;  St.  John's  Lutheran  Church:  beacon  light  on 
the  pier  and  the  keeper's  dwelling :  St.  Hyacinth's 
Roman  Catholic  Church:  the  business  block  occupied 
by  \\'eingart  Hardware  Company:  additions  to  the 
Dunkirk  Electric  Light  Plant;  No.  4  Hose  Fire  House 
of  the  local  fire  department. 

In  1907.  ilr.  Kolpien  bought  the  M.  J.  O'Donnell 
planing  mill  and  lumber  yard,  which  he  incorporated 
and  of  which  he  is  president,  treasurer  and  principal 
owner.  He  employs  about  thirty-five  people,  has  his 
own  deliver}-  equipment,  and  ships  lumber  to  Western 
Xew  York.  Western  Pennsylvania.  Eastern  Ohio.  New 
York  City.  Washington.  District  of  Columbia.  Cincin- 
nati and  Cleveland.  Ohio.  This  business,  which  Mr. 
Kolpien  has  built  up,  is  of  very  great  value  in  the  de- 
velopment of  Dunkirk.  A  man  of  singularly  strong 
personality,  he  has  exerted  a  deep  influence  on  his  asso- 
ciates and  subordinates,  and  toward  the  latter  in  par- 
ticular his  conduct  has  always  been  marked  by  a 
degree  of  kindness  and  consideration  which  has  won 
for  him  their  loyal  support  and  hearty  cooperation. 

In  politics.  Mr.  Kolpien  is  a  Republican,  and  has 
served  one  term  on  the  local  Board  of  Health,  but  the 
engrossing  duties  of  his  business  take  all  his  time  and 
he  has  never  since  consented  to  hold  office.  His  church 
is  the  Methodist  Episcopal,  of  which  he  has  always 
been  an  active  member,  working  in  its  cause,  at  present 
serving  on  the  official  board,  and  at  the  time  of  the 
erection  of  the  new  edifice  was  chairman  of  the  building 
committee.  He  affiliates  with  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows  and  with  the  Masons,  being  a  member 
of  Irondcquoit  Lodge,  No.  .301,  Free  and  Accepted 
Mason=;  Dunkirk  Chapter,  No.  191,  Royal  Arch 
Masons;  Dunkirk  Council,  No.  25,  Royal  and  Select 
Masters;  and  Dunkirk  Commandery,  No.  40,  Knights 
T'mplar.  During  the  World  War  he  did  his  share  as 
a  citizen,  giving  of  his  time  to  serve  on  the  various 
committees  for  the  Red  Cross  and  the  Liberty  loans, 
and  was  also  a  member  of  the  Legal  Advisory  Board. 


He  is  also  acting  as  director  for  the  Lake  Shore  Loan 
Association. 

Mr.  Kolpien  married,  Sept.  14.  1893.  Alice  Boiling. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kolpien  are  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren: I.  Alton  L.,  who  while  attending  the  University 
of  Michigan  in  1917  joined  the  Michigan  Naval  Militia 
and  volunteered  for  active  service  as  soon  as  war  was 
declared:  after  training  at  the  Great  Lakes  Training 
School,  he  became  instructor  of  small  arm  fire  at  Wake- 
field, Mass.,  Norfolk,  Va..  Baltimore,  Md.:  he  then 
transferred  to  the  Aviation  Corps,  and  after  a  technical 
training  at  Boston  was  commissioned  ensign  at  Pensa- 
cola.  Fla;  he  was  subsequently  sent  to  Queenstown, 
Ireland,  as  chief  pilot,  and  served  in  this  capacity  until 
tlie  end  of  the  war,  then  being  detailed  to  the  Naval 
Officers'  Reserve;  he  has  returned  to  the  University  of 
Michigan,  where  he  expects  to  graduate  with  the  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Medicine  in  1922.  2.  Esther,  a  graduate 
of  Syracuse  University.  3.  .\lma,  now  attending  a 
seminar}-  at  Louisburg.  W.  Va. 

Mr.  Kolpien  is  in  the  best  sense  of  the  term  a  self- 
made  man.  He  has  made  his  way  up  the  ladder  of 
success  until  he  has  become  one  of  the  most  substantial 
and  influential  citizens  of  the  community  whose  life  is 
inseparably  identified  with  its  general  welfare.  This 
simple  account  of  his  career,  however,  describes  far 
more  eloquently  than  any  formal  praise  the  splendid 
powers  he  possesses,  especially  if  it  be  remembered  that 
his  ardent,  sincere  nature  will  not  permit  his  undertaking 
anything  which  he  is  not  prepared  to  do,  any  obligation 
which  he  cannot  observe  to  the  fullest.  His  labors  are 
great  but  his  powers  are  equal  to  their  adequate  per- 
formance. 


WILLIAM    HENRY    OTTAWAY,  who  was   one 

of  the  most  influential  citizens  of  Westfield,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  and  a  prominent  farmer  of  this  re- 
gion, was  a  member  of  one  of  the  oldest  county  families. 
The  name  of  Ottaway  has  long  been  associated  with  the 
town  of  Mina.  the  founder  of  the  family  here  having 
settled  in  this  region  only  seven  years  later  than  that 
of  Alexander  Findley.  who  was  the  first  white  man  to 
locate  in  that  part  of  the  town  of  Clymer  which  after- 
wards became  Mina. 

The  Ottaways  were  for  many  generations  residents 
of  County  Kent.  England,  where  James  Ottaway, 
the  first  American  ancestor,  was  born.  He  was  a  miller 
by  trade  and  operated  a  mill  in  his  native  county,  but 
being  of  an  adventurous  disposition  and  hearing  many 
reports  of  the  great  opportunities  awaiting  young  men 
of  energy  in  the  New  World,  he  determined  to  emigrate. 
Accompanied  by  his  wife,  children  and  his  brother, 
Horatio  Ottaway,  he  sailed  from  England  in  1823  with 
Western  New  York  as  his  destination.  Six  weeks 
later  he  arrived  at  New  York  City,  and  at  once  pro- 
ceeded up  tlie  Hudson  River  to  Ncwhurgh,  which  was 
the  starting  point  of  his  long  trip  through  the  western 
wilderness.  At  Newburgh  he  purchased  a  large  wagon 
and  a  team  of  horses  which  he  loaded  with  the  neces- 
sary supplies,  and  shortly  afterwards  embarked  with 
his  family  uiion  what  was  then  an  exceedingly  perilous 
journey.     After   many   hardshii)s    and   vicissitudes,    he 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


483 


finally  reached  Buffalo,  at  that  time  little  more  than  a 
frontier  town,  and,  leaving  his  family  there,  he  set  out 
to  find  a  suitable  location  for  a  home.  He  was  not 
successful,  however,  in  finding  anything  to  his  liking 
in  that  immediate  region,  and  accordingly  he  took  up 
his  journey  once  more  and  came  to  Chautauqua  county, 
over  the  Buffalo  &  Erie  road.  Here  he  first  located 
at  Mayville,  but  shortly  afterwards  came  to  Mina,  over 
the  Waterford  road,  and  here  permanently  settled.  At 
that  time  the  location  of  Mina  was  entirely  covered  by 
the  virgin  forest  of  Western  New  York,  but  Mr.  Otta- 
way,  perceiving  that  the  soil  was  highly  fertile,  decided 
to  make  his  home  there  and  purchased  a  portion  of  lot 
No.  13,  which  he  cleared  of  the  timber  and  built  a  log 
cabin.  His  was  the  first  deed  given  for  land  in  the 
western  part  of  Mina,  and  he  was  the  first  of  the  many 
English  families  that  settled  in  that  section,  his  house 
forming  a  sort  of  rendezvous  for  those  who  followed. 
He  was  a  man  of  a  very  hospitable  nature,  and  it  is 
said  of  him  that  "his  latch  string  was  always  out  for  his 
countrymen  until  their  own  log  houses  could  be  built." 
Eventually,  after  much  hard  labor,  he  cleared  his  prop- 
erty of  the  timber  standing  there  and  brought  under 
cultivation  a  good  farm,  upon  which  his  children  were 
born  and  which  is  still  in  the  possession  of  the  family. 
James  Ottaway  was  three  times  married  and  was  the 
parent  of  the  following  children:  James,  William, 
Horace,  mentioned  below,  Ann,  Charles,  Edmund,  Jo- 
seph, Henry,  John  E.,  Susan,  and  Horatio. 

Horace  Ottaway,  son  of  James  Ottaway,  was  bom  on 
the  family  homestead  at  Mina,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  where  his  childhood  and  early  youth  were  spent. 
He  subsequently  removed  to  the  town  of  Volusia,  West- 
field  township,  and  there  became  the  possessor  of  a 
large  farm  which  he  cultivated  continuously  until  the 
time  of  his  death.  He  married  Sarah  No.xon,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Lodema  Noxon,  who  was  also  an  early  settler 
in  this  region,  and  among  their  children  was  William 
Henry,  mentioned  below. 

William  Henry  Ottaway,  son  of  Horace  and  Sarah 
(Noxon)  Ottaway,  was  born  May  2,  1854,  on  his 
father's  farm  at  Volusia,  Westfield  township,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  and  died  suddenly  on  his  farm  at 
Westfield,  March  25,  1920.  As  a  lad  he  attended  the 
local  district  school,  and  assisted  his  father  on  the 
latter's  farm,  gaining  at  once  great  physical  health  and 
strength  and  a  wide  knowledge  of  agricultural  methods, 
which  stood  him  in  good  stead  in  later  life.  The  farm 
where  he  was  born  consisted  of  200  acres  of  excellent 
land,  and  was  operated  as  a  dairy  farm,  but  has  since 
been  divided  among  the  heirs  of  his  father.  Thirty-five 
acres  of  excellent  farm  land  was  afterwards  purchased 
by  Mr.  Ottaway  in  the  near  neighborhood  of  the  home 
place,  and  these  he  cultivated  highly  and  grew  grapes 
thereon  with  notable  success.  From  1894,  when  he  first 
came  into  possession  of  it,  until  his  death,  the  property 
improved  continuously  under  his  able  management,  and 
was  regarded  as  one  of  the  model  vineyards  in  this 
region,  where  so  many  grapes  are  grown.  Mr.  Otta- 
way always  maintained  a  lively  interest  in  public  affairs, 
and  was  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  principles  and  poli- 
cies of  the  Republican  party,  of  which  he  was  one  of 
the  leaders  in  this  district.     He  also  held  a  number  of 


important  local  offices,  and  served  the  community  in 
the  capacity  of  school  trustee  and  tax  collector.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  local  grange,  and  was  active  in 
promoting  tlie  agricultural  development  of  this  region 
for  many  years.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Ottaway 
was  a  Presbyterian,  and  attended  the  church  of  that  de- 
nomination at  Westfield. 

William  Henry  Ottaway  was  united  in  marriage, 
Feb.  22,  189S,  with  Susie  Reynolds,  a  native  of  Eng- 
land, a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Cynthia  Reynolds.  She 
was  but  three  years  of  age  when  her  parents  embarked 
for  the  United  States,  but  the  vessel  was  wrecked  and 
both  parents  lost.  She,  however,  was  rescued  and  was 
taken  by  her  rescuers  to  Portland,  N.  Y.,  where  she 
grew  up  to  womanhood  and  eventually  met  her  hus- 
band. 


JAMES  L.  BROWN— The  region  comprised  within 
the  boundaries  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  is  doubly 
blessed,  first,  in  possessing  an  unusually  fertile  and 
productive  soil  offering  the  splendid  opportunities  to 
fanners  and  agriculturists  generally,  second,  in  the  pres- 
ence there  of  men  capable  and  anxious  to  take  full  ad- 
vantage of  these  opportunities.  For  many  years  it  has 
enjoyed  an  enviable  reputation  for  the  prosperous 
development  of  its  natural  resources,  and  for  the  pro- 
gressive and  yet  stable  character  of  its  rural  population. 
Typical  of  its  sturdy  citizens  in  all  their  best  charac- 
teristics is  James  L.  Brown,  a  resident  of  Ellicott 
township,  Jamestown,  where  for  some  years  he  has  car- 
ried on  a  successful  milling  business  and  taken  con- 
spicuous part  in  the  general  life  of  the  place. 

Mr.  Brown  was  born  Aug.  31,  1873,  at  Fluvanna, 
N.  Y.,  a  son  of  .-^lex.  S.  and  Sarah  (Hudson)  Brown, 
natives  and  lifelong  residents  of  that  town.  His  child- 
hood was  passed  at  his  father's  home  at  Fluvanna,  and 
during  his  early  years  he  assisted  the  elder  man  with 
the  lighter  work  on  the  home  farm  and  there  learned 
from  practical  experience  the  best  agricultural  meth- 
ods. He  also  attended  during  the  winter  months  the 
public  schools  of  the  district,  gaining  a  good  general 
education,  and  later  engaged  in  the  milling  business  of 
which  he  has  subsequently  made  so  great  a  success. 
At  the  present  time  he  owns  a  large  saw  mill,  where 
he  shapes  timber  from  the  forests  of  the  region  into 
various  forms  of  lumber  for  the  local  markets  and  does 
a  large  business  in  this  line.  He  also  operates  a  good 
sized  cider  mill,  manufacturing  vinegar  in  large  quan- 
tities. The  excellent  quality  of  his  products  and  the 
fairness  and  even  liberality  of  all  his  business  dealings 
have  made  Mr.  Brown  a  highly  esteemed  figure  in  the 
community,  as  has  also  the  public  spirit  he  has  dis- 
played in  its  general  life.  He  has  taken  a  conspicuous 
part  in  the  affairs  of  the  township,  and  today  occupies 
the  responsible  office  of  superintendent  of  the  public 
highways  for  Ellicott.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Lodge 
No.  585,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  Bemus 
Point,  and  of  Jamestown  Encampment,  No.  96,  of  the 
same  order. 

James  L.  Brown  was  united  in  marriage,  Feb.  10, 
1897,  at  Jamestown,  with  Grace  Stevenson,  a  native  of 
Rochester,  N.  Y,,  born  July  4,  1878,  a  daughter  of 
Frederick  J.  and  Elizabeth  A.  (Doherty)  Stevenson,  of 


4-^=4 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


tli-.t  city.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  are  the  parents  of  five 
children,  as  follows:  Anna,  horn  March  5,  1898;  Sarah, 
born  March  15.  1000:  Alexander,  born  May  10,  IQOO: 
Grace  Louise,  born  Jan.  16,  1914;  and  Irvin  J.,  born 
Xov.  JO.  1919. 


MYRON  ALEXANDER  WOOD,  successful  farmer, 
well  known  among  agriculturists  throughout  the 
county,  has  lived  on  the  farm  he  now  occupies  for 
sixty-three  years  and  throughout  his  years  of  manhood 
he  has  held  manfully  to  the  task  of  farming  it,  and  of 
bringing  it  under  complete  cultivation.  When  his  father 
first  took  the  farm,  in  1S56,  it  was  not  very  far  advanced 
beyond  the  wild  state:  it  is  now  a  rich,  well  improved 
agricultural  property  of  190  acres,  upon  which  are  many 
substantial  improvements — commodious  barns,  cow 
bams,  milk  houses,  a  fine  residence,  and  a  good  tenant 
house.  L'pon  the  property  is  an  extensive  vineyard,  and 
its  arable  land  and  pasturage  are  in  excellent  condition. 
Such  a  result  was  possible  only  by  hard  work,  and  in 
that  work   Myron  Alexander  Wood  had   good   part. 

He  was  born  in  Ripley,  Chautauqua  county.  N.  Y., 
April  21,  1S50.  son  of  Hiram  and  Almeda  (Winter) 
^^"ood.  His  father,  Hiram  Wood,  first  came  into  the 
county  from  Herkimer  county,  N.  Y.,  in  1844,  then  lo- 
cating in  Ripley  township.  In  1856,  he  moved  to  the 
farm  now  occupied  by  the  son,  and  by  dint  of  hard 
work,  in  which  he  was  helped  by  his  son,  developed  it 
into  a  good  property.  His  son,  Myron  A.,  attended  the 
district  school  until  he  had  passed  through  its  grades, 
and  then  devoted  his  entire  time  to  tasks  upon  his 
father's  farm.  His  father  died  in  1890,  so  that  for  the 
last  twenty-nine  years  Myron  A.  Wood  has  been  wholly 
responsible  for  the  upkeep  of  the  property.  He  has 
not  only  maintained  it  in  good  condition,  but  has  im- 
proved it  very  considerably,  and  most  of  the  modern 
improvements  upon  the  property  were  undertaken  by 
him. 

Mr.  Wood  has  always  been  interested  in  local  affairs, 
and  might  have  had  many  offices,  had  he  been  minded 
to  stand  for  election,  but  apart  from  the  responsibilities 
of  school  trustee  and  collector  of  taxes,  he  has  not 
taken  official  part  in  the  local  administration,  and  he 
has  held  no  office  in  national  politics,  neither  has  he 
sought  office,  although  he  has  been  a  loyal  Republican 
for  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  Fraternally,  he  belongs 
to  the  Masonic  body,  being  identified  with  a  Westficld 
lodge.  His  life,  lived  wholly  within  the  county,  and  for 
the  greater  part  of  the  time  connected  with  responsible 
affairs,  has  been  commendable;  from  his  early  man- 
ho'>d  he  has  shown  a  steadiness  and  stability  of  purpose 
that  has  marked  him  as  a  worthy  Chautauqua  county 
agriculturist.  He  has  endeavored  to  be  fair  and  hon- 
or,-ible  in  all  his  dealings,  and  he  has  a  good  name  in 
the  district. 

Nfyron  A.  Wood  is  unmarried,  but  his  sister,  Cath- 
erine, keeps  house  for  him.  His  other  relatives  of  same 
generation  are  his  sisters:  Mrs.  John  R.  Rogers,  Mrs. 
.'\bbic  Henderson,  and  Mrs.  Rose  Herron,  and  his 
half-broth'-r,  Hirnm  D.  Wood. 


FRANK  MARVIN  CLARK— I'rf.mincnt  in  the 
prol'ts'.ioiial  and  mercantile  life  of  Jamestown  for  thirty- 
five  years  is  Frank  .Marvin  Clark,  the  well  known  phar- 


maceutical chemist  and  merchant.  He  is  a  member  of  a 
very  old  and  distinguished  English  family,  and  traces  his 
ancestry  to  John  Clark,  of  Westhorpe,  England,  of 
whom  further. 

The  name  Clark  is  derived  from  the  Latin  cicricus. 
This  word  at  first  meant  a  person  in  Orders  (whether 
holy  orders  or  minor  orders)  ;  later  anyone  who  had 
been  educated  by  the  clergy ;  and  finally  anyone  who  could 
read  and  write.  As  a  surname  Clark  or  Clarke  is  prob- 
ably as  old  as  the  eleventh  century.  Instances  are  re- 
corded where  other  surnames  were  changed  to  Clark, 
probably  as  being  more  honorable.  Not  less  than  thirty 
Clark  (e)  families  settled  in  New  England  colonies  be- 
fore 1700;  there  were,  in  fact,  twelve  Thomas  Clarkes  in 
New  England  between  1623  and  1680,  and  the  Clark  of 
Mayflower  fame,  who  came  with  the  Pilgrim  Fathers 
to  Plymouth  in  1620.  The  ancestry  is  traced  to  the  par- 
ish of  Westhorpe,  Suffolk  county,  England.  In  the 
earlier  generations,  as  by  many  of  the  present  day  de- 
scendants, the  name  is  spelled  with  the  final  "e." 

The  coat-of-arms  of  the  Clark  family  is  as  follows : 

Arms — Gules,  two  bars  argent  in  chief  three  escal- 
lops or. 

Crest — An  escallop  quarterly  gules  and  or. 

John  Clark,  of  Westhorpe,  the  first  member  of  this 
family  of  whoin  we  have  knowledge,  was  buried  March 
3,  1559.  Children:  John,  of  whom  further;  Thomas, 
baptized  Jan.  4,  1553,  buried  May  10,  1588. 

John  (2)  Clark,  son  of  John  (i)  Clark,  of  Westhorpe, 
was  baptized  Feb.  11,  1541,  died  April  4,  1598.  He  mar- 
ried Catherine,  daughter  of  John  Cooke,  who  was  bap- 
tized Feb.  12,  1546,  died  March  27,  1598.  Children:  John, 
horn  April  25,  1569,  buried  Dec.  9,  1594;  Thomas,  of 
whom  further;  Carewe,  baptized  March  17,  1577;  Mar- 
garet, born  June  8,  1579;  Mary,  baptized  Sept.  21,  1 581. 

Thomas  Clark,  son  of  John  (2)  Clark,  of  Westhorpe, 
was  born  Nov.  i,  1570,  died  July  29,  1627.  He  married 
Rose  Hcrrige,  or  Kerige,  who  died  Sept.  19,  1627.  Chil- 
dren:  Margaret,  born  Feb.  i,  1600;  Carewe,  born  Feb.  3, 
1602,  married  Datre,  surname  unknown;  Thomas,  born 
or  baptized  March  31,  1605,  died  Dec.  2,  1674,  married 
Jane,  surname  unknown:  Mary,  baptized  July  17,  1607, 
died  in  1648,  married  John  Peckham ;  Rev.  John;  Wil- 
liam, baptized  Feb.  11,  1611;  Joseph,  of  whom  further. 
Of  these  children,  Carewe,  Thomas,  Mary,  John  and 
Joseph,  all  came  to  America,  but  of  these  four  sons  only 
Joseph  left  issue. 

Joseph  Clark,  son  of  Thomas  and  Rose  Clark,  the  im- 
migrant, was  born  in  England,  Dec.  9,  1618,  and  died  at 
Newport,  R.  I.,  June  i,  1694.  He  evidently  left  England 
about  1637,  and  settled  immediately  in  Rhode  Island,  be- 
ing elected  an  inhabitant  of  the  Rhode  Island  colony  and 
becoming  a  member  of  the  Roger  Williams'  settlement. 
On  March  17,  1641,  he  was  made  a  freeman;  in  1044, 
he  was  one  of  the  original  members  of  the  Baptist  church 
of  Newport,  of  which  his  brother.  Rev.  John  Clark,  was 
made  minister.  He  was  mentioned  by  name  in  the  char- 
ter granted  by  King  Charles  II.  He  seemed  to  have  lived 
for  a  while  at  Westerly,  but  to  have  returned  to  Newport, 
where  he  held  many  important  offices.  He  married  twice; 
his  scroiirl  wife,  Margaret,  died  at  Newport  in  1694. 
f'hildrcti  :  i.  Joseph,  born  Feb.  11,  1642;  married  (first) 
liclliiali  Ihibl)ard;  (second)  Hannah  (Weeden-Clarke) 
I'cckham.  2.  William,  died  Sept.  30,  1683;  married 
Hannah  Weeden.     3.  Mary,  died   1695;   married  Tobias 


/yu^<^^ 


■^  =^  ^ 


=2=-  =5=-  =^-. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


4S5 


Saunders.  4.  Sarah,  born  Jan.  29,  1663 ;  married  Thomas 
Reynolds.  5.  John,  died  April  11,  1704.  6.  Susanna.  7. 
Joshua,  married  Alice  Phillips.  8.  Thomas,  died  in  1705; 
married  Elizabeth.  9.  Carewe  or  Cary  (in  this  family 
Carewe,  Carew,  Cary  and  Carey  are  to  be  regarded  as 
the  same  name),  of  whom  further.  10.  Elizabeth,  mar- 
ried William  Peckham. 

Carewe  Clark,  son  of  Joseph  Clark,  married  Ann 
Dyer.  .Among  his  children  was  a  son,  Carewe  (2),  born 
Sept.  20,  1695.  He  also  had  three  grandsons  bearing 
forms  of  this  name,  and  it  is  probable  that  Carey  Clark, 
of  whom  further,  was  either  his  grandson  or  great- 
grandson. 

Carey  Clark,  grandson  or  great-grandson  of  Carewe 
(2)  Clark,  was  the  progenitor  of  the  line  traced  below. 
He  removed  from  Providence,  R.  I.,  to  the  vicinity  of 
Crooked  Lake,  Genesee  (now  Yates)  county,  N.  Y.,  and 
there  passed  the  remainder  of  his  days.  He  lived  to  the 
patriarchial  age  of  one  hundred  years,  and  was  never 
sick  a  day  in  his  life.  It  is  said  that  the  day  before  his 
death  he  showed  his  sons  how  they  used  to  dance  the 
old-fashioned  breakdown.  Children:  i.  Carey,  of  whom 
further,  2.  George,  resided  in  Yates  count}-,  N.  Y.,  and 
raised  a  family  of  five  children:  John,  George,  Orlando, 
Olive,  and  Azuba.  3.  Thankful,  married  John  Bentley, 
a  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  and  lived  in  Chautauqua 
county :  they  had  a  son,  Solomon.  4.  William,  married 
Cynthia  Moon,  and  had  a  son,  Arvin,  who  lived  in  Chau- 
tauqua county,  and  whose  children  were  :  Laura,  William 

Nicholas,  and  a  son  whose  name  is  unknown.     5.  , 

married  Dawley,  and  had  a  son,   Benjamin.     6. 

Thomas,  married  and  reared  a  large  family,  among  whom 
were  sons  :  Thomas,  John,  and  George. 

Carey  (2)  Clark,  son  of  Carey  (i)  Clark,  was  born 
at  Kingston,  R.  I.,  about  1765,  and  died  in  1857. 
He  was  a  large,  active,  strong  man,  and  retained  his 
faculties  in  all  their  vigor  to  the  last.  He  removed  with 
his  brother  Thomas  to  Sw-anton,  Vt.,  near  the  foot  of 
Lake  Champlain.  In  the  War  of  1812,  when  his  sons 
William  and  Benoni  were  drafted  for  the  fight  at  Platts- 
burg,  he  rowed  in  a  boat  to  that  place  in  order  to  be  on 
hand  if  they  should  be  killed  or  wounded,  but  no  harm 
came  to  the  young  soldiers.  In  1822.  he  accompanied 
his  son  Warren  to  Ellicott  township.  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  settled  on  heavily  timbered  land,  which 
he  cleared,  and  it  is  still  in  the  possession  of  the  family. 
He  married  (first)  in  1791,  Dorcas  Moon,  who  died  in 
1810.  The  name  of  his  second  vifife  is  unknown;  she 
died  in  1845.  Children,  all  by  first  wife:  i.  Lucy.  2. 
Louise.  3.  VV'illiam  G.,  born  July  22,  1795,  died  Dec.  23, 
1861  :  married,  and  had  the  following  children  :  Lucinda, 
William  A.,  Mahala,  Arsula,  Melissa,  Esther  and  Cary. 
4.  Benoni.  5.  Caleb,  born  Jan.  6,  1799,  died  Feb.  14, 
1862 ;  married,  1824,  Elizabeth  Taylor,  and  had  children  : 
Riley  G.,  Cary  D.,  Phebe,  Sylvester,  Merritt,  Nery, 
Leland.  6.  Cary,  born  Jan.  6,  1799.  died  Sept.  3,  1866; 
married,  and  had  the  following  children  :  Harriet  A., 
Warren  M.,  William,  Sylvester,  Lucy,  Morgan,  Albert, 
Roxey  A.    7.  Mary.    8.  Warren,  of  whom  further. 

Warren  Clark,  son  of  Carey  (2)  and  Dorcas  (Moon) 
Clarke,  was  born  at  Swanton,  Vt.,  April  11,  1804,  and 
died  at  his  home  near  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  10,  1877. 
He  came  to  Chautauqua  county  w-ith  his  father  and 
mother   in   1822,  and  helped  to  clear  the  old  homestead 


farm.  He  married,  June  24,  1821,  Sibyl,  daughter  of 
Jonathan  Corey,  who  was  born  at  Bennington,  Vt.,  March 
24,  1791.  Children  of  Warren  and  Sibyl  (Corey)  Clark: 
Mahala,  born  in  1822,  died  in  1912;  Marvin  Dudley,  of 
whom  further;  Minerva,  born  1826,  died  1869;  Charles 
Wesley,  born  1837,  married  Martha  Putnam  (see  Putnam 
line).     Two  other  children,  who  did  not  reach  maturity. 

Marvin  Dudley  Clark,  son  of  Warren  and  Sibyl 
(Corey)  Clark,  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  in  the 
township  of  Ellicott,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  July  10, 
1824,  and  died  Dec.  15,  1901.  He  received  a  good  edu- 
cation, and  after  leaving  school  followed  the  agricultural 
business,  continuing  in  that  occupation  throughout  his 
entire  life.  His  estate  consisted  of  270  acres,  purchased 
by  his  father  and  grandfather  from  the  Holland  Land 
Company.  Mr.  Clark  was  considered  one  of  the  most 
successful  farmers  in  Chautauqua  county,  and  he  was 
noted  for  his  fine  stock  and  high  grade  grains.  He  also 
had  a  tract  of  fine  timber  which  he  made  into  lumber, 
and  the  present  fine  residence  on  the  estate  which  is  now 
owned  by  his  son,  Frank  M.  Clark,  was  erected  by  him. 
In  political  affiliation  he  was  a  staunch  Republican,  but 
never  cared  for  office.  Religiously  he  was  liberally  in- 
clined, not  a  member  of  any  church,  but  being  a  good 
singer,  was  a  member  of  various  church  choirs.  His 
wife  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 

On  Jan.  i,  1851,  Mr.  Clark  married  Rosina  Putnam, 
a  daughter  of  Rev.  Oren  and  Alvira  (Scofield)  Putnam, 
who  was  born  in  Stockton,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
Jan.  7,  1832,  and  died  in  BulTalo,  N.  Y.,  May  8,  1909 
(see  Putnam  line).  They  were  the  parents  of  three 
children:  i.  Cassius  Eugene,  born  Nov.  16,  1856;  mar- 
ried Ida  Bowen,  and  resides  at  Jamestown,  N.  Y. ;  their 
children  are :  Alene  and  Dudley.  2.  Frank  Marvin,  of 
whom  further.  3.  Mary  Rosalind,  born  Feb.  9,  1872; 
married  Eugene  D.  Smith,  and  their  children  are :  De- 
light, Gladys,  and  Violet. 

Frank  Marvin  Clark,  son  of  Marvin  Dudley  and  Ro- 
sina (Putnam)  Clark,  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  in 
the  township  of  Ellicott.  Chautauqua  countv',  N.  Y., 
April  2,  1863.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the 
district  schools  of  his  township,  and  later,  at  the  age  of 
sixteen,  came  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  where  he  attended 
the  high  school,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1883.  After  school  hours,  Mr.  Clark  acted  as 
clerk  in  the  drug  store  of  Henderson  &  Putnam,  and 
while  there  conceived  the  desire  to  become  a  pharma- 
cist. Accordingly,  in  the  fall  of  1883,  he  entered  the 
pharmacy  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  at 
Ann  Arbor.  He  was  graduated  from  this  institution 
with  the  class  of  1885,  holding  the  degree  of  Pharma- 
ceutical Chemist,  the  highest  degree  held  by  any  druggist 
in  Western  New  York.  He  holds  the  first  certificate  is- 
sued by  examination  by  the  New  York  State  Board  of 
Pharmacy  that  was  granted  in  Jamestown.  .After  the 
completion  of  his  education,  Mr.  Clark  accepted  a  posi- 
tion with  his  old  employers,  Henderson  &  Putnam,  and 
continued  there  until  1886.  In  November.  1886,  .  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  Cassius  E.  Clark, 
and  Edward  A.  Tupper,  to  operate  a  drug  store  at  No. 
II  East  Third  street,  Jamestown,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Clark  Brothers  &  Tupper.  Mr.  Tupper  was  a  room 
and  classmate  at  the  LTniversity  of  Michigan.  They 
continued  at  this  location  until   1801,  the  Clark  brothers 


iS6 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


previously  purchasing  Mr.  Tupper's  interest,  and  then 
removed  to  the  present  location  at  the  corner  of  Third 
and  Main  streets.  This  business  has  grown  to  such  an 
e.xtent  tliat  it  is  known  throughout  Western  \ew  York 
and  the  store  is  one  of  the  best  equipped  and  largest 
throughout  this  part  of  the  State.  In  addition  to  the 
drug  business.  Mr.  Clark  also  handles  a  general  hook  and 
stationery  business.  In  igo2.  Mr.  Clark  purchased  his 
brother's  interest  in  the  business,  and  now  conducts  the 
business  alone.  For  ten  years  he  conducted  an  up-to-date 
drug  store  at  Chautauqua,  X.  Y.  He  is  one  of  the  direc- 
tors of  the  EUicott  Drug  Company  (wholesale),  of  Buf- 
falo. X.  Y.,  and  for  two  years  was  president  of  that 
company.  During  the  World  War,  Mr.  Clark  was  en- 
rolling agent  of  the  United  States  Merchant  ^larine  for 
Jamestown  and  the  surrounding  territory,  and  he  was  one 
of  the  few  "Dollar  Men"  in  the  service  of  the  govern- 
ment in  Chautauqua  county.  The  article  contained  in 
this  history  of  the  Merchant  Marine  has  been  contrib- 
uted by  him  for  historical  reference. 

Politically.  Mr.  Clark  is  a  staunch  Republican,  but 
never  cared  for  the  emoluments  of  office.  Fraternally, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  various  Masonic  bodies,  including 
Mount  Moriah  Lodge,  Xo.  145,  Free  and  Accepted  Ma- 
sons :  Western  Sun  Chapter,  Xo.  67,  Royal  Arch  Masons ; 
Jamestown  Commandery,  Xo.  61,  Knights  Templar; 
Ancient  .Arabic  Order  Xobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine;  Buf- 
falo Consistory,  York  and  Scottish  Rite  Masons.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  New  York  State  Pharmaceutical 
Association;  the  .American  Microscopical  Society;  the 
Alpha  Chapter  of  the  Phi  Delta  Chi,  college  fraternity  of 
Ann  -A.rbor.  Mich.,  and  was  formerly  a  member  of  the 
Thirteenth  Separate  Company,  of  the  New  York  State 
Militia.  At  a  meeting  of  the  New  York  State  Pharma- 
ceutical Association,  which  was  attended  by  eminent  pro- 
fessors of  chemistry,  doctors  of  medicine,  and  leading 
druggists  of  the  State,  Mr.  Clark  was  awarded  the  first 
prize  for  recognition  of  the  largest  number  of  growing 
medicinal  plants  there  on  display. 

Mr.  Clark  married,  Dec.  30.  l8gi,  Mabel  Hartan,  born 
in  Philadelphia,  April  28,  1873,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Mary  (Gilhooleyl  Hartan.  Mrs.  Clark  was  educated  at 
Beaver  College,  Beaver,  Pa.,  and  the  Pittsburgh  Female 
Seminary.  She  has  been  active  in  various  charity  move- 
ments in  Jamestown,  being  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Warner  Home  for  the  Aged,  its  first  secretary,  and  a 
charter  member  of  the  board  of  managers.  She  is  a 
member  of  the  Mozart  Club;  the  .Avon  Club,  of  which 
she  was  one  time  treasurer;  and  the  Young  Women's 
Christian  Association.  To  this  union  two  children  were 
Ujrn  :  I.  Donald  Nfarvin,  born  Nov.  12,  1892,  died  Sept. 
22,  189.3.  2.  Fitzgerald  Hartan,  born  April  22,  18(54;  he 
was  educated  in  the  Jamestown  public  schools,  after- 
wards taking  a  post-graduate  course  at  Jamestown  High 
Schrrfil  before  entering  college,  and  graduating  in  \<i\2 
with  honors.  During  his  high  school  career  lir  was 
foremrist  in  athletic  sports,  and  was  captain  of  the 
baiketball  team  for  two  years,  and  as  a  member 
of  the  track  team  he  held  a  record  as  a  pole-vaulter 
in  interrollegiate  meets;  he  entered  the  University 
of  Mi<-higan  in  1012.  and  pursued  a  course  in  literature 
and  rhemivtry.  afterwards  taking  up  medicine  and  siir- 
wry.  graduating?  in  the  class  of  t02O  with  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of   Medicine;   at   college  he   was   also  active   in 


athletics,  being  a  member  of  the  track  team,  president  of 
Phi  Rho  Sigma,  medical  fraternity,  and  member  of  Alpha 
Tau  Omega,  college  fraternity ;  during  the  World  War 
he  enlisted  in  Detroit,  Mich.,  and  was  held  in  reserve 
while  completing  his  course  in  medicine,  and  was  hon- 
orably discharged  in  1919;  at  present  (1921)  he  is  spe- 
cializing in  children's  diseases  and  dermatology  at  the 
Children's  Free  and  Harper  hospitals  in  Detroit,  being 
on  the  medical  staffs.  He  is  a  member  of  Mt.  Moriah 
Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Jamestown. 

The   Putnam  Line. 

The  lineage  of  the  family  of  Putnam  is  traced  to  John 
Putnam,  the  immigrant,  ancestor  of  several  prominent 
citizens  of  the  early  days  of  Massachusetts  and  the  New 
England  colonies,  among  them  being  General  Israel  Put- 
nam and  Colonel  Rufus  Putnam,  chief  engineer  of  the 
army  of  defense  under  General  Washington.  The  name 
comes  from  Puttenham,  a  place  in  England,  and  this 
perhaps  from  the  Flemish  word  "putte,"  a  well ;  plural — 
putten  ;  and  ham,  signifying  home,  the  whole  indicating 
a  settlement  by  a  well. 

The  coat-of-arms  of  the  Putnam  family  is  as  follows ; 

Arms — Sable,  between  eight  crosses  crosslet-titchee 
(or  crusily-fitctiee)  argent,  a  stork  ot  the  last,  beaked 
and  legged  gules. 

Crest — A  wolf's  head  gules. 

John  Putnam,  of  Aston  Abbots,  county  of  Bucks, 
England,  the  founder  of  this  family,  was  born  about 
1580,  and  died  at  Salem  Village  (now  Danvers),  Mass., 
Dec.  30,  1662.  He  came  to  New  England  about  1634, 
and  settled  on  a  farm  since  known  as  "Oak  Knoll,"  at 
Danvers,  where  the  poet,  Whittier,  made  his  home  during 
his  last  years.  He  was  a  farmer  and  very  prosperous  for 
those  times.  In  1647,  he  was  admitted  to  the  church,  and 
was  made  a  freeman  in  the  same  year,  but  he  was  a  man 
of  standing  in  the  community  before  that  time.  He  mar- 
ried Priscilla  Gould,  and  their  children  were  as  follows: 
Elizabeth,  Thomas,  of  whom  further;  John,  Nathaniel, 
Sara,  Phoebe,  John. 

Lieutenant  Thomas  Putnam,  second  child  and  first  son 
of  John  and  Priscilla  (Gould)  Putnam,  was  baptized  at 
Aston  Abbots,  England,  March  7,  1615,  and  died  at 
Salem  Village,  Mass.,  May  5,  1686.  He  had  a  good  edu- 
cation, and  was  very  wealthy.  In  1640,  he  was  an  in- 
habitant of  Lyim,  Mass. ;  was  made  a  freeman  in  1642, 
and  selectman  in  1643.  In  the  last  mentioned  year  he  was 
admitted  to  the  church  at  Salem.  He  held  several  other 
important  offices.  He  married  (first)  Anne,  daughter  of 
Edward  and  Prudence  (Stockton)  Holyoke;  she  died 
Sept.  I,  1665.  He  married  (second)  Mary  Veren,  who 
died  in  March,  1695.  Children  by  first  wife:  Ann,  Sarah, 
Mary,  Thomas,  Edward,  of  whom  further;  Deliverance, 
Elizabeth,  Prudence.     Child  by  second  wife:  Joseph. 

Deacon  Edward  Putnam,  .son  of  Thomas  and  .Anne 
(Holyoke)  Putnam,  was  born  at  Salem  Village,  July  4, 
1654,  and  died  at  .Salem  Village,  March  10,  1747.  He  was 
a  man  of  good  education,  and  engaged  in  the  farming 
occupation.  He  was  a  deacon  of  the  church  at  Danvers, 
and  figured  prominently  in  the  witchcraft  trials.  He 
married,  Jiuie  14,  1681,  Mary  Hale,  and  their  children 
were  as  follows:  Edward,  Holyoke,  Elisha,  of  whom 
further;  Joscjih,  Mary,  Prudence,  Nchemiah,  Ezra.  Isaac, 
Abigail. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


487 


Deacon  Elisha  Putnam,  son  of  Deacon  Edward  and 
Mary  (Hale)  Putnam,  was  born  at  Salem  Village,  Nov. 
3,  1685,  and  died  at  Sutton,  Mass.,  June  10,  1745.  He 
was  a  farmer,  and  for  several  years  was  a  deacon  of 
the  church.  He  served  as  town  clerk,  town  treasurer,  and 
representative  in  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts.  He 
married  (first)  at  Salem,  Feb.  10,  1710,  Hannah  Marble. 
He  married  (second)  Susannah  Fuller,  of  Topsfield, 
Mass.  Children,  all  by  second  wife:  Elisha,  of  whom 
further;  Hannah,  Nehemiah,  Jonathan,  Susannah,  Mary, 
Stephen,  Amos.  Eunice.  Huldah,  Rufus. 

Elisha  (2)  Putnam,  son  of  Deacon  Elisha  (i)  and 
Susannah  (Fuller)  Putnam,  was  born  at  Topsfield, 
Mass.,  Dec.  2,  1715,  and  died  at  Crown  Point,  N.  Y.,  in 
1758.  He  was  at  that  time  a  soldier  in  the  Provincial 
army,  in  the  campaign  against  Ticonderoga.  He  married 
March  3,  1742,  Lydia  Chase,  daughter  of  Philip  and 
Mary  (Follansbee)  Chase,  who  was  born  Aug.  12.  1722. 
She  married  (second)  John  Daniels.  Children  of 
first  marriage :  Andrew,  of  whom  further ;  Elisha,  An- 
tipas,  Jokton,  Luke,  William. 

Andrew  Putnam,  son  of  Elisha  (2)  and  Lydia  (Chase) 
Putnam,  was  born  at  Sutton,  Mass.,  May  6,  1743,  and 
died  at  Townsend,  Mass.,  aged  over  seventy  years.  He 
owned  and  cultivated  a  farm  at  Greenfield,  and  fitted 
young  men  for  college.  About  1794,  he  removed  to 
Townsend.  He  was  a  fine-looking  man,  six  feet,  two 
inches  in  height,  and  his  wife  was  said  to  have  been  the 
handsomest  girl  who  ever  entered  the  Sutton  meeting 
house.  He  married.  Jan.  10,  1764,  Lucy  Parks,  of  Sut- 
ton, who  died  at  Townsend,  aged  over  seventy  years. 
Children :  Lydia,  Eunice,  Andrew,  of  whom  further ; 
Malachi,  Sarah,  Peter,  Stephen,  David,  Elizabeth,  Sally, 
Lucy,  Mary. 

The  "Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  Lineage 
Book,"  vol.  37,  page  334,  has  the  following :  "Andrew 
Putnam  (1742-1812)  served  as  selectman  of  Greenfield, 
where  he  moved  in  1780.  He  served  on  the  committee  to 
furnish  quota  of  beef  to  the  army,  1781.  He  was  born 
in  Sutton ;  died  in  Townsend." 

Andrew  (2)  Putnam,  son  of  .Andrew  (i)  and  Lucy 
(Parks)  Putnam,  was  born  at  Winchester,  Mass.,  March 
II,  1769,  and  died  June  4,  182S.  He  settled  at  Stockton, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  He  married,  at  Greenfield, 
Mass.,  Dec.  7,  1791,  Azuba,  daughter  of  Samuel  Stan- 
hope. Children:  Harriet,  Newell,  Gilbert,  Lovell,  Hiram, 
Olvin,  Oren,  of  whom  further ;  Royal  and  L^nion 
(twins),  and  Worthy. 

Rev.  Oren  Putnam,  son  of  .\ndrew  (2)  and  Azuba 
(Stanhope)  Putnam,  was  born  at  Brookfield,  Madison 
county,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  5,  1807,  and  died  at  Ellicott,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years. 
He  was  a  Baptist  minister,  and  lived  the  most  of  his 
life  in  Chautauqua  count\'.  He  settled  and  resided  until 
1856  near  his  father-in-law,  Shadrach  Scofield,  in  the 
southwest  part  of  the  township  of  Stockton,  where  he 
set  out  a  large  orchard  which  still  bears  excellent  fruit. 
This  section  was  "beech  and  maple"  land,  and  he  produced 
quantities  of  maple  sugar  and  pearlash.  He  also  kept  a 
fine  dairy  and  marketed  butter  and  cheese.  .A.fter  dispos- 
ing of  this  farm,  he  resided  at  various  times  at  Ellington, 
Frewsburg,  and  Sinclairville,  N.  Y.,  and  finally  with  his 
daughters,  Mrs.  Marvin  D.  Clark  and  Mrs.  Alvin 
Strunk,  at  Ellicott,  where  he  died  at  the  latter's  home. 


Rev.  Oren  Putnam  married  Alvira  Scofield,  daughter 
of  Shadrach  and  Betsey  (Waterbury)  Scofield,  who  sur- 
vived him  about  four  j'ears,  and  died  at  the  home  of  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  C.  Wesley  Clark,  near  Fluvanna,  N.  Y. 
Shadrach  Scofield,  Samuel  Waterbury,  and  Daniel  Water- 
bury  (son  of  Samuel)  came  from  Saratoga  county,  N. 
v.,  and  in  1810  made  the  first  settlement  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  township  of  Stockton.  Samuel  Waterbury 
had  been  a  Revolutionary  soldier;  Shadrach  Scofield 
afterward  served  at  Buff^alo,  in  the  War  of  1812.  Sha- 
drach Scofield  owned  a  considerable  amount  of  property, 
and  conducted  a  general  mercantile  business  at  what  is 
now  designated  as  Denton  Corners.  He  married  (first) 
Betsey  Waterbury,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Rachel  (Sco- 
field) Waterbury:  she  was,  on  her  mother's  side,  a  dis- 
tant relative.  He  married  (second)  Mrs.  Dalrimple,  a 
widow  with  one  child ;  they  afterward  removed  to  a  place 
near  Janesville,  Wis.,  where  he  died.  Children  of  Sha- 
drach and  Betsey  (Waterbury)  Scofield:  i.  Alvira, 
born  in  1807,  died  in  i8g8;  she  taught  for  some  time  in 
one  of  the  first  schools  in  the  northern  part  of  Ellery 
township ;  she  married.  Rev.  Oren  Putnam.  2.  Polly, 
married  Henry  Le  Barren,  of  Dewittville,  and  they  had 
four  children :  Orlando.  Betsey,  Hixen.  Horace ;  Orlando 
had  one  son,  Hixon,  one  daughter,  Horace,  three  children. 
Children  of  Rev.  Oren  and  Alvira  (Scofield)  Putnam: 
I.  Luman,  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War;  married  Lavina 
Vanderwark  and  had  children :  Mary,  Celestia,  Emily, 
Frank.  2.  Betsey  Cordelia,  married  William  Lee ;  re- 
moved to  Cokato,  Minn.;  children:  Marion,  deceased; 
Fayette,  Eugene ;  Marvin,  deceased ;  Viola,  deceased ; 
Charles,  deceased ;  James.  Edwin.  3.  Rosina,  married 
Marvin  Dudley  Clark,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  Frank 
Marvin  Clark.  4.  Mary  Ann,  married  Americus  San- 
ders, who  is  now  deceased ;  she  resides  at  Maynard, 
Iowa.  5.  Martha,  married  Charles  Wesley  Clark,  brother 
of  Marvin  Dudley  Clark:  children:  Myron,  married  Cora 
Thompson,  and  has  Lucille,  Alta,  Irene ;  De  Forest,  mar- 
ried Mary  Langhenberger,  one  child,  Roscoe  W. ;  .'Mmon, 
married  Clara  Magee,  one  child,  Charles ;  Minnie,  mar- 
ried David  Green.  6.  Maria,  married  Alvin  Strunk; 
resides  at  Ellicott ;  one  child,  Bert  Clarence,  married 
Mertie  Brunson ;  no  living  children. 


JUDSON      SHEFFIELD     WRIGHT— Said      the 

"Journal  of  Education"  under  date  of  Dec.  9,  1920: 

The  fact  that  President  .Tudson  S.  Wright,  of  Fal- 
coner, led  the  State  campaign  for  legislative  action 
culminating  in  tlie  mo.^t  remarkable  achievement 
through  salary  increase,  in  the  world's  history,  was 
to  make  him  appreciated  to  the  limit  by  all  Xew 
York  teachers.  Incidentally  Mr.  Wright  was  on  No- 
vember 2,  elected  to  the  State  Assembly,  and  the  Fal- 
coner district  has  asked  him  to  take  a  leave  of  absence 
during  the  legislative  session  and  then  return  to  the 
Superintendency  of  the  Sixth  Supervisory  District  of 
Chautauqua  County. 

For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  Mr.  .Wright  has 
been  identified  with  the  educational  life  of  the  village 
of  Falconer.  Chautauqua  county,  and  New  York  State. 
He  has  left  an  indelible  impress  upon  his  times,  and  he 
is  widely  and  favorably  known  as  one  of  the  leading 
educators  of  New  York,  for  his  reputation  is  state-wide 
as  the  foregoing  quotation  shows,  although  Teachers' 
State  Salary  bill  is  but  one  of  the  measures  he  has  ably 
championed  in  behalf  of  the  teachers  of  his  State. 


4SS 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Mr.  Wright  is  a  grandson  of  Daniel  Wright,  an  early 
settlor  of  the  town  of  Villcnova,  Chautauqua  county, 
X.  v.,  in  whose  honor  the  village  of  Wrights  Corners 
was  named,  and  there  he  built  the  first  hotel.  Daniel 
\\'right  was  succeeded  in  N'illenova  by  his  son,  Daniel 
(2)  Wright,  a  farmer  and  influential  citizen.  Daniel  (2) 
Wright  married  Florence  Sheffield,  horn  in  the  town  of 
Cherry  Creek,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  Judson 
Shefiield  Wright,  the  principal  character  in  this  review. 

Judson  S.  \\'right  was  born  in  the  town  of  Villenova, 
Cliautauqua  county,  X.  V.,  Sept.  14,  iSoS.  He  attended 
the  public  school  at  Wrights  Corners,  advancing  to  Go- 
war.da  High  School,  going  thence  to  the  State  Normal 
School  at  Fredonia.  N.  Y.,  there  taking  a  four  years' 
classical  course  and  graduating  with  honors,  class  of 
1S92.  The  following  September,  Mr.  Wright  began  his 
long  connection  with  the  public  schools  of  Falconer,  and 
Chautauqua  county.  For  ten  years,  1892-1902.  he  was 
prir.cipal  of  Falconer  public  school,  then  for  nine  years 
was  successively  elected  commissioner  of  the  third  of 
three  supervisory  districts  into  which  the  schools  of  the 
county  were  then  divided.  On  Jan.  I,  1912,  he  was  elected 
superintendent  of  the  sixth  supervisory  district,  the  num- 
ber of  districts  into  which  the  schools  of  the  county  are 
divided  having  doubled.  The  sixth  district  includes  the 
viilages  of  Falconer,  Celoron,  Sinclairville,  Cassadaga, 
Stockton.  Gerry,  Bemus  Point,  and  the  district  schools  in 
the  surrounding  country.  That  responsible  position  Mr. 
Wright  yet  holds  (1920),  and  in  addition  to  the  duties 
of  iiis  oiiice  has  been  active  in  village  and  county  affairs, 
r.ot  only  as  an  educator,  but  as  a  business  man  and 
citizen. 

He  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  one  time  president 
of  the  Field  &  Wright  Furniture  Company,  of  James- 
town, X.  v.,  and  held  similar  relation  to  the  Falconer 
Milling  Company;  he  was  also  one  of  the  founders  and 
is  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Falconer.  For  ten  years  he  w-as  president 
of  the  incorporated  village  of  Falconer,  and  in  1920  was 
elected  representative  from  the  First  Chautauqua  district 
and  is  serving  in  the  present  Legislature  (1921).  In 
pc'litics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  in  religious  connection 
affiliates  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Fal- 
coner, his  interest  in  that  church  active  and  helpful. 

Mr.  \\'right  came  into  State  prominence  through  his 
interest  in  legislation  affecting  public  schools  and  teach- 
er-, he  becoming  a  leader  in  the  greatest  legislative  edu- 
cational campaign  ever  conducted  in  the  State.  He 
advocated  and  energetically  worked  for  the  passage  of 
the  Teachers'  State  Salary  bill,  the  Public  Moneys  bill, 
the  Teachers'  Actuarial  Retirement  Fund  bill,  and  the 
Normal  Schools  Reorganization  bill.  He  was  masterful 
in  jjlanning,  alert  in  meeting  cmerKcncics,  good  naturcd 
und'-T  fire,  and  skillful  in  managing  political  forces  in 
the  profession  and  in  the  Legislature.  He  was  one  time 
provident  of  the  Chautauqua  County  Teachers'  Associa- 
tion, held  the  same  high  office  in  the  New  York  State 
.As'iociation  of  School  Commissions,  and  in  the  Teach- 
ers' AssfK^iation  of  New  York,  an  association  that  rep- 
resents aV^ut  58,000  teachers  throughout  New  York 
State.  It  wa.s  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  last  named 
asw^iciation,  held  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  22-24,  1920, 
that  the  t'.arhers  of  the  State  made  a  free-will  ofifering  of 
a    magnificent   sum   of    money    to    President   Wright    in 


appreciation  of  the  winning  battle  he  had  fought  for  in 
their  behalf;  another  honor  was  conferred  upon  Mr. 
Wright  in  .April,  1920,  in  his  apixjintment  by  Governor 
Smith  to  represent  the  State  of  New  Y'ork  at  the  Na- 
tional Educational  Conference  held  at  Washington,  D. 
C.  During  the  period  of  war  between  the  United  States 
and  Germany,  1917-1S,  he  was  very  active  in  committee 
w-ork  and  participated  in  all  Liberty  Loan,  Red  Cross, 
United  War  Work  and  Community  Chest  drives.  In 
fraternal  relation  he  is  affiliated  with  Chadakoin  Lodge, ' 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  Falconer. 

Mr.  Wright  married,  at  Forestville,  N.  Y.,  June  22, 
1903,  Effa  L.  Alanley,  born  there,  daughter  of  Francis  S. 
and  Hannah  (Shearer)  Alanley,  her  father  born  at 
Plattsburg,  her  mother  at  Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.  Mr. 
Manley  came  to  Chautauqua  county  when  a  young  man, 
and  engaged  in  farming  until  his  retirement.  He  mar- 
ried Hannah  Shearer,  in  Forestville,  and  there  they  re- 
sided until  death.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wright  are  the  parents 
of  two  daughters:  Marjorie  Florence,  now  a  student  at 
Oberlin  College,  Ohio;  and  Genevieve  Elizabeth,  a  Fal- 
coner High  School  student,  preparing  for  college. 

The  foregoing  reveals  Mr.  Wright  as  a  man  thoroughly 
devoted  to  the  cause  of  public  education,  a  cause  to  which 
he  has  given  all  the  mature  years  of  his  life.  Falconer, 
Chautauqua  county,  and  New  York  State  schools  and 
school  teachers  have  felt  the  benefit  of  his  intelligent 
interest  and  his  devotion  to  practical  ideas  and  ideals  as 
regards  schools  and  their  relation  to  the  public  good, 
and  for  his  manful  stand  in  behalf  of  fair  salaries  for 
teachers. 


BAILEY  TABLE  COMPANY— This  is  one  of  the 

oldest  w'oodworking  establishments  in  the  city,  having 
been  founded  at  Silver  Creek,  N.  Y.,  over  forty  years 
ago,  when  Beman  P.  Sold  began  the  manufacture  of  mar- 
ble top  tables,  subsequently  moving  to  Jamestown,  and 
beginning  the  manufacture  of  the  sainc  product.  Seven 
years  later,  however,  the  business  was  sold  to  a  company 
which  was  formed  under  the  name  of  Beman,  Breed  & 
Phillips,  with  the  following  directors  and  stockholders  : 
J.  M.  Beman,  Charles  Breed  and  Hurley  L.  Phillips.  In 
1886  the  name  was  changed  to  Morgan,  Maddox  &  Com- 
pany, and  later  was  again  changed  to  Maddox,  Bailey  & 
Company.  In  i8g8  the  company  was  incorporated  under 
the  name  of  Bailey-Jones  Company. 

The  company  long  ago  discontinued  the  manufacture 
of  marble  top  tables  and  began  making  all  wood  tables. 
The  superior  quality  of  their  goods  met  with  the  approval 
of  the  trade,  and  the  business  grew  to  e.xtensive  propor- 
tions. Their  product  is  of  the  highest  grade,  tables  and 
dining  rootn  suites.  The  company  has  two  large  build- 
ings, one  six-story  and  one  five-story,  besides  kilns  and 
lumber  storage  sheds.  The  plant  is  located  at  Winsor 
and  Harrison  streets,  and  is  equipped  w^ith  all  the  latest 
steam  and  electric  equipment.  It  employs  nearly  300 
peojile.  In  1904  the  company  naine  was  again  changed 
to  the  Bailey  Table  Company,  and  now  has  the  following 
officers :  President  and  treasurer,  B.  M.  Bailey ;  vice- 
president,  Milton  Bailey;  secretary,  William  S.  Bailey; 
assistant  secretary  and  assistant  treasurer,  N.  W.  Bailey ; 
the  first  three  of  these  are  the  company's  directors.  The 
company  is  a  mcnibi.T  of  the  Maiuifacturers'  Association 
of  Jamestown. 


<^  /O  /9c 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


489 


FRANK  DURAND  BARNEY— This  ancient  fam- 
ily was  denominated  from  the  town  of  Beruey,  near 
Wallingham,  county  of  Norfolk,  where  they  were  seated 
about  the  time  of  the  Conquest  and  have  ever  since  been 
of  considerable  note.  In  some  ancient  writings  which 
belonged  to  the  Priory  of  Byham : 

(I)  A  Roger  de  Berney  is  found  mentioned  as  Lord 
Berney ;  also 

(II)  Sir  Henry  de  Berney,  Knight,  his  son,  whose  son, 

(III)  Richard  de  Berney,  by  Catherine,  daughter  of 
Roger  Gygney,  Esq.,  had  issue, 

(lY }  Richard  de  Berney,  who  lived  at  Berney,  1268, 
and  was  father  of 

( V )  John  de  Berney,  who  resided  chiefly  in  the  city  of 
Norwich,  had  his  capital  messuage  there,  called  Berney 's 
Inn,  which  was  another  of  the  same  name  that  came  into 
the  family  with  the  estates  at  Reedham  by  marriage  very 
soon  after  this  time,  and  has  continued  in  it  ever  since. 
This  John  de  Berney  married  Joan,  daughter  and  heiress 
of  Bartholomew  de  Witchingham,  Esq.  He  left  issue 
by  her, 

(VI)  John  de  Berney,  who  resided  at  Witchingham. 
He  v.as  one  of  the  citizens  for  Norwich  in  the  Parliament 
held  at  York,  9  Edward  III,  also  he,  with  Robert  Clare, 
Esq.,  were  the  king's  commissioners  before  an  inquest  was 
taken  upon  a  writ  of  ad  quod  damnum  concerning  the  fee 
of  the  castle  of  Norwich,  19  Edward  III.  In  the  follow- 
ing year  he  was  elected  one  of  the  Knights  of  the  Shire 
for  the  County  of  Norfolk,  as  he  was  again,  two  years 
afterwards,  22  Edward  III.  together  with  the  said  Robert 
Clare,  Esq.,  and  were  allowed  £14  ids  for  thirty-four 
days'  attendance.  He  also  served  in  Parliament,  31  Ed- 
ward III,  and  for  attending  thirty-two  days  had  £6  8s 
allowed  for  his  expenses.  His  first  wife  was  Sarah, 
daughter  of  Bartholomew  Batman,  and  his  second  wife, 
Catherine,  daughter  of  Peter  Bedinglield,  Esq.  He  left 
two  sons,  Robert  and  Thomas. 

(VII)  Thomas  de  Berney,  second  son  of  the  above 
mentioned  John  Berney  de  Witchingham,  who  was  after- 
wards knighted,  married  Margaret,  daughter  and  heiress 
of  Sir  Robert  Caston,  knight,  of  a  very  ancient  family 
seated  at  Reedham,  in  Norfolk,  at  the  time  of  the  Con- 
queror's survey.  By  this  marriage,  besides  several  other 
estates  and  lordships,  he  had  the  manor  of  Reedham, 
whither  he  removed  in  the  reign  of  Edward  III  from 
Witchingham,  which  continued  the  seat  of  his  elder 
brother.  Sir  Robert,  and  his  descendants,  as  above  men- 
tioned, and  Reedham  became  the  seat  of  this  branch  of 
the  family. 

(VIII)  John  Berney  de  Reedham,  his  son  and  heir, 
married  Isabel,  daughter  and  heiress  of  Sir  John  Her- 
ringham.  Knight,  and  died  a}ino  1440,  leaving  issue  three 
sons. 

(IX)  Thomas  Berney  de  Reedham.  the  eldest  son  by 
Eva,  daughter  of  John  Clipsby,  Esq.,  left  issue ; 

rX)  John  Berney,  of  Reedham,  who  married  Cath- 
arine, daughter  of  Osbert  Munford,  of  Hockwold,  whose 
son  and  heir, 

(XI)  John  Berney  de  Reedham,  married  (first)  a 
daughter  of  Richard  Southwell,  Esq.,  and  afterwards  a 
daughter  of  John  Wentworth,  of  Suffolk,  leaving  issue: 

(XII)  John  de  Berney,  of  Reedham.  whose  first  wife 
was  Margaret,  daughter  of  William  Reade,  of  Beccles, 
in  Suffolk,  and  his  second  wife,  Alice,  daughter  of  Rich- 


ard Joyner,  and  relict  of   Paul   Syndor,  of   Kent,  Esq.; 
he  died   1557,  leaving  issue. 

(XIII)  Henry  Berney  de  Reedham,  who,  in  the  reign 
of  Philip  and  Mary,  removed  the  old  seat  of  the  family 
which  stood  near  the  church  at  Reedham,  into  the  park 
there,  in  which  he  built  a  magnificent  house  and  made 
very  large  gardens,  anno  1577,  calling  it  Park-hall  in 
Reedham.  He  died  1584,  having  a  numerous  issue  by 
Alice,  his  first  wife,  daughter  of  Roger  Appleton,  of 
Comb,  in  Essex,  and  Agnes,  his  second,  who  was  daugh- 
ter of  Walter  Clarke,  of  Hadley,  in  Suffolk,  England, 
and  heiress  of  her  brother  Edward. 

(XIV)  Sir  Thomas  Berney  de  Reedham,  Knight,  his 
eldest  son  and  heir,  was  high  sheriff  of  Norfolk,  7  James 
I,  1609,  and  died  1616,  leaving  issue  by  Juliana,  daughter 
of  Sir  Thomas  Gaudy,  of  Redenhall,  in  Norfolk,  Knight, 
one  of  the  justices  of  the  Common  Pleas;  several  chil- 
dren. 

(XV)  Sir  Richard  Berney  de  Reedham,  the  third  son 
of  Sir  Thomas,  by  his  two  elder  brothers  dying  without 
issue  became  his  heir,  and  was  created  a  Baronet.  May 
5,  1620,  the  eighteenth  of  James  I.  He  was  high  sheriff 
of  Norfolk  the  twentieth  of  the  same  king,  1622,  and  died 
1668.  By  Anne,  daughter  of  Michael  Smallpage,  of  Chi- 
chester in  Sussex,  Esq.,  besides  four  daughters  he  had  five 
sons.  He  left  all  his  estates  at  Reedham  and  elsewhere 
belonging  to  the  family  to  his  second  son,  Richard  Berney 
de  Reedham,  Esq.,  who  was  twice  high  sheriff  of  Nor- 
folk. 14  Charles  II,  1662,  and  also  the  twenty-second  of 
the  same  king,  1670. 

(XVI)  Sir  Thomas  Berney.  of  Norwich,  Bart,  eldest 
son  of  Sir  Richard,  by  Sarah,  his  second  wife,  daughter 
of  Thomas  Tyrrel,  of  Essex,  Esq.,  Governor  of  Land- 
guard  Fort  on  the  restoration  of  Charles  II,  had  several 
children. 

(XVII)  Sir  Richard  Berney,  of  Kirby  Bedon.  Bart, 
his  chief  son  and  heir,  who  married  Dorothy,  daughter 
of  William  Eranthwayte,  of  Hethel,  Esq.,  had  a  numer- 
ous issue.  Sir  Richard  died  1706,  and  was  succeeded  in 
title  and  estate  by  his  eldest  son  and  heir. 

(XVIII)  Sir  Richard  Berney,  of  Kirby  Bedon,  who 
died  unmarried  1710,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years,  by 
which  means  the  title  and  estate  descended  to 

(XIX)  Sir  Thomas  Berney,  of  Kirby  Bedon.  his  next 
brother,  who  married  Elizabeth,  only  daughter  and  heir- 
ess of  Simon  Folkes,  of  Suffolk,  Esq.,  by  Elizabeth,  his 
wife,  who  was  daughter  and  one  of  the  co-heiresses  of 
Samuel  Hanson,  of  the  Island  of  Barbadoes,  Esq.,  by 
whom  a  plantation  called  Hanson's  in  that  island  came 
into  the  family.  He  died  1742,  and  left  issue  only  two 
sons,  Hanson,  his  successor,  and  Richard;  four  other 
children  died  in  their  infancy. 

(XX)  Sir  Hanson  Kirby  Bedon,  the  twentieth  male 
heir  in  a  lineal  descent  from  Roger  de  Berney,  succeeded 
his  father.  Sir  Thomas,  in  title  and  estate. 

The  family  bears  arms  as  follows  : 

Arms — Quarterly,  first,  per  pale  azure  and  gules,  a 
cross  engrailed  ermine;  second,  gules,  a  chevron  argent, 
between  three  eagles  displayed  of  the  second;  fourth, 
argent,  on  a  canton  gules  a  cross  or.  In  the  honor 
chiefpoint  an  inescutcheon  argent,  charged  with  the 
hands  of  Nestor. 

Crest — A  plume  of  six  ostrich  feathers,  alternately 
azure  and  gules. 

Motto — Nil  temere  neque  timore. 


490 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Branches  made  their  hornet  in  other  parts  of  England, 
and  Edward  Barney,  of  Bradenhani.  Bucks  county,  Eng- 
land, in  his  will  dated  1043,  makes  a  bequest  to  his  son 
Jacob  "if  he  is  living  at  the  tiine  of  my  death  and  come 
over  to  England."  Tliis  son  Jacob  was,  from  all  indi- 
cations, the  ancestor  of  the  first  Barneys  of  America, 
and  came  from  Swansea,  Wales,  to  Salem,  Mass.,  about 
1630.  He  resided  in  that  town,  where  he  w-as  a  tailor, 
was  made  freeman,  May  14,  1634,  and  was  representative 
to  the  General  Court  in  1635-3S-47-53. 

(I)  Jacob  Barney,  his  eldest  son.  became  a  Baptist 
minister,  founded  churches  at  Charlestown  and  Swansea, 
Mass.,  and  was  among  the  founders  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church  of  Boston  in  166S.  He  moved  from  Salem,  Alass., 
and  resided  in  Bristol  (^now  Rhode  Island),  and  Reho- 
both,  Mass.,  where  his  will  was  made  July  13,  1602,  and 
proved  Feb.  20,  of  the  following  year.  He  was  twice 
married,  first  to  Hannah  Johnson,  and  second  to  .^nn 
Witt. 

(H)  Joseph  Barney,  son  of  the  second  marriage  of 
Jacob  (Ji  Barney,  was  born  in  Salem,  March  0,  1673, 
resided  for  a  time  in  Swansea,  and  later  in  Rehoboth, 
where  he  died  Feb.  5,  1731.  He  was  a  lieutenant  in  the 
militia.  He  married  Constance  Davis,  and  had  eight 
children,  the  second  Daniel. 

(III)  Daniel  Barney,  born  in  1697,  married  .A.lice  for 
Freelove)  \\'heaton,  daughter  of  Ephraim  Wlieaton,  and 
granddaughter  of  Elder  Robert  Whcaton,  and  had  chil- 
dren, the  second-.  Constant. 

(IV)  Constant  Barney,  born  in  1731,  married  Hannah, 
surname  unknown,  and  moved  from  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  to 
.■\rlington,  \'t.  He  served  in  the  .American  army  in  the 
Revolutionary  ^^"ar. 

(V)  Daniel  Barney,  born  June  17,  1766,  married  Polly 
.•\ylsworth,  born  Sept.  7,  1770,  daughter  of  .■Xbel  and 
Freelove  (Matteson)  .\ylsworth.  Abel  Aylsworth  was 
"an  Ensign  in  Seth  Warner's  Regiment,  and  went  to 
Quebec  in  1776  with  General  Montgomery."  Children  of 
Daniel  and  Polly  ('.^ylsworth)  Barney:  Ruth,  born  Sept. 
20,  1700:  -Abel,  born  Feb.  4.  1792;  Sophia,  born  Oct.  24, 
1793:  Betsey,  born  Sept.  24.  1795:  Judiah  .\ylsworth,  of 
whom  further;  Asa  Cromwell,  born  March  24,  1709; 
Roswell  .\,.  born  March  4,  1801  ;  Benjamin  F.,  born  Jan. 
9,  1803:  Ann,  born  .Aug.  25,  i?04;  .-Vrza  S.,  born  Aug.  25, 
1806:  Xorman  W.,  born  Mav  14,  180S;  Pollv,  born  Aug. 
16,   1813. 

fVI)  Judiah  .-Xylsworth  Barney  was  born  in  Vermont, 
Sept.  12.  1797.  He  married,  March  8,  1831,  Philura  Cum- 
mings,  born  \ov.  20,  i8o6.  Children:  Charles,  born  Jan. 
8,  1832;  Daniel,  of  whom  further;  Asa  Cromwell,  horn 
Sept.  26,  1835;  Eliza  .Ann,  born  Aug.  10,  1845. 

evil)  Daniel  Barney,  father  of  Frank  Durand  Bar- 
ney, was  horn  in  Summer  Hill,  Cayuga  county,  N.  Y., 
.•\ug.  23,  1833.  He  attended  the  district  school  and  later 
a'-rompanied  his  iiarents  to  Chautaucpia  county.  It  is  in- 
t'  r'-'.tirjg  to  note  that  Daniel  Barney  cut  wood  for  twenty- 
fiv(-  cnts  a  cord  at  Elm  Flats,  now  Hartfield.  .Subse- 
fpiently  he  went  West  to  Minnesota,  where  he  bought  a 
farm,  which  later  became  the  property  of  his  son.  Later, 
in  1883,  he  came  Eat  and  settled  in  Chautau((ua  county. 
He  married,  March  12,  1802,  Mariett  Lucinda  Durand, 
\i'irn  March  30,  1839,  daughter  of  Nathan  and  Ursula 
CCri-v.ol'l )  Durand,  her  mother  a  daughter  of  William 
Gri'v.old,   a    tavern     keeper    at     Sheridan,     Chautauijiia 


county,  in  the  picturesque  days  of  the  stage  coach,  and 
who  fought  in  the  War  of  1812.  William  Griswold  mar- 
ried Zylpha  Bush,  born  June  22,  i/iw,  who  bore  him  ten 
children,  as  follows:  Ursula,  born  May  25,  1810,  mar- 
ried Nathan  Durand;  William  B.,  born  April  28,  1812; 
Juliet  C,  born  Oct.  12,  1814;  Albinus  A.,  born  April  23, 
iSiS;  Dcwitt  C,  born  March  2,  1821  ;  Otho  E.,  born 
Nov.  3,  1823;  Lewis  M.,  born  Dec.  20,  1825;  Malvina, 
born  June  20,  1828;  Garafilia,  born  Sept.  8,  1830;  and 
Alerritt  W.,  born  May  12,  1835.  Nathan  and  Ursula 
(Griswold)  Durand  were  the  parents  of  three  children: 
Juliett  Clorinda,  born  July  2,  1S35,  married  Edwin  Her- 
rick,  and  had  three  children,  Dora,  Roy  and  Edwin ; 
FrankHn  Wesley,  born  July  22,  1837,  died  in  1844:  Mari- 
ett Lucinda,  married  Daniel  Barney,  and  to  them  was 
born  one  child,  Franklin  Durand,  of  whom  further. 

In  1856,  Daniel  Barney  went  to  Mankato,  Minn.,  where 
he  spent  six  years  preempting  land,  after  which  he  re- 
turned East  and  married.  In  1863,  with  his  wife,  he 
again  went  to  Minnesota,  and  there  lived  until  1S83.  In 
this  latter  year  they  came  East  and  took  up  their  resi- 
de;tce  again  on  the  Durand  homestead,  where  the  re- 
mainder of  their  lives  were  spent.  The  Durand  home- 
stead in  Chautauqua  county  came  into  the  possession  of 
the  family  through  the  Holland  Land  Company,  and  the 
original  deeds  to  the  property  are  now  in  the  possession 
of  Frank  Durand  Barney,  of  Westfield.  He  also  holds 
the  original  deed  and  land  of  the  Barney  homestead  in 
Minnesota,  the  document  signed  by  Abraham  Lincoln,  on 
March  25,  1862,  in  behalf  of  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment. The  family  of  Durand  traces  to  Dr.  John  Durand, 
who  married  in  Stratford,  Conn.,  Elizabeth,  daughter 
of  Richard  Bryan,  and  great-granddaughter  of  Alexander 
Bryan.  He  came  to  Derby,  Conn.,  about  1685,  his  resi- 
dence being  near  Edward  Wooster's  at  Derby  village.  He 
had  a  son,  Joseph,  born  Dec.  20,  1709,  died  1792,  who 
married,  in  1734,  Ann  Tomlinson.  They  had  a  son, 
Isaac,  born  Aug.  14,  1745,  died  in  Stratford  in  1825.  He 
fought  in  the  Revolution,  being  listed  in  the  militia  from 
Derby,  Conn.  He  married,  and  his  wife,  Sarah,  died 
April  zy,  1827,  aged  eighty  years.  Isaac  Durand  was 
the  father  of  Fisk  Durand,  grandfather  of  Mariett  Lu- 
cinda Durand,  who  married  Daniel  Barney.  Fisk  Durand 
was  born  in  old  Milford,  Conn.,  in  I7f'6,  and  died  in 
Westfield,  N.  Y.,  in  1836.  He  was  on  the  pension  roll 
of  Chautauqua  county  in  1831  for  the  service  of  musi- 
cian. He  was  the  father  of  Nathan  Durand,  born  in 
Connecticut,  an  early  pioneer  and  surveyor  of  Chautau- 
qua county,  where,  in  Westfield,  he  died  in  1839.  He 
married,  as  previously  stated,  Ursula  Griswold.  The 
Durand  family  has  borne  arms  as  follows:  Gules — A  lion 
rampant  or,  in  the  dexter  paw  a  cutlass  argent  hiltcd  of 
the  second.    Crest — A  yew  tree  proper. 

(VIII)  Frank  Durand  Barney,  son  of  Daniel  and 
Mariett  Lucinda  (Durand)  Barney,  was  born  at  Vernon 
Center,  Blue  Earth  county,  Miim.,  May  14,  i860.  His 
early  educaticju  was  obtained  in  the  West,  where  he  re- 
mained until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age.  and  in  1883  he 
came  to  Westfield,  N.  Y.,  entering  the  Westfield  Acad- 
emy. After  graduation  from  the  Academy  he  studied 
engineering  for  a  short  time  in  Cornell  University,  sub- 
sequently taking  a  post-graduate  course  in  Westfield 
Academy,  and  then  entered  Clark  &■  Perrin  Commercial 
College  of    Huffaln.     His   active   life  began  as  manager 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


491 


of  the  farm  of  200  acres  at  Westfield,  belonging  to  his 
grandfather,  Nathan  Durand,  which  he  has  since  oper- 
ated along  general  farming  and  dairying  lines,  with  a 
considerable  acreage  devoted  to  grape  growing.  He  also 
manages  a  farm  in  Minnesota,  which  had  been  owned  by 
his  late  father,  and  is  now  owned  by  himself  and  mother, 
and  on  its  300  acres  he  conducts  general  farming  and 
stock  raising.  During  this  time,  in  addition  to  his  agri- 
cultural work,  Mr.  Barney  also  taught  in  tlie  schools  of 
Westfield  for  a  number  of  years. 

Mr.  Barney  has  been  prominent  in  social  and  fraternal 
circles,  and  is  a  member  of  Summit  Lodge,  No.  2ig,  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Westfield :  Westfield  Chapter, 
No.  239,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  of  Mayville ;  Jamestown 
Council,  Royal  and  Select  Masters ;  and  Dunkirk  Com- 
mandery,  Knights  Templar,  of  Dunkirk.  His  political 
stand  is  independent,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Univer- 
salist  church.  Mr.  Barney  is  numbered  among  the  most 
successful  farmers  of  Chautauqua  county,  has  a  wide 
acquaintance  in  the  district,  and  is  held  in  high  regard 
for  qualities  of  responsible  citizenship. 


JESSE  HENRY  SMITH,  an  enterprising  and  suc- 
cessful agriculturist  of  Panama.  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  and  one  of  the  public-spirited  residents  of  that 
town,  is  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  that 
county,  and  therefore  is  worthy  of  mention  in  a  work 
of  this  description. 

Jesse  Smith,  grandfather  of  Jesse  H.  Smith,  and  the 
early  settler  above  mentioned,  was  born  in  Raymond, 
N.  H..  March  IQ,  1792,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Elizabeth 
(DollofT)  Smith.  In  early  life,  Jesse  Smith  came  to 
Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  accepted  the  position  of  teacher  in 
the  village  school,  which  he  acceptably  filled,  and  took  an 
active  part  in  the  afi^airs  of  the  village.  Later  he  removed 
to  Panama,  N.  Y.,  and  established  a  select  school  called 
the  Academy  in  a  building  situated  where  the  Union 
Cemetery  is  now  located.  After  several  very  successful 
years  of  teaching,  he  retired  and  moved  to  Riceville,  Pa., 
where  he  purchased  an  extensive  farm  and  also  erected 
a  grist  mill,  conducting  the  latter  successfully  for  many 
years.  In  later  life,  he  returned  to  Panama,  N.  Y.,  and 
purchased  property,  upon  which  he  erected  two  store 
buildings,  which  he  rented  advantageously,  and  he  was 
very  influential  in  village  afifairs  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death.  During  his  residence  in  Jamestown,  Mr.  Smith 
married  Emily  Dix.  who  accompanied  her  parents  to  that 
town  from  the  State  of  Vermont.  Twelve  children  were 
born  of  this  marriage,  six  of  whom  grew-  to  years  of 
manhood  and  womanhood,  namely :  Gilbert,  Clement, 
Henry  Dix,  Helen,  Jennie,  Alice.  AH  are  now  deceased, 
and  Jesse  H.  Smith,  son  of  Henry  D.  Smith,  is  the  only 
descendant  now  living  in  Chautauqua  county. 

Henrv'  Dix  Smith,  father  of  Jesse  H.  Smith,  was  born 
in  Poland.  N.  Y.,  July  22,  1830.  He  received  a  good 
education  in  the  schools  of  Panama  and  Jamestown,  N. 
Y.,  and  after  completing  his  studies  he  acted  for  a  time 
as  agent  for  stone  pumps.  After  the  removal  of  his 
father  to  Riceville,  Pa.,  he  became  interested  in  the 
grocery  business  and  conducted  a  store  in  Pleasantville, 
Pa.,  for  a  number  of  years,  then  moved  to  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  conducted  a  grocery  store  in  partner- 
ship with  another  man,  continuing  in  that  line  of  work 
until  his  death,  June.   1877,  the  business  being  settled  by 


his  widow  Mary  (Nelson)  Smith,  whom  he  met  during 
his  residence  in  Pleasantville,  Pa.,  where  she  was  acting 
in  the  capacity  of  school  teacher.  They  were  married 
in  Eagle,  Wyoming  county,  N.  Y.,  July  25,  1875,  and 
their  only  child,  Jesse  Henry,  of  further  mention,  was 
born  during  their  residence  in  Jamestown,  N.  V.  After 
the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Smith  and  her  child  went 
to  live  with  her  mother  in  Bliss,  N.  Y.,  and  for  three 
years  she  taught  in  a  school  in  that  vicinity.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  -that  period  of  time,  she  became  the  wife  of 
Eaton  Smith,  of  Panama,  N.  Y.,  a  cousin  of  her  first 
husband,  and  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Eunice  (Dix) 
Smith,  who  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  Panama, 
coming  on  horseback  from  \'ermont,  the  mother  carrying 
her  baby,  Emeline,  in  her  arms.  Mrs.  Smith  by  her  sec- 
ond marriage  became  the  mother  of  one  child.  Helen 
Gail,  born  in  Panama,  Aug.  31,  1882.  Eaton  Smith  died 
September,  igoi,  and  in  April,  191 1,  Mrs.  Smith  became 
the  wife  of  Joseph  G.  Hill,  of  St.  Cloud.  Fla.  For  ten 
years  prior  to  that  event,  Mrs.  Smith  made  her  home  with 
her  son,  Jesse  H.  Smith,  in  Panama. 

Jesse  Henry  Smith  was  born  in  Jamestown,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y..  Jan.  12,  1877.  He  was  educated  in  the 
school  of  Panama,  and  then  pursued  a  short  course  of 
study  in  Jamestown  Business  College.  He  was  interested 
in  farming,  having  a  small  farm  in  Panama,  in  the  culti- 
vation of  which  he  displayed  indefatigable  energy.  In 
April,  1018,  he  moved  to  a  large  dairy  farm  at  Elm 
Flats,  near  Alayville,  which  his  mother  and  he  purchased 
from  Mr.  William  Arnold,  and  is  residing  thereon  at 
the  present  time  (1921).  He  is  prominent  in  the  social 
and  club  life  of  the  region,  holding  membership  in  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry, and  the  Dairymen's  League.  He  is  a  Methodist 
in  religious  belief,  and  a  Republican  in  politics,  having 
served  as  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  village  of  Panama. 

Mr.  Smith  married,  June  25,  1908,  Elnora  Scranton, 
daughter  of  George  and  Anna  (Fay)  Scranton,  old  and 
respected  citizens  of  Warren  county,  Pa.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Smith  the  following  children  were  born :  Henry 
Jesse.  Fay  Nelson,  Harley  Gillette,  Helen  Mary. 


LESLIE  ALLAN  PEASE — For  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury, Leslie  A.  Pease  has  practiced  law  in  Dunkirk,  N. 
Y.,  coming  not  long  after  obtaining  his  LL.  B.  from  the 
law  department  of  Union  University,  after  a  short  period 
of  practice  in  Niagara  county,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Pease  has  won 
high  standing  at  the  Chautauqua  bar,  and  his  literary 
ability  has  brought  him  further  popularity  and  promi- 
nence. He  is  a  pleasing,  effective,  platform  orator  and  a 
powerful  advocate  for  any  cause  to  which  he  lends  his 
aid.  His  able  pen  has  been  employed  in  behalf  of  this 
work,  and  two  of  its  historical  chapters  bear  his  name. 

He  is  a  son  of  Dr.  Truman  A.  and  Helen  M.  (Lester) 
Pease,  his  father  a  former  practicing  physician  of  Nor- 
wood, St.  Lawrence  county,  N.  Y.  The  earliest  Pease  an- 
cestor is  Capt.  John  Pease,  born  in  England,  who  came  to 
New  England  with  the  early  settlers  and  located  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, where  he  founded  a  family.  Ebenezer  Pease, 
a  descendant  of  Captain  John  Pease,  was  a  soldier  of  the 
Revolution,  and  great-great-grandfather  of  Leslie  A. 
Pease.  Abel  Pease,  son  of  Ebenezer  Pease,  the  patriot, 
was  born  in  Vermont  and  was  the  first  of  the  family  to 
settle  in   St.   Lawrence  county,  his  residence  in  the  vil- 


49-' 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


lage  of  Xorth  Lawrence  dating  from  1S2S.  He  built  the 
rirst  farm  house  there,  and  in  it  died  in  1808,  aged  eighty- 
seven  years.  He  was  the  father  of  several  children,  the 
fourth,  a  son.  Abel  Pease,  who  always  followed  mechan- 
ical pursuits  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Norwood,  St. 
Lawrence  county.  He  married  Sally  Clark,  of  Grand 
Isle  county,  Vt.,  daughter  of  Truman  Clark,  a  member 
of  the  \"ermont  Legislature,  and  a  man  of  considerable 
prominence.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  in- 
cluding a  son,  Truman  A.  Pease,  born  in  the  town  of 
Brasher.  St.  Lawrence  county,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  27,  1842,  He 
was  educated  in  Lawrenceville  Academy,  and  while  a 
teacher  there,  in  later  years,  began  the  study  of  medicine 
under  Dr.  Joseph  A.  Jackson.  In  1864,  after  one  year  of 
study,  he  enlisted  in  the  Union  Army,  Company  K,  193rd 
Regiment.  New  York  \"olunteer  Infantry,  was  appointed 
hospital  steward  at  Cumberland  City,  Md.,  there  serving 
until  the  close  of  the  war  of  18  5.  Upon  his  return  from 
the  army  he  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  Llni- 
versity  of  Vermont,  whence  he  was  graduated  M.  D., 
class  of  1S67.  He  began  practice  at  Norwood,  N.  Y.,  and 
there  completed  an  honorable  and  successful  record  as  a 
physician  and  surgeon  of  skill  and  learning.  He  married, 
June  10.  1868,  Helen  M.  Lester,  who  died  Aug.  30,  1884, 
the  mother  of  two  sons,  one  dying  at  the  age  of  seven 
years,  the  other,  Leslie  .\llan  Pease,  of  Dunkirk,  N.  V., 
to  whom  this  review  is  inscribed. 

Leslie  Allan  Pease  was  born  in  the  village  of  Norwood, 
St.  Lawrence  county,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  14,  1869,  and  there 
spent  the  first  nineteen  years  of  his  life.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  Norwood  public  schools,  Norwood  Academy, 
class  of  1888,  Oberlin  College,  and  finally  was  graduated 
LL.  B.  from  Union  University,  class  of  1891.  At  Ober- 
lin. as  at  Norwood  Academy,  he  displayed  literary  and 
oratorical  ability  and  won  especial  honor.  After  gradu- 
ation from  law  school  in  1891,  he  was  admitted  to  the 
New  York  bar,  and  in  1892  began  the  practice  of  law  at 
Niagara  Falls,  N.  Y.  Not  long  thereafter  he  moved  to 
Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  and  has  since  been  in  continuous  prac- 
tice, ranking  as  one  of  the  able  men  of  the  Chautauqua 
county  bar.  He  is  a  member  of  the  County  and  State 
Bar  associations,  and  is  highly  esteemed  by  his  brethren 
of  the  profession.  He  holds  the  confidence  of  a  large 
clientele,  and  is  one  of  the  successful  men  of  his  profes- 
sion. Until  1904  he  practiced  alone,  but  in  that  year  be- 
came associated  with  Lyman  C.  Kilburn,  they  practicing 
as  Pease  &  Kilburn. 

A  Republican  in  politics,  Mr.  Pease,  upon  becoming  a 
voter,  began  taking  an  active  part  in  politics,  the  cam- 
paign committees  employing  his  talents  as  a  public 
sjieakcr  to  good  advantage.  Since  then  he  has  been  ac- 
tive as  a  campaign  orator,  working  under  the  direction 
of  both  State  and  National  committees  and  under  the 
Republican  State  League.  He  has  grown  in  intellectual 
str«;ngth  with  the  years,  and  his  reputation  as  a  pleasing, 
lo!;;i':al  and  convincing  public  speaker  has  kept  pace.  As 
3  writer  of  prose  and  iwetry,  he  is  well  known  to  maga- 
7.ine  readers,  his  literary  work  having  been  received  with 
favor.  In  i80,  he  was  elected  special  surrogate  for 
Chautau'jua  county.  In  I'/ja  he  was  the  candidate  of  his 
f/arty  for  mayor  of  Dunkirk. 

Mr.  Pease  married,  June  27,  1000,  Luna  B.  Keeler,  of 
SorwrxA,  S.  v.,  and  thev  .'ire  thi-  i];irents  of  two  chil- 
dren :  Helen  L,  and  Allan  W. 


MYRON  MONTAGUE,  the  oldest  resident  at  the 

time  of  his  death,  of  Sinclairville,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  where  he  lived  in  retirement,  reached  his  ninety- 
fourth  year,  Oct.  3,  1920,  and  died  Oct.  7,  1920,  his  long 
life  having  been  a  worthy  record  of  successful  industry 
and  useful  public  work,  which  included  a  period  as  town 
clerk  of  Charlotte  tovvnshij),  and  very  many  years  as  a 
justice  of  the  peace  in  the  town  of  Gerry. 

The  Montague  family,  in  its  American  generations, 
goes  back  to  Colonial  days ;  it  was  prominent  in  the  Had- 
ley,  Mass.,  Settlement.  Elijah  Montague,  father  of 
Myron  Alontague,  was  born  in  Hadley,  Mass.,  in  1781, 
son  of  Nathaniel  Montague.  Elijah  Montague  grew  to 
manhood  in  Hadley,  married  Esther  McElwain  and  to 
them  were  born  ten  children,  four  of  whom,  however, 
died  in  early  life.  Somewhat  early  in  his  married  life. 
Elijah  Montague  removed  with  his  family  to  New  York 
State,  locating  first  in  Rensselaer  county,  but  later  mov- 
ing to  Salem,  Washington  county,  where  he  farmed  for 
some  years.  Subsequently,  however,  he  acquired  prop- 
erty in  Cooperstown,  Otsego  county.  Eventually,  the 
family  removed  to  Genesee  county,  near  Batavia,  where 
they  lived  many  years,  until  1836,  when  Elijah  Montague 
brought  his  family  to  Chautauqua  county,  and  settled  in 
Charlotte  township,  where  his  son,  Elijah  Montague,  had 
a  farming  property.  His  wife,  Esther  (McElwain) 
Montague,  had  been  dead  for  about  two  years,  and  his 
youngest  son,  Myron  Montague,  was  about  nine  years  of 
age,  when  he  decided  to  leave  Batavia  and  to  come  to 
Chautauqua  county  to  live  with  his  children.  He  died 
in  Sinclairville,  Jan.  3,  1862,  buried  in  Evergreen  Ceme- 
tery, Sinclairville.  His  wife,  who  died  in  Batavia,  N.  Y., 
Jan.  7,  1834,  was  buried  there.  They  were  the  parents  of 
six  children,  all  of  whom  they  reared,  namely:  i.  Orra, 
who  became  the  wife  of  Charles  Coder.  2.  Elijah,  who 
became  a  prosperous  farmer  in  Charlotte  township.  3. 
Erastus,  who  lived  many  years  in  Conneautville,  Pa.  4. 
Esther  Susan,  who  became  the  wife  of  Jotham  Bigelow, 
of  Michigan.  5.  Electa,  who  married  (first)  George  E. 
Waite,  (second)  Edwin  Putnam,  of  Sinclairville.  6. 
Myron,  mentioned  below. 

Myron  Montague,  son  of  Elijah  and  Esther  (McEl- 
wain) Montague,  was  born  near  Batavia,  Genesee  county, 
N.  Y.,  Oct.  3,  1827.  When  he  was  nine  years  old,  he 
was  taken  by  his  father  to  Charlotte  township,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  where  his  elder  brother,  Elijah,  was 
prospering  as  an  independent  farmer.  There  the  boy  was 
brought  up.  His  schooling  began  in  the  Batavia  district 
schofil,  and  was  continued  in  the  district  school  of  Char- 
lotte township.  Myron  I^Iontague  lived,  with  his  father, 
in  the  home  of  his  brother  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  went  to  Sinclairville  to  enter  upon  an  ap- 
prenticeship to  John  Brunson,  blacksmith.  He  worked 
at  blacksmithing  for  eight  years,  successively  as  appren- 
tice, journeyman,  and  partner  of  Mr.  Brunson,  but  he  met 
with  an  accident  which  caused  him  to  give  up  his  trade. 
He  then  worked  on  shares  on  his  father-in-law's  farm, 
consisting  of  216  acres.  Some  few  years  later  he  pur- 
chased a  farin  of  231  acres  for  himself,  situated  in  Gerry 
township,  and  for  more  than  forty-three  years  thereafter 
cultivated  it.  He  proved  to  be  a  skillful,  industrious 
farmer,  and  greatly  improved  the  property,  building  a 
commodious,  subst.-uitial  barn  amongst  other  important 
improvements.     In  looi,  he  being  then  seventy-four  years 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


493 


old,  he  retired  from  farming  occupations,  and  moved  to 
Sinclairville,  where  for  the  last  nineteen  years  of  his 
life  he  lived  in  retirement.  He  was  active,  and  became 
a  familiar  figure  in  the  town,  also  well  known.  In  his 
early  manhood,  he  was  an  active  Whig  in  national  poli- 
tics, and  cast  his  first  vote  for  Zachary  Taylor,  who  be- 
came president  of  the  United  States  in  1849;  and  he 
voted  in  every  presidential  election  from  that  time  until 
his  death,  his  last  vote  having  been  cast  for  Justice 
Hughes,  in  1916,  this  making  a  record  of  sixty-eight 
years  of  presidential  voting.  Myron  Montague  was 
town  clerk  of  Cliarlotte  township  sixty-nine  years  ago, 
and  later  was  prominent  in  local  public  movements, 
esteemed  in  the  district  as  a  man  of  broad  mind  and  of 
good  moral  integrity.  He  was  entrusted  with  the  admin- 
istration of  justice  in  Gerry  township  for  fifteen  years, 
and  that  period  of  his  public  service  was  marked  by  find- 
ings which  indicated  that  he  had  a  good  understanding 
of  the  fundamentals  of  law,  and  a  very  broad  view  of 
human  nature. 

Mr.  Alontague  married,  March  11,  1852,  at  Sinclairville, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Annie  E.  Wagoner,  a  native 
of  Gerry,  daughter  of  William  and  Hannah  (Camp) 
Wagoner.  She  died  May  i,  1917,  having  lived  an  unusu- 
ally long  and  happy  married  life  of  sixty-five  years.  Her 
kindness  of  heart,  and  quiet,  refined  ways,  brought  her 
many  true  friends  during  her  long  life  in  Gerry  and  Sin- 
clairville. She  was  a  woman  of  earnest.  Christian  faith, 
and  by  religious  conviction  was  a  member  of  the  Uni- 
versalist  faith.  She  was  buried  in  Evergreen  Cemetery, 
Sinclairville.  Myron  and  Annie  E.  (Wagoner)  IMonta- 
gue  were  the  parents  of  four  children  :  i.  George  Ed- 
win, a  sketch  of  whom  follows.  2.  Esther  A.,  who  has 
had  a  useful,  professional  career,  being  a  graduate  of  the 
Providence,  R.  I.,  School  of  Nurses ;  she  practiced  her 
profession  for  many  years,  but  of  late  remained  near  her 
father  to  care  for  him.  3.  Myra  M.,  who  entered  the 
teaching  profession,  and  was  a  public  school  teacher  for 
forty  years ;  she  became  the  wife  of  Cassius  B.  Perrin, 
an  educator;  her  death  occurred  May  15,  1919.  4. 
Frank  W.,  who  is  well  known  in  Jamestown,  where  he 
resides. 


GEORGE  EDWIN  MONTAGUE,  retired  farmer, 
now  living  at  Sinclairville.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  but 
for  more  than  a  generation  a  leading  resident  and  most 
successful  farmer  in  Charlotte  township,  prominently 
identified  with  the  public  affairs  of  Charlotte,  and  later 
in  Sinclairville,  where  he  served  as  president  of  the  vil- 
lage, and  in  1917  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  was 
born  March  8,  1853,  in  Charlotte  township,  son  of  Myron 
and  Annie  E.  (Wagoner)  Montague. 

George  E.  Montague  was  well  educated  in  tlie  district 
schools  and  the  Ellington  High  School.  For  eleven  win- 
ters he  taught  school  in  different  sections  of  the  county, 
and  during  the  summers  he  farmed.  In  1880,  he  gave  up 
professional  work  altogether,  and  resolved  thereafter  to 
devote  himself  wholly  to  farming  and  thereupon  took 
the  Ellis  farm,  located  in  Charlotte  township,  and  that 
property,  which  was  102  acres  in  extent,  he  farmed 
steadily  for  many  years.  He  farmed  intelligently, 
adopted  many  modern  methods  of  farming,  especially  in 
connection  with  his  cattle  raising  and  dairying,  and  im- 
proved the  property  considerably  during  the  period,  add- 


ing rnany  buildings.  In  1915,  he  came  to  Sinclairville  to 
live  in  order  to  be  near  his  aged  parents.  In  1916,  he 
sold  his  farm  in  Charlotte  township,  and  purchased  his 
present  property  in  Sinclairville,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided. He  maintained  an  active  interest  in  public  mat- 
ters while  residing  in  Charlotte  township,  serving  as 
supervisor;  in  1917,  after  his  removal  to  Sinclairville,  he 
was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  of  that  town  for  a  term 
of  four  years,  was  a  trustee  of  District  School,  No.  7, 
and  at  the  present  time  (1921)  is  serving  as  trustee  of 
Evergreen  Cemetery,  Sinclairville.  By  political  alle- 
giance, Mr.  Montague  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  man  of 
literary  inclinations,  is  a  very  well  read  man,  and  acts 
as  correspondent  for  the  leading  Jamestown  papers.  He 
has  been  particularly  interested  in  agricultural  matters, 
and  is  an  enthusiastic  member  of  the  Grange,  Patrons  of 
Husbandry.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  Sylvan 
Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons ;  and  Knights  of  the 
Maccabees. 

George  E.  Afontague  married,  March  16,  1880,  Mary 
A.  Ellis,  daughter  of  Lewis  H.  and  Maryetta  (Fuller) 
Ellis.  She  was  born  in  Pomfret  township,  May  7,  1858, 
died  in  Sinclairville,  Sept.  27,  1916,  and  buried  in  Ever- 
green Cemetery.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  children : 
I.  Eva  Ellis,  who,  after  passing  through  the  district 
and  high  schools  of  Sinclairville,  went  to  the  Normal 
School  at  Fredonia,  N.  Y.,  and  eventually  entered  the 
teaching  profession,  and  for  eight  years  was  a  teacher 
in  Allegany  county,  N.  Y.,  and  the  high  school  in  Sin- 
clairville;  she  became  the  wife  of  Louis  Johnson,  of 
Charlotte  township,  and  to  them  were  born  three  chil- 
dren :  Allen  E.,  Ida  M.,  and  Richard.  2.  Jessie  E.,  who, 
after  passing  through  the  public  and  high  schools  of 
Sinclairville,  entered  the  Jamestown  Business  College, 
for  the  commercial  course,  in  which  she  eventually  gradu- 
ated, and  later  became  clerk  and  bookkeeper  in  the  First 
National  Bank,  Jamestown,  which  position  she  held,  with 
much  credit,  for  thirteen  years;  she  became  the  wife  of 
Harry  J.  Vaughn,  of  Jamestown. 


WALTER  ERIE  STRONG,  one  of  the  prominent 
citizens  of  Sinclairville,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  lives  retired  from  active  life,  and  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  War,  is  a  member  of  a  family  that  has  been  closely 
associated  with  the  affairs  of  Gerry  township,  for  a  great 
number  of  years,  both  he  and  his  forebears  having  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  farming  there. 

Gilbert  Strong,  grandfather  of  Walter  E.  Strong,  was 
a  native  of  Chenango  county,  N.  Y.,  removing  from  there 
to  Chautauqua  county  in  1818,  and  located  in  what  is  now 
Gerry  township.  There  he  purchased  from  the  Holland 
Land  Company  a  tract  of  120  acres  of  the  practically 
virgin  wilderness,  which  he  at  once  set  about  clearing 
with  the  assistance  of  his  sons.  Eventually  he  brought 
this  land  under  cultivation,  and  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  active  life  on  this  fruitful  farm.  He  at  length  reached 
an  age  when  labor  was  no  longer  possible  and  thereafter 
made  his  home  with  his  son  Gilbert,  Jr.,  who  was  residing 
in  Ellington  township,  where  his  death  occurred  June 
12,  1861,  at  the  venerable  age  of  ninety-one  years.  He 
was  a  Whig  in  politics,  and  was  prominent  in  local  affairs. 
He  married  Eliza  Palmer,  and  they  were  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Both  were  buried  in  Ever- 
green Cemetery.  Gerry  township.     He  and  his  wife  were 


494 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


the  parents  of  seven  children,  as  follows :  Nancy :  Electa, 
who  became  the  wife  of  John  Bailey;  Gilbert,  Jr.,  who 
became  a  resident  of  Ellington  township;  Horace,  who 
died  in  early  life  in  Gerry  township;  David,  mentioned 
below :  Orren,  who  died  in  Gerry  township ;  and  Mary 
Ann.  who  became  the  wife  of  Emery  Alverson. 

David  Strong,  third  son  and  fifth  child  of  Gilbert 
Strong,  was  born  April  o.  iSoi,  in  Chenango  comity,  N. 
Y.,  and  as  a  lad  attended  the  district  school  of  his  native 
place.  He  was  seventeen  years  of  age  when  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  in  their  removal  to  Chautauqua  county, 
and  there  he  assisted  his  father  in  the  clearing  and  culti- 
vation of  the  latter's  farm.  Afterwards  he  became  the 
owner  of  a  farm  of  his  own,  consisting  of  120  acres  of 
the  same  fine  land  in  Gerry  township.  He  made  farming 
his  occupation  through  life,  and  his  death  occurred  on  his 
place,  Oct.  S,  1S74.  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and 
was  a  Republican  in  politics.  David  Strong  married 
(first)  Mahala  Clark,  of  Gerry  township,  who  died  in 
1S3S,  and  by  whom  he  had  four  children,  as  follows: 
Electa,  who  became  the  wife  of  Julius  \V.  Hubbard; 
Caroline,  who  became  the  wife  of  Charles  Walker ; 
Elisha.  who  resided  on  his  father's  farm  and  there  died ; 
and  Orren  E.,  who  died  in  Gerry  township.  David 
Strong  married  (second)  Sophia  McCullough,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  McCullough,  a  prominent  resident  of  Gerry 
township,  where  he  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace 
for  many  years.  Her  death  occurred  at  the  family  home 
in  Gerrv-  township  in  October,  1893.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  six  children,  as  follows  :  Walter  Erie,  with  whose 
career  we  are  especially  concerned ;  Mahala,  who  became 
the  wife  of  Wallace  G.  Olmstcad  ;  Paniclia,  who  became 
the  wife  of  Joel  D.  Damon;  Amanda,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Martin  Heath,  of  Gerry  township;  Anna  Eliza. 
who  became  the  wife  of  Perry  S.  Ely,  of  Ontario,  Cal. ; 
and  Warren,  who  resides  at  Sinclairville,  N.  Y.  David 
Strong  and  both  his  wives  are  buried  in  Evergreen  Cem- 
etery. 

Walter  Erie  Strong,  eldest  child  of  David  and  Sophia 
(McCullough)  Strong,  was  born  July  12,  1840,  in  Gerry 
township.  He  passed  his  childhood  and  early  youth  on 
his  father's  farm.  He  attended  the  local  public  schools 
of  the  region,  and  upon  completing  his  studies  at  these 
institutions  assisted  his  father  in  the  latter's  agricultural 
operations  and  there  learned  the  rudiments  of  the  occu- 
pation that  he  was  to  follow  tluring  the  remainder  of  his 
active  life.  In  the  year  1862  he  enlisted  in  the  Union 
army,  and  became  a  member  of  Company  B,  iT2th  Regi- 
ment, New  York  Volunteer  Infantry,  Aug.  6,  1862.  This 
company  was  under  the  command  of  Captain  Chaddock, 
and  the  regiment  under  Col.  J.  C.  Drake.  Mr.  Strong 
proceeded  with  his  regiment  to  the  scat  of  war  and  soon 
saw  much  active  service.  He  was  severely  wounded  in 
the  left  leg  at  the  battle  r,f  Drewry's  Bluflf,  .May  16.  i»i4, 
and  was  sent  to  the  hospital  at  Hampton,  Va.,  anrl  later 
transferred  to  that  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  near  his  home. 
From  there,  having  recovered,  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged in  July,  iH'S,  and  returned  to  Chautauqua 
county,  N'.  Y.,  where  he  settled  down  to  farming  once 
more.  He  purchas'-d  a  farm  of  sixty-two  acres  in  Gerry 
tov/nship,  which  he  operated  successfully  for  a  time.  He 
next  disposed  of  this  and  bought  the  jilace  known  then 
as  the  Cannon  farm,  a  tract  of  104  acres,  where  he  car- 


ried on  general  farming  and  also  raised  cattle  on  a  large 
scale.  After  some  years  spent  on  this  farm,  Mr.  Strong 
procured  a  yet  larger  tract  of  166  acres  in  the  same  re- 
gion, and  there  continued  his  cattle  raising  and  general 
farming  operations  for  fourteen  years  longer.  By  that 
time  his  business  had  grown  to  such  an  extent  that  he 
purchased  the  large  Waggoner  farm  of  900  acres,  where 
he  engaged  in  stock  raising  on  an  extensive  scale  and 
with  great  success  until  the  year  1907.  He  then  sold  out 
his  valuable  interests  and  removed  to  Sinclairville,  where 
he  has  since  made  his  home  and  enjoyed  a  well  earned 
leisure. 

In  addition  to  his  farming  activities,  Mr.  Strong  has 
always  been  an  active  participant  in  the  public  life  of  the 
community  where  he  has  resided.  He  has  taken  a  keen 
interest  in  local  politics,  is  a  staunch  Republican  in  his 
political  belief,  has  been  a  prominent  figure  in  the  affairs 
of  his  party  in  Chautauqua  county,  and  has  held  a  number 
of  important  offices  in  the  gift  of  the  community.  For 
nine  years  he  served  as  assessor  of  Gerry  township,  and 
for  two  years  as  tax  collector.  Since  coming  to  Sin- 
clairville he  has  been  no  less  active,  and  in  igii  was 
chosen  justice  of  the  peace.  Twice  since  then  he  has  been 
reelected  to  the  same  office  and  today  still  occupies  it 
after  a  period  of  nine  years.  He  is  a  trustee  of  Ever- 
green Cemetery.  Mr.  Strong  has  always  kept  up  his 
military  associations  gained  during  the  Civil  War  and 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  J.  C.  Drake  Post,  No.  319, 
Grand  .■Xrmy  of  the  Republic,  of  Sinclairville,  which  was 
named  in  honor  of  Colonel  Drake,  the  revered  commander 
of  the  old  Ii2th  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers.  He  has 
remained  a  member  of  this  post  ever  since,  and  has  oc- 
cupied the  office  of  commander  for  a  considerable  period. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  Sinclairville  Grange,  No,  401, 
held  the  office  of  master  for  three  years,  and  is  today  one 
of  its  trustees.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Strong  is 
a  Congregationalist,  and  with  his  wife  attends  the  church 
of  that  denomination  at  Sinclairville. 

Walter  Erie  Strong  married  (first)  Dec.  6,  1864,  J. 
Pamelia  Wicks,  of  Ellery  township,  a  daughter  of  Jere- 
miah Wicks,  of  that  place.  Her  death  occurred  June  12, 
1891,  in  Gerry  township,  and  she  is  buried  in  Evergreen 
Cemetery.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  as 
follows;  Ida,  who  became  the  wife  of  Walter  Kapple, 
and  died  Jan,  9,  igi2;  Bernice,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Grant  Edson,  a  resident  of  Gerry  township;  George  H,, 
who  married  Mary  Trusler,  who  died  in  1916,  and  is  oc- 
cupied in  farming  in  Gerry  township ;  Lena  J. ;  and  Erie 
J.,  who  makes  his  home  in  Paterson,  N.  J.  Mr.  Strong 
married  (second)  April  17,  1907,  Ella  (Swift)  Bentley, 
a  native  of  Forestville,  a  daughter  of  David  and  Phebe 
(Geer)  Swift,  and  the  widow  of  Jerome  Bentley,  one  of 
Mr.  Strong's  fellow  members  of  Company  B,  Il2th  Regi- 
ment, in  the  Civil  War ;  his  death  occurred  in  April, 
loni.  at  Clear  Creek,  N.  Y. 


DAHLSTROM  METALLIC  DOOR  COMPANY 

— A  manufacturing  plant  with  a  plot  of  nine  acres  of 
ground,  and  having  an  occupied  floor  space  of  about 
250,000  si|uare  feet  in  its  factory  buildings,  must  be  a 
factor  of  much  imi)ortance  to  a  city  the  size  of  James- 
town, Chantau(|ua  county,  N.  Y. ;  in  fact,  or  at  least  in 
all     prohaliilily,    trade    boards    ;uid    civic    committees    in 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


495 


various  parts  of  the  country  would  become  valuable  in 
their  advocacj'  of  their  own  particular  locality  as  a  fac- 
tory site  if  there  were  any  chance  of  influencing  such 
a  corporation  to  change  its  location.  Such  a  possession 
the  city  of  Jamestown  has  in  the  plant  of  the  Dahlstrom 
Metallic  Door  Company-,  which  since  1904  has  been  an 
appreciable  influence  in  the  development  of  the  city.  Its 
operation  finds  labor  for  about  500  people,  and  its  prin- 
cipal products,  metallic  doors,  partitions  and  trim,  wind- 
shield tubing,  instrument  boards  and  other  automobile 
accessories,  are  known  in  almost  all  the  principal  cities 
01  the  United  States.  The  final  factor  in  the  fireproofing 
of  some  of  the  country's  most  costly  structures,  adding 
elegance  of  interior  decoration  to  such  buildings  as  well 
as  fireproofness,  has  been  brought  about  through  the 
products  of  this  company.  Its  products  are  exported  ex- 
tensively to  many  foreign  countries,  and  during  the 
World  War,  just  ended,  the  directors  and  principals  of 
the  Dahlstrom  Company  devoted  themselves  indefatigably 
to  the  production  of  articles  needed  by  the  government 
in  the  prosecution  of  the  war.  Among  these  were  water- 
tight and  nonwater-tight  doors  for  submarine  chasers, 
doors  for  government  buildings,  for  battleships,  cruisers, 
and  other  ships.  They  manufactured  many  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  parts  for  steel  helmets,  used  by  the  Ameri- 
man  E.xpeditionary  Forces  in  France. 

The  Dahlstrom  Metallic  Door  Company  is  undoubtedly 
one  of  the  soundest  of  Jamestown's  manufacturing  in- 
dustries, expertly  managed,  and  continually  expanding 
its  scope  of  manufacture  and  of  market.  It  had  its  in- 
ception in  the  efforts  of  a  worthy  Jamestown  resident, 
the  late  Charles  P.  Dahlstrom  (a  sketch  of  whom  appears 
elsewhere  in  this  work),  who  in  1903  first  endeavored  to 
organize  the  Dahlstrom  Company.  He  was  an  expert 
mechanical  engineer,  connected  for  many  years  with  the 
metal  furniture  industry.  He  conceived  the  method  of 
making  metal  doors  in  a  simple  and  practical  manner,  by 
which  it  would  be  possible  to  market  them  at  such  a 
reasonable  cost  as  to  constitute  a  material  advantage  to 
owners,  architects,  and  builders  to  specify  them  in  the 
plans  of  fireproof  buildings.  He  interested  some  of  his 
influential  friends,  mostly  residents  of  Jamestown,  and 
early  in  1904  the  Dahlstrom  Metallic  Door  Company  was 
organized  and  received  its  charter  of  incorporation  under 
the  laws  of  the  State  of  X'ew  York.  The  organizers, 
prudent  men  of  business  and  exploiting  an  idea  with  their 
own  capital,  spent  the  first  year  of  the  corporate  exist- 
ence of  the  company  in  experimental  work,  building  what 
special  machines  were  necessary  for  the  economical  man- 
ufacture of  the  doors,  and  then  giving  the  product  ex- 
haustive tests  to  prove  its  fire  resisting  qualities.  After 
satisfactory  demonstrations  of  the  feasibility  of  the  idea, 
and  of  the  surety  of  its  fire  resisting  qualities,  the  pro- 
moters were  sure  that,  properly  directed,  the  enterprise 
would  succeed,  and  they  purchased  a  tract  of  land,  in- 
cluding water  rights  of  about  600  horse  power.  The 
erection  of  the  first  factory  building  and  power  house 
was  commenced  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1904,  and 
early  in  1905  an  important  contract  was  secured  by  the 
company.  This  contract  called  for  about  2,000  metal 
doors  and  trim  for  use  in  the  twenty-two  story  build- 
ing then  being  erected  in  New  York  City  for  the  United 
States  Express  Company.  It  tested  the  capacity  of  the 
initial  plant  to  its  utmost:  in  fact,  it  was  unable  to  cope 


with  the  resulting  business,  and  an  additional  adjoining 
building  had  to  be  rented,  temporarily.  During  that  year  an 
addition  to  the  plant  was  decided  upon,  erection  commenced, 
and  the  building  completed  in  1906.  The  contract  with 
the  builders  of  the  United  States  Express  Company  sky- 
scraper was  satisfactorily  completed,  and  the  product  in 
place  in  the  new  building  demonstrated  conclusively  to 
architects  and  owners  the  beauty  of  the  new  material, 
and  the  possibilities  of  elegant  economical  finish  opened 
by  the  enterprise  of  the  Dalhstrom  Company.  This  in- 
stallation undoubtedly  influenced  the  selection  of  the  Dahl- 
strom material  for  the  Singer  Building,  a  forty-two 
story  building  at  No.  149  Broadway,  New  York  City, 
which  was  the  next  large  order  to  be  executed.  Of  course, 
other  makes  of  metallic  doors  and  like  fittings  eventually 
came  into  the  market,  but  the  Dahlstrom  Company,  as 
pioneers  of  the  new  industry,  benefited  appreciably  from 
the  initial  publicity  its  product  gained,  and  it  has  enabled 
the  company  to  continue  in  the  forefront  of  American 
manufacturers  of  such  products.  It  has  been  stated,  ap- 
parently with  authority,  that  the  Dahlstrom  plant  at 
Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  is  the  largest  in  the  world  of  its  kind, 
and  the  best  equipped  for  the  exclusive  manufacture  of 
metallic  doors  and  trim,  etc.,  such  as  it  specializes  in. 
Its  products  are  well  known  in  building  circles  in  this  and 
foreign  countries,  and  its  doors  have  been  used  in  the 
fitting  of  many  large  fireproof  structures.  In  the  cities 
of  New  York.  Chicago,  Washington,  and  others  about 
this  country,  the  Dahlstrom  Metallic  fireproof  doors  and 
fittings  are  now  the  standard  specifications  in  the  erection 
of  office  buildings,  hotels,  industrial  structures,  apart- 
ment houses,  churches,  schools  and  other  buildings. 

The  plant,  which  is  situated  at  East  Second  and  Buf- 
falo streets,  Jamestown,  comprises  ten  buildings  of  mod- 
ern construction,  affording  a  factory  floor  space  of 
250,000  square  feet.  The  well-kept  lawn  fronting  the 
factory  buildings  indicates  the  fundamental  policy  of  the 
management,  namely,  to  provide  congenial  conditions  for 
its  employees.  In  the  plant  are  dining  and  rest  rooms, 
and  every  endeav-or  is  made  to  interest  the  operators  in 
the  introduction  or  invention  of  any  device,  or  design, 
that  may  tend  to  be  of  value  to  the  company,  in  produc- 
tion or  in  quality  of  product.  .All  the  machinery  and 
equipment  of  the  plant  is  of  the  most  modern  design, 
and  because  of  the  unique  nature  of  the  work  a  good 
deal  of  the  machinery  was  designed  by  experts  of  the 
company  and  made  on  the  premises.  The  company  con- 
trols valuable  patents  which  enter  into  the  manufacture 
of  its  principal  product. 

The  Dahlstrom  Company  was  responsible  for  the  in- 
terior equipment  of  the  first  all  steel  Pullman  cars,  and 
supplied  the  Pullman  Company  with  metal  interior  trim, 
including  berths,  etc.,  for  such  purpose,  for  a  long  time, 
in  fact,  until  the  Pullman  Company  considered  the  de- 
velopment large  enough  to  build  its  own  plant  for  this 
particular  purpose.  And  it  also  developed,  and  put  on 
the  market,  drawn  or  rolled  metal  mouldings,  which 
later  developed  into  windshield  and  other  tubing,  the 
Dahlstrom  company  now  being  probably  the  principal 
manufacturers  of  windshield  tubing.  Some  of  the  first 
mouldings  manufactured  in  quantities  by  the  company,  in 
1905,  were  exported  to  Great  Britain,  and  used  in  the  cars 
of  the  London  underground  railroad  system.  It  is  not 
possible  herein   to  enumerate   all   the  articles   that   have 


496 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


come  within  the  scope  of  the  Dahlstrom  Company's 
metal  working  devices.  By  its  unique  methods  of  press 
work  and  moulding  of  metal,  it  has  augmented  tlie  pro- 
duction of  many  metal  parts  for  automobiles,  and  various 
other  industrial  necessities.  It  did  valuable  work  for  the 
government  during  the  great  \\'orld  War,  as  has  been 
described  herein.  The  plant  is  operated  on  the  bonus 
system,  which  has  drawn  to  its  shops  skilled  workmen, 
capable  of  producing  quality  as  well  as  quantity.  The 
company  is  malring  good  use  of  the  water  power  coming 
from  the  outlet  of  Chautauqua  Lake,  converting  this 
power  to  electricity,  and  also  has  steam  power  for  auxil- 
iary and  emergency  purposes. 

The  standard  of  efficiency  maintained  by  any  plant, 
reflects  the  personalities  of  its  executives,  the  Dahlstrom 
Company  having  been  fortunate  in  this  respect  since  its 
inception.  The  original  officers  were :  Charles  Swanson, 
well  known  contractor  of  Jamestown,  president ;  Charles 
Lindbeck,  vice-president ;  and  the  originator,  Charles 
P.  Dahlstrom,  general  manager,  who  died  in  April,  1909. 
The  late  Elof  Rosencrantz  succeeded  to  the  presidency  in 
1906^  and  his  connection  with  the  company  at  this  early 
period  helped  materially  to  establish  it  on  a  firm  business 
basis.  His  partner,  Carl  A.  Lundquist,  succeeded  Mr. 
Rosencrantz  to  the  presidency,  and  when  he  retired,  the 
late  James  L.  Weeks,  a  prominent  attorney,  served  in  this 
capacity  successfully  until  his  death,  Fabian  Sellstrom 
serving  as  vice-president  during  the  term  of  office  of 
both  Mr.  Lundquist  and  Mr.  Weeks.  Mr.  John  A.  West- 
man  was  the  company's  secretary  and  treasurer  until  Mr. 
Dahlstrom's  death  in  1909,  when  the  office  of  general 
manager  was  added  to  his  duties,  and  Fabian  Sellstrom 
was  elected  treasurer.  Mr.  Sellstrom  was  later  suc- 
ceeded by  Major  Fred  W.  Hyde,  who  subsequently  be- 
came general  secretary  of  the  National  Bank  Section  of 
the  Xational  Association  of  Bankers,  and  he  in  turn  was 
succeeded  by  Eric  E.  Carlson,  the  present  treasurer. 
For  about  ten  years  E.  W.  Sellstrom  has  been  superin- 
tendent of  tlie  plant.  The  present  officers  are :  H.  E.  V. 
Porter,  president;  Carl  Olofson,  vice-president;  J.  A. 
Westman,  secretar>-  and  general  manager ;  Eric  E.  Carl- 
son, treasurer ;  Sam  Lund(|uist,  assistant  secretary  and 
assistant  treasurer ;  and  E.  W.  Sellstrom,  assistant  man- 
ager and  superintendent.  Its  main  offices  are  in  James- 
town, and  the  company  maintains  sales  and  service  es- 
tabh.^hments  in  New  York  City,  Chicago,  and  Detroit, 
and  has  representatives  in  all  the  principal  cities.  Its 
executive  officers  belong  to  the  Manufacturers'  Associa- 
tion of  Jamestown,  the  Jamestown  Board  of  Commerce, 
'he  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  United  States,  the  Man- 
ufacturers' and  Merchants'  Association  of  New  York 
State,  and  the  National  .^ssociation  of  Manufacturers. 


JOHN  A.  WESTMAN,  v.ell  known  and  highly  rc- 
t'.'irde'l  citizen  of  Jamestown,  X.  Y.,  came  to  this  country 
and  settled  in  Jamestown  in  1887.  Possessed  of  com- 
mendable personal  traits,  ability,  and  earnestness  to  suc- 
":':'],  he  has  lor  almost  two  decades  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  maiiagement  of  the  Dahlstrom  Metal- 
lic iJryir  Company  of  Jamestown,  including  the  offices 
and  resfionsibilitics  of  secretary  and  general  manager. 
.Aside  from  business,  he  has  in  private  life  and  church 
work  won  a  respected  place  among  his  fellowmen  and 
ir  the  communitv. 


John  A.  Westman  was  born  in  Stockholm,  Sweden, 
Feb.  9,  1871,  the  son  of  John  A.  and  Caroline  Westman. 
His  father  was  a  sea  captain,  and  both  parents  lived  and 
died  in  Sweden.  John  A.  Westman  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  and  commercial  establishments  of  Stock- 
holm, and  when  he  had  attained  the  age  of  sixteen  years 
resolved  to  come  to  the  United  States.  He  came  alone 
in  that  year,  went  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and  began  work 
very  soon  after  his  arrival.  He  worked  for  five  years 
as  a  cabinet  maker  with  Shearman  Brothers,  of  James- 
town. He  then  entered  a  business  college  in  Elmira,  and 
subsequently  spent  some  time  with  a  prominent  law  firm 
of  that  city  before  going  to  New  York  City,  where  for 
about  ten  years  he  was  employed  in  commercial  and  con- 
tracting work  before  returning  to  Jamestown  in  1904.  He 
has  prospered,  but  in  going  closely  into  his  early  years  in 
the  United  States  it  was  discovered  that  his  advancement 
come  only  because  of  his  own  resolute  determination  to 
prepare  himself  by  education  for  the  opportunities  that 
might  come.  He  assumed  control  of  the  office  work  of 
the  Dahlstrom  Metallic  Door  Company,  in  August,  1904, 
which  at  that  time  was  of  recent  organization,  but  rapidly 
expanding.  From  that  time  on  he  has  remained  a  mem- 
ber of  the  executive  body  of  that  important  industrial 
concern.  In  1905,  he  was  elected  secretary  and  treasurer 
of  the  company,  and  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Dahlstrom, 
the  founder  of  the  company,  he  was  asked  to  take  the 
responsibilities  of  the  general  managership,  in  addition 
to  his  other  offices.  Later,  Mr.  Fabian  Sellstrom  was 
appointed  treasurer,  and  Mr.  Westman  has  been  able  to 
cope  with  the  duties  of  the  secretaryship  and  the  multi- 
tudinous details  of  the  general  management.  In  addition 
to  being  a  director  of  the  Dahlstrom  Metallic  Door  Com- 
pany, Mr.  Westman  is  a  director  of  the  International 
Casement  Company,  which  company  he  was  instrumental 
in  organizing  and  which  manufactures  a  product  allied  to 
that  of  his  own  company.  He  is  an  earnest  Christian, 
and  for  many  years  has  been  an  active  member  of  the 
Swedish  Mission  Church.  He  has  been  a  deacon  of  that 
church,  and  at  one  time  was  superintendent  of  the  Sun- 
day school. 

In  November,  1896,  Mr.  Westman  married,  in  New 
York  City,  Signe  A.  L.  Carlson.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren :  Esther  M.  and  Florence  A. 


CHARLES  E.  FISK— The  entire  business  life  of 
Charles  E.  Fisk,  of  Jamestown,  president  of  the  Pearl 
City  Veneer  Company,  Incorporated,  has  been  devoted  to 
the  one  activity,  the  making  of  veneer,  his  introduction 
to  the  business  being  in  his  youth  as  an  employee  of  the 
.Strong  Veneer  Company  at  Gerry,  N.  Y.  The  Pearl 
City  Veneer  Company  is  the  modern  consummation  of 
the  business  founded  in  Jamestown  in  1897  by  Mr.  Fisk 
and  others  as  the  Jamestown  Veneer  Works,  and  under 
different  owners  has  come  down  to  the  present,  Mr.  Fisk 
having  been  president  of  the  corporation  since  1914.  The 
family  of  Fiskc  is  of  ancient  English  name,  dating  in 
Suffolk  from  the  eighth  year  of  the  reign  of  King  John, 
1208,  the  name  Daniel  Fisc  being  then  found  appended 
to  a  document  confirming  a  land  grant.  Fiskc  is  a  form 
of  the  word  P'ish,  and  was  borne  by  Symond  Fiske,  Lord 
of  the  .Manor  of  Stadhaugh,  and  supposed  to  have  been 
a  gramlson  of  Daniel   l'"i-s{ . 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


497 


He  bore  arms : 

Arms — Chequey  argent  and  gules  upon  a  pale  sable 
three  mullets  pierced   or. 

Motto — Macte  virtute  sic  itur  ad  astra. 

The  Fiskes  of  early  New  England  ancestry  are  de- 
scendants of  this  ancient  family,  whether  the  name  is 
spelled  Fisk  or  Fiske.  The  line  in  this  branch  is  traced 
from  Symond  Fiske,  Lord  of  the  Manor  of  Stadhaugh, 
through  his  son  William,  his  son  Simon,  his  son  Simon 
(2),  his  son  Robert,  his  son  William,  his  son  Nathaniel, 
his  son  Nathaniel  (2),  his  son  John,  the  founder  of  the 
family  in  New  England,  and  ninth  in  descent  as  here- 
tofore traced. 

John  Fisk  was  born  in  England,  about  1619.  and  came 
to  New  England  with  his  father,  Nathaniel  (2)  Fisk,  and 
brother,  Nathan  Fisk,  tradition  stating  that  the  father 
died  on  the  voyage  over.  John  Fisk  took  the  oath  of 
fidelity  in  1652,  bought  land  in  Watertovvn,  I\Iass.,  and 
there  resided  until  his  death,  Oct.  28,  1684,  aged  si.xty-five 
years.  He  married  Sarah  Wyeth,  who  bore  his  five  chil- 
dren, including  a  son,  John  (2). 

From  John  Fisk,  the  founder,  descent  in  this  branch 
is  traced  through  John  (2),  of  Watertown,  and  his  first 
wife,  Abigail  (Parks)  Fisk;  their  son,  Lieut.  John  (3) 
Fisk,  of  Waltham  and  Worcester,  Mass.,  and  his  first 
wife,  Mary  (Whitney)  Fisk;  their  son,  John  (4)  Fisk, 
of  Worcester,  and  his  wife,  Arubah  (Moore)  Fisk; 
their  son,  John  (s)  Fisk,  a  commissary  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary army,  and  his  wife,  Irene  (Buck)  Fisk;  their  son, 
David  Fisk,  of  Brookfield  and  Ellington,  N.  Y.,  and  his 
wife,  Lydia  (Bugbee)  Fisk;  their  son,  James  Fisk,  of 
Ellington,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y..  and  his  wife,  Har- 
riet (Larkins)  Fisk;  their  son,  Charles  Edward  Fisk,  of 
Ellington,  N.  Y.,  a  soldier  of  the  Union,  a  martyr  to  the 
inhumanity  of  the  commandant  of  .Andersonville  prison, 
and  his  wife,  Sarah  (Falconer)  Fisk;  their  son,  Charles 
Edward  (2)  Fisk,  of  Jamestown,  of  the  seventeenth  re- 
corded generation  of  his  family,  and  of  the  eighth  Fisk 
generation  in  this  country. 

David  Fisk,  of  the  fifth  American  generation,  came  to 
Chautauqua  county,  from  Brookfield.  N.  Y.,  settled  in  the 
town  of  Ellington,  and  there  died  in  1862.  His  son, 
James  Fisk,  was  born  in  Brookfield,  .A.ug.  3,  1815,  and 
came  to  Chautauqua  county,  where  he  became  a  farmer. 
His  son,  Charles  Edward  Fisk,  was  born  in  Ellington,  in 
January,  1841,  and  in  1862,  enlisted  in  Company  B.  112th 
Regiment.  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry.  At  the  en- 
gagement at  Chapin  Farm  he  was  taken  prisoner,  sent 
to  Libby  prison  in  Richmond,  thence  to  the  stockade  at 
Andersonville,  where  he  died.  He  married  Sarah  Fal- 
coner, born  in  Randolph,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  Cyrus  Fal- 
coner. They  were  the  parents  of  an  only  son,  Charles 
Edward  (2),  who  never  knew  a  father's  love  and  care. 

Charles  Edward  (2)  Fisk  was  born  in  Ellington,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  21,  1863,  and  spent  the  first 
seven  years  of  his  life  at  the  old  Fisk  homestead.  In 
1870,  the  family  moved  to  a  farm  two  and  a  half  miles 
from  Fluvanna,  Chautauqua  county,  later  settling  in  the 
town  of  Gerry,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  The  lad  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  and  Ellington  Academy, 
and  when  school  years  were  over  he  entered  the  employ 
of  Milton  Ferguson,  operating  creameries  through  Chau- 
tauqua and  Cattaraugus  counties.  During  that  period 
he  married,  built  a  residence  in  Gerry,  and  there  his 
Chau— 32 


daughter  was  born.  He  then  accepted  a  position  with  the 
Strong  Veneer  Company,  at  Gerry,  and  there  remained 
for  ten  years,  becoming  an  expert  in  the  business  and 
rising  to  a  good  position.  He  then  spent  a  year  as  super- 
intendent of  The  Grand  Rapids  Company,  followed  by 
eighteen  months  service  as  superintendent  of  the  Welsh 
Dixford  Veneer  Company,  positions  which  fully  pre- 
pared him  for  the  management  of  a  business  of  his  own. 
In  1897,  he  became  interested  in  a  veneer  manufactory 
in  Jamestown  with  George  Griffith  and  Frank  Cadwell, 
in  1895.  They  sold  out  to  Messrs.  Peterson,  Thayer  and 
Willson,  and  in  1897  (Charles  E.  Fisk  with  these  men 
formed  a  partnership  under  the  firm  name,  the  Jamestown 
Veneer  Works.  There  were  several  changes  in  person- 
nel during  the  following  years,  but  the  business  pros- 
pered, Mr.  Fisk  always  retaining  his  interest.  In  1904, 
the  firm  became  the  Pearl  City  Veneer  Company,  Incor- 
porated, Theodore  Hanchett,  president ;  Charles  E.  Fisk, 
vice-president;  Nathan  M.  Willson,  secretary-treasurer. 
President  Hanchett  died  in  1914,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Charles  E.  Fisk,  who  still  continues  the  executive  head 
of  the  company.  Later  Frank  C.  Rice  and  Ralph  G. 
Sage  were  admitted  to  an  interest.  The  present  officers 
of  the  Pearl  City  Veneer  Company  are :  Charles  E.  Fisk, 
president;  N.  M.  Willson,  general  manager;  T.  C.  Rice, 
secretary-treasurer ;  Ralph  G.  Sage,  vice-president.  The 
business  of  the  company  is  the  manufacture  of  veneer 
of  every  kind,  from  hardwoods,  native  and  imported, 
their  customers  the  first  class  furniture  manufacturers  of 
the  country  and  other  users  of  fine  veneer.  The  company 
is  well  managed  and  prosperous  and  ranks  high  among 
Jamestown's  manufacturing  houses.  Mr.  Fisk  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  First  Seventh  Day  Adventist  Church,  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  member  of  the  Sons  of  the  American 
Revolution. 

Mr.  Fisk  married,  Sept.  30,  1886,  Minnie  Waite,  daugh- 
ter of  Ephraim  and  Lovilla  (Starr)  Waite.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Fisk  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Mabel  Cleo,  born 
in  Gerry,  married  Ralph  G.  Sage,  and  resides  in  James- 
town. Until  1901,  Gerry  was  the  family  place  of  resi- 
dence, but  since  that  year  the  Fisks  have  resided  in 
Jamestown,  owning  a  beautiful  home  at  No.  1207  Pren- 
dergast  avenue. 


REV.  CHRYSOSTOM  SMITH,  C.  P.— The  influ- 
ence exercised  upon  a  community  by  the  life  of  a  good 
and  devoted  priest  is  not  like  that  of  other  men,  whose 
sphere  of  activity  is  in  worldly  affairs,  to  be  measured 
by  material  standards,  is  not,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  to  be 
measured  accurately  at  all  nor  can  we  say  of  it  that  it 
is  great  or  small,  for  its  results  are  to  be  felt  chiefly  in 
the  souls  of  the  flock  of  which  he  is  the  pastor  and  to  be 
noted  in  the  moulding  of  their  characters  and  the  gradual 
drawing  of  their  hearts  to  higher  things.  But  we  can  say 
at  least  that  this  influence  is  of  the  most  precious  type, 
for  the  regeneration  of  one  such  soul  certainly  constitutes 
a  greater  and  more  important  work  than  the  erection  of 
great  buildings  or  the  amassing  of  unlimited  wealth. 
In  the  Rev.  Chrysostom  Smith,  the  City  of  Dunkirk,  N. 
Y.,  possesses  a  citizen  who  exercises  such  influence,  and 
who,  as  the  beloved  pastor  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  has  long 
been  known  for  his  pious  life  and  effective  ministry. 

Father  Smith  is  a  native  of  Newark,  N.  J.,  born  Sept. 
18,  1876,  and  his  early  childhood  was  spent  there.    As  a 


49^ 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


lad  he  entered  the  parochial  school  of  St.  James'  Church, 
in  Xewark.  and  after  completing  his  studies  there  en- 
tered St.  Benedict's  College,  where  his  general  education 
was  carried  to  its  close.  Quite  early  in  life  he  had  felt 
the  call  to  a  religious  life,  and  in  order  to  fit  himself 
for  the  priesthood  came,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  .vears.  to 
St.  Mary's  Monastery  at  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  and  there  en- 
gaged in  his  theological  studies.  He  continued  a  student 
lor  about  nine  years  at  St.  Mary's  and  other  monasteries 
of  the  Order  of  Missionan,-  Fathers,  and  was  finally 
ordained  to  the  ministry  in  1003,  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  by 
Archbishop  Miller.  He  was  first  sent  to  St.  Paul's  Mon- 
astery at  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  where  he  held  the  position  of 
assistant  master  of  novices  for  three  years,  and  then, 
being  a  scholar  of  high  attainments,  spent  the  following 
five  years  in  teaching  in  the  monasteries  in  Pittsburgh 
and  Baltimore.  In  igoS,  he  was  appointed  assistant  pas- 
tor of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Dunkirk,  and  filled  that  office 
until  ion.  Father  Smith  had  already  displayed  consid- 
erable executive  ability,  and  in  1912  was  appointed  to 
take  charge  of  St.  .\gnes'  Hospital,  Baltimore,  Md., 
an  institution  which  he  headed  for  some  six  years. 
He  had.  however,  made  himself  much  beloved  in  Dun- 
kirk and  especially  St.  Mary's  parish,  so  that  when,  in 
the  latter  part  of  1917,  he  was  returned  to  this  post  as 
pastor  his  congregation  welcomed  his  home  coming  with 
profound  pleasure,  and  he  is  now  (1921)  installed  not 
only  as  pastor  of  the  church  but  in  the  hearts  of  all  his 
flixk.  In  his  former  pastorate,  he  liad  done  much  for 
the  benefit  of  the  church,  and  its  future  under  his  care  is 
a  bright  one.  He  has  always  taken  a  strong  interest  in 
the  social  life  of  his  parishioners,  especially  of  the  young 
men.  and  is  a  member  of  the  local  chapter  of  the  Knights 
of  Columbus,  of  the  fourth  degree,  and  the  chaplain  of 
the  organization. 


CARLINA  MAVIS  MONCHOW— As  librarian  of 
Dunkirk  Free  Library  since  1900,  Miss  Monchow  is 
widely  known  professionally,  while  her  personal  acquaint- 
ance in  the  city  is  equally  large,  Dunkirk  having  been 
her  birthplace  and  lifetime  home.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Edward  and  Elizabeth  (Ricck)  Monchow,  of  Dunkirk, 
and  in  the  public  schools  of  her  native  city  she  obtained 
her  education.  She  came  to  her  present  position,  librarian 
of  Dunkirk  Free  Library,  in  the  year  nx)0,  and  has  since 
continuously  held  that  position. 

Nfiss  Monchow  is  a  member  of  the  Women's  Literary 
Club  of  Dunkirk,  New  York  State  Library  Association, 
.•Vmerican  Library  .Association,  Women's  .-Mliance  ( Uni- 
tarian ),  and  of  .Adams  Memorial  Church  fUnitarian ). 
In  !'cr  poli'ical  vi<-ws  .Miss  .Monchow  is  an  lnflr|icnrlcnt. 


THE  PITTSBURGH  AND  FREEPORT  COAL 

COMPANY,  of  Jam. -town.  .\'.  Y.,  is  a  cr.-i.arliiersbip 
o;  f.vo  I'-adint'  Jamestown  men,  Cornelius  J.  Moyiiihan, 
who  for  many  years  was  traffic  manager  for  the  con- 
S'llidattd  systems  of  the  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  &•  Lake 
Erie  Railway,  the  Chautauqua  Lake  Navigation  Com- 
pany, and  the  Chautauf|ua  Traction  Company,  and 
dir'Ttor  of  other  transportation  companies,  and  F.dward 
B.  Thompson,  who  for  years  was  romiected  with  the 
Cons'jlidation  Coal  Company  and  the  Shawmut  Coal  and 
CnV.i:  O^mpany. 


The  business  partnership  of  these  two  men,  under  the 
trading  name  of  the  Pittsburgh  and  Freeport  Coal 
Company,  began  on  Dec.  15,  igio,  the  company  dealing 
as  wholesalers  in  bituminous  coal.  This  company  sells 
the  output  of  various  bituminous  mines,  selling  coal 
throughout  Canada.  New  England,  New  York  and  Penn- 
sylvania. They  have  built  up  a  large  and  substantial 
business,  selling  chiefly  to  large  industrial  consumers  and 
others. 

Alessrs.  Moynihan  and  Thompson  are  experts  on  the 
analysis  of  coal,  and  through  their  knowledge  of  this 
subject  they  have  established  a  reputation  for  dependa- 
bility of  service  and  are  considered  the  largest  and  lead- 
ing brokers  of  coal  in  this  region. 


CORNELIUS  J.  MOYNIHAN,  a  native  of  James- 
town, N.  Y.,  and  well  regarded  in  this  city  by  reason 
of  his  long  association,  in  responsible  capacity,  with  the 
affairs  of  local  railroad  companies,  is  at  present  in  charge 
of  the  Pittsburgh  &  Freeport  Coal  Company,  and  on  the 
directorate  of  the  J.  W.  &  N.  N.  Railroad,  and  the  Chau- 
tauqua Lake  &  Navigation  Coinpany.  Until  Jan.  i,  1919, 
when  he  resigned,  he  was  traffic  manager  of  the  consoli- 
dated systems  of  the  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  &  Lake 
Erie  Railway,  the  Chautauqua  Lake  Navigation 
Company,  and  the  Chautauqua  Traction  Company,  so 
that  it  will  be  appreciated  that  Cornelius  J.  Moynihan  was 
a  factor  in  the  operation  of  local  railroads. 

He  was  born  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  12,  1879,  the 
son  of  Daniel  and  Margaret  (Howard)  Moynihan,  both 
of  whom  are  living,  and  have  been  esteemed  as  worthy 
and  responsible  residents,  in  Janieslown,  for  more  than 
fifty  years.  Daniel  Moynihan  has  loyally  served  the  Erie 
Railroad  Company  for  more  than  forty  years,  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  being  in  the  freight  depart- 
ment at  Jamestown. 

Perhaps  it  was  because  of  his  father's  association  with 
railroad  operation  that  the  son,  Cornelius  J.,  had  a  nat- 
ural leaning  to  railroad  affairs.  At  all  events,  his  busi- 
ness record,  as  shown  in  the  data  now  before  the  writer, 
indicates  that  his  entire  life  since  he  left  school  at  the  age 
of  nineteen  years  has  been  spent  in  executive  work  with 
various  public  carriers.  After  obtaining  a  good  educa- 
tion in  local  schools,  taking  the  elementary  grades 
of  the  grammar  school,  the  full  course  at  the  high  school, 
at  which  he  graduated,  and  the  commercial  course  at 
the  Jamestown  Business  College,  Cornelius  J.  Moynihan 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Erie  Railroad  Company,  as  a 
stenographer  in  the  passenger  department  in  Jamestown. 
He  remained  with  them  for  seven  years  and  six  months, 
and  when  he  left  that  company's  employ  he  had  advanced 
in  their  service  .so  rapidly  that  he  had  been  latterly  as- 
sistant to  the  division  passenger  agent.  But  he  had  been 
offcretl  a  more  responsible  office  with  the  Chautauqua 
Traction  Company,  which  was  then  beginning  to  operate. 
Mr.  Moynihan  was  general  passenger  agent  of  that 
system  from  July  i,  1904,  and  subset|ucntly  also  served 
in  like  capacity  for  the  Jamestown,  Chautautpia  &  Lake 
Erie  Railway,  and  the  Chautauqua  Lake  Navigation  Com- 
pany. When  the  two  last  named  companies  were  con- 
solidated by  Mr.  Rroadhead  with  the  Chautauqua  Trac- 
tion Company,  Mr.  Moynihan  was  appointed  traffic  man- 
ager of  the  three   systems.     He  held  those  offices  until 


^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


499 


Jan.  I,  1919,  when  he  resigned  to  assume  management 
with  Mr.  Thompson,  of  the  Pittsburgh  &  Freeport  Coal 
Company. 

In  matters  of  transportation,  Mr.  Moynihan  has  always 
been  interested,  and  probably  for  many  years  will  have 
some  connection  with  local  public  service  companies  of 
that  kind:  he  is  director  of  the  J.  N.  &  N.  N.  Railroad 
Company  and  of  the  Chautauqua  Lake  Navigation  Com- 
pany. He  belongs  to  Jamestown  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
the  Transportation  Club,  Buffalo ;  and  to  the  Buffalo  & 
Pittsburgh  Traffic  Club,  and  is  often  brought  into  con- 
sultation regarding  matters  of  transportation.  Frater- 
nalh'.  he  is  connected  with  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles, 
and  with  the  local  lodge  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  of 
which  at  one  time  he  was  secretary.  He  is  a  member  of 
SS.  Peter  and  Paul  Roman  Catholic  Church,  Jamestown. 
He  is  brother  of  John  Patrick  Moynihan,  general  man- 
ager of  the  Blackstone  Manufacturing  Company,  of 
Jamestown. 

In  1908,  Mr.  Moynihan  was  married,  in  Jamestown,  to 
Delia  Monroe.  They  have  two  children,  sons,  James  D. 
and  Monroe  H.,  both  of  whom  are  attending  local  schools. 


EDWARD  B.  THOMPSON,  one  of  the  owners, 
with  Cornelius  J.  Moynihan,  of  the  Pittsburgh  &  Free- 
port  Coal  Company,  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  extensive 
wholesalers  of  bituminous  coal  for  manufacturing  pur- 
poses throughout  Canada,  New  England,  New  York,  and 
Pennsylvania,  has  been  known  to  Jamestown  people  for 
many  years  as  a  man  closely  connected  with  important 
mining  interests,  and  as  a  man  of  integrity,  financial  and 
moral. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  born  in  Eckhart,  Md.,  Jan.  I,  1879, 
and  was  educated  in  schools  of  that  place,  eventually 
graduating  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  at  the  Eckhart 
High  School.  Immediately  after  leaving  high  school,  he 
entered  the  office  of  the  Consolidation  Coal  Company, 
and  he  has  been  connected  with  important  coal  mining 
interests   ever   since.     He   was    for   five  years   with   the 

jT.solidation  Coal  Company,  and  for  the  next  eighteen 
years  was  the  with  the  Shawmut  Coal  and  Coke  Com- 
pany, traveling  throughout  the  East  and  in  Canada 
as  salesman  for  the  company's  output.  He  is  an  author- 
ity on  matters  relating  to  steam  coal,  and  when  he  formed 
partnership  with  Cornelius  J.  Moynihan,  of  Jamestown, 
manager  of  the  Chautauqua  Traction  Company  and  other 
railroad  interests,  in  1916,  it  was  with  confidence  that 
they  w-ould  succeed  as  wholesalers  of  bituminous  coal. 
The  co-partnership  took  the  trading  name  of  the  Pitts- 
burg &  Freeport  Coal  Company  and  established  offices 
in  Jamestown.  Mr.  Thompson  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Jaiiestown  Board  of  Commerce,  and  religiously  is  a 
R  .nan  Catholic,  an  earnest  attendant  at  SS.  Peter  and 
Paul  Roman  Catholic  Church  at  Jamestown. 

Mr.  Thompson  married,  at  Renovo,  Pa.,  Josephine  A. 
Nicklas,  of  that  place.  They  have  two  children :  Mildred 
and  Neil,  both  of  whom  are  at  school,  the  former  attend- 
ing the  Jamestown  High  School. 


in  Chautauqua  county,  a  man  of  education,  sound  citizen- 
ship, and  a  representative  in  the  business  life  of  the  town 
of  Stockton. 

Paul  W.  Fredriekson,  son  of  Alfred  D.  and  Matilda 
(Anderson)  Fredriekson,  was  born  in  Stockton,  N.  Y., 
Dec.  14,  1893.  He  was  educated  here  in  the  district 
schools  and  later  the  Brocton  and  Fredonia  high  schools. 
He  took  a  teacher's  course  at  the  Fredonia  Normal 
School,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of 
1915,  and  shortly  afterwards  became  the  principal  of  the 
Cassadaga  High  School,  Cassadaga,  N.  Y.  He  remained 
here  for  one  year,  and  in  1916  went  to  New  York  City, 
where  he  became  the  principal  of  the  grammar  depart- 
ment of  the  Chelsea  School,  which  is  a  branch  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  Educational  Depart- 
ment, this  school  being  located  in  the  Association's  build- 
ing on  West  23rd  street.  In  August,  1917,  shortly  after 
the  United  States  entered  the  World  War,  he  enlisted  and 
went  to  the  Officers'  Training  Camp  at  Fort  Niagara,  N. 
Y.,  and  there  received  an  intensive  military  training.  At 
Fort  Niagara  he  was  commissioned  second  lieutenant  in 
the  Field  Artillery  service.  In  December,  1917,  he  was 
assigned  to  Camp  Travis,  Texas,  as  an  artillery  instructor, 
and  remained  in  this  assignment  until  January,  1918,  when 
he  was  transferred  to  the  Aviation  Section  of  the  army. 
He  had  become  very  well  equipped  in  the  knowledge  of 
military  service,  and  was  in  command  of  various  squad- 
rons at  Kelly  Field,  Texas,  and  Vancouver  Barracks, 
Washington.  Because  of  his  past  experience  in  the  lum- 
ber business,  he  was  selected  to  oversee  the  cutting  of 
spruce  timber  in  the  forests  near  X'ancouver  Barracks, 
for  the  use  of  airplanes.  He  was  honorably  discharged 
from  service,  Feb.  8,  1919,  and  shortly  afterwards  re- 
turned to  his  home  at  Stockton,  where  he  joined  his 
brothers,  Delmar  T.  and  Albin  L.  Fredriekson,  in  their 
manufacturing  industry  of  basket  making  and  other  wood 
products,  the  firm  being  known  as  the  Fredriekson  Broth- 
ers, of  which  he  has  since  been  secretary. 

Mr.  Fredriekson  is  identified  with  the  various  town 
interests,  being  a  justice  of  the  peace  and  a  member  of  the 
Town  Board.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic bodies  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 
In  politics  he  is  a  staunch  Republican,  and  in  religion  a 
member  of  the  Stockton  Baptist  Church. 

On  Dec.  29,  1920,  Mr.  Fredriekson  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Esther  M.  Waite,  daughter  of  Frank  O.  and 
Rachel   (Paterson)  Waite,  of  Dewittville,  N.  Y. 


PAUL  WALTER  FREDRICKSON,  prominent 
young  citizen  and  business  man,  is  a  native  of  America, 
and  a  descendant  of  that  sturdy  race,  the  Swedes,  which 
represents  one  of  the  most  progressive  types  of  people 


DR.  CHARLES  E.  GIBBS,  son  of  George  W.  and 
Anna  (Reid)  Gibbs,  was  born  in  Sherman,  N.  Y.,  June 
3,  1878.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  birth- 
place, and  after  the  completion  of  his  general  education 
entered  the  veterinary  department  of  Cornell  University, 
from  w^hich  he  was  graduated  D.  V.  M.  in  1904.  Im- 
mediately after  passing  the  New  York  State  Board  ex- 
aminations, he  began  practice  at  Fredonia,  where  he  has 
since  continued.  Dr.  Gibbs  is  a  member  of  Western  New 
York  Veterinarian  Medical  .As.sociation,  and  at  one  time 
was  director  of  this  organization.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Democrat,  but  takes  no  part  in  the  activities  of  the  or- 
ganization, preferring  to  give  his  entire  time  to  the  duties 
of  his  profession.  He  affiliates  with  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks. 


500 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Dr.  Gibbs  married  (.first).  Claudinc  L.  Kidder,  of 
Sherman,  \.  Y.,  now  deceased.  He  married  (second) 
Edith  Bonquin  Reynolds,  of  Fredonia,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  five  children :  Geraldine,  Anna,  Edward,  How- 
ard and  May. 


THE  SEABURG  MANUFACTURING  COM- 
PANY, INC.,  a  substantial  industrial  concern  of 
Jamestown.  X.  V.,  having  a  modernly  equipped  plant  for 
tlie  manufacture  of  the  "Librola,"  a  high  grade  phono- 
graph in  library  table  form  which  is  manufactured  and 
sold  complete  to  dealers  all  over  the  country,  and  a  high 
grade  line  of  library  tables,  pedestals  and  cedar  chests,  at 
Nos.  IJ4-130  Steele  street,  Jamestown,  is  the  enterprise 
of  members  of  the  Seaburg  family  of  James- 
town. The  business  was  established  in  1903,  at 
Xo.  124  Steele  street,  by  E.  B.  Seaburg,  assisted  by 
his  sons.  E.  J.  and  A.  H.,  and  at  the  outset  the  small 
shop  found  employment  for  only  twelve  men.  The  fac- 
tory at  present  has  seventy-five  men  on  its  payroll,  and 
has  widened  its  scope  of  manufacture,  as  well  as  market. 
The  direction  is  practically  confined  to  the  Seaburg  fam- 
ily. E.  J.  Seaburg  is  general  manager,  in  direct  charge 
of  purchasing,  selling,  and  correspondence;  his  brother, 
A.  H.  Seaburg,  is  in  charge  of  manufacturing,  as  super- 
intendent :  \".  B.  Seaburg  is  representing  the  firm  as 
salesman  among  the  trade;  another  brother,  O.  T.  Sea- 
burg, is  assistant  superintendent  in  charge  of  finishing 
and  shipping,  and  three  other  members  of  the  Seaburg 
family,  namely,  E.  T.,  L.  W'.,  and  R.  H.  Seaburg,  are 
connected  with  the  company.  The  management  is  very 
efficient,  and  the  advancement  has  been  steady  and  solid. 
The  present  substantial  buildings  were  erected  in  1914 
and  1920,  but  the  expansion  of  business  has  made  further 
alterations  and  additions  necessary  and  another  building 
is  being  erected.  One  building,  used  as  a  dry  kiln,  of 
three  stories,  is  advantageously  planned,  it  being  possible 
for  cars  of  lumber  to  come  right  alongside  and  be  dis- 
charged on  to  small  trucks,  and  by  means  of  a  ten-ton 
elevator  lifted  to  the  three  floors  of  the  dry  kilns  and 
.  from  there  to  the  cutting  room,  thus  cutting  out  much 
unnecessary  and  costly  handling.  It  is  understood  that  it 
is  the  only  plant  in  the  country  having  a  three-story  dry 
kiln  and  at  which  such  methods  of  handling  are  prac- 
ticed. 

The  business  was  re-organized  in  1909,  and  corporate 
powers  secured,  under  the  above  stated  name.  Since  that 
year,  the  father,  E.  B.  Seaburg,  has  acted  practically  only 
in  an  advisory  capacity,  and  he  is  not  among  the  present 
officers  of  the  corporation.  They  are:  E.  J.  Seaburg, 
president  and  general  manager;  A.  H.  Seaburg,  vice- 
president  and  superintendent ;  V.  B.  Seaburg,  vice-presi- 
dc-nt  and  branch  sales  manager;  O.  T.  Seaburg,  secretary 
and  assistant  superintendent ;  E.  T.  Seaburg,  treasurer ; 
and  L.  \V.  Seaburg,  assistant  secretary,  and  all  of  the 
ab^A-e  with  E.  B.  Seaburg  and  R.  H.  .Seaburg,  constitute 
the  Ij'jard  of  rlircctors.  The  company  is  well  represented 
on  the  Jamestown  Board  of  Commerce,  Jamestown  Man- 
ufa'-turers'  .-Xsvociation,  and  the  .Association  of  Manufac- 
tur<T^  and   Mcrrhnnts  of  New  York  State. 


treasurer  of  the  Level  Furniture  Company.  Born  in 
Poland^  Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y.,  Aug.  27,  1886,  he  is 
the  son  of  August  A.  and  Katherine  (Lindquist)  Blom- 
quist,  the  former  a  successful  contractor  of  Falconer, 
N.  Y. 

When  \oung,  Joseph  A.  Blom,quist  went  to  live  with 
an  aunt  in  Minnesota,  and  while  there  attended  the  gram- 
mar and  high  schools.  His  aunt  lived  on  a  farm  so  the 
boy  was  taught  to  assist  in  the  work  until  he  returned 
to  New  York  State,  this  time  living  in  Jamestown.  Here 
he  entered  the  Jamestown  Business  College,  taking  a  two- 
year  course  in  business  training  and  office  practice.  In 
1903,  he  obtained  employment  as  a  clerk  in  the  office  of 
the  Jamestown  Lounge  Company,  remaining  with  them 
four  years,  when,  in  October,  1907,  he  became  book- 
keeper for  the  Level  Furniture  Company.  Two  j'ears  later, 
1909,  he  was  admitted  to  the  firm  as  one  of  the  partners 
and  was  made  secretary  and  treasurer,  a  position  he  now 
holds.  Mr.  Blomquist  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Commerce  and  of  the  Norden  Club.  He  is  active  in  the 
work  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  being 
a  member  of  tlie  Epsilon  Phi  fraternity,  a  society  which 
has  been  organized  in  connection  with  it.  He  is  a  Free 
Mason,  belonging  to  the  chapter.  He  attends  the  Pres- 
byterian church.  Mr.  Blomquist  is  greatly  interested  in 
everything  connected  with  athletic  sports ;  when  a 
younger  man  he  played  football  and  basketball  consider- 
ably, and  out-of-door  life  is  one  of  his  recreations. 

In  Willmar,  Minn.,  June  28,  1913,  Joseph  A.  Blom- 
quist married  Florence  Porter,  the  daughter  of  .Solomon 
Porter,  the  former  treasurer  of  Kandiyohi  county,  Minn. 


JOSEPH  A.  BLOMQUIST— Active  in  the  business 
world  oi  Jamestov.ii,  especially  among  the  younger  sot, 
may   be   found  Joseph   A.   Blomquist,  the  secretary   and 


THE  CURTIS  MACHINE  CORPORATION,  the 

main  offices  and  original  plant  of  which  are  at  James- 
town, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  was,  at  the  outset,  a 
local  enterprise,  established  by  well  known  Jamestown 
men,  but  it  now  has  many  plants  and  controls  the  manu- 
facture of  certain  patented  belt  sanders,  rubbing  and 
carving  machines,  used  in  wood  working.  The  basic 
patents  were  the  property  of  Minneapolis  men,  but  it  was 
found  necessary  to  take  over  the  plants  of  other  manufac- 
turers, who  were  infringing  their  patents,  and  the  Curtis 
Machine  Corporation,  as  at  present  constituted,  represents 
the  consolidation  of  the  plants  of  the  Lucas  Machine 
Company,  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  the  Moore  Carving 
Machine  Company,  of  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  and  the  Jan- 
sen-Peterson  Company,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

The  Curtis  Machine  Corporation,  which  was  incor- 
porated on  April  19,  1913,  by  Don  Allen  Curtis,  of 
Jamestown,  at  first  manufactured  sand  belt  machines  for 
wood  working,  but  as  other  companies  were  taken  over, 
each  possessed  of  patents  of  allied  kind,  its  product  em- 
braced rubbing  machines,  sanding  machines,  carving 
machines,  and  bits  of  various  kinds.  The  Lucas  Machine 
Company  was  absorbed  in  August,  1013,  the  Moore  Carv- 
ing Machine  Company  was  taken  over  in  the  same  month, 
and  the  Janscn-Peter.son  Company  came  into  the  con- 
solidation in  September,  1913.  The  Jamestown  plant  of 
the  new  company  was  built  in  the  fall  of  191.^,  and  com- 
menced ojjcrating  in  February  of  the  following  year. 
Prior  to  that,  the  machines  were  produced  in  a  little  plant 
on  Taylor  street,  Jamestown.  In  January,  1918,  the 
coiniiany  met  with  a  serious  setback,  being  forced  to  close 
the  Jamestown  plant  because  of  a  disastrous  fire  by  which 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


SOI 


it  was  almost  gutted.  The  origin  of  the  fire  was  never 
traced,  but  it  caused  suspension  of  work  at  that  plant  for 
three  weeks.  The  present  factory,  which  is  60  feet  by  160 
feet,  and  of  three  floors,  is  equipped  with  individual  elec- 
tric motors,  and  with  all  the  most  efficient  devices  for  the 
production,  in  high  grade  quality  and  great  quantity,  of 
the  specialties  of  the  company.  During  the  World  War, 
the  company's  facilities  were  in  great  part  used  for  the 
manufacture  of  propeller  cutting  machines  for  the 
United  States  Government. 

At  the  present  Jamestown  plant,  which  is  on  East  Sec- 
ond street,  the  company  finds  employment  for  about 
seventy  men.  The  original  officials  were :  Fred  M.  Curtis, 
president ;  Don  A.  Curtis,  vice-president ;  Frank  G.  Cur- 
tis, secretary ;  and  E.  W.  Curtis,  treasurer.  The  president 
and  treasurer  is  now  E.  W.  Curtis ;  F.  G.  Curtis  is  vice- 
president  ;  E.  A.  Gibson  is  secretary.  They  are  members 
of  the  Manufacturers'  Association  of  Jamestown,  of  the 
Jamestown  Board  of  Commerce,  of  the  National  Metal 
Trades  Association,  and  of  the  Manufacturers'  and  Mer- 
chants' Association  of  New  York  State. 

The  success  of  the  members  of  the  Curtis  family  in 
this  and  in  other  local  undertakings  of  theirs  is  gratifying 
to  their  many  friends  in  that  section  of  New  York  State, 
and  to  the  city  of  Jamestown,  which  has  benefited  ma- 
terially by  their  successful  business  enterprises. 


EDWARD  W.  CURTIS,  president  and  treasurer  of 
the  Curtis  Machine  Corporation,  manufacturers  of  pat- 
ented belt  Sanders,  rubbing  and  carving  machines,  a 
consolidation  of  three  corporations,  with  plants  in  James- 
town, Minneapolis  and  Cleveland,  is  a  native  of  Elbridge, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  was  born  Sept.  23,  1861,  and  has  been 
a  resident  of  Jamestown  for  more  than  thirty  years. 

He  is  the  son  of  Alonzo  M.  and  Louise  (Gleason) 
Curtis.  His  father  was  a  well  known  farmer  in  the  town 
of  Elbridge,  Onondaga  count}',  N.  Y.,  where  he  was 
popular  and  highly  respected.  He  held  various  town 
and  county  offices  of  honor,  and  reared  his  children  undei* 
wholesome  Christian  conditions,  but  without  any  incen- 
tives to  extravagance  or  the  flimsy  artificialities  of  mod- 
ern life.  At  the  age  of  six  years,  Edward  W.  Curtis  was 
being  inculcated  into  the  methods  of  performing  several 
small  duties  on  the  parental  farm,  and  during  his  school 
days  he  became  proficient  in  most  farming  operations  that 
were  possible  to  a  youth.  He  was  educated,  with  his 
brothers,  Arthur  and  Edward,  the  former  now  deceased, 
and  his  sister  Jennie,  who  also  is  deceased,  in  the  local 
schools  of  his  native  place,  and  later  he  also  attended  the 
Monroe  Collegiate  Institute.  But  when  he  had  reached 
the  age  of  fifteen  years,  he  closed  his  schooling  alto- 
gether, and  assisted  his  father  in  the  management  of  the 
farm.  When  he  became  of  age,  he  went  to  Nile,  Mich., 
and  there  worked  in  a  local  chair  factory,  and  during 
the  two  years  spent  in  that  place  became  a  proficient 
cabinet  maker  and  wood  turner.  Then  he  took  to  rail- 
roading, and  while  so  engaged,  was  injured.  That  was 
in  1S86,  and  he  then  came  to  Jamestown.  N.  Y.,  and  be- 
came connected  with  local  furniture  manufacturers.  He 
travelled  for  many  years,  representing  at  first  Phillips, 
Maddox  &  Company,  and  later  the  Empire  Case  Goods 
Company.  In  1902  he  engaged  independently  in  the  lum- 
ber business,  doing  much  travelling  and  dealing  exten- 
sively, as  a  merchant,  in  lumber  and  standing  timber.     In 


191 1  he  took  charge  of  the  Jamestown  branch  of  the 
Williamson  Lumber  Company  of  Baltimore.  Two  years 
later,  however,  he  joined  other  members  of  the  Curtis 
family  in  establishing  the  Curtis  Machine  Corporation, 
with  which  he  has  since  been  connected  in  executive  ca- 
pacity. Since  the  death,  in  1915,  of  his  brother,  Fred 
M.  Curtis,  he  has  been  president,  as  well  as  treasurer, 
of  the  company,  the  development  of  which  has  been  else- 
where written  of  in  this  volume.  Mr.  Curtis  is  an 
active  member  of  the  Jamestown  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
and  fraternally,  he  is  a  Mason,  of  thirty-second  degree; 
prominent  in  local  lodges.  Knights  Templar  and  Shrine. 
Also  he  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks.  He  is  popular  in  Jamestown,  and  has 
proved  himself  to  be  a  good  business  man,  of  sterling 
integrity  and  likable  ways. 

In  1902,  Mr.  Curtis  married,  in  Jamestown,  Ethel, 
daughter  of  Attorney  John  Weeks,  whose  record  of 
public  work  has  been  written  for  this  work.  They  have 
one  child,  a  daughter,  Louise,  who  now  attends  James- 
town High  School. 


REV.  PETRUS  LETOCHA— The  large  Polish 
population  of  Chautauqua  county  centers  in  Dunkirk, 
where  they  began  settling  prior  to  1855,  the  second  only 
to  the  Swedes  in  the  order  of  their  coming.  In  1855 
there  were  twenty-one  Polanders  in  the  count>',  and  in 
1900  there  were  1.027  natives  of  Poland  living  in  the 
county  and  many  more  descendants.  In  and  around 
Dunkirk  are  evidences  of  the  thrift  and  industry  that 
distinguish  these  people ;  they  are  among  the  best  farm- 
ers of  the  county,  they  give  their  children  the  benefit  of 
all  school  advantages,  are  making  rapid  progress  along 
the  path  of  progress  and  make  good  citizens. 

The  Polish  language,  differing  more  radically  from  the 
English  than  any  other  of  the  continental  tongues,  ren- 
ders it  difficult  for  them  to  acquire  our  language  readily 
and  this  explains  why  they  are  unable  to  quickly  assimi- 
late with  the  Americans  in  many  respects.  Polish  soci- 
eties and  Polish  churches  are  a  necessity,  and  it  is  through 
these  agencies  that  the  work  of  naturalization  is  has- 
tened. St.  Hyacinth  Roman  Catholic  Church  was  erected 
in  Dunkirk  in  1895,  at  a  cost  of  $10,000,  there  then  being 
eighty-five  Polish  families  in  Dunkirk.  In  1902,  St. 
Hedwig  Church  was  erected  to  accommodate  the  Polish 
population  in  the  Fourth  Ward  of  Dunkirk.  Father 
Schultz  was  the  builder  of  St.  .Hedwig.  and  to  that 
church  in  191 1  came  Rev.  Petrus  Letocha,  the  present 
pastor.  The  parish  then  numbered  2.200  souls,  and  during 
the  years  1911-1920  that  number  has  been  increased  to 
3.200.  The  parish  has  grown  in  spiritual  and  material 
power  during  his  pastorate,  and  on  every  hand  are  evi- 
dences of  his  untiring  zeal  as  a  priest  and  pastor.  St. 
Hedwig's  Parochial  School,  which  started  with  200  pupils, 
now  has  436.  divided  into  seven  grades,  taught  by  eight 
sisters  of  the  order,  Petrus  Letocha  was  born  in  Upper 
Silesia,  Poland.  Nov.  19,  1874,  son  of  Simon  and  Kath- 
rine  Letocha,  his  father  a  farmer.  The  lad  grew  up  on 
the  farm,  but  was  given  a  good  preparatory  education, 
attending  the  equivalent  of  the  .\merican  high  school 
until  1890,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States,  a  lad  of 
sixteen  years.  He  began  his  theological  education,  at- 
tending a  university  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  whence  he  was 
graduated,  class  of  1898.    He  was  ordained  a  priest  of  the 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Roman  Catholic  churL-h  the  same  year  by  Bishop  Mc- 
Ouade,  and  was  at  once  assigned  to  St.  Stanislaus  Church, 
Rochester.  X.  Y.  His  tirst  parish  was  Our  Lady  Czes- 
torchowa.  at  Xonhuniberland,  N.  Y.,  which  he  organized 
with  an  initial  congregation  of  2S0  souls.  He  left  the 
parish  in  101 1,  thoroughly  organized  with  church  and 
school  buildings  and  a  congregation  of  2,000  souls.  In 
Ipii,  Fatlier  Letocha  was  appointed  pastor  of  St.  Hedwig 
parish,  Dunkirk,  X.  Y..  erected  in  1902,  and  has  there 
accomplished  a  wonderful  work  for  the  cause  to  which  he 
has  devoted  his  life  and  for  the  people  he  loves,  his  coun- 
tr\inen. 

He  is  greatly  beloved  by  his  congregation  and  mingles 
with  them  freely  in  social  intercourse  as  well  as  holding 
with  them,  the  closest  priestly  relation.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Polish  Union  and  the  Polish  Xational  Alliance, 
and  leads  his  people  toward  the  goal  of  enlightened  Amer- 
ican citizenship  with  a  zeal  equalled  only  by  his  devotion 
as  a  priest  of  the  church. 


JESSE  POWELI If  those  who  claim  that  fortune 

has  favored  certain  individuals  above  others  will  but 
investigate  the  cause  of  success  and  failure,  it  will  be 
found  that  the  former  is  largely  due  to  the  improvement 
of  opportunity,  the  latter  to  the  neglect  of  it.  Fortunate 
environments  encompass  almost  every  individual  at  some 
stage  of  his  career,  but  the  strong  man  and  the  success- 
ful man  is  he  who  realizes  that  the  proper  moment  has 
come,  that  the  present  and  not  the  future  holds  his  op- 
portunity. The  man  who  makes  use  of  the  "Now"  and 
not  the  "To  Be"  is  the  one  who  passes  on  the  highway 
of  life  others  who  started  out  ahead  of  him,  and  reaches 
the  goal  of  prosperity  in  advance  of  them.  It  is  this 
quality  in  Jesse  Powell,  who  is  identified  in  the  business 
circles  as  a  master  plumber,  that  has  led  him  to  success. 

Jesse  Powell  was  born  in  England,  July  7,  1876,  and 
came  to  this  country  when  he  was  but  five  years  old,  liv- 
ing in  Quebec.  Canada,  with  his  parents,  until  he  was 
twelve  years  of  age,  when  they  moved  to  Fredonia,  N.  Y. 
The  boy  Jesse  attended  school  in  Quebec,  and  when  tlie 
family  moved  to  Fredonia  he  continued  his  studies  for  a 
short  time  until  he  was  obliged  to  start  out  in  the  business 
world  to  earn  his  own  living.  He  learned  the  plumber's 
trade  with  the  Xatural  Gas  and  Light  Company,  working 
for  them  for  eight  years,  when  he  commenced  contracting 
in  this  jiarticular  line  of  business  for  himself,  since  which 
time  he  has  done  much  work  in  Fredonia  and  has  en.- 
ployed  as  many  as  ten  people  at  one  time  in  his  business 
undertakings,  having  received  the  contract  for  the  plumb- 
ing of  the  Baptist  church,  the  Barker  .street  school,  the 
Union  school,  and  also  for  the  plumbing  in  seventy-five 
residences  of  Fredonia.  The  fact  that  Mr.  Powell  is 
so  thoroughly  occupied  is  largely  due  to  the  constant  care 
and  consideration  which  he  has  bestowed  upon  the  up- 
building and  maintenance  of  his  business.  In  the  atmos- 
phere that  he  creates  there  is  no  such  thing  as  stagna- 
tion, for  he  is  quick  to  act  and  he  is  in  the  habit  of  ac- 
complishing whatever  he  undertakes.  Mr.  Powell  is  an 
indei>cnd'-nt  in  politics,  voting  for  the  man  rather  than  the 
party  he  reiiresents.  He  is  a  Baptist  in  religion.  He 
belongs  to  no  Ivlges  nor  clubs,  being  too  engrossed  with 
busincs   matter".. 

Mr.   Powell   married,  Aug.  7,   t'/ni,  Annie   R.   Kyman, 


of  Fredonia,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  five  children; 
Leo  K.,  Jessemay,  Amalyne,  Wilda,  Ryman. 

Alert,  alive  and  progressive,  Mr.  Powell  justly  merits 
the  success  he  has  achieved.  Happily  gifted  in  manner,  en- 
terprising" in  business  methods,  he  is  personally  liked  most 
by  those  who  know  him  best,  and  his  natural  attainments, 
together  with  his  exceptional  aliility,  seem  to  give  promise 
of  a  brilliant  future. 


WILLIS  L.  EDDY— On  the  old  Eddy  homestead, 
near  Watts  Flats,  in  the  town  of  Harmony,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  Willis  L.  Eddy  was  born  Feb.  21,  1855, 
son  of  James  and  Dorcas  Eddy,  his  father  a  farmer. 

He  attended  the  district  school,  then  was  a  student  in 
the  Jamestown  public  schools,  finishing  with  high  school. 
While  from  youth  Mr.  Eddy  has  been  familiar  with 
farming  operations,  he  taught  school  for  ten  years,  hold- 
ing a  teacher's  certificate  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  has 
been  prominently  identified  with  the  business  interests  of 
Panama  village,  where  he  has  his  home.  For  six  years 
he  has  been  interested  in  the  Panama  Creamery,  and  for 
fifteen  years  conducted  a  mill  and  lumber  business  in  the 
village,  and  is  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  the  town.  In 
politics  Mr.  Eddy  is  a  progressive  Republican,  and  in  re- 
ligious faith  a  member  of  Harmony  Baptist  Church  at 
Panama.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry, 
and  a  man  of  sterling  character,  highly  regarded  by  his 
townsmen,  of  genial,  friendly  nature,  progressive,  of 
well  trained  studious  mind  and  well  informed. 

Mr.  Eddy  married,  at  Pittsfield,  Warren  county.  Pa., 
April  4,  1883,  Mary  A.  Meade,  daughter  of  Filmore  and 
Caroline  Meade,  her  father  a  farmer  of  Pittsfield.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Eddy  are  the  parents  of  a  son,  Lynn  W.,  born 
June  12,  1888,  and  two  daughters,  Ruth  H,,  born  Dec.  21, 
1889,  and  Grace  C,  born  June  5,  1903. 


DON  ALLEN  CURTIS— There  is  just  outside  the 
city  of  Jamestown,  yet  within  its  confines,  a  unique  estate, 
practically  a  sheep  ranch.  It  covers  many  acres  of  land, 
and  has  at  the  present  time  over  60D  head  of  sheep.  It 
is  located  at  the  east  end  of  Jamestown,  and  on  this  thor- 
oughly up-to-date  farm  Don  Allen  Curtis  is  enjoying 
life  in  his  own  way,  leading  an  active,  healthy  existence 
near  to  nature's  heart,  his  interpretation  of  the  "back  to 
the  farm"  idea  taking  a  rather  extensive  form,  albeit 
quite  conducive  to  health  and  enjoyment  of  the  beauties 
to  be  found  in  nature. 

Don  Allen  Curtis  was  born  in  Elbridgc,  N.  Y.,  April 
23,  1876.  He  is  the  son  of  Alonzo  Mead  and  Electa  Ade- 
laide (Townsend)  Curtis.  Of  this  marriage  six  children 
were  born:  i.  Hcman  D.,  at  present  residing  in  the 
State  of  Wyoming.  2.  Fred  M.,  deceased.  3.  Frank  G., 
also  living  in  Wyoming.  4.  Don  Allen.  5.  Jessie  W., 
who  married  Edward  W.  .Scowdcn,  and  is  living  at 
Frewsliurg.  6.  Caroline,  married  Henry  G.  Rask,  of 
Jamestown. 

In  his  early  boyhood,  Don  Allen  Curtis  attended  the 
distri<t  school  at  Elbridge  and  later  the  high  school  at 
Jordan,  N.  Y.,  working  on  his  father's  farm  after  school 
and  on  Saturdays,  continuing  this  after  leaving  school. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  moved  to  Jamestown  and 
started  to  work,  in  1805,  in  his  brother's  chair  factory 
as   night    watclimxui   at    nine   dollars    a    week.      He   also 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


503 


learned  the  chairmaking  trade,  working  after  a  time 
during  the  day,  remaining  so  employed  for  a  year  and  a 
half.  When  he  left  he  had  acquired  the  cabinetmaker's 
trade  also.  He  then  obtained  a  position  as  traveling 
salesman  for  the  Randolph  Furniture  Company,  of  Ran- 
dolph, N.  Y. ;  this  was  followed  by  a  like  position  with 
the  Star  Furniture  Company  of  Jamestown,  after  which 
Mr.  Curtis  was  engaged  by  the  Morgan  Manufacturing 
Company  of  Jamestown  on  a  commission  basis.  He 
remained  with  this  concern  for  five  years,  being  contin- 
ually on  the  road,  saving  his  earnings  and  investing  them 
in  the  furniture  factory.  About  this  time  the  Lucas 
Machine  Company  was  formed,  he  being  active  in  its  or- 
ganization. It  became  an  incorporated  concern,  taking 
in  the  business  of  the  brother  for  whom  he  had  formerly 
worked  and  also  buying  out  several  machine  corpora- 
tions. They  all  became  consolidated  under  the  one 
corporate  name,  the  Lucas  Machine  Company,  Mr.  Curtis 
being  made  treasurer  and  salesman.  He  only  remained 
in  this  connection  one  year,  in  1913  becoming  interested 
in  the  oil  business,  buying  stock  in  Wyoming  concerns. 
Shortly  after,  the  New  York  Oil  Company  was  formed 
and  Don  A.  Curtis  was  elected  president  of  it ;  later  it 
became  a  corporation.  In  Novem.ber,  1917,  the  Empire 
State  Oil  Company  was  established  with  headquarters  in 
Casper,  Wyoming,  and  an  office  in  Jamestown.  Mr.  Cur- 
tis was  chosen  vice-president  of  this  company.  On  April 
10,  1919,  he  resigned  his  office  as  president  of  the  New 
York  Oil  Company,  and  since  that  tim.e  has  not  been  at 
all  active  in  the  affairs  of  the  company. 

Don  Allen  Curtis  married,  in  Jamestown,  Oct.  i,  1908, 
Susan  B.  Carr,  of  that  city.  They  have  one  son,  Don 
Allen,  Jr.,  born  Nov.  8,  1912.  He  is  now  attending  the 
public  school  in  Jamestown. 

Of  a  very  social  nature  and  fond  of  mingling  with  his 
fellowmen,  Mr.  Curtis  is  connected  with  several  of  the 
popular  organizations  of  Jamestown.  He  is  a  Free  Ma- 
son of  the  thirty-second  degree,  a  Knight  Templar  and  a 
Shriner.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protec- 
tive Order  of  Elks,  and  of  the  local  lodge  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows ;  he  is  active  in  the  James- 
town Club  and  also  in  the  Board  of  Commerce.  Mr. 
Curtis  is  a  most  congenial  man,  agreeable  in  manner,  of 
a  kindly,  sympathetic  temperament,  and  is  regarded  by 
other  men  as  a  generally  likable  man.  During  his  sales- 
man days  his  personality  was  one  of  his  greatest  assets, 
for  he  made  friends  readily  and  had  the  gift  of  retaining 
them.  After  he  had  attained  a  competence,  he  felt  the 
need  of  a  rest  from  the  many  business  interests  in  which 
he  had  been  engaged,  for  his  nature  compelled  him  to 
do  with  all  his  energy  whatever  his  hands  found  to  do, 
and  as  he  had  worked  hard  in  his  early  life  he  desired 
relaxation  later,  therefore  he  bought  the  sheep  farm 
before  referred  to  and  lives  upon  it  in  contentment. 


ALBERTUS  A.  COBB,  who  has  been  for  a  number 
of  years  an  exceedingly  prominent  figure  in  the  business 
world  of  Brocton,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  is  a  member 
of  a  family  which  has  long  held  a  conspicuous  place  in 
the  life  and  affairs  of  this  region.  Mr.  Cobb  is  a  son  of 
John  Hale  and  Julia  (Prentice)  Cobb,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  Brocton.  The  elder  Mr.  Cobb  was 
for  many  years  engaged  in  business  as  a  printer,  and  was 
one  of  the  successful  editors  of  Brocton.     He  was  born 


at  Sinclairville,  and  early  in  life  went  to  the  West,  where 
he  spent  a  number  of  years.  He  returned,  however,  to 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  while  yet  a  young  man  and 
published  a  paper  at  Ripley  for  a  time,  after  which  he 
removed  to  Brocton,  and  for  the  twelve  years  preceding 
his  death,  which  occurred  May  19,  1903,  was  associated 
with  the  affairs  of  this  city.  He  was  tlie  publisher  of 
the  Brocton  "Mirror,"  and  besides  controling  the  policy 
of  that  paper  he  wrote  the  editorial  page.  He  was  an 
unusually  clear  thinker  and  powerful  writer,  and  his  work 
as  editor  untjuestionably  strongly  influenced  local  thought 
on  the  political  issues  of  his  day.  His  ability  was  recog- 
nized by  his  colleagues  throughout  this  region,  and  it  was 
often  lamented  by  them  that  he  could  not  take  the  part 
which  his  abilities  warranted  in  some  larger  field  of  en- 
deavor. They  believed,  and  with  good  reason,  that  he 
would  have  made  a  name  for  himself  on  some  large  city 
newspaper,  but  although  this  was  unquestionably  true, 
the  work  that  he  did  in  the  home  field  was  of  great  im- 
portance and  perhaps  his  influence,  although  more  indi- 
rectly, was  as  vital  and  effective  as  it  could  have  been  in 
any  other  environment.  John  Hale  Cobb  married,  Julia 
Prentice,  who  was  also  a  member  of  a  well  known  family 
in  this  neighborhood,  by  whom  he  had  five  sons,  as  fol- 
lows:  P.  E.  Cobb,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio;  Archie,  who  is 
connected  with  a  telegraph  company  at  Springfield,  Ohio; 
Albertus  A.,  with  whose  career  we  are  here  especially 
concerned ;  Harry,  who  resides  at  Brockton  ;  and  Bert, 
who  also  resides  at  Brocton. 

.•\.Ibertus  A.  Cobb  was  born  in  Barry,  Pike  county,  111., 
during  the  residence  of  his  parents  in  the  West,  Dec.  23, 
1871,  and  spent  his  childhood  in  his  native  region,  where 
he  attended  the  local  public  schools.  He  was  still  a  boy, 
however,  when  his  parents  brought  him  to  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  and  he  continued  his  schooling  in  the  public 
schools  of  Ripley.  While  still  a  youth,  he  entered  his 
father's  printing  establishment  and  there  learned  the 
trade  of  printer  and  the  elements  of  the  publishing  busi- 
ness. At  the  death  of  the  elder  Mr.  Cobb,  he  succeeded 
to  the  publication  of  the  Brocton  "Mirror"  and  has  con- 
tinued to  conduct  that  paper  in  a  most  able  manner  ever 
since.  The  Brocton  "Mirror"  is  one  of  the  chief  organs 
of  public  information  in  this  region,  and  Mr.  Cobb's 
printing  office  is  equipped  with  all  the  most  modern  and 
up-to-date  presses  and  other  mechanisms  for  the  produc- 
tion of  a  first  class  paper.  Mr.  Cobb's  ability  as  a 
writer  and  a  publisher  are  universally  recognized,  and  he 
is  regarded  universally  as  the  able  successor  of  his  tal- 
ented father.  Mr.  Cobb  is  well  kiiown  in  social  and 
fraternal  circles  here  and  is  a  member  of  the  .\ncient 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Brocton.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican  of  independent  tendencies,  and  his  paper 
reflects  his  broadminded  and  public-spirited  attitude  to- 
ward the  affairs  of  the  day. 

Albertus  A.  Cobb  was  united  in  marriage,  July  7, 
1899,  with  Alice  M.  Barber,  of  Portland,  N.  Y.  Mrs. 
Cobb  died  in  the  year  1909.  They  were  the  parents  of 
four  children,  as  follows  :  Mabel,  born  1900,  died  in  191 1 ; 
Merle,  educated  in  the  Brocton  Public  schools  and  the 
Fredonia  Normal  School,  and  now  is  employed  as  a 
teacher  in  the  local  institution ;  Josephine,  who  attended 
the  Brocton  public  schools  and  is  also  following  the  pro- 
fession of  teaching;  Ora,  who  is  now  a  student  in  the 
public  schools  of  Brocton. 


5^4 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


EDWARD  C.  TRILL,  tax  collector  of  Dunkirk, 
X.  v..  wi'.iih  position  he  has  held  since  1015,  was  born  in 
Dunkirk.  March  zy,  1S74,  the  son  of  Thomas  Trill,  an 
employee  of  the  Brooks  Locomotive  W'orks,  located  in 
Dunkirk,  and  of  Fannie  (Guenther)  Trill,  his  wife. 

Until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  Edward  C.  Trill 
attended  tlie  public  schools  of  his  native  city,  when  he 
went  to  work  in  a  planing  mill,  then  to  Erie,  Pa.,  re- 
maining for  a  year,  subsequently  returning  to  Dunkirk, 
where  he  was  employed  in  the  foundry  for  nine  years. 
In  1915,  he  was  appointed  to  his  present  position  of  tax 
collector  to  fill  an  unexpired  term,  which  expired  in  1917, 
when  he  was  reelected,  and  has  held  the  position  ever 
since.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  Republican  party,  and 
takes  a  lively  interest  in  that  phase  of  politics  that  makes 
for  the  highest  good  of  the  city.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  and  is  past  chancellor  commander  of 
the  lodge.    He  is  a  member  of  St.  John's  Church. 

Mr.  Trill  married,  Feb.  2,  1900,  Bertha  Kncubbe,  of 
Dunkirk.  They  are  the  parents  of  three  children  :  Edith, 
an  employee  of  the  Lake  Shore  National  Bank ;  Florence 
and  Robert. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  REID— No  man  in  any  com- 
munity- fills  a  more  important  position  than  does  the 
postmaster,  for  to  him  is  entrusted  the  custody  and  de- 
livery of  tlie  mail  and  upon  his  vigilance  and  fidelity  may 
depend  matters  of  the  greatest  moment  to  individuals, 
institutions,  cities  and  states.  This  is  the  office  which 
has  now  been  held  for  six  years  by  the  man  whose  name 
heads  this  article,  and  to  whose  ability  and  trustworthi- 
ness the  citizens  of  Lakewood,  N.  Y.,  can  bear  abundant 
testimony.  Mr.  Reid  has  a  most  creditable  record  as  a 
business  man  and  is  actively  associated  with  fraternal 
affairs. 

Robert  Reid,  father  of  William  Henry  Reid,  was  born 
in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  and  at  an  early  age  emigrated 
to  the  United  States,  where  he  followed  the  blacksmith's 
trade.  He  married,  in  Franklinville,  N.  Y.,  Sarah  M. 
Phctteplace,  a  native  of  Chenango  county,  N.  Y.,  and  his 
death  occurred  while  he  was  still  a  young  man. 

William  Henry  Reid,  son  of  Robert  and  Sarah  M. 
(Phcttei)lace)  Reid,  was  born  July  8,  1854,  in  Franklin- 
ville, Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y.,  and  received  his  primary 
education  in  the  district  school,  passing  thence  to  the  Ten 
Brocck  .Academy.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  obtained  em- 
ployment in  a  cheese  factory  and  learned  the  business 
thoroughly,  remaining  fifteen  years.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  he  went  to  OI)i,  .'Mlegany  county,  N.  Y.,  where  for 
another  fifteen  years  he  conducted  a  grocery  store.  His 
next  removal  was  to  Portvillc,  N.  Y.,  remaining  four 
years,  during  three  of  which  he  filled  the  position  of 
suiicrintendent  of  the  Kent  House,  at  Lakewood,  N.  Y. 
He  worked  for  Mr.  Broadhead  in  the  Traction  Railroad 
office  and  was  also  employed  as  agent  for  the  American 
Railway  Express,  at  the  same  time  filling  the  position  of 
tirkct  agent  for  the  Chautauqua  Traction  Comjjany. 
In  jKjlitics,  Mr.  Reid  has  always  been  a  staunch  Demo- 
crat, and  in  1914  was  apiiointed  postmaster  of  Lakewoorl. 
The  fact  that  he  has  ever  since  continuously  retained  the 
office  furnishes  convincing  evidence  of  his  competence  and 
fidelity  in  the  discharge  of  his  very  responsible  duties. 
He  has  passed  the  chairs  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  and  also  affiliates  with  the  Maccabees  and 


the  M.  P.  L.  He  was  brought  up  in  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  but  is  not  now  connected  with  any  religious 
denomination. 

Mr.  Reid  married,  March  18,  i885,  Florence  A.  Cran- 
dall,  born  in  Genesee.  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  Joel  A.  and 
Jennetta  E.  (Maxson)  Crandall.  Mr.  Crandall,  a  na- 
tive of  Genesee,  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  affiliated 
with  the  Republican  party,  holding  various  local  oiBces. 
He  died  April  16,  191 1.  Mrs.  Crandall,  who  was  born  at 
Portville,  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.,  lives  with  her 
daughter,  Airs.  Reid.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reid  are  the  parents 
of  one  daughter,  Grace  Florence,  wife  of  Harry  H.  Hagg, 
of  Lakewood.  Mr.  Hagg  served  in  the  Army  of  Occupa- 
tion. 

The  record  of  William  Henry  Reid  has  been  varied, 
but  always  honorable.  It  is  a  record  which  his  family 
would  wish  to  have  preserved  and  of  which  his  descend- 
ants may  be  justly  proud. 


FRANK  COOK,  postmaster  of  the  village  of  Niobe, 
in  the  town  of  Harmony,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Clymer, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  24,  1861,  son  of  Charles 
and  Harriet  (Tanner)  Cook.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools,  and  was  variously  engaged  until  1915, 
when  he  was  appointed  to  his  present  office,  postmaster 
of  Niobe.  He  is  a  member  of  Sylvan  Lodge,  No.  1225, 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  Bear  Lake,  Pa., 
is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church.  As  a  citizen  Mr.  Cook  is  highly  esteemed  by  his 
townsmen,  and  is  well  liked  both  as  a  postmaster  and  as 
a  man.  He  has  made  his  own  way  in  the  world  and  holds 
the  respect  of  all  who  know  him. 

Mr.  Cook  married,  at  Watts  Flats,  town  of  Harmony, 
Blanche  E.,  daughter  of  Frank  and  Louisa  (Laurence) 
Danner.  Their  only  daughter,  Louise,  married  Ivan 
Shreves,  and  has  two  sons,  Gerald  and  Regis  Shreves. 


ALFRED  ROY  TRIPP,  a  prosperous  business  man 

of  the  village  of  Panama,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Har- 
mony, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  g,  1875,  son  of 
Rassander  G.  and  Nettie  (Swezey)  Tripp,  his  father  a 
farmer. 

He  was  educated  in  the  public  schhools,  finishing  with 
graduation  from  Panama  High  School,  after  which  he 
was  for  a  time  engaged  in  farming.  In  1905  he  engaged 
in  milling  at  Panama,  and  with  his  partner,  W.  P.  Muz- 
zey,  operates  a  milk  station  at  Panama,  and  has  a  good 
grain  and  feed  business.  Mr.  Tripp  has  made  his  busi- 
ness profitable  through  close  attention  to  its  every  detail, 
Ix5th  he  and  his  partner  being  men  of  energy  and  ability. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics;  member  of  the  Indepen- 
dent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Tripp  married,  June  7,  1902,  in  Panama,  Chautau- 
qua county,  Mae  J.  Cook,  horn  April  18,  1877,  in  Panama, 
daughter  of  Thaddeus  and  Minerva  (Oliver)  Cook,  na- 
tives of  Panama. 


FRED  AND  JOHN  SAHLE— Since  1910,  Fred  and 
John  Sahle,  trading  as  Sahle  Brothers,  have  been  en- 
gaged as  fiorists  in  Fredonia,  both  young  men  being 
practical  florists,  thoroughly  skilled  and  capable.  They 
began  in  rented  quarters,  but  soon  bought  the  property, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


505 


to  which  they  have  made  many  additions,  until  they 
have  a  well  equipped  modern  greenhouse  plant,  with 
16.000  feet  under  glass.  Their  particular  specialty  is 
carnations,  but  all  kinds  of  plants  and  cut  flowers  are 
included  in  their  stock.  They  have  been  very  success- 
ful in  their  business,  and  highly  deserve  to  reap  a  gen- 
erous reward,  for  they  have  worked  with  energy  and 
intelligence  to  achieve  that  result.  The  Sahle  Brothers' 
greenhouses  are  at  Nos.  97-101  Newton  street,  Fre- 
donia,  and  everything  about  the  establishment  bears 
evidence  of  the  ability  and  energy  of  the  proprietors  of 
the  plant.  The  brothers  are  well  known  and  highly 
esteemed  both  as  business  men  and  citizens.  Both  are 
men  of  youtli  and  energy,  and  their  future  seems  full  of 
promise.  The  brothers  are  sons  of  John  and  Marion 
Sahle,  their  father  a  carpenter.  John  and  Marion  Sahle 
are  the  parents  of  seven  children:  Mrs.  Lizzie  Law- 
rence: Fred,  of  further  mention;  John,  of  further  men- 
tion; Burton;  Mrs.  Clara  Gumtow;  Rudolf,  and  Louise. 

Fred  Sahle  was  born  in  Bern,  Switzerland,  March 
16,  18S6.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  and 
early  began  his  business  career,  finding  his  first  em- 
ployment in  the  nursery  owned  by  Foster  &  Griffith, 
with  whom  he  remained  two  years.  He  was  then  with 
Wilbur,  the  florist,  of  Fredonia,  employed  in  the  green- 
houses, and  was  for  two  years,  1908-10,  with  Palmer  & 
Son.  in  Bufljalo,  and  then  returned  to  Fredonia,  where 
with  his  brother  John  they  formed  the  firm  of  Sahle 
Brothers.  Fred  Sahle  is  an  expert  landscape  gardener 
and  specializes  in  that  department,  but  is  a  thorough 
florist  and  skilled  in  all  lines.  He  is  a  member  of  Fre- 
donia Lodge,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows; 
Fredonia  Grange,  Patrons  of  Husbandry;  ex-president  of 
the  Northern  Chautauqua  Florists'  Club ;  is  first  as- 
sistant chief  of  the  Fredonia  Fire  Department;  member 
of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce;  a  Republican  in  politics; 
and  in  1919  elected  trustee  of  the  village  of  Fredonia. 
He  married,  Aug.  3,  1919,  Margaret  O'Neil,  of  Fredonia, 
daughter  of  Patrick  and  Marion  O'Neil. 

John  Sahle  was  born  in  Bern,  Switzerland,  July  19, 
18SS,  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Van 
Buren,  N.  Y.  He  was  early  attracted  to  the  florist's 
business,  learning  his  art  with  Wilbur,  of  Fredonia, 
with  wliom  he  spent  two  years,  followed  by  four  with 
Herman  Wilbur.  This  brought  him  to  the  year  1910, 
and  the  organization  of  the  firm  of  Sahle  Brothers  with 
his  brother  Fred.  He  is  a  member  of  Fredonia  Grange, 
Patrons  of  Husbandry;  and  of  the  Northern  Chautau- 
qua Florists'  Club.  John  Sahle  married,  Feb.  24, 
IQ15.  Harriet  Morrison,  of  Fredonia,  daughter  of  An- 
drew Morrison.  They  are  the  parents  of  two  children: 
Marion  G.  and  Rudolf  B. 


ROSS  D.  COWLES— When  the  northern  part  of 
the  town  of  Harmony  was  set  off  as  a  separate  district 
and  awarded  a  supervisor,  Ross  D.  Cowles,  a  merchant 
at  Stedman,  was  the  first  man  chosen  to  fill  the  posi- 
tion, and  he  is  now  (1920)  serving  his  first  term  in 
that  body.  He  is  a  son  of  Archibald  W.  and  Martha 
Jane  (Taylor)  Cowles,  the  former  named  a  farmer  of 
Harmony  in  that  part  designated  North  Harmony.  Ross 
D.  Cowles  engaged  in  farming  for  several  years  prior 
to  1903.  then  entered  mercantile  life  and  has  been  very 
successful  as  a  general  merchant.     He  is  well  known 


in  his  section  of  the  county,  and  is  highly  regarded  as 
both  business  man  and  citizen. 

Ross  D.  Cowles  was  born  in  the  town  of  Harmony, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  March  10,  1866,  and  has 
spent  his  life  in  that  section.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  and  Jamestown  Business  College,  and 
after  graduation  from  the  last  named  institution  began 
business  life  for  himself.  He  was  variously  engaged 
until  1903,  then  established  his  general  store  at  Sted- 
man in  North  Harmony,  and  there  has  continued  in 
business  until  the  present  time  (1921).  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  is  a  communicant  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, serving  as  the  first  supervisor  for  North  Har- 
mony. 

Mr.  Cowles  married,  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  16, 
1892,  Anna  Dahlstedt,  born  in  Sweden,  March  3,  1870, 
daughter  of  Louis  and  Marie  (Bergstrom)  Dahlstedt, 
her  father  a  corporal  in  the  Swedish  army,  and  a  car- 
penter by  trade.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cowles  are  the  parents 
of  two  children:  Archibald,  born  May  3,  1894,  and 
Grace,  born  Jan.  8,  1908. 


EDWIN  JOHN  SUCKOW— The  city  of  James- 
town, metropolis  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  whose 
rapid  growth  in  population  and  material  prosperity  has 
been  characteristic  of  the  best  type  of  American  com- 
munity, must  with  justice  attribute  its  enviable  condition 
to  the  enterprising  and  progressive  quality  of  its  citi- 
zens who,  whether  they  have  been  merchants,  manu- 
facturers, farmers  or  public  servants,  have  in  the  great 
majority  of  cases  never  lost  sight  of  the  general  welfare 
for  the  sake  of  personal  ambitions  and  have  been  ready 
at  all  times  to  subordinate  their  private  interests  to 
those  of  the  community-at-large.  Among  the  members 
of  the  first  class  of  these,  whose  public  spirit  have  con- 
tributed to  build  up  the  prosperity  of  the  community, 
sliould  be  mentioned  Edwin  John  Suckow,  who,  al- 
though still  a  young  man,  is  the  owner  of  a  flourishing 
grocery  establishment  which  he  conducts  on  principles 
of  fair  play  and  good  will  that  have  made  him  widely 
popular  and  gained  a  large  patronage.  Mr.  Suckow  is 
a  native  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  born  May  23,  1888,  a  son  of 
Christopher  and  Sophia  (Messinger)  Suckow.  The 
elder  Mr.  Suckow  was  employed  as  a  stationary  engi- 
neer in  a  manufacturing  establishment  at  BufTalo,  and 
it  was  there  that  the  childhood  and  early  youth  of  his 
son  was  passed. 

Edwin  J.  Suckow  attended  the  local  public  schools 
of  Buffalo,  and  after  completing  his  studies  at  those 
institutions  engaged  in  the  clothing  business.  Thrift 
and  industry  enabled  him  to  save  up  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  his  earnings,  and  in  1915  he  found  himself  in 
possession  of  sufficient  capital  to  make  it  possible  to 
engage  in  an  enterprise  on  his  own  account.  With  this 
end  in  view  he  came  to  Jamestown  and  settled  in  Elli- 
cott  township,  where  he  purchased  a  small  building 
and  opened  a  grocery  store.  His  first  attempt  ended  in 
misfortune,  for  after  two  years  of  hard  work,  and  when 
his  business  was  beginning  to  meet  with  encouraging 
success,  the  store  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Nothing 
daunted,  however,  by  a  loss  that  might  well  have  dis- 
couraged most  men,  Mr.  Suckow  purchased  a  building 
across   the   street  from  the   burned   property   and   soon 


>o6 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  his  business  revived  with 
greater  prospeets  of  success  than  ever.  At  this  loca- 
tion he  has  remained  ever  since,  and  as  the  enterprise 
has  grown,  has  added  to  the  building  stock  and  equip- 
ment to  meet  the  larger  demands.  His  indefatigable 
industry  and  quickness  in  meeting  the  changing  re- 
quirements of  the  times  have  borne  their  merited  fruit, 
and  he  is  today  the  proprietor  of  a  fine  modern  estab- 
lishment and  enjoys  a  wide  and  increasing  patronage. 
Mr.  Suckow  has  been  prominent  in  social  and  fraternal 
circles  at  Jamestown,  and  is  now  a  member  of  Mt. 
Tabor  Lodge.  Xo.  7S0,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  of  Jamestown.  He  attends  Holy  Trinity  Eng- 
lish Lutheran  Qiurch,  and  is  a  valued  member  of  the 
congregation. 

Edwin  John  Suckow  was  united  in  marriage.  June 
24.  1014.  at  Jamestown,  with  Grace  Orilla  Shaver,  only 
daughter  of  William  and  Anna  (Kohlbackeri  Shaver, 
of  that  city,  where  her  birth  occurred  July  19,  1891. 
They  are  the  parents  of  one  child.  Virginia  May  Suc- 
kow. bom  Aug.   10,  1915. 


LEWIS  L.  WARNER— In  1815.  John  Warner, 
grandfather  of  Lewis  L.  Warner,  of  Niobe,  X.  Y.,  left 
his  home  in  the  Xorth  of  Ireland  and  came  to  the 
L'nited  States,  locating  in  Trenton,  X.  J.  From  there 
he  went  to  Warren  county.  Pa.,  settling  on  a  farm  which 
he  purchased  in  1832  near  Freehold.  There  his  son 
Summerfield  was  born,  educated,  and  followed  his 
father's  business,  farming.  Summerfield  Warner  mar- 
ried Mary  Shaw,  born  in  Hudson,  N.  Y.,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  T.  L.  and  Lewis  L.  Warner,  now  en- 
gaged in  business  at  Xiobe,  town  of  Harmony,  Chau- 
tauqua county.  X.  Y.,  under  the  firm  style  and  title  of 
Warner  Brothers,  merchant  millers,  flour,  feed,  farming 
implements,  coal,  etc. 

Lewis  L.  W'arner  was  born  in  Freehold,  Pa.,  Aug. 
30,  1S60.  and  there  was  educated  in  the  public  schools. 
.•\fter  coming  to  the  town  of  Harmony,  Chautauqua 
county,  X.  Y.,  he  bought  a  farm  of  fifty-five  acres  near 
Xiobe.  which  he  still  owns,  and  in  1892  bought  the  mill 
property  in  the  village  of  Xiobe,  which  he  still  operates 
under  the  firm  name,  Warner  P.rothers.  Mr.  Warner 
has  been  successful  in  his  business  operation,  and  is  a 
man  of  influence  in  his  town.  He  is  a  Republican  in 
politics,  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and 
of  the  Baptist  church. 

Mr.  Warner  married,  in  Xiobe,  Xov.  8,  1906,  Khoda 
H.iwkins.  daughter  of  Francis  and  Rena  (Fields)  Haw- 
kins of  Harmonv. 


LOUIS  GONZAGA  MONROE,  one  of  the  pros- 
ier'. :>  oi  the  younger  attorneys  ni  I-'rcdonia,  N. 
Y..  and  a  man  who  is  very  prominent  in  the  community 
hTcribouts,  is  a  son  of  Elmon  and  .Anna  fMcXamara; 
.Monro<-.  The  elder  Mr.  Monroe  held  a  conspicuous 
plare  in  the  educational  circles  of  Western  Pennsyl- 
vania, luit  is  now  retired.  Elmon  Monroe  has  been 
an  educator  during  his  entire  career,  and  is  a  graduate 
of  Cornell  University  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.,  and 
thcreaftfT  he  sent  all  01  his  children  to  this  university 
for  th'ir  education. 

I-ouj«  Gonzaga  Monroe  received  his  preliminary  edu- 


cation in  the  schools  of  Coxsackie,  Greene  county,  N. 
Y..  and  after  completing  the  course,  attended  the  high 
school  at  Columbus,  Pa.,  where  he  was  prepared  for 
college  and  from  which  institution  he  graduated  in  the 
year  looo.  He  then  matriculated  at  the  Law  Depart- 
ment of  Cornell  University,  and  in  1909  won  the  de- 
gree of  LL.  B.  In  December,  1909,  Mr  Monroe  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  the  ofSce  of  Nugent  & 
Heffcrman,  and  in  the  following  year  served  as  a  clerk 
in  the  office  of  Herman  J.  Westwood  at  Fredonia,  but 
at  the  end  of  six  months  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr. 
Westwood  under  the  styde  of  Westwood  &  Monroe. 
This  association  continued  until  Jan.  i,  1919,  at  which 
time  Mr.  Westwood  went  to  New  York  City,  and  the 
firm  dissolved  partnership.  Mr.  Monroe  has  continued 
in  practice  alone  since  then,  with  great  success,  and 
much  of  the  important  litigation  of  this  region  passes 
through  his  hands.  Mr.  Monroe  is  a  conspicuous  fig- 
ure in  the  social  and  club  circles  here,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber and  officer  of  Dunkirk  Lodge,  No.  922,  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  a  member  of  the  Citi- 
zens' Club  of  Fredonia,  and  the  Fredonia  Bar  .Associa- 
tion. In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  Mr.  Monroe  is 
unmarried. 


C.  ELMER  OLSON— Among  the  representative 
citizens  of  Stockton,  N.  Y.,  is  C.  Elmer  Olson,  cashier 
of  the  private  bank  of  Lavern  W.  Lazell  &  Conijiany. 
Since  coming  to  this  community,  he  has  indentified 
himself  with  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  his 
fellow-citizens  and  is  highly  respected  by  all  who  know 
him. 

C.  Elmer  Olson  was  born  in  Charlotte,  N.  Y.,  July 
12,  i8gi,  the  son  of  Charles  V.  and  Christine  (Peterson) 
Olson.  When  about  ten  years  of  age,  he  moved  with 
his  parents  to  Stockton  and  there  he  completed  his 
education.  After  leaving  school  he  secured  a  position 
as  clerk  with  Crissey  &  Hendee.  In  1911  he  was  made 
cashier  in  the  bank  of  Lavern  W.  Lazell  &  Company, 
which  position  he  still  holds,  and  Mclvin  J.  Olson,  his 
brother,  is  assistant  cashier  of  Lavern  W.  Lazell  & 
Company.  Boston.  C.  Elmer  Olson  is  also  treasurer  of 
the  Empire  State  Degree  of  Honor. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Olson  is  a  Republican.  His  best 
efforts  are  always  given  to  the  advancement  of  what- 
ever in  his  judgment  tends  to  the  furtherance  of  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  his  community.  During  the 
World  War  he  was  chairman  of  four  Liberty  loan 
drives,  and  was  treasurer  of  the  Red  Cross.  He  is  af- 
filiated with  Sylvan  Lodge,  No.  303,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons.     Mr.  fJlson  is  unmarried. 


GEORGE  R.  RAYNOR,  principal  of  the  Chautau- 
qua fligli  School,  was  born  at  Hartfield,  N.  Y.,  April 
11,  1X71,  His  grandfather,  John  Raynor,  moved  from 
Ilerkimer  county  and  settled  on  the  shores  of  the  lake 
in  the  town  of  Chautaur|ua  during  the  year  1835. 

Mr.  Raynor  laid  the  foundation  for  his  education  in 
the  Pleasantville  District  School  and  the  Mayville 
High  .School,  gradu.'iting  from  high  school  in  1889.  In 
the  autumn  of  this  year  he  entered  the  University  of 
Rochester,  with  the  ititention  of  securing  further  aca- 
demic training,  prei)aratory  to  taking  a  special  course 


^g: 


':^^6^^^t.^  C2^^^^--y^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


507 


in  medicine.  At  the  close  of  a  successful  year  at  col- 
lege, it  became  necessary  to  earn  the  money  with  which 
to  continue  his  course.  In  order  to  do  so  he  secured 
a  teacher's  certificate  and  taught  for  two  years  in  dis- 
trict schools.  The  life  of  young  people  and  the  task 
in  instructing  them  appealed  so  strongly  to  him  that  he 
felt  impelled  to  make  teaching  a  life  profession.  Enter- 
ing the  Fredonia  Normal  School,  he  graduated  from 
the  four  years'  classical  course  in  June,  i8g6. 

After  a  year's  experience  as  principal  of  a  high 
school  in  Genesee  county,  he  returned  to  his  native 
county,  where  he  has  since  then  engaged  in  educational 
work.  During  the  six  years,  1898-1902,  he  was  princi- 
pal of  the  Frewsburg  High  School,  and  for  the  follow- 
ing thirteen  years,  1903-1916,  he  had  charge  of  the 
schools  of  the  village  of  Falconer.  The  period  of  his 
administration  there  was  marked  by  the  rapid  growth 
and  advancement  of  the  schools.  He  supervised  the 
construction  and  equipment  of  two  new  school  build- 
ings, and  witnessed  an  increase  in  the  teaching  staff 
from  eight  to  twenty-seven,  as  well  as  an  increase  of 
nearly  200  per  cent,  of  pupils  enrolled.  In  September, 
1916,  he  accepted  the  principalship  of  the  Chautauqua 
High  School,  his  present  field  of  labor.  During  the 
past  three  summers  he  has  had  charge  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Mathematics  in  the  Chautauqua  Summer 
Schools.  During  the  last  year  of  the  war  he  was 
granted  a  year's  leave  of  absence,  and  served  for  seven 
months  as  educational  director  of  the  Army  Schools  for 
American  Soldiers  in  one  of  the  large  army  camps  in 
France. 

Mr.  Raynor  has  been  honored  by  his  associates,  hav- 
ing served  as  president  of  the  Schoolmasters'  Club  of 
Western  New  York,  president  of  the  Chautauqua 
County  Teachers'  Association,  and  as  member  of  the 
executixe  committee  of  the  Associated  Academic  Prin- 
cipals of  the  State  of  New  York.  He  was  elected  dis- 
trict superintendent  of  schools,  but  declined  the  ofifice, 
preferring  the  closer  touch  with  pupils  afforded  in  doing 
hieh  school  work. 


GLENN  A.  FRANK,  who  holds  a  prominent  place 
among  the  successful  attorneys  of  Jamestown,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  and  at  present  occupies  the  office 
of  deputy  attorney-general  of  New  York  State,  with  his 
office  at  Albany,  was  born  in  Busti,  N.  Y.,  April  20, 
1878,  a  son  of  Dwight  D.  and  Esther  L.  (Trask)  Frank, 
both  of  whom  are  living,  the  former  being  a  successful 
stock  and  truck  farmer  in  this  region. 

The  education  of  Glenn  A.  Frank  was  begun  in  the 
Jamestown  Grammar  Schools,  to  which  city  his  parents 
removed  when  he  was  four  years  old,  and  he  later  at- 
tended the  high  school,  graduating  therefrom  with  the 
class  of  1899.  He  had  in  the  meantime  decided  to  fol- 
low the  law  as  a  profession,  and  accordingly  had  al- 
ready begun  to  study  his  chosen  subject  before  gradu- 
ating from  high  school.  He  carried  on  these  studies 
in  the  law  office  of  A.  C.  Pickard,  a  well  known  attor- 
ney of  Jamestown,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  June, 
1900.  He  practiced  for  a  year  at  Jamestown,  and  was 
then  appointed  to  fill  an  unexpired  term  as  justice  of 
the  peace.  He  was  so  satisfactory  in  this  capacity  that 
at  the  end  of  his  term  he  was  elected  for  another  full 


term  and  was  reelected  to  the  same  post  two  years  later. 
Finally,  in  1904,  he  resigned  from  this  position  in 
order  to  fill  the  post  of  special  agent  to  the  State  Ex- 
cise Department,  to  which  he  had  been  appointed  some- 
time previously.  He  continued  to  fill  this  office  until 
April,  191 1,  when  he  resigned  and  resumed  the  private 
practice  of  his  profession  in  Jamestown.  He  continued 
thus  occupied  until  Jan.  I,  1916,  when  he  was  appointed 
to  his  present  position  as  deputy  attorney-general  of 
New  York  State.  He  has  held  this  exceedingly  respon- 
sible office  ever  since  and  has  discharged  its  difficult 
duties  in  a  manner  highly  satisfactory  to  the  commun- 
ity-at-large.  During  the  time  that  Mr.  Frank  was  en- 
gaged in  private  practice,  before  his  appointment  to  his 
present  office,  he  also  formed  an  association  with  a 
Mr.  Eckstrom,  under  the  firm  name  of  Eckstrom  & 
Frank,  and  engaged  extensively  in  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness, handling  much  valuable  property  in  and  about 
Jamestown.  He  has  always  taken  a  keen  interest  in 
local,  political,  social  and  fraternal  affairs,  and  is  quite 
active  in  the  former  realm.  He  possesses  many  qual- 
ities to  make  him  successful  in  a  political  career,  mixing 
easily  with  all  types  and  classes  of  men  and  being  a 
ready  and  attractive  speaker.  He  has  gained  a  wide 
popularity  throughout  the  community,  and  the  rapid 
progress  which  he  has  made  to  a  position  of  influence 
here  has  been  due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts.  At  the 
present  time  he  represents  a  powerful  and  beneficent  fac- 
tor in  the  life  of  the  community,  and  the  future  holds  out 
a  bright  promise  for  a  still  more  brilliant  career  of  per- 
sonal achievements  and  public  service.  In  politics  he  is 
a  staunch  supporter  of  the  principles  and  policies  of 
the  Republican  party,  being  one  of  the  leaders  in  Chau- 
tauqua county  and  Republican  State  committeeman.  Mr. 
Frank  is  a  member  of  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles, 
Mt.  Tabor  Lodge,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  the  Jamestown  Bar  Association. 

Glenn  A.  Frank  was  united  in  marriage,  June  17, 
1903,  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  with  Ora  L.  Post,  a  daughter 
of  Jerome  W.  and  Lydia  W.  Post,  formerly  residents 
of  Pleasantville,  Pa.,  where  they  were  highly  esteemed. 
Two  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank, 
as  follows:  Nixon  L.,  April  7,  1905;  Jean  A.,  June  18, 
1911. 


GERRY  H.  WILCOX— Well  known  in  the  town 
of  Villenova  as  a  substantial  farmer  and  upright  citi- 
zen, Gerry  H.  Wilcox  in  his  life  exemplifies  the  homely 
virtues,  industry  and  honesty  to  a  degree  worthy  of 
emulation.  The  old  Wilcox  homestead  in  Villenova, 
where  he  was  born,  is  now  the  joint  property  of  Gerry 
H.  Wilcox  and  brother,  and  their  home,  which  com- 
prises 300  acres,  yields  bountifully  in  response  to  their 
intelligent   management. 

Gerry  H.  Wilcox  is  a  descendant  of  Thomas  and 
Huldah  (McManus)  Wilcox,  early  settlers  of  Cherry 
Creek,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  Huldah  McManus 
was  a  daughter  of  Capt.  Christopher  McManus.  a  Rev- 
olutionary soldier  from  New  Jersey,  who  died  in  For- 
estville,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  in  1849,  aged  ninety- 
three.  Several  of  the  sons  of  Christopher  McManus 
served  in  the  War  of  1812.  Captain  McManus  came  to 
the  town  of  Hanover,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  in 
181 1,  his  daughter  Huldah  walking  the  entire  distance. 


;o8 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Thomas  Wilcox  came  to  Chautauqua  from  Litchfield. 
Herkimer  county,  N.  Y. 

Erastus  B.  ^^■ilcox.  son  of  Thomas  and  Huldah  (Mc- 
Manusl  Wilcox,  was  born  in  Chautauqua  county,  N, 
v..  in  iSjo,  and  in  1S50  moved  to  the  touTi  of  Yillenova 
in  the  same  county.  He  married  Roxy  Bugbee,  daugh- 
ter of  Oliver  Bugbee.  of  Vermont,  a  colonel  of  the  War 
of  iSiJ.  who  settled  in  the  town  of  Ellington,  Chautau- 
qua count\.  in  iSiS. 

Martin  H.  Wilcox,  only  son  of  Erastus  B.  and  Roxy 
C Bugbee)  Wilcox,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Cherry 
Creek.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  14,  1S4.1,  but  in 
1S50  his  parents  moved  to  the  town  of  Yillenova,  and 
there  his  after  life  was  spent.  He  became  a  farmer, 
and  in  course  of  time  became  the  owner  of  Maple  Hill 
Farm,  which  he  operated  as  a  dairy.  This  farm,  on  the 
Cherry  Creek  road,  south  of  Balcom,  is  now  the  prop- 
erty of  his  sons,  Gerry  H.  and  Shirley  J.  Wilcox.  Mr. 
Wilcox,  an  ardent  Republican,  was  often  a  delegate  to 
party  ci'uventions,  served  as  overseer  of  the  poor,  and 
for  more  than  thirty  years  was  town  constable.  He  mar- 
ried .\nna  E.  Brown,  eldest  daughter  of  Horace  and 
Lydia  .A.  (^Myers)  Brown,  of  Cherry  Creek.  Martin 
H.  and  .\nna  E.  (Brown)  Wilcox,  now  both  deceased, 
were  the  parents  of  five  sons:  Warren  F.,  born  Dec. 
31,  i&So,  a  graduate  of  Allegheny  College,  A.  B.,  class 
of  1004:  Gerry  H.,  of  further  mention;  William  B.; 
.Mien  M.,  deceased;  and  Shirley  J. 

Gerry  H.  Wilcox,  second  son  of  Martin  H.  and  Anna 
E.  (  Brown)  Wilco.x,  was  born  at  the  homestead  in  the 
town  of  \"il!enova,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  June  16, 
l&Sj.  He  was  educated  in  public  schools.  He  grew  to 
manhood  at  the  home  farm,  and  upon  the  death  of  his 
father,  together  with  his  brother,  Shirley  J.,  became 
owners  of  the  farm.  The  Maple  Hill  Farm  Pairy  was 
c-tablished  by  Martin  H.  Wilcox,  and  is  continued  by 
his  sons.  In  connection  with  his  farm  and  dairy,  Mr. 
Wilccx  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  public  life.  For 
twelve  years  he  has  been  deputy  sheriff  of  Chautauqua 
county,  has  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  of  Yillenova, 
having  been  elected  when  twenty-two  years  old,  and  is 
at  present  (l92I>  overseer  of  the  poor  and  school  direc- 
tor of  the  town.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of 
Husbandry,  and  is  past  master  of  Chautauqua  County 
Pomona  Grange.  His  religious  affiliation  is  with  the 
Mcthnlist  Episcopal  church.  His  fraternal  connection 
is  with  Cherry  Creek  Lodge,  No.  384,  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted ^fasons,  and  Yillenova  Lodge,  No,  941,  Inde- 
pcndt.nt  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  serving  the  last  named 
a^  secretary. 

Mr.  Wilcox  married,  in  I-'alcoiK-r,  Chautauqua 
county.  X.  Y.,  June  13,  1907,  Fern  Vincent,  born  in 
Yillenova,  June  15,  1882,  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Philcna  C Richardson)  Vincent,  her  father  born  in  Yil- 
lenova, her  mother  in  Cortland  county,  .\.  V.  Joseph 
Vincent  was  a  son  of  Benjamin  Vincent,  born  in  Con- 
necticut. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilcox  are  the  parents  of  three 
children:  Irene  A.,  born  June  7,  190H;  Wayne  G.,  born 
April   17,   loi',;   Helen  F.,  born  June  9,  1918. 


1880.  son  of  James  A.  O'Hara,  a  railroad  conductor, 
and  Ellen  (.Skahen)  0"Hara,  who  survives  her  hus- 
band. 

Charles  H.  O'Hara  attended  the  public  schools  in 
Buffalo,  and  for  si.x  years  was  a  student  at  Canisius 
College,  located  in  the  same  city.  Upon  leaving  the 
latter  institution,  in  1906,  he  pursued  his  philosophical 
and  theological  studies  for  six  years  at  the  College  of 
the  Propaganda  in  Rome,  Italy,  and  there  was  or- 
dained to  the  Roman  Catholic  priesthood,  March  23, 
1912,  by  -Archbishop  Bonzano,  Apostolic  Delegate  to 
the  United  States.  L'pon  his  return  to  America  after 
oidination.  Father  O'Hara  was  first  sent  to  Holley, 
N.  Y.  Thereafter,  he  acted  as  curate  at  St.  Joseph's  ■ 
Old  Cathedral,  Buffalo.  N.  Y.;  at  St.  Mary's,  Medina, 
N.  Y.;  and  at  Nativity  Church,  Bufltalo,  N.  Y.  In 
1915,  Father  O'Hara  was  appointed  pastor  of  the 
Italian  parish  at  Lime  Rock,  N.  Y.,  and  in  July,  1917,  was 
transferred  to  his  present  field  of  labor.  Holy  Trinity 
Church.  Dunkirk.  N.  Y. 


REV.  CHARLES  H.  O'HARA,  one  of  the  younger 
pri'-,tii  of  the  Catholic  church  in  CliaMlauqnn  rounly, 
is  a  native  .son  of  New  York,  lx;rn   in   I'atavia,  July  9, 


WILLIAM     FREDERICK     SCHWAN— In     his 

native  land,  a  hall  century  ago,  William  F.  Schwan 
began  his  long  apprenticeship  to  the  business  which 
he  has  followed  on  two  continents  and  for  which  he 
has  a  deep  love  and  strong  n.ative  talent.  He  learned 
the  business  thoroughly  in  all  its  departments,  and  as 
florist  or  landscape  gardener  is  master  of  his  business 
which  ranks  little  short  of  a  profession.  He  is  a  son 
of  Christopher  and  .Augusta  Mary  Schwan,  of  Pome- 
rania,  Germany,  where  William  Frederick  Schwan  was 
born  on  Jan.  8,  1855. 

He  attended  school  until  fourteen  years  of  age,  then 
became  a  florist's  apprentice  for  three  years,  from  four- 
teen to  seventeen  years,  on  the  Von  Wedel  estate ; 
later  served  as  assistant  florist  and  foreman  of  land- 
scape gardening  under  Koch  Brothers,  florists,  green- 
house and  landscape  gardeners.  William  F.  Schwan 
became  an  expert  and  did  the  landscape  beauties  of 
several  handsome  German  estates  before  coming  .to 
the  United  States  in  March,  1888.  In  the  United 
States  he  was  employed  in  an  Ohio  greenhouse  six 
months,  then  started  a  small  plant  of  his  own  in 
Chillicothe,  Iowa,  growing  vegetables  and  plants  under 
glass.  A  year  later  he  went  to  Marion,  Ohio,  thence 
to  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  finally  coming  to  Fredonia,  where 
after  six  months  with  Wilbur,  the  florist,  he  again 
began  business  for  himself,  starting  in  a  small  way. 
In  1909  he  bought  the  Wilbur  plant,  which  he  has 
since  enlarged  and  yet  operates  with  about  18,000  feet 
under  glass.  He  raises  plants  and  flowers  for  the 
trade  and  has  a  store  in  Dunkirk.  His  son,  Charles  1'". 
Schwan.  is  his  associate  in  the  business.  The  firm  is 
a  member  of  the  Society  of  American  Florists  and 
Florist  Telcgra!)h  Delivery,  the  Northern  Chautauqua 
Florists'  Club,  Dunkirk  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Dun- 
kirk Merchanis'  Exchange,  and  Fredonia  Chamber  of 
Conmierce.  In  politics  Mr.  .Schwan  is  a  Repul)Iicau, 
;uid  in  religion,  a  Liithcnui.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Prol.Tlive     Honir    Circle. 

Willi.irn  !•'.  Scluv;ui  tnaniecl,  in  (icrniany,  Oct.  28, 
1879,  AiuKi  M;iry  VVyiiKui,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  si.x  children  :      i.   William  (i.,  lluir  eldest,  never  came 


^0^^^ 


<7/:;^^^3^^^^— ^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


509 


to  the  United  States,  but  remained  in  Germany,  was 
sent  to  college,  and  became  an  officer  in  the  German 
army:  he  was  taken  prisoner,  Aug.  14,  1918,  and  held 
until  the  end  of  the  war ;  he  is  a  school  teacher.  2. 
Charles  Frederick,  a  graduate  of  Bryant  &  Stratton's 
Business  College  at  Buffalo:  a  salesman,  traveling  for 
the  Lake  Shore  Seed  Company  for  three  years.  1903- 
1906,  but  since  1910  associated  in  business  with  his 
father:  member  of  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Knights 
of  Pythias,  Modern  Woodmen,  Volunteer  Fire  Com- 
pany; secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  local  Florists' 
Club ;  he  married  Mary  Ellen  Bellman,  and  has  a  son, 
Charles  Frederick,  Jr.  3.  Anna  Eliza.  4.  Franceska 
Rosalia,  now  with  the  Atlas  Steel  Company.  5.  Robert 
Charles,  a  graduate  of  Columbia  University,  A.  B., 
B.  S.,  now  principal  of  Belmont  (N.  Y.)  High  School. 
6.  Werner,  partner  and  manager  of  the  National  Auto 
Supply  Company  of  Dallas,  Tex.;  during  the  World 
War  he  was  in  the  service  as  instructor  at  Fort  Sill; 
he  is  a  thirty-second  degree  member  of  the  Ancient 
Accepted  Scottish  Rite. 


paredness      League,      and      the      Methodist      Episcopal 
church.     In  politics  Dr.  Hickey  is  a  Democrat. 

Dr.  Hickey  married,  June  5,  1918.  Mildred  Hart,  of 
Fredonia,  daughter  of  William  and  Frederica  (Gold- 
berg)  Hart. 


HAROLD  HARVEY  HICKEY,  D.  D.  S.— At  the 

period  of  greatest  unrest  in  our  country,  owing  to 
the  strained  relations  with  Germany,  Dr.  Hickey  was 
about  finishing  his  course  in  the  dental  department  of 
the  University  of  Buffalo.  After  graduation  he  re- 
mained at  the  L'niversity  as  instructor,  then  entered  the 
service  of  his  country.  After  receiving  an  honorable 
discharge,  he  resumed  his  interrupted  career  and  is 
now  established  in  practice  in  Fredonia.  He  is  a  son 
of  Frank  Harvey  and  Belle  (Shearer)  Hickey.  who 
at  the  time  of  the  birth  of  their  eldest  son,  Harold  H., 
were  residing  in  the  village  of  Brant,  Erie  county,  N. 
Y.  Their  second  and  only  other  child,  Roland  Hickey, 
is  an  automobile   salesman   in    Buffalo. 

Harold  Harvey  Hickey  was  born  in  Brant,  N.  Y., 
Dec.  26,  1892.  He  attended  the  public  schools,  and 
after  completing  courses  at  Fredonia  High  School 
entered  the  dental  department  of  the  L^niversity  of 
Buffalo,  whence  he  was  graduated  D.  D.  S.,  class  of 
1917.  He  volunteered  for  service  during  the  war  with 
Germany,  and  expecting  to  be  called  at  any  time  Dr. 
Hickey  spent  the  months  following  graduation  in  tem- 
porary practice  and  as  instructor  in  the  infirmary  of 
the  University  of  Buffalo.  He  was  not  called  into 
the  service  of  the  medical  department  of  the  United 
States  army  until  June  14,  igiS.  his  first  detail  being 
to  Camp  Greenleaf,  thence  to  Camp  Beauregard  in 
Louisiana,  spending  four  months  in  each  camp.  He 
was  honorably  discharged  Jan.  23,  1919.  Later  he 
reenlisted  in  the  Medical  Reserve  Corps,  with  the  rank 
of  first  lieutenant.  He  spent  three  months  in  Miami, 
Fla.,  as  assistant  to  Dr.  Laymon.  then  returned  to  Fre- 
donia, N.  Y.,  and  began  the  private  practice  of  dentis- 
try, his  specialty  orthodontia,  the  straightening  of 
teeth.  Dr.  Hickey  is  a  member  of  Delta  Sigma  Delta, 
college  fraternity;  was  president  of  the  Barrettonian 
Society,  a  society  for  the  promotion  of  the  welfare  of 
the  student  body:  was  prominent  in  athletics:  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  New  York  State  and  American  Dental  soci- 
eties, the  Masonic   Order,  .American  Legion,   the  Pre- 


FRANK  M.  TINKHAM— The  firm  Tinkham 
Brothers,  wholesale  dealers  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  is 
composed  of  Frank  M.  and  Fred  B.  Tinkham,  who 
came  to  that  city  in  1900,  young  men  but  veterans  in 
business.  Medina,  Orleans  county,  N.  Y.,  having  been 
the  scene  of  their  former  business  activities.  The 
twenty  j'ears  which  have  since  intervened  have  been 
years  of  expansion  and  development  of  the  business 
interests  of  Tinkham  Brothers,  who  today  are  impart- 
ant  wholesale  dealers  in  widely  known  brands  of  cigars 
whose  sale  they  control  in  a  certain  territory  in  New 
York  and  Pennsylvania.  They  are  maintaining  branch 
houses  in  Buffalo  and  Rochester,  N.  Y.  This  has 
been  Tinkham  Brothers'  contribution  to  Jamestown 
business  development,  and  their  civic  record  is  one  of 
equal  honor. 

Frank  M.  Tinkham  was  born  in  Camillus.  Onon- 
daga county,  N.  Y.,  son  of  Grove  L.  and  Rosa  A. 
( Baker)  Tinkham.  In  boyhood  the  family  moved  to 
Medina,  Orleans  county,  N.  Y.,  where  Grove  L.  Tink- 
ham engaged  in  business  as  a  wholesale  dealer  in  gen- 
eral produce,  and  served  the  village  as  justice  of  the 
peace  for  many  years.  He  died  in  Medina,  Oct.  I, 
1916.  Rosa  A.  (Baker)  Tinkham,  now  also  deceased, 
was  a  graduate  of  Albion  Seminary,  and  a  member  of 
an  old  Orleans  county  family. 

L'ntil  seventeen  years  of  age,  Frank  M.  Tinkham 
attended  the  schools  of  Medina,  then  began  his  busi- 
ness career  in  his  father's  business.  He  then  made  a 
change  which  was  destined  to  determine  his  business 
future,  and  may  be  considered  the  most  important 
event  of  his  life  in  its  far-reaching  consequences.  This 
was  his  entering  the  employ  of  S.  A.  Cook,  of  Medina, 
a  wholesale  dealer  in  cigars  and  tobacco,  who  covered 
his  territory  with  a  four-horse  team  drawing  a  large 
covered  wagon,  from  which  he  distributed  his  goods  to 
the  dealers  he  served.  This  outfit,  known  as  "Cook's 
Big  Four,"  became  the  charge  of  Frank  M.  Tinkham, 
who  drove  over  the  route  for  four  years,  gaining  high 
reputation  as  a  salesman  and  as  a  keen,  wide-awake 
young  business  man.  At  the  end  of  four  years  he  gave 
up  the  "Big  Four,"  but  continued  with  Mr.  Cook  as 
salesman  for  several  years.  In  1892.  his  brother,  Fred  B. 
Tinkham.  entered  Mr.  Cook's  employ,  and  in  1893  the 
brothers  pooled  their  capital  and  bought  a  half  interest 
in  the  Cook  business,  operating  under  the  name,  S.  A. 
Cook  &  Tinkham  Brothers.  In  1895,  the  business  was 
reorganized  under  the  corporate  name  S.  A.  Cook  & 
Company.  George  Bowen  and  D.  J.  Bigelow  were 
added  to  its  personnel,  and  the  manufacture  of  furniture 
made  a  part  of  the  business.  In  1900,  the  Tinkham 
brothers  sold  their  interests  in  S.  A.  Cook  &  Company 
to  their  associates  in  that  company  and  retired  to  in- 
augurate their  own  private  business  undertakings. 

With  their  withdrawal  from  business  in  Medina 
came  their  removal  from  that  town.  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
being   selected   as   the   seat  of  their   proposed  venture. 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


They  came  to  the  city  in  looo.  and  under  the  firm  name 
Tinkham  Brothers,  opened  a  wholesale  cigar  and  no- 
tions business  in  the  Gitford  building,  opposite  the 
Humphrey  House.  Eight  years  were  passed  in  that 
lo.'ation,  vears  of  a:rowth  as  a  business  enterprise,  and 
years  of  development  for  the  partners  as  practical, 
progressive  factors  in  the  world  of  commerce.  In 
igoS.  Tinkham  Brothers  moved  to  the  newly  completed 
Barrett  building,  securing  space  on  the  first,  second, 
third  and  fourth  floors  of  that  building.  Prior  to  this 
remo\-al  of  location  the  firm  bought  tlie  notion  business 
of  W.  W.  &  C.  S.  Fish,  of  Salamanca,  which  they 
added  to  their  own,  and  in  1009  they  bought  the  United 
Hosiery-  Company,  at  Youngsville,  Pa.  They  employ 
about  thirty  people  in  their  business,  and  confine  their 
operations  to  perhaps  forty  counties  of  New  York, 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  most  convenient  to  James- 
town, their  headquarters  and  shipping  center.  The 
firm  is  a  prosperous  one,  and  in  all  departments  the 
business  reflects  the  ability  and  energy  of  its  guiding 
heads. 

Since  his  coming  to  Jamestown,  Frank  M.  Tinkham 
has  loyally  supported  all  movements  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  city's  interests,  and  is  identified  with  the 
liberal,  progressive,  public-spirited  men  who  have  so 
freely  given  of  their  time  and  their  means  to  serve  the 
common  good.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Jamestown 
Chamber  of  Commerce:  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason, 
also  a  member  of  Ismailia  Temple,  Mystic  Shrine:  the 
Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles:  the  Jamestown  Club,  and 
is  president  of  the  Jamestown  Automobile  Club. 

Such  is  the  Hie  story  of  a  man  hardly  yet  in  life's 
prime,  who  won  success  by  always  doing  well  the  duty 
in  hand,  and  thus  being  well  prepared  to  advance  to  a 
higher  level  in  the  business  world.  The  prosperity 
that  has  come  to  him  has  been  fairly  earned,  and  in 
advancing  his  own  fortune  no  man  has  been  wronged 
or  made  to  suffer.  Tinkham  Brothers  value  their  good 
name  in  the  trade  beyond  price,  and  in  private  life 
honor  and  uprightness  distinguish  the  members  of  the 
firm. 

Frank  M.  Tinkham  and  his  family  reside  at  Xo.  165 
Forest  a-.enuc.  Jnmestown. 


THE  SACRED  HEART  CHURCH,  Lakewood- 
on-Chautanqiia-Lake.  X.  Y.,  Rev.  Thomas  H.  Har- 
rigan.  rector,  was  originally  a  part  of  S.S.  I'ctcr  and 
Paul's  Parish  at  Jamestown.  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Colton, 
seeing  the  necessity  of  a  new  parish  on  the  lake  for 
the  accommodation  of  summer  visitors,  sent  Rev.  David 
J.  Mountain  in  the  summer  of  191 1  to  attend  to  their 
spiritual  wants,  and  incidentally  to  look  the  ground  over 
with  the  intention  of  forming  a  new  parish.  Rev. 
Father  Mountain  said  mass  in  the  old  Town  Hall  for 
a  time,  later  purchasing  the  vacant  church  edifice  on 
Ohio  avenue.  This  building  was  erected  by  the  sum- 
mer colony  to  be  used  as  a  Protestant  community 
rhurch,  an'i  was  later  purchased  by  Mrs.  Rose  Kent, 
who  intended  to  convert  it  into  a  Christian  .Science 
church.  It  was  later  used  as  a  chamticr  of  commerce 
buildinff.  then  as  a  firemen's  hall,  and  finally  .'is  an 
electric   light   station. 

In  the  summer  of  1912,  Rev.  'Jlionias  H.  Ilarrigan 
was  appointed  first  resident  rector.     The  fir,t  mass  was 


said  in  the  new  parish  by  Rev.  Martin  J.  Blake,  C.  M., 
of  Xiagara  University,  on  Pentecost  Sunday,  May  25, 
1912.  The  parish,  beginning  with  twelve  families,  is 
constantly  growing.  The  church  building  has  been 
entirely  remodeled  and  it  is  one  of  the  prettiest  coun- 
try churches  in  Western  New  York.  The  missions  at 
Mayville  and  French  Creek  were  also  attended  by 
Rev.  Father  Harrigan  until  an  independent  parish  was 
formed  at  French  Creek.  However,  he  is  still  in  charge 
of  Sacred  Heart  parish  and  the  Mayville  mission. 

Rev.  Father  Harrigan  is  a  native  of  Middletown, 
Conn.,  a  son  of  John  H.  and  Mary  (Kellieher)  Har- 
rigan. He  was  educated  in  the  parochial  schools  of 
Middletown,  and  made  his  preparatory  college  courses 
at  Xiagara  University,  later  entering  the  Seminary  of 
Our  Lady  of  Angels  at  Niagara  University.  He  was 
ordained  May  25,  1907,  by  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Colton  in 
the  old  St.  Joseph's  Cathedral.  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  His 
first  curacy  was  at  the  old  St.  Joseph's  Cathedral, 
wdiere  he  remained  for  three  years,  later  being  appointed 
rector  of  St.  Patrick's  Church,  Fillmore,  X.  Y.,  leaving 
after  two  years  to  take  charge  of  the  Sacred  Heart 
parish  at   Lakewood. 

An  Altar  Society,  the  Society  of  the  Holy  Xame, 
and  the  Sodality  of  the  Children  of  Mary  have  been 
instituted  by  Father  Harrigan  at  Lakewood,  and  the 
members  of  these  organizations  are  very  active  in  the 
work  of  the  parish.  Father  Harrigan  is  also  chaplain  of 
Jamestown  Council,  Xo.  926,  Knights  of  Columbus. 
During  the  World  War,  Father  Harrigan  took  as  ac- 
tive part  in  Liberty  Loan  work  and  was  chairman  of 
the  Committee  on  the  Fifth  Loan  and  also  of  the  Red 
Cross  drive  in  Busti  township.  Archbishop  Hayes,  of 
New  York,  appointed  him  a  war  chaplain,  but  be- 
cause of  the  signing  of  the  armistice  he  had  no  oppor- 
tunity to  serve  in  this  capacity.  It  was  he  who 
originated  the  Victory  celebration  at  Lakewood  and 
delivered  the  address  to  the  returning  soldiers,  Aug.  6, 
1919.  Rev.  Father  Harrigan  is  much  interested  in 
community  affairs,  and  has  made  a  very  important 
place  for  himself  in  the  life  of  Lakewood,  where  he  is 
much  revered  Ijecause  of  his  splendid  and  unselfish 
service. 


FRANK  A.  SMILEY— The  Smiley  family,  of 
which  today  Frank  A.  Smiley,  of  Ellery  township, 
Jamestown,  X.  V..  is  one  of  the  representatives,  is  an 
old  one  in  Chautauqua  county,  its  members  having 
played  conspicuous  parts  in  many  different  depart- 
ments of  the  community's  life  during  several  genera- 
tions and  are  now  numerous  in  the  region.  Mr. 
Smiley  was  horn  in  the  town  of  Harmony,  March  26, 
1862,  a  son  of  Freeborn  L.  and  Anna  (Brown)  Smiley, 
the  former  a  prominent  member  of  the  community, 
where  he  was  engaged  for  many  years  in  business  as 
a  ni;inufacturcr  of  wagons. 

h'r;ink  ,\.  Smiley  spent  his  childhood  in  his  native 
region,  dividing  his  time  between  attending  the  local 
district  schools  and  the  wholesome  sports  and  pas- 
times of  country  boys.  Early  in  life  he  began  to  dis- 
play that  peculiar  talent  for  doing  all  things  well  that 
is  so  characteristic  of  the  sturdy,  self-reliant  youth  of 
America,  a  talent  which  may  be  ^ern  at  present  in  the 
various  pursuits  and  enterprises  in  which  lu-  is  engaged 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


S" 


and  in  all  of  which  he  has  succeeded  equally.  Upon 
completing  his  studies  at  the  local  schools,  Mr.  Smiley 
took  up  the  lumber  business  as  an  occupation  and  con- 
tinued therein  for  fourteen  years,  and  later  became  the 
owner  of  a  well  equipped  mill.  He  also  entered  the 
mercantile  realm,  and  for  a  time  maintained  successful 
stores  at  Bemus  Point  and  Lakewood.  In  all  his  ven- 
tures Mr.  Smiley  met  with  the  well  merited  success 
of  his  industry  and  intelligence,  gradually  becoming  one 
of  the  best  known  and  most  highly  respected  figures 
in  the  community  and  an  influential  factor  in  the  general 
business  life.  Mr.  Smiley  is  a  Republican  in  politics 
and,  although  his  many  and  various  activities  prevent 
him  from  taking  that  part  in  public  affairs  for  which 
his  abilities  fit  him.  keeps  himself  abreast  of  all  the 
vital  issues  of  the  day,  and  is  a  staunch  supporter  of 
the  policies  of  his  party.  He  is  an  active  and  valued 
member  of  Centralia  Grange,  of  Jamestown. 

Frank  A.  Smiley  married  (first)  Georgie  C.  Beck, 
whose  death  occurred  June  13,  1906,  and  by  whom  he 
had  four  children,  as  follows:  George,  born  Dec.  5, 
1890:  Harry  A.,  born  April  14,  1892;  Raymond  F., 
born  Dec.  11,  1899;  and  Agnes  A.,  born  Jan.  13,  1902. 
He  married  (second)  July  15,  1909,  Louise  F.  Smith, 
of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  a  daughter  of  Charles  W.  and 
Delia  G.  (Strickland)   Smith. 


ELIAL  CARPENTER  CATLIN— Born  in  the  city 
of  Jamestown,  X.  Y.,  where  his  years,  forty-two,  have 
been  spent,  Mr.  Catlin  carries  all  the  dignity  and  privi- 
leges of  a  "native  son,"  and  in  his  ancestry  claims  a 
reflected  prestige  attached  to  early  Colonial  forbears. 
This  branch  of  the  Catlins  trace  to  Theron  Catlin,  born 
in  Vermont,  who  later  in  life  purchased  a  farm  in  the 
historic  Wyoming  Valley  of  Pennsylvania  and  there 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  a  tiller  of  the  soil. 

One  of  the  four  sons  of  Theron  Catlin  (he  also  had 
four  daughters)  was  Linus  Catlin,  born  in  Vermont, 
in  1799,  who  did  not  go  to  the  Wyoming  Valley  with 
his  father,  but  located  in  North  Hudson.  Essex  county, 
N.  Y.,  and  lived  a  farmer  until  coming  to  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  died,  aged  over  ninety.  He  was  an 
ardent  Democrat,  and  a  man  of  strong  character  and 
upright  life.  He  married  Sabrina  Jones,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  four  children,  including  an  only  son, 
Ashbill  R.  Catlin.  Mrs.  Catlin  was  a  daughter  of  Pe- 
letiah  Jones,  born  in  Schroon,  Essex  county,  N.  Y.,  and 
there  married,  reared  a  family  and  until  death  was  a 
farmer. 

Ashbill  R.  Catlin  was  educated  in  public  schools 
and  Jamestown  Academy,  and  when  selecting  a  life 
work  passed  by  the  family  business  of  farming  and 
chose  mercantile  life.  In  1850,  he  opened  a  grocery 
store  in  Jamestown  on  Main  street,  which  he  success- 
fully conducted  for  about  half  a  century.  He  was  a 
man  of  clear  mind  and  sound  judgment,  a  good  busi- 
ness man  and  citizen.  He,  like  his  father,  was  a  Demo- 
crat in  politics,  and  well  liked.  He  married,  Nov.  20, 
1851,  Ruth  A.  Southwick,  daughter  of  Alwin  South- 
wick,  of  the  town  of  Busti,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 
They  were  the  parents  of  si.x  children,  two  of  whom 
died  young:  the  others  were:  Frank  L.,  of  further  men- 
tion: Ada  E.,  married  John  C.  Palmer,  an  oil  well 
supply  dealer  of  Pittsburgh:  John   B.,  who  became  his 


father's  business  associate;  Agnes,  married  Charles  W. 
Warrington,  of  Denver,  Col. 

Frank  L.  Catlin,  eldest  son  of  Ashbill  R.  and  Ruth 
A.  (Southwick)  Catlin,  was  born  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
Oct.  21,  1854,  and  died  in  the  city  of  Denver,  Col.  He 
was  educated  in  the  Jamestown  public  schools,  and 
began  business  life  as  a  clerk  in  his  father's  grocery 
store  on  Main  street.  Later  he  engaged  in  business 
for  himself  at  the  corner  of  First  and  Main  streets, 
there  continuing  until  his  removal  to  Denver,  Col., 
where  he  engaged  in  business  as  a  wholesale  confec- 
tioner and  there  was  living  at  the  time  of  his  death. 
He  married,  Oct.  13,  1875,  Addie  Julia  Carpenter,  born 
in  Jamestown,  daughter  of  Col.  Elial  Foote  and  Julia 
A.  (Jeffords)  Carpenter,  and  granddaughter  of  John 
and  Phoebe  (Wood)  Jeffords.  Her  father.  Colonel 
Carpenter,  was  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  112th  Regi- 
ment, New  York  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  mortally 
wounded  at  the  battle  of  Proctor's  Creek,  May  8,  1864. 
Colonel  Carpenter  left  three  daughters:  Belle  E.,  now 
Mrs.  Granden;  Franc  C,  now  Mrs.  Brightman,  and 
Addie  J.,  now  Mrs.  Frink;  all  residents  of  Jamestown. 
Frank  L.  and  Addie  Julia  (Carpenter)  Catlin  were 
the  parents  of  an  only  son,  Elial  Carpenter,  of  further 
mention. 

Elial  Carpenter  Catlin,  son  of  Frank  L.  and  Addie 
J.  (Carpenter)  Catlin,  was  born  in  Jamestown,  May  24, 
1878,  and  is  now  (1920)  a  resident  and  honored  busi- 
ness man  of  his  native  city.  He  was  educated  in  pri- 
vate schools  in  Jamestown,  Bradford  High  School,  re- 
ceiving his  diploma  from  the  county  seat  at  Smethport, 
McKean  county.  Pa.,  and  Jamestown  Business  College. 
He  was  a  young  man  when  he  entered  the  employ  of 
the  American  Railway  Express  Company  as  cashier 
of  the  Jamestown  office,  and  that  responsible  position 
he  filled  most  satisfactorily  until  1912,  when  he  was 
appointed  agent  at  Jamestown  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused 
by  the  death  of  the  former  agent,  B.  R.  Hiller.  He  has 
now  held  that  position  eight  years  and  has  satisfied  the 
demands  made  by  the  public  and  earned  at  the  same 
time  the  approval  of  the  company  officials.  Mr.  Catlin 
is  a  man  of  pleasing  personality  and  sterling  character, 
and  is  highly  esteemed  by  his  many,  many  friends.  He 
is  a  Republican  in  politics :  member  of  Mt.  Moriah 
Lodge.  No.  145,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  Western 
Sun  Chapter,  No.  67,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Jamestown 
Council,  No.  32,  Royal  and  Select  Masters ;  James- 
town Commandery,  No.  61,  Knights  Templar;  James- 
town Lodge  of  Perfection:  Jamestown  Council  Princes 
of  Jerusalem;  Buffalo  Consistory,  .•\ncient  and  Accepted 
Scottish  Rite,  and  Ismailia  Temple,  Nobles  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine. 

Mr.  Catlin  married,  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  7, 
1898,  Marion  I.  Phillips,  born  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Oct. 
2,  1879,  daughter  of  Alvin  and  Olive  (Howard)  Phil- 
lips. Mrs.  Catlin  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
church,  Mt.  Sinai  Chapter.  Xo.  132,  Order  of  Eastern 
Star:  Chautauqua  Court,  No.  38,  Order  of  Amaranth; 
and  of  the  Mothers'  Club  of  Public  School  No.  7,  in 
which  she  is  very  active.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Catlin  are 
the  parents  of  a  son,  Elial  Carpenter,  Jr.,  born  in  James- 
town, Nov.  28,  1913. 

Mrs.  Addie  Julia  (Carpenter)  Catlin  married  (sec- 
ond) Walter  Porter  Frink,  born  at  Silver  Creek,  N.  Y., 


512 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


April  21,  iSso,  son  of  Albert  and  Martha  (Penhollow) 
Frink,  and  grandson  of  Rev.  John  Frink,  a  devoted  Bap- 
tist missionary  preacher,  who  was  well  known  in 
Western  Xew  York.  Walter  Porter  Frink  for  a  niini- 
her  of  years  was  with  tl;e  Erie  Railroad  at  Erie.  May- 
ville.  Corseys.  N.  V.;  later  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  and 
afterwards  returned  to  Chautanqua  county,  N.  Y., 
locating  in  Jamestown,  where  he  served  the  United 
States  government  under  Postmaster  Charles  Wicks. 
Later  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business  at  Lewis  Run, 
Pa.,  conducting  a  general  store  there  for  ten  years.  He 
then  sold  out  and  resumed  business  in  Jamestown,  con- 
tinuing until  1917,  when  he  became  connected  with  the 
.-\merican  Railway  E.xpress  Company  in  Jamestown, 
where  he  still  continues.  He  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, member  of  the  Baptist  church,  Mt.  Tabor  Lodge, 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  Knights  of 
the  Maccabees.  The  Frink  home  is  on  East  Second 
street,  comer  of  Phillips  strett.  its  site  the  old  \\'illiam 
Carpenter  home,  which  has  been  in  the  family  tor 
more  than  100  years. 

Mrs.  Addie  J.  Frink  was  educated  in  Jamestown 
schools,  finishing  in  high  school.  For  many  years  she 
was  a  devoted  member  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  during  the  ten  years  that  she  spent  in 
Lewis  Run,  in  the  Pennsylvania  oil  region,  she  was 
ven'  active  in  securing  the  erection  of  the  church  there 
in  lOio.  She  became  a  convert  to  Spiritualism,  and 
since  1910  has  been  very  active  in  promoting  that  faith 
as  medium,  lecturer  and  president  of  the  Spiritual 
Society  of  Jamestown.  She  has  read  and  studied 
deeply  the  doctrine  and  faith,  and  from  her  study,  her 
personal  e.xperiences,  and  those  of  others,  she  has 
arrived  at  a  firm  belief  in  Spiritualism,  and  from  that 
belief  derives  deep  joy  and   happiness. 


REV.  JAMES  MARY  CARRA  was  born  in  Quarg- 
nento.  Province  of  Alexandria.  Piedmont.  Italy.  Feb. 
II,  1870.  He  was  a  son  oi  Dalmatius  and  Catherine 
Carra.  He  received  his  early  education  at  the  elemen- 
tarj-  schools  of  Quargnento,  the  grammar  and  classical 
schfX)!  of  Sampierd,  .^rcna,  at  Genoa,  Italy.  He  then 
entered  the  seminary  at  .-Mexandria,  where  he  com- 
pleted a  theological  course,  and  in  1895  he  graduated 
from  the  Pontifical  College  of  St.  Thomas  d'  Aquino, 
at  Genoa.  He  was  ordained,  Dec.  17,  1892,  at  Alex- 
andria. 

His  first  appointment  was  as  assistant  i)riest  at 
Marengo.  .Mexandria,  where  he  remained  from  June, 
l^o.l.  to  July  I,  1894.  At  that  time  he  became  ch.-ip- 
lain  of  the  City  Hospital  of  Alexandria,  and  he  served 
as  chaplain  there  until  Oct.  i,  1901,  a  period  of  seven 
years  and  four  months  of  faithful  and  untiring  service. 
He  was  next  chaplain  at  Broni,  Province  of  I'avi.a, 
ir'im  Oct.  I.  I'jrji.  to  July  I.  1907.  Then  for  a  little 
more  than  a  year  he  wa^  chaplain  "i  the  Sifters  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  at  Solero,  where  he  rrmtinucd  until 
.'\iiKUst.  1908. 

In  September.  190-8,  he  came  to  the  I'nited  States, 
whf-rc  he  filled  a  rail  to  the  pastorate  at  Brant,  N.  Y., 
in  the  difx:e<(e  of  Buffalo,  under  Bishop  Colton.  After 
scrvinK  as  pastor  at  Brant  for  three  months,  he  went 
|o   Mt.   Carmcl   Church  at   Buffalo,  as  assistant  priest, 


and  on  March  i,  1910,  in  the  same  capacitj'  to  St. 
Lucy's  Church,  of  Buffalo,  a  Catholic  church  of  Ital- 
ian attendants.  On  June  8,  1910,  he  was  sent  to  James- 
town, N.  Y.  Here  he  built  St.  James'  (Italian)  Church. 
The  congregation  of  the  church  at  that  time  was  ap- 
pro.ximately  two  thousand,  now  the  church  has  an  at- 
tendance of  four  thousand  Italians.  Such  an  increase 
of  membership  in  itself  bespeaks  the  success  of  Dr. 
Carra's  pastorate,  which  was  one  of  faithful  and  de- 
voted performance  of  duties  for  the  benefit  of  his 
brother  men  and  parishoners. 

During  the  Great  War,  Dr.  Carra  was  commissioned 
first  lieutenant  chaplain.  On  Oct.  19,  1918,  he  went 
to  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  where  he  received  orders  to  leave 
for  France,  Nov.  16,  1918,  but  was  detained  by  the  can- 
cellation of  his  orders,  after  which  Dr.  Carra  was 
assigned  to  port  chaplain  officer.  While  in  Hoboken, 
he  called  on  the  wounded  at  St.  Mary's  Hospital,  of 
that  city,  until  his  transfer  to  the  base  hospital  at  Camp 
Merritt,  X.  J.  On  March  8,  1918,  he  was  assigned  to 
the  Italian  line  transport  "America."  He  made  one 
trip  to  Italy  and  France,  returned,  and  was  discharged 
from  service,  July  i,  1918. 

Dr.  Carra  is  a  third  degree  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Columbus,  at  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and  belongs  also 
to  the  Holy  Name  Society  and  to  the  Bellini  Club  of 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.  In  connection  with  his  church.  Dr. 
Carra  has  a  school  and  convent.  Three  hundred  and 
twenty-five  pupils  attend  the  school,  and  seven  sisters 
are  at  the  convent  there.  He  has  done  much  to  build 
up  the  section  of  his  parish  through  his  church.  The 
average  number  of  marriages  per  year  is  about  fifty, 
while  the  number  of  baptisms  is  almost  200.  In  connec- 
tion with  his  church  are  the  following  societies:  St. 
Sebastian  Society,  Holy  Name  Society,  Christopher 
Columbus  Society,  the  Italo-Americano  Mutual  Bene- 
fit Society,  and  St.  James'  Club.  Besides  the  many 
additions  and  improvements  which  Dr.  Carra  has  ac- 
complished in  his  present  diocese,  he  has  to  his  other 
material  results  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Loretto,  at 
Falconer.  The  congregation  in  this  recently  new 
church  averages  about   150  Italian  families. 


GEORGE  N.  TOMPKINS,  for  many  years  a  suc- 
cessful and  enterprising  merchant  at  Gerry,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  and  a  man  of  prominence  in  the 
public  affairs  of  that  district,  having  been  town  clerk, 
supervisor  and  postmaster  for  many  years,  is  one  of  the 
well  known  citizens  of  Chautauqua  county. 

George  N.  Toinpkins  is  a  native  of  Gerry,  born  Nov. 
8,  1874,  the  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Martha  (Hale)  Tomp- 
kins, well  known  and  respected  residents  of  Gerry, 
where  Nathaniel  Tompkins  operated  a  farm  until  his 
retircnunt.  As  a  boy,  Ge'irge  N.  Tompkins  attended 
the  Inc-il  jiublic  schools,  and  e\entually  joined  his 
father  in  farming.  Later  he  operated  a  creamery  and 
general  store  i?i  Gerry,  success  attending  his  enter- 
jjrisi-,  and  still  later  he  became  prominent  in  the  politi- 
r:il  life  of  Curry.  In  politics,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Kei'ublic-m  ii.arty.  In  the  local  administration,  he  has 
for  many  years  been  town  clerk,  supervisor  and  post- 
master. Upon  his  retirement  from  the  postmastership, 
Mrs.   Toinpkins   passed   the   civil   service   examination 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


S13 


and  succeeded  her  husband  in  the  office.  For  a  number 
of  years  Mr.  Tompkins  held  membership  in  the  local 
grange.  He  is  also  identified  with  the  Masonic  order. 
On  Jan.  24.  1S94,  Mr.  Tompkins  married,  at  Gerry, 
Blanche  Harris,  who  was  born  in  Ellicott,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  May  20,  1874,  daughter  of  Eugene  D. 
and  Ophelia  (Sears)  Harris,  and  a  descendant  of  an 
old  Chautauqua  county  family.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Tompkins  has  been  born  one  child.  Hubert  D.,  July  4, 
1898;  educated  in  the  district  school  at  Gerry  and 
Jamestown  High  School;  during  the  World  war  was  in 
training  at  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  at  the  Students'  Army 
Training  Camps.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tompkins  took  active 
part  in  many  local  movements  of  patriotic  purport,  and 
they  subscribed  unstintedly  to  the  several  funds  pro- 
moted to  meet  the  needs  of  the  war,  in  its  many  phases. 
They  indefatigably  labored  for  the  cause  in  the  phase  of 
the  national  effort  allotted  to  patriotic  men  and  women 
for  execution,  and  in  cheering  the  young  soldiers  of 
the  district  upon  their  departure,  in  making  articles  for 
their  comfort  and  well  being  while  they  were  away,  and 
in  properly  welcoming  them  upon  their  return  home. 


CHARLES  JOHN  ANDERSON  obtained  his  edu- 
cation and  his  training  in  the  business  that  has  formed 
the  basis  of  his  signal  success  in  his  native  Sweden. 
He  came  to  the  United  States  as  a  young  man  of 
eighteen  years,  in  1880,  and  in  the  time  intervening  has 
come  to  occupy  an  important  place  in  the  business 
and  industrial  interests  of  Western  New  York. 

Charles  John  Anderson  was  born  in  Frodenge,  Kal- 
mer  Lan,  Sweden,  June  21,  1862,  son  of  Eric  and 
Frederica  (Jones)  Anderson.  Eric  Anderson  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1871,  and  for  a  short  time 
stopped  at  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  soon  proceeding  to 
Wilkes-Barre,  Pa.,  where  he  became  a  foreman  in  a 
coal  mine.  From  Wilkes-Barre  he  went  to  Kinzua, 
Pa.,  and  there  was  employed  as  railroad  foreman 
in  charge  of  175  men.  Subsequently,  he  engaged  in 
farming  in  Warren  county,  Pa.,  and  died  there  at  the 
age  of  si.xty-three  years.  Upon  coming  to  the  United 
States,  Eric  Anderson  left  his  family  in  Sweden.  In 
1880,  his  son,  Charles  J.,  followed  him  to  this  country, 
locating  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and  the  following  year 
he  sent  for  his  brother,  August  L.  Two  years  later, 
in  1883,  the  mother  and  two  daughters  of  the  family 
crossed  the  Atlantic  and  joined  Eric  Anderson  on 
his  farm  at  Sugar  Grove,  Warren  county,  Pa. 

Charles  J.  Anderson  attended  school  and  learned  the 
shoemaker's  trade  in  Sweden,  and  for  two  and  one- 
half  years  after  settling  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  he  re- 
paired, made,  and  sold  shoes  in  a  little  shop  owned 
by  him.  At  the  end  of  this  time,  forming  a  partnership 
with  C.  W.  Gripp,  he  opened  a  shoe  store  on  East 
Second  street,  near  the  site  of  his  present  store.  Dur- 
ing his  three  3'ears'  partnership  with  Mr.  Gripp  they 
moved  their  business  to  No.  103  East  Second  street, 
one  of  his  present  locations,  and  after  purchasing  Mr. 
Gripp's  interest  he  continued  to  conduct  the  enterprise 
alone.  Mr.  Anderson  extended  his  shoe  store  interests, 
at  one  time  owning  and  operating  five  stores,  including 
establishments  in  Jamestown,  Falconer  and  Mayville, 
N.   Y.,  and   Bradford   and  Warren,   Pa.     Disposing  of 


all  excepting  his  Jamestown  store,  this  was  his  sole 
connection  in  this  line  until  1906.  when  he  purchased 
another  store.  No.  223  North  Main  street.  Both  of 
these  Jamestown  stores  are  popularly  patronized,  and 
the  lines  carried  uphold  the  reputation  for  reliability 
built  up  through  forty  years  of  shoe  experience. 

In  the  development  of  the  industrial  and  the  business 
life  of  the  locality,  Mr.  Anderson  has  taken  active  part, 
and  has  acquired  holdings  in  varied  lines.  He  is 
president  of  the  Elite  Furniture  Company  of  James- 
town, was  the  "organizer  and  now  financially  interested 
in  the  Jamestown  Car  Parts  Company,  is  a  director  of 
the  Johanson  &  Hultberg  Tool  Company  of  War- 
ren, of  the  United  Oil  &  Gas  Company,  of  War- 
ren, Pa.,  and  the  Jamestown  Metal  Desk  Company. 
Mr.  Anderson  also  conducts  a  steamship  ticket  agency 
in  Jamestown,  representing  several  trans-Atlantic 
lines,  including  the  Swedish-American,  Scandinavian- 
American,  Norwegian-American,  White  Star,  Cunard, 
Anchor  and  International  Mercantile  Marine  companies. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  New  York  State  Shoe  Dealers' 
Association,  and  once  was  a  director  in  that  organiza- 
tion. Mr.  Anderson  is  a  Republican  in  political  faith, 
and  for  several  terms  filled  the  post  of  supervisor.  His 
fraternal  organizations  are  the  Benevolent  and  Protec- 
tive Order  of  Elks,  Loyal  Order  of  Moose,  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 
His  club  is  the  Norden  of  Jamestown.  He  has  long 
been  a  devoted  member  of  the  First  Swedish  Lutheran 
Church  of  Jamestown,  and  for  twelve  years  served 
the  congregation  as  trustee. 

Charles  John  Anderson  married,  April  8,  1886,  Louise 
Lawson,  of  Busti,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  John  Lawson. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter, 
Mabel  A. 

Mr.  Anderson  has  made  for  himself  a  responsible 
position  in  the  business  life  of  Jamestown.  His  repu- 
tation for  uprightness  and  dependability  has  been 
earned  through  years  of  earnest  effort  and  strict  ad- 
herence to  customs  of  fair  dealing.  His  many  connec- 
tions require  a  large  share  of  his  time,  but  when  oppor  ■ 
tunity  offers  he  enjoys  out-of-door  recreation,  particu- 
larly fishing.  There  are  few  departments  of  the  life 
of  his  city  to  which  he  has  not  contributed  something 
of  influence  and  of  helpfulness. 


COLUMBUS   C.   HAZARD— The   town   of  Ellery, 

Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  was  Mr.  Hazard's  birth- 
place and  here  he  has  spent  his  long  and  useful  life. 
He  is  one  of  Ellery's  prosperous  and  contented  farm- 
ers, a  man  who  has  borne  his  share  of  community 
responsibility  and  faithfully  performed  every  trust  re- 
posed in  him.  He  is  a  son  of  Caleb  and  Hannah 
(Newbury)  Hazard,  and  grandson  of  Sylvester  and 
Anna  Hazard.  Sylvester  Hazard,  the  pioneer  in  Chau- 
tauqua county,  was  a  farmer  in  Delaware  county, 
and  he  and  his  wife  came  here  with  some  of  their 
children,  others  being  born  in  Chautauqua  county. 
Their  children  were:  Caleb,  Mary,  Lucy,  David,  Arnold, 
Aldrich,  Phoebe,  Henry,  Mercy,  Robertson,  Betsey, 
William.  Caleb  Hazard,  the  eldest  son  and  father 
of  Columbus  C.  Hazard,  was  born  in  1807,  and  came 
with   his  parents   to   Chautauqua   county   in    1818.      He 


514 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


was  a  carpenter  and  joiner  in  early  lite,  but  later  be- 
came a  farmer.  He  was  prominent  in  local  affairs,  and 
at  one  time  served  his  town  as  highway  commissioner. 
Caleb  Hazard  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  Laura  A.,  Algernon  D.,  Columbus 
C.  and  Americus  D. 

Columbus  C.  Hazard  was  born  in  the  town  of  EUery, 
Chautauqua  county.  X.  V..  June  17,  1S50.  He  attended 
the  district  school  in  his  youth  and  grew  to  manhood 
on  the  home  farm.  When  the  time  came  to  choose 
his  own  occupation  he  continued  in  the  same  line,  and 
his  business  life  has  been  mainly  spent  in  farming.  In 
politics  a  Republican,  Mr.  Hazard  served  as  highway 
commissioner  for  one  term  of  two  years,  and  for  about 
twelve  years  has  been  assessor  for  the  town  of  EUery, 
his  term  not  expiring  until  1923.  This  endorsement  of 
his  fairness  and  good  judgment  coming  from  his  neigh- 
bors and  friends  of  a  lifetime  is  a  splendid  testimonial. 
The  only  limit  to  his  tenure  of  office  will  be  his  physical 
ability  to  perform  the  duties  pertaining  thereto,  so 
well  has  he  performed  these  duties  in  the  past.  Early 
in  its  histop.-.  Mr.  Hazard  became  a  member  of  Ellery 
Grange,  Xo.  353.  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and  has  for 
manv  years  been  one  of  its  leading  members.  He  has 
filled  all  the  chairs,  including  that  of  master,  holding 
that  office  for  three  years.  For  about  fourteen  years 
he  has  been  a  director  of  the  Patrons  Fire  Relief  As- 
sociation and  is  still  serving  in  that  capacity.  He  is 
also  a  past  worthy  grand  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  and  afliliates  with  the  Chautauqua 
County  Branch  of  the  Xew  York  State  Farm   Bureau. 

Mr.  Hazard  married,  Sept.  10,  1877.  Eliza  Rathbun, 
born  March  S.  1S59,  near  Willoughby,  Ohio;  died  Feb. 

3,  1020.  in  Ellery:  daughter  of  John  B.  and  Asenath 
Rathbun.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hazard  are  the  parents  of  four 
children:  i.  Ivah  C,  born  April  13,  1880;  married 
Elton  Mans,  of  Ellery;  children:  Harold,  Jessie  and 
Izora.  2.  Bessie  Belle,  born  Oct.  14,  1883,  died  at  the 
age  of  eight  and  one-half  years.  3.  C.  Mabel,  born 
Aug.  9,  1885;  married  Henry  Wilson,  of  Ellery;  chil- 
dren: Mildred  and  Flossy.  4.  Cassius  C,  born  April 
29.   1895;  he  enlisted  in  the  United  States  army,   Xov. 

4.  1917,  and  was  assigned  to  the  mechanical  repair  de- 
partment: he  was  sent  overseas  with  the  .Vmerican 
Expeditionary  Forces,  and  most  of  his  service  abroad 
was  with  the  ,\mcrican  postoffice  at  Xevers,  France; 
he  was  honorably  discharged  in  March,  iqiq,  and  re- 
turned to  his  home:  he  married  Ruby  Brown,  of 
Falconer. 


THOMAS  ROBERT  WRIGHT,  who  was  for  a 
grc.-it  many  years  one  of  the  iiopular  and  inlluential 
farmers  -A  Mayvillc,  N.  Y.,  and  whose  death  at  this 
place  was  felt  as  a  severe  loss  to  the  entire  community, 
was  a  son  of  Fiobert  Wright,  who  was  born  in  Grant- 
ham, Lincolnshire,  England,  Xov.  23,  1835.  Robert 
Wright  resided  at  his  native  birthplace  until  the  death 
of  his  mother  and  then  went  to  live  with  his  aunt  in 
London,  r'-maining  there  for  a  period  of  two  years. 
He  later  wnt  to  .Antwerp,  Belgium,  and  from  there 
misrrated  to  this  country  with  his  father  in  18.53,  c""'- 
inff  at  once  to  Spring  Brrxik,  Eric  county.  Here  they 
remained  lor  about  six  years  and  in  1859  moved  to 
Wcitficld.      r<oI>ert    Wright    married,     Sept.     6,     1866, 


Mahala  Sarah  Dibble,  and  of  this  marriage  one  child 
was  born,  Thomas  Robert  Wright,  with  whose  career 
we  are  here  especially  concerned.  Robert  Wright's 
death  occurred  at  his  home  in  Portland,  Feb.  15,  1910. 

Thomas  Robert  Wright,  son  of  Robert  and  Mahala 
Sarah  (.Dibble)  Wright,  was  born  at  Westfield,  April 
37,  1S69,  and  resided  in  this  vicinity  for  practically  his 
entire  life.  For  his  education  he  attended  the  West- 
field  L'nion  School  and  Academy  and  then  engaged  in 
the  occupation  of  farming  with' his  father,  which  they 
botli  carried  on  successfully,  their  farm  being  one  of 
the  finest  in  the  region,  both  having  cultivated  it  to 
perfection,  making  it  second  to  none  in  the  region.  At 
the  death  of  the  elder  man,  Mr.  Wright  became  the 
sole  possessor  of  the  old  homestead  and  continued  his 
operations. 

Mr.  Wright  married,  Dec.  30,  1903,  Emma  I.  Meade, 
who  survives  him  with  their  three  children:  Josephine 
C,  John  Robert,  and  James  Thomas.  An  extract  from 
the  local  press,  given  below,  and  written  at  the  time 
of  Mr.  Wright's  death  by  George  S.  Kent,  an  intimate 
friend  of  Mr.  Wright's,  well  shows  the  character  of, 
the  man  and  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  through- 
out the    entire  region. 

Born  of  a  hardy  and  worthy  ancestry  that  has  helped 
develop  this  section  of  Chautauqua  county  and  given 
to  us  several  generations  that  represent  our  best  type 
of  character  and  citizenship.  As  a  lifelong  friend  and 
neighbor  I  can  truthfully  say  that  his  life  represents 
the  fulfillment  of  good  purposes  and  principles,  abso- 
lute fairness  in  his  business  relations  with  all,  and  a 
thoughtful  kindness  of  purpose  and  action  that  en- 
deared him  to  his  neighbors,  friends,  and  all  who 
knew  him  in  the  everyday  walks  of  life.  With  a  quiet, 
unassuming  manner,  he  met  the  duties  and  hardships 
of  life  with  a  devotion,  energy  and  perseverenoe  that 
knew  no  failure.  Circumstances  from  his  youth  up 
threw  unusual  responsibilities  upon  him  and  he  met 
them  bravely  and  uncomplainingly.  He  was  unaggres- 
sive In  his  nature,  yet  firm  in  his  convictions  of  right 
or  wrong.  His  creed  seemed  to  be  as  well  represented 
by  the  Golden  Rule  and  its  fulfillment  as  the  best  of 
us  .succeed  in  approximating  in  this  life.  As  a  friend 
from  his  childhood  I  knew  of  no  word  of  his  that  ever 
left  a  sting  or  an  unpleasant  memory.  Kindness  and 
consideration  were  preeminently  a  part  of  his  nature. 
It  seems  sad.  indeed,  that  so  worthy  a  life  should  be 
cut  off  at  the  zenith  of  its  usefulness.  •  *  •  His  love 
and  care  for  his  mother,  who  survives  him.  and  who 
lived  with  him.  showed  the  true  nobility  of  his  nature, 
and  is  a  worthier  monument  to  his  memory  than  sor- 
rowing  words    can   here    express. 


MRS.  VIOLA  T.  (HUNTINGTON)  SPRAGUE, 

a  well  known  resident  of  Ellington,  Chautauqua  county, 
X.  Y..  where  she  is  now  residing,  was  born  at  Ran- 
(lolpli.  X.  Y.,  Feb.  3,  1S51,  a  daughter  of  Wesley  and 
Nancy  (Stephenson)  Huntington,  old  and  highly  re- 
spected residents  of  that  place.  Mrs.  Sprague  as  a 
child  attended  the  local  public  schools  of  Randolph, 
where  she  established  a  fine  record  as  a  student.  After 
completing  her  studies,  she  opened  a  dressmaking  es- 
taMi^hmeiit  in  that  place,  in  which  enterprise  she  met 
with  a  notable  ilcgrce  of  success,  and  which  she  fol- 
lowcil  for  several  years,  her  customers  numbering 
many  from  among  tlie  wealthy  residents  of  the  town. 
About  the  year  1S76  she  removed  to  Ellington  and  has 
becnnic  one  of  the  well  known  women  of  this  town. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  the 
Literary  Society,  the  Methodist  Aid  Society,  and  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church  in  Ellington. 
She  was  united  in  marriage,  Oct.  12,  187G,  at  Filing- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


515 


ton,  with  Titus  Sprague,  a  prominent  agriculturist  of 
Ellington,  a  son  of  Josiah  and  Elizabeth  (Miles) 
Sprague,  of  Ellington.  Mr.  Sprague  married  (first) 
Melissa  Brown,  and  by  this  marriage  there  were  three 
children:  Charles  and  Edna,  died  young;  and  Elva, 
born  March  15,  1870,  became  the  wife  of  Lee  Dixon,  a 
woolen  manufacturer  of  Philadelphia.  Children  of 
Mr.  Sprague  by  his  second  marriage;  .Archie,  born 
Nov.  6,  1877,  now  connected  with  the  engineering  de- 
partment of  the  Brooks  Locomotive  Company  of 
Philadelphia;  Arlie,  born  Feb.  4,  1882,  died  Jan.  13, 
1920,  who  was  the  wife  of  Herbert  Gates,  a  well  known 
farmer  of  Ellington;  Harry,  born  July  31,  1885,  now 
superintendent  of  public  schools  at  Summit,  N.  J. 


JOHN   A.   ECKMAN,  president  of  the  Jamestown 

Metal  Desk  Company,  Inc.,  is  a  man  of  enterprise  and 
ability,  quick  to  see  and  grasp  business  opportunities, 
practical  and  progressive  in  his  methods,  conscientious 
in  the  performance  of  business  transactions,  hence  the 
success  he  has  achieved,  ranking  among  the  reliable 
and  successful  business  men  of  Jamestown,  and  among 
the  many  self-made  men  of  Chautauqua  county. 

John  A.  Eckman  was  born  in  Sweden,  April  2,  1868, 
son  of  Nels  P.  and  Sophia  (Johnson)  Eckman,  the 
latter  now  deceased,  who  emigrated  to  this  country 
when  their  sons,  John  A.  and  Charles  L.,  were  very 
young.  The  family  settled  in  Titusville,  Pa.,  where  the 
father  obtained  employment  in  the  refinery  department 
of  the  Standard  Oil  Company,  being  made  foreman,  a 
position  he  retained  for  twenty-five  years.  He  was  a 
most  skillful  work-man,  and  the  company  had  such  con- 
fidence in  his  ability  that  they  sent  him  to  Buffalo  to 
assist  in  the  construction  of  a  refinery  there  in  1882.  His 
knowledge  of  the  subject  covered  all  necessary  points  and 
made  him  a  valuable  man  to  the  company.  In  later 
years  when  his  son,  John  A.,  had  become  a  successful 
business  man,  he  left  the  Standard  Oil  people  and  be- 
came the  engineer  at  the  furniture   factory  of  his  sons. 

John  A.  Eckman  received  his  education  at  the  grammar 
and  high  schools  in  Titusville,  and  began  his  business 
career  by  securing  employment  in  the  refinery  depart- 
ment of  the  Standard  Oil  Company  in  Titusville.  He 
remained  with  them  for  three  years,  having  charge  of 
a  number  of  men  who  did  rebuilding  at  one  of  their  re- 
fineries. His  next  employment  was  in  a  furniture 
factory  in  the  same  city,  where  he  gained  a  practical 
knowledge  of  all  the  details  of  manufacture,  this  being 
of  great  benefit  to  him  in  his  subsequent  career.  In 
1900,  Mr.  Eckman  and  his  brother,  Charles  L.  Eckman, 
bought  out  the  furniture  factory  of  Breed  &  Johnson, 
the  oldest  furniture  building  concern  in  Jamestown, 
which  they  have  conducted  successfully  for  many  years 
under  the  firm  name  of  The  Eckman  Furniture  Com- 
pan\'.  Early  in  1920,  John  A.  Eckman,  realizing  that 
metal  was  rapidly  taking  the  place  of  wood  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  commercial  furniture,  concluded  to  devote 
his  attention  to  the  manufacture  of  metal  office  furni- 
ture, so  he,  with  others,  organized  the  Jamestown  Metal 
Desk  Company,  Inc.,  of  which  he  has  since  served  in 
the  capacity  of  president. 

In  addition  to  the  extensive  business  interest  men- 
tioned above,  Mr.  Eckman  is  the  possessor  of  a  natural 
talent  for  music,  which  would  have  asserted  itself  even 


if  he  had  not  had  the  advantages  of  studying  under  the 
best  masters  in  the  country.  In  order  to  gratify  the 
wish  of  his  mother,  who  was  a  lover  of  good  music, 
John  A.  Eckman  devoted  considerable  time  to  the  study 
of  it,  entering  the  Conservatory  of  Music  at  Rock 
Island,  111.,  where  he  took  up  the  study  of  harmony,  the 
theory  and  history  of  music,  the  mastery  of  both  organ 
and  piano  playing,  and  also  studying  vocal  music,  re- 
maining at  the  conservatory  for  two  years.  He  then 
accepted  a  jiosition  as  organist  of  the  First  Lutheran 
Church  of  Jamestown,  and  gave  private  lessons  in  organ 
and  piano  playing  for  nineteen  years,  also  making  a 
specialty  of  pipe  organ  and  voice  culture.  For  five  years 
he  made  periodic  trips  to  Chicago,  111.,  to  perfect  himself 
in  all  branches  of  his  art  at  the  Chicago  Musical  Col- 
lege. In  1904,  Mr.  Eckman  established  the  Eckman 
Music  Store,  and  as  the  business  immediately  became 
a  success,  it  occupied  more  and  more  of  Mr.  Eckman's 
time,  so  he  gradually  gave  up  teaching  and  devoted  him- 
self exclusively  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  largest  music 
and  supply  house  between  Pittsburgh  and  Buffalo.  Since 
becoming  interested  in  the  Jamestown  Metal  Desk  Com- 
pany, he  has  disposed  of  his  musical  supply  business, 
thus  giving  all  his  time  to  the  former. 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  an  article  on  the 
Swedish  people  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y. ; 

One  would  be  at  fault  not  to  mention  John  A.  Eck- 
man In  this  connection.  Prom  the  year  when  he 
located  here  (1890)  and  became  organist  and  choir- 
ma.ster  in  the  Fir.st  Lutheran  Church,  he  has  con- 
tributed in  an  eminent  degree  to  the  high  class  and 
excellence  of  music  rendered  In  Jamestown.  Beside.s 
what  he  did  ex-offlcio  in  the  church,  he  started  in 
with  organizing  and  directing  the  Chautauqua  Maen- 
nerchor,  which  for  some  years  appeared  with  suc- 
cess on  many  public  occasions.  Large  choruses  or 
choral  unions  sought  him  out  as  a  leader.  His  most 
pretentions  achievement  alone;  these  lines  was.  maybe. 
the  cantata  which  he  composed  in  1901.  and  brought 
out  at  the  dedication  of  the  grand  organ  of  the  First 
Lutheran  Church. 

The  Orpheus  and  the  Aeolian  quartetts  were  under 
his  leadership  about  that  time.  Under  his  direction 
the  Swedish  Glee  Club  made  so  great  a  proeress  that 
they,  in  1S99,  dared  to  invite  the  American  Union  of 
Swedish  Singers  to  hold  their  national  conclave  here 
two  years  later.  At  that  event  John  A.  Eckman  was 
leader  of   the   united  local   singers. 

Mr.  Eckman  is  president  of  the  Eckman  Furniture 
Company  and  director  of  the  Liberty  National  Bank, 
member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Jamestown,  of 
the  Order  of  Eagles,  and  of  the  Norden  Club,  of  which 
he  was  secretary  for  the  first  four  years  after  its 
organization.  Mr.  Eckman  is  not  actively  interested  in 
politics,  but  votes  the  Republican  ticket.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Holy  Trinity  English  Lutheran  Church,  as  is  also 
his  wife,  and  he  is  serving  as  a  member  of  the  council  of 
the  church. 

In  Frankfort,  Mich.,  Oct.  30,  1906,  John  A.  Eckman 
married  Edvena  Johnston,  a  resident  of  Frankfort, 
daughter  of  Nels  A.  and  Sophia  (Peterson)  Johnston. 


CLAYBURN  JAMES  CULVER,  well  known  mer- 
chant of  Ellery,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  one  of 
the  youngest  business  men  in  the  county,  is  a  member 
of  a  family  well  known  in  the  life  of  the  community,  and 
a  son  of  James  and  Grace  (Hayes)  Culver,  the  former 
for  many  years  engaged  in  business  at  Ellery. 

Clayburn  James  Culver  was  born  in  Ellery,  April  6, 
1892,   and  as  a  lad  attended  the  public   schools  of   his 


5i6 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


native  place,  gaining  there  an  excellent  general  educa- 
tion. He  also  attended  the  Jamestown  High  School  and 
Jamestown  Business  College,  \\hen  a  mere  youth  he  be- 
gan to  show  the  sense  of  practical  affairs  that  has  since 
characterized  his  career,  and  it  was  shortly  after  com- 
pleting his  studies  that  he  entered  the  business  world  by 
the  opening  of  a  mercantile  establishment  at  Ellery.  From 
the  outset  his  venture  prospered,  and  he  is  now  the  pro- 
prietor of  a  very  successful  general  store,  which  enjoys 
a  large  patronage  in  the  surrounding  communities.  He 
has  made  it  his  policy  since  beginning  his  business  to 
exhibit  the  strictest  integrity  in  all  his  dealings  and  to 
provide  his  patrons  with  the  best  possible  service  and 
the  highest  grade  of  goods  on  the  market.  His  reputa- 
tion has  grown  constantly  in  consequence,  and  he  now 
enjoys  the  complete  trust  and  confidence  of  the  com- 
munity-at-large.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  in 
lOiSioiQ  he  was  town  clerk  in  Ellery.  He  is  a  notary  pub- 
lic, and  he  has  the  confidence  of  his  townspeople  in  the 
arrangements  of  many  important  legal  matters  requiring 
a  seal.  During  the  World  War  he  served  on  all  the 
committees  for  the  Liberty  Loans,  Red  Cross  and  United 
War  Work  Service.  He  is  also  prominent  in  social  and 
fraternal  circles  at  Eller\',  and  is  a  member  of  Sylvan 
Lodge.  Xo.  303,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and 
Bemus  Point  Lodge.  No.  585,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Culver  is  a  Bap- 
tist, and  he  and  the  members  of  his  family  attend  the 
Ellery  church  of  that  denomination. 

Clayburn  James  Culver  was  united  in  marriage,  April 
28,  1914.  at  Mayville,  N.  Y.,  with  Doris  M.  Benson,  a 
native  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  born  Aug.  27,  1894,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Junius  H.  and  Mary  A.  (O'Brian)  Benson,  the 
former  a  town  clerk  of  Ellery  for  twelve  years.  Two 
children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Culver,  as  fol- 
lows:  Dorothy  Grace,  born  May  23,  1916,  and  Catherine 
Lucille,  born  May  4,  1918.  Mrs.  Culver  is  prominent  in 
local  affairs  in  Ellery  and  is  serving  as  town  clerk,  being 
elected  to  this  position  and  taking  office  Jan.  i,  1920. 
Previous  to  this  she  was  deputy  town  clerk  for  several 
years.  She  is  a  member  of  Sunset  Rebekah  Lodge  at 
Bemus  Point,  and  Mecca  Chapter  of  the  Eastern  Star 
at  Jamestown. 


JAMES    HUNT    PRENDERGAST— There    is    no 

name  so  prominently  connected  with  the  city  of  James- 
town, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  as  that  of  Prendergast, 
for  it  was  from  James  Prendergast,  the  founder  alike 
of  this  flourishing  community  and  of  the  well  known 
family  in  the  region,  that  it  derives  its  appellation. 

(I)  The  immigrant  ancestor  of  the  Prendergasts  in 
America  was  William  Prendergast,  a  native  of  Ireland, 
born  in  the  town  of  Waterford,  Feb.  2,  1737,  and  who 
came  to  this  country  as  a  young  man  and,  after  many 
wanderings  in  New  York  State  and  other  parts  of  the 
CT)lonies,  eventually  settled  in  the  town  of  Chautauqua, 
where  his  death  occurred,  Feb.  14,  181 1.  He  was  a  son 
of  Thomas  and  Mary  Prendergast,  highly  respected  citi- 
zens of  Waterford,  of  which  place  they  were  lifelong 
residents,  and  displayed  in  his  own  person  the  strong 
and  hardy  virtues  so  characteristic  of  the  race  from 
which  he  came.  Upon  coming  to  America,  William 
Prendergast  settled  at  Pawling,  Dutchess  county.  N.  Y., 
where  he  was  engaged  in  the  occupation  of  farming  for 


many  years.  He  continued  to  reside  at  Pawling  until 
he  had  attained  an  advanced  age,  when  he  determined 
once  more  to  renew  his  travels  and  seek  a  new  home  in 
the  great  western  wilderness,  then  so  little  known  to 
any  but  the  most  hardy  pioneers.  The  courage  and 
hardihood  of  tliis  old  gentleman,  then  considerably  past 
the  span  of  three  score  years  and  ten  allotted  to  human 
life,  in  thus  venturing  forth  into  the  inhospitable  wilds, 
was  remarkable  enough,  but  even  more  so  is  the  fact 
that  he  not  only  successfully  accomplished  his  quest  but 
took  with  him  his  entire  family,  save  a  few  members, 
and  himself  led  the  expedition  in  its  wanderings  which 
extended  through  a  number  of  weary  years.  The  party 
consisted,  besides  its  extraordinary  leader,  of  his  four 
sons,  five  daughters,  several  sons-in-law,  numerous 
grandchildren,  and  a  slave,  Tom,  and  their  intended  des- 
tination was  the  State  of  Tennessee.  There  were 
twenty-nine  persons  in  all  and  they  traveled  in  canvas 
wagons,  some  of  which  required  four  horses  to  draw 
them.  Through  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  they  made 
their  slow  and  difficult  way  until  they  arrived  at  Wheel- 
ing, W.  Va.,  where  they  embarked  upon  flat  bottomed 
boats  on  the  Ohio  river  and  followed  that  stream  to 
Louisville.  Here  they  landed  and  proceeded  once  more 
through  the  forest  to  a  point  near  Nashville,  where  it 
was  their  intention  to  locate.  What  befell  them  there 
gives  point  to  the  amazing  courage  and  strength  of 
mind  of  the  entire  party,  but  especially  of  their  leader. 
Weary  with  long  travel,  hoping  confidently  for  rest  at 
this,  their  intended  destination,  they  nevertheless  found 
conditions  so  bad  that  a  permanent  settlement  was  not 
to  be  thought  of.  Instead  of  weakly  despairing  and 
submitting  to  fate,  these  true  pioneers  did  not  even 
make  a  temporary  residence,  but  once  more  embarked 
upon  their  wanderings,  turning  their  faces  to  the  North 
again,  but  this  time  towards  the  unsettled  regions  lying 
about  the  eastern  end  of  the  Great  Lakes.  Through 
Kentucky,  Ohio,  and  Pennsylvania  they  went,  until 
late  in  the  autumn  of  1805  they  reached  the  little  set- 
tlement of  Erie.  Here  the  women  and  younger  mem- 
bers of  the  family  were  placed  for  the  winter,  while 
William  Prendergast  and  his  sons  went  on  to  Canada, 
still  seeking  for  a  satisfactory  site  for  a  home.  The 
winter  of  1805-06  was  spent  in  that  country,  but  the 
following  spring  they  returned  to  the  United  States 
and  eventually  settled  in  the  township  of  Chautauqua, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  William  Prendergast 
and  his  sons  purchased  land  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
Chautauqua  in  the  vicinity  of  Mayville  and  the  famous 
Chautauqua  Assembly  grounds.  The  holdings  of  the 
various  members  of  the  family  amounted  in  all  to  about 
3,500  acres,  and  the  family  became  established  there  as 
one  of  the  most  prominent  and  wealthy  in  the  district. 
William  Prendergast  married  Mehitable  Wing,  born 
March  20,  1738,  died  Sept.  4,  1812,  daughter  of  Jedediah 
and  Elizabeth  Wing,  of  Beckman,  N.  Y.,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Matthew,  men- 
tioned below;  Thomas,  born  Sept.  15,  1758,  died  June 
3,  1842;  Mary,  married  William  Bemus,  of  Ellery, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.;  Elizabeth,  died  unmarried, 
Aug.  20,  1824;  James,  mentioned  below;  Dr.  Jedediah, 
born  May  13,  1766;  married  Penelope  Chase:  Martin, 
liorn  April  22,  1769,  married  Martha  Hunt;  John  Jef- 
frey;    Susanna,    married    Oliver    Whiteside;     Eleanor, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


517 


died  aged  thirteen  years;  Martha,  died  unmarried,  Dec. 
9,  1849,  aged  seventy-four  years;  William,  a  major  in 
the  War  of  1812;  Minerva,  married  Elisha  Marvin. 

(11)  The  founding  of  the  city  of  Jamestown  was  the 
result  of  a  chance  expedition  of  James  Prendergast,  one 
of  the  sons  of  William  Prendergast,  and  it  was  from 
his  given  name  that  that  of  Jamestown  was  taken. 
Shortly  after  the  family  had  settled  on  the  shores  of 
Lake  Chautauqua,  a  number  of  their  horses  wandered 
away  into  the  forest  and  could  not  be  found.  It  was 
a  great  loss  to  the  pioneers,  and  James  was  directed  by 
his  father  to  seek  them.  It  is  difficult  to-day  to  imagine 
how  great  a  task  was  involved  in  this  apparently  sim- 
ple order,  or  the  courage  required  for  a  young  man  to 
venture  out  alone  into  the  wilderness.  The  youth,  how- 
ever, never  thought  of  questioning  the  matter,  and  was 
soon  of  his  way  after  the  runaways.  He  first  bent  his 
steps  to  the  South,  continuing  until  he  reached  an  Indian 
encampment  on  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  where  he  was  im- 
mensely impressed  with  the  possibilities  of  the  region 
which  was  covered  with  one  of  the  most  magnificent 
growths  of  pine  timber  in  the  country.  Fortunately, 
from  long  wandering  in  the  wilderness,  he  had  grown 
familiar  with  the  savages  and  their  ways  and  quickly 
won  the  friendship  and  trust  of  the  members  of  this 
especial  village,  who  not  only  cast  no  obstacles  in  his 
way,  but  aided  him  to  find  his  strayed  horses.  With 
the  Indians  he  traveled  through  the  valleys  of  the 
Conewango  and  Kiantone,  where  the  Indians  had 
planted  their  corn  for  centuries,  and  gained  some  idea 
of  the  e.xtent  of  the  splendid  pine  forests.  He  was 
successful  in  his  quest  for  the  horses,  but  had  inci- 
dentally found  something  much  more  valuable  than 
them,  which  was  to  make  his  fortune  later  on.  Indeed, 
he  realized  the  possibilities  even  at  that  time  and  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  founding  a  settlement.  Some  time 
afterward  he  secured,  in  association  with  his  brother, 
whom  he  had  persuaded  to  join  him,  1,000  acres  of  land 
and  this  became  the  site  of  Jamestown,  Mr.  Prender- 
gast locating  there  in  the  early  autumn  of  1809,  in  com- 
pany with  an  employee,  one  John  Blowers.  The  War 
of  1812  followed  shortly  after  with  its  threat  of  inva- 
sion from  Canada,  and  the  early  life  of  the  little  town 
was  decidedly  precarious,  but  the  efforts  of  James  Pren- 
dergast, who  would  not  be  discouraged,  finally  won 
over  all  the  difficulties  and  the  flourishing  community 
was  established. 

(II)  Returning  to  the  direct  line  of  descent  to  James 
Hunt  Prendergast,  we  come  to  Matthew  Prendergast, 
eldest  child  of  William  and  Mehitable  (Wing)  Pren- 
dergast. who  was  born  Aug.  5,  1756,  at  the  town  of 
Pawling,  Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.  He  did  not  take  part 
in  the  wanderings  of  the  family,  which  eventually 
located  them  in  Chautauqua  county.  He  remained  in- 
stead in  Eastern  New  York  and  resided  in  Washington 
county  until  well  advanced  in  years.  He  then  rejoined 
his  relatives,  coming  directly  to  the  town  of  Chautau- 
qua, where  his  death  occurred,  Feb.  24,  1838.  His  com- 
ing to  Chautauqua  took  place  in  1807,  and  he  was  the 
first  supervisor  of  Chautauqua  county  after  it  was 
fully  organized  in  the  year  181 1.  He  was  appointed 
justice  of  the  peace  in  1808,  serving  in  that  office  for 
many  years,  and  was  also  associate  judge  of  the  county. 
He  died  at  his  pioneer  home  at  Chautauqua  at  the  age 


of  eighty-three,  after  a  long  and  useful  life.  He  mar- 
ried (first)  in  Eastern  New  York,  Abigail  Aikin,  and 
(second)  Anna  Hunt.  He  and  his  first  wife  were  the 
parents  of  two  children,  both  of  whom  were  born  in 
Washington  county  and  accompanied  him  to  the  West: 
Lillian,  who  became  the  wife  of  Jared  Irwin;  Dr.  Wil- 
liam, mentioned  below.  By  his  second  wife  he  also  had 
two  children,  James  and  Arthur. 

(III)  Dr.  William  (2)  Prendergast,  only  son  of 
Judge  Matlhew  and  Abigail  (Aikin)  Prendergast,  was 
born  Feb.  28,  1791,  at  Pawling,  Dutchess  county,  N.  Y., 
and  when  sixteen  years  of  age  came  with  his  father  to 
Chautauqua  county,  where  his  death  occurred  March 
II,  1857.  He  studied  medicine  as  a  lad,  and  when  still 
very  young  served  as  a  surgeon  in  the  War  of  1812- 
1815.  Later  he  practiced  the  medical  profession  at 
Mayville,  N.  Y.,  and  was  for  many  years  a  well  known 
practitioner  and  highly  respected  citizen.  His  uncle. 
Dr.  Jedediah  Prendergast,  settled  at  Mayville,  in  181 1, 
where  he  practiced  medicine,  and  Dr.  William  Pren- 
dergast was  his  successor.  Toward  the  latter  end  of  his 
life  he  retired  from  practice  and  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  days  on  his  farm  in  Chautauqua  township.  He 
owned  at  the  time  of  his  death  about  1,000  acres  of  farm 
land.  He  was  a  Whig  in  politics,  and  a  member  of 
the  Episcopal  church.  He  married,  in  1815,  Elizabeth 
Prendergast.  a  daughter  of  Martin  Prendergast,  and 
they  were  the  parents  of  one  child,  Martin,  mentioned 
below. 

(IV)  Martin  Prendergast,  only  child  of  Dr.  William 
(2)  and  Elizabeth  (Prendergast)  Prendergast.  was  born 
at  Mayville,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  For  many 
years  he  was  a  clerk,  but  later,  inheriting  the  old  home- 
stead, he  spent  there  the  reminder  of  his  life  in  farming. 
He  was  well  known  in  his  town,  and  for  fifteen  years 
acted  as  supervisor.  He  was  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  a  man  of  high  character.  He  married  Phoebe 
Holmes,  born  March  3,  1823,  died  Jan.  3,  1899,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Seth  W.  Holmes,  of  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  who 
emigrated  to  Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  and  settled  near  Buf- 
falo. He  spent  some  years  in  California,  where  he 
was  a  successful  speculator,  and  later  came  to  Mayville, 
N.  Y.,  where  most  of  his  after  life  was  spent.  He  was 
prominent  in  Chautauqua  county,  and  held  the  post  of 
sheriff  thereof  prior  to  1849.  His  wife  was  Sarah 
(Stone)  Holmes.  To  Martin  and  Phoebe  (Holmes) 
Prendergast  five  children  were  born,  as  follows:  Mar- 
tha, born  Aug.  26,  1842,  married,  Jan.  20,  1869,  William 
M.  Whallon,  to  whom  she  bore  one  child;  John  H., 
mentioned  below;  William,  born  May  13,  1848.  died 
.'Kpril  21,  1852;  Helen,  born  June  4,  1850,  died  unmar- 
ried. May  2,  1911  ;  Dr.  William,  born  March  20,  1854, 
graduated  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  from  Jefferson 
Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  in  1883,  and  located  at 
Mayville,  where  he  is  the  third  Dr.  Prendergast  to 
practice  successfully  here. 

(V)  John  H.  Prendergast,  eldest  son  of  Martin  and 
Phoebe  (Holmes)  Prendergast,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Chautauqua,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  5,  1844.  He  received  his  edu- 
cation at  the  Mayville  schools,  and  followed  agriculture 
as  a  means  of  livelihood.  He  owned  a  farm  at  Chau- 
tauqua, whereon  he  resided,  although  he  is  now  retired 
from  active  life,  and  lives  at  Westfield,  N.  Y.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics.     He  married,  Feb.  23,  1876,  An- 


^iS 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


toinette  Hunt,  horn  May  I,;.  1841,  died  Sept.  5,  IQ13,  a 
daughter  of  James  M.  and  Rhoda  Ann  (Hewes)  Hunt, 
and  they  hecame  the  parents  of  one  child,  James  Hunt, 
mentioned  below. 

(\'n  James  Hunt  Prendergast.  a  prominent  attorney 
of  Westfield,  Chautauqua  count\-,  N.  Y.,  and  a  con- 
spicuous figure  in  the  commercial  and  industrial  life  of 
the  region,  is  the  only  child  of  John  H.  and  Antoinette 
(Huntt  Prendergast.  and  was  born  at  Chautauqua, 
X.  Y..  Jan.  2,  187S.  As  a  lad  he  attended  the  Union 
School  at  Mayville  and  proved  himself  an  apt  and  intel- 
ligent pupil,  graduating  therefrom  in  June,  1896,  with 
honors.  The  following  autumn  he  entered  the  Hawley 
Preparatory  School  at  Buffalo,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  two  years  later,  after  being  prepared  for  col- 
lege. He  had  become  interested  in  the  profession  of 
law  and  decided  to  make  it  his  career  in  life,  with  which 
intention  he  matriculated  at  the  Law  School  of  Cornell 
University.  Here  he  continued  his  fine  record  as  a 
student  and  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  in 
1002.  In  June,  1902,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and 
about  a  month  later  came  to  Westfield.  where  he  has 
ever  since  practiced.  At  Westfield  he  formed  a  part- 
nership with  Gerald  G.  Gibbs,  of  Sherman,  N.  Y.,  and 
continued  to  practice  law  with  him  until  1904,  when  the 
partnership  was  dissolved.  For  a  time  thereafter  he 
practiced  by  himself  and  then  formed  an  association 
with  James  Robinson  Douglas,  engaging  in  law  and 
general  insurance  business.  This  he  continued  for  a 
short  time,  and  later  he  practiced  his  profession  alone. 
Besides  his  large  law  practice,  he  has  other  large  inter- 
ests. In  November,  1912,  Mr.  Prendergast,  with  others, 
bought  the  charter  of  the  Buffalo  Cooperative  Live 
Stock  Insurance  Company  and  changed  its  name  to  the 
Chautauqua  County  Cooperative  Live  Stock  Insurance 
Company,  being  elected  president,  and  Edward  N.  Skin- 
ner, secretarv-  and  treasurer.  The  board  of  directors  of 
this  prosperous  concern  include  Messrs.  Prendergast, 
Skinner,  and  W.  T.  Nicol,  of  Westfield:  Perry  A. 
Wolf,  of  Ripley;  and  E.  J.  Bailey,  of  Brocton.  Mr. 
Prendergast  has  engaged  largely  in  industrial  enter- 
prises, and  is  connected  with  a  number  of  important 
concerns  01  this  character  in  this  county.  In  associa- 
tion with  Henry  A.  Monroe,  he  manufactures  on  a  very 
large  scale  cement  bricks,  blocks  and  tiles.  They  in- 
vented a  brick  making  machine  which  is  one  of  the 
best  en  the  market.  With  John  H.  Kolpien,  he  formed 
the  Westfield  Manufacturing  Company,  and  is  now 
engn.ged  successfully  in  manufacturing  road  grading 
machines.  His  enterprises  to-day  form  an  important 
tr-.ctor  in  the  business  life  of  the  community,  and  Mr. 
Prendergast  is  justly  regarded  as  one  of  Westfield's 
most  substantial  citizens.  .-Xmong  other  connections  he 
was  one  of  the  directors  of  the  State  Bank  of  Mayville. 
Mr.  Prendergast  has  always  been  a  staunch  supporter 
of  th'.-  principles  of  the  Republican  party.  He  has  held 
a  number  of  offices  in  the  community,  and  since  1904 
has  been  a  member  of  the  town  board.  In  1905,  he  was 
elected  justice  of  the  peace  and  has  continued  to  hold 
thrit  office  up  to  the  present  time.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  County  Committee  from  1910  to  1918,  secretary 
from  1913  to  1915,  and  its  chairman  from  1915  to  1917. 
He  is  a  pfjminent  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks,  and  a  past  exalted  ruler  of  Dun- 


kirk Lodge.  No.  922.  In  addition  to  his  business  inter- 
ests. Mr.  Prendergast  is  the  owner  of  several  valuable 
farms  in  the  vicinity,  including  the  old  homestead  at 
Chautauqua,  consisting  of  125  acres  and  a  fine  fruit 
farm  at  Westfield. 

James  Hunt  Prendergast  was  united  in  marriage, 
June  17,  190S,  at  Westfield,  with  Clara  S.  Fay,  a  native 
of  this  place,  a  daughter  of  John  R.  and  Emma  J. 
(Neill)  Fay,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  here. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Prendergast  one  child  was  born, 
James  John,  May  22,  1912. 


ARTHUR      BOORMAN      OTTAW  AY— Eminent 

in  his  profession,  sterling  in  his  citizenship,  and  upright 
in  character,  Arthur  B.  Ottaway,  of  Westfield,  and  judge 
of  Chautauqua  county,  is  perhaps  the  county's  best 
known  son.  Since  1879  he  has  been  associated  with  the 
courts  of  the  county  as  practitioner,  district  attorney, 
and  judge,  and  whenever  a  candidate  for  the  suffrages 
of  the  citizens  of  the  county  he  has  never  been  denied. 
Judge  Ottaway  is  a  son  of  John  E.  and  Sarah  (Boor- 
man)  Ottaway,  and  a  grandson  of  James  and  Arabella 
Ottaway. 

For  generations  the  Ottaway  family  lived  in  Kent 
county,  England.  Prior  to  1823,  James  Ottaway  had 
operated  a  mill  at  Headcorn,  England,  but  being  de- 
sirous of  bettering  his  condition,  he  joined  the  tide  of 
emigration  to  America  in  1823,  si.x  weeks  being  con- 
sumed in  the  voyage  across  the  Atlantic.  At  New  York 
he  boarded  a  sloop  for  Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
purchased  a  team  and  wagon  and  journeyed  with  his 
wife  and  children  across  the  State  of  New  York,  finally 
reaching  BuiTalo,  then  a  village  of  a  few  hundred  in- 
habitants. Here  he  left  his  family  and  sought  for  land 
about  Buffalo  and  along  the  Canadian  frontier.  Failing 
to  find  what  he  desired,  he  journeyed  to  Chautauqua 
county  over  tlie  Buffalo  &  Erie  Road  to  Westfield,  from 
Westfield  to  Mayville,  and  from  Mayville  over  the 
Waterford  road  to  Mina.  In  a  trackless  forest  he  found 
nettles  growing.  Farmers  visiting  his  mill  in  England 
had  told  him  that  this  was  an  indication  of  a  fertile 
soil  and  here  he  resolved  to  locate.  He  purchased  a 
portion  of  lot  13,  built  a  log  cabin  and  commenced 
life  in  the  wilderness.  Like  all  other  portions  of  the 
town  his  tract  was  heavily  timbered,  and  his  home  was 
literally  hewed  from  the  forest.  His  was  the  first  deed 
of  lands  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town  of  Mina.  He 
was  the  first  of  many  Engli.shmen  that  came  into  that 
section,  and  his  house  was  the  rendezvous  of  those  that 
followed.  His  latch  string  was  always  out,  and  many 
of  his  countrymen  partook  of  his  hospitality  until  log 
houses  could  be  erected  upon  chosen  sites. 

John  E.  Ottaway.  father  of  .^rthu^  B.  Ottaway,  was 
Ixim  at  the  Ottaway  homestead  in  the  town  of  Mina, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  June  20,  1827,  died  in  March, 
1017,  at  the  homestead.  ■  His  youth  was  spent  upon 
the  farm ;  his  education  obtained  in  the  district  school. 
He  was  his  father's  assistant,  and  later  succeeded  him 
in  the  ownership  of  the  homestead  farm,  which  was 
always  his  home.  He  held  many  positions  of  trust  in 
the  county  and  town,  and  during  his  lifetime  was 
executor  of  many  estates  and  tlie  guardian  of  minor 
children  as  well  as  r,f  their  properly.  He  early  allied 
himself    willi    the   Republican    party,   and    in    1873-74-75 


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BIOGRAPHICAL 


519 


and  1883  represented  Mina  on  the  County  Board  of  Su- 
pervisors. He  contributed  liberally  to  worthy  causes 
and  always  took  a  deep  interest  in  community  welfare. 
He  was  a  prosperous  farmer,  and  enjoyed  to  the  full 
the  advantages  the  possession  of  means  enabled  him 
to  indulge  in  and  to  confer  upon  his  children.  He  was 
for  many  years  a  director  of  the  State  Bank  of  Sher- 
man, and  regarded  as  a  strong,  clear-visioned,  business 
man. 

John  E.  Ottoway  married,  Oct.  17,  1849,  Sarah  Boor- 
man,  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Sarah  (Hosmer) 
Boorman.  early  among  the  English  settlers  of  the  town 
of  Sherman,  their  settlement  in  the  western  part  of 
the  town  dating  from  1825.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ottaway  were 
the  parents  of  five  children:  Osmer  J.,  Arthur  B.,  of 
further  mention;  G.  Fred,  Susan  A.,  and  Cora  E.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ottaway  celebrated  the  golden  anniversary  of 
their  wedding  day  at  the  home  farm  in  Mina,  Oct.  17, 
1899,  and  in  honor  of  the  occasion  led  a  Virginia  reel, 
the  dancers  all  being  over  seventy  years  of  age.  Mrs. 
Ottaway   died   in   1907. 

Arthur  Boorman  Ottaway,  second  son  of  John  E.  and 
Sarah  (Boorman")  Ottaway,  was  born  at  the  homestead 
in  the  town  of  Mina,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  May 
8,  1854.  He  began  his  education  in  the  district  public 
schools,  later  attending  Sherman  Academy  and  West- 
field  Academy,  entering  the  last  named  institution  in 
1873  and  graduating  with  the  class  of  1875.  After 
graduation  he  taught  school  for  several  terms,  then  en- 
tered the  office  of  William  Russell,  of  Westfield,  as  a 
law  student.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1879  and 
began  practice  in  Westfield  as  a  member  of  the  firm, 
Russell,  Dickerman  &  Ottaway.  After  the  dissolution 
of  that  firm,  Mr.  Ottaway  practiced  alone  until  l8g6, 
when  he  became  senior  of  the  law  firm,  Ottaway  &  Mun- 
son. 

In  1883.  Mr.  Ottaway  was  the  successful  nominee  of 
the  Republican  party  for  the  office  of  district  attorney, 
an  office  he  filled  for  three  years.  In  1887,  he  returned 
to  the  private  practice  of  his  profession  and  built  up  a 
large  and  lucrative  practice.  For  years  he  was  the 
attorney  for  the  Chautauqua  County  Board  of  Super- 
visors and  was  retained  privately  in  much  important 
litigation  in  Chautauqua  courts.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  law  association  of  the  district,  and  stood  high  in  the 
estimation  of  his  associates  of  the  bar.  On  Jan.  3,  1906, 
Governor  Higgins  appointed  Mr.  Ottaway  county  judge 
to  fill  a  vacancy.    At  the  ensuing  November  election  he 

was   chosen   by  the  voters   for  a   full   term,   and   when 
that  expired  in  1912  he  was  chosen  for  a  second  term 

and  again  in  1918  for  the  third  time.     This  evidence  of 

confidence  and  esteem  proves  the  worth  of  his  service 

to  the  county  as  a  learned,  just  and  upright  judge. 
Judge   Ottaway   married.    Oct.   2.    1912,    Mrs.    Myrtle 

(Redfield)    Nixon,    daughter   of   George    Redfield,    and 

widow  of  S.  Fred  Nixon. 


HON.    CHARLES    M.    HAMILTON— Important 

business  and  disting-uished  public  service  records  belong 
to  Charles  M.  Hamilton,  of  Ripley,  N.  Y.,  who  has  rep- 
resented his  district  successively  in  the  State  Assembly, 
the  State  Senate,  and  the  National  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives. He  filled  a  seat  in  the  Sixty-third,  Sixty- 
fourth  and  Sixty-fifth  congresses,  his  public  service  and 


devotion  to  the  general  welfare  the  public-spirited  and 
patriotic  gift  of  a  man  for  whom  the  rewards  of  office 
have  no  attraction  and  whose  sole  object  is  the  per- 
formance of  his  duty  and  the  benefit  of  his  fellows.  Mr. 
Hamilton  is  a  native  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and 
from  young  manhood  has  had  a  prominent  part  in  busi- 
ness and  civic  activities  in  that  district. 

The  Hamiltons  were  a  Vermont  family,  settling  in 
Chittenden  county,  where  Lucius  G.  Hamilton  was  born, 
April  15,  1826.  He  later  moved  to  the  town  of  Ripley, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  died  March  16, 
1874.  He  was  a  man  of  high  character,  unselfish  in 
service,  and  progressive,  always  interested  in  the  wel- 
fare of  his  community.  He  was  a  Republican  in  politics, 
a  justice  of  the  peace  for  several  years,  and  during  the 
years  1870  and  1871  represented  Ripley  on  the  County 
Board  of  Supervisors.  He  married,  at  Ripley,  Dec. 
6,  1870,  Lydia  A.  Mann,  and  they  were  the  parents  of 
an  only  child,  Charles  M.  Hamilton. 

Jeremiah  Mann,  father  of  Lydia  A.  (Mann)  Hamil- 
ton, was  bom  in  Milton.  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.,  Sept. 
II,  1768.  He  spent  the  first  twenty-five  years  of  his  life 
in  Eastern  New  York,  locating  in  Ripley.  Chautauqua 
county,  in  1825.  He  also  purchased  a  farm  at  North- 
east, Pa.,  to  which  he  moved  in  1826.  In  1837  he  moved 
to  the  town  of  Ripley,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  resid- 
ing in  the  village  of  Quincy  until  his  death.  In  1844 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  New  York  Legislature, 
and  to  a  high  degree  enjoyed  public  confidence.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  directors  of  the  Buffalo  &  Erie 
Railroad,  and  a  friend  of  all  public  improvement.  He 
married  Anna  Broclavay,  daughter  of  Burban  Brock- 
way,  of  Ripley,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  three 
daughters:  Augusta,  married  William  Hunt,  of  Ripley, 
who  died  Dec.  I,  1869;  Caroline,  died  Alarch  12,  1875, 
wife  of  William  Bell,  Jr.,  of  Erie,  Pa.:  Lydia  A.,  mar- 
ried Lucius  G.  Hamilton,  who  died  in  Ripley,  March  16, 
1874,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  Charles  M.  Hamilton, 
of  this  review. 

Burban  Brockway,  father  of  Mrs.  Jeremiah  Mann, 
was  born  at  Lyme,  Conn.,  March  i,  1767,  his  father  and 
elder  brothers  serving  in  the  Revolutionary  army.  He 
married,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years,  Lois  Anna 
Bostwick,  and  located  his  home  at  Catskill,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  followed  the  water  as  a  means  of  livelihood,  ship- 
ping on  coastwise  and  river  vessels.  In  1707  he  moved 
to  Seneca,  Ontario  county,  N.  Y.,  and  there  began  clear- 
ing a  farm  from  the  forest.  In  l8og  he  joined  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  church  in  Geneva,  and  in  1814 
moved  with  his  family  to  Chautauqua  county,  settling 
one  mile  east  of  Quincy  in  what  is  now  the  town  of 
Ripley,  then  Portland.  He  was  an  early  postmaster  of 
Ripley,  senior  warden  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  Mayville, 
and  later  warden  of  St.  Peter's  Episcopal  Church 
at  Westfield.  He  was  a  magistrate  of  the  town  under 
appointment  of  Governor  Clinton.  He  died  at  his 
home  near  Quincy,  Sept.  2.  1S61,  having  resided  there 
from  1814.  His  wife,  bom  in  Connecticut,  Jan.  9,  1772, 
died  Nov.  26,  1859.  They  w-ere  married  May  27,  1790, 
and  were  the  parents  of  nine  children. 

Charles  M.  Hamilton  was  born  in  the  town  of  Rip- 
ley, Jan.  23,  1874,  the  son  of  Lucius  G.  and  Lydia  A. 
(Mann)  Hamilton.  His  grammar  school  and  high 
school  education  he  obtained   in   his  native  place,   and 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


alter  graduation  from  Ripley  High  School  he  entered 
the  Fredonia  Normal  School,  and  later  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Military  College,  at  Chester,  Pa.  He  owns  farm 
land  in  the  Ripley  district  of  Chautauqua  county,  and 
oil  and  natural  gas  were  found  underlying  his  property. 
These  resources  have  been  developed  by  the  Willow- 
brook  Natural  Gas  Company,  of  which  Mr.  Hamilton 
is  the  sole  owner,  and  the  company  furnishes  light  to 
the  town  of  Ripley  as  well  as  illumination  and  power 
to  the  residents  along  its  pipe  line.  Another  of  Mr. 
Hamilton's  leading  connections  in  this  field  of  industry 
is  as  treasurer  and  manager  of  the  New  York  State 
Oil  Company,  a  corporation  owning  producing  properties 
in  Kansas  and  Oklahoma.  He  is  financially  interested 
in  numerous  other  enterprises,  local  and  otherwise, 
among  them  the  Ripley  Telephone  Company,  of  which 
he  is  vice-president. 

Mr.  Hamilton's  public  service  began  in  1906,  when 
he  was  elected  to  represent  his  district  in  the  State 
Legislature,  and  an  unusual  aptitude  for  legislative  af- 
fairs brought  him  reelection  in  the  followuig  year.  His 
work  in  the  .Assembly  organization  during  these  two 
sessions  included  membership  on  the  committees  on 
railroads,  public  health,  commerce  and  navigation,  and 
military  affairs,  of  which  last  named  committee  he  was 
chairman,  and  in  committee  room  and  on  the  floor  he 
strove  diligently  to  advance  the  general  good.  In  the 
following  year,  1908,  he  was  elected  to  the  Upper  House 
of  the  State  Legislature  from  the  Fifty-first  district, 
which  includes  Chautauqua  and  Cattaraugus  counties. 
During  that  term  he  was  chairman  of  the  Senate  com- 
mittee on  forest,  fish  and  game,  and  was  also  a  member 
of  the  committees  on  railroads,  internal  affairs,  military 
affairs,  and  Indian  affairs.  In  1910  he  was  reelected 
to  the  State  Senate,  in  that  term  serving  on  the  com- 
mittees on  railroads,  forest,  fish,  game,  and  commerce 
and  navigation,  and  during  that  term  being  appointed  by 
the  lieutenant-governor  to  represent  the  Senate  on  the 
New  'i'ork  State  Factory  Commission. 

Mr.  Hamilton's  able  discharge  of  his  duties  in  both 
houses  of  the  State  Legislature  was  the  platform  upon 
which  he  was  elected  to  the  Si.\ty-third  Congress  of  the 
L'niied  States,  representing  the  Forty-third  district  of 
New  '^'ork.  In  1914  and  1916  he  was  reelected  to  Con- 
gress, his  second  term  witnessing  the  opening  months 
of  the  World  War,  his  third  the  entrance  of  the  United 
States  into  that  conflict.  In  all  of  the  weighty  matters 
that  came  under  the  consideration  of  those  congresses 
his  influence  and  his  vote  arc  found  on  the  side  of  pa- 
triotism and  right,  and  he  worked  tirelessly  and  effec- 
tively throughout  what  are  destined  to  lie  historic  times. 
His  committees  were  territories,  postofficc,  and  Indian 
affairs.  In  1916  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Republican 
National  Convention  that  nominated  Justice  Charles  R. 
Hughes  for  the  presidency,  and  in  the  convention  served 
as  a  member  of  the  committee  on  credentials. 

In  Ripley  and  Chautauqua  county,  his  home,  Mr. 
Hamilton's  connections  are  many,  formed  in  all  rela- 
tions of  life  that  call  men  together,  social,  religious, 
civic  and  fraternal.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order  and  has  been  active  locally  in  its  work,  and  his 
friends  throuRhout  the  district  are  legion.  Niigbborly, 
carnr-st  and  sinrcre.  he  has  s'-rverj  his  fellows  faithfully 
and   well,   saerificing  time  and   personal   interest   in   the 


serving,  gaining   in  the  esteem  and  appreciation  of  his 
constituency. 

Mr.  Hamilton  married,  in  1904,  Bertha  C.  Lamberton, 
of  Franklin,  Pa. 


HUGH      WILLIAM      THOMPSON— Practically 

every  person  in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  is  familiar 
with  the  well  known  "Westfield  Republican,"  but  every- 
one is  not  aware  of  the  fact  that  it  was  the  first  Re- 
publican newspaper  in  the  United  States.  The  present 
owner,  Hugh  William  Thompson,  bought  it  May  15, 
1889,  from  .Mfred  E.  Rose.  Since  its  inception  there 
have  been  but  four  editors,  the  first  being  Martin  C. 
Rice,  a  remarkable  man,  who  is  ninety-five  years  old. 
He  is  now  a  resident  of  Lawrence,  Kan.,  and  is  widely 
known  there  as  a  grand  old  gentleman  of  the  old  school, 
possessed  at  his  age  of  an  unusual  faculty  and  well 
preserved.  The  second  owner  of  the  "Republican"  was 
F.  A.  Hall,  of  Westfield;  the  third  owner  was  Alfred 
E.  Rose,  of  Lowell,  Mass.;  the  present  owner,  Hugh 
William  Thompson. 

The  "Westfield  Republican"  is  issued  once  a  week, 
the  circulation  is  si.xteen  hundred,  and  it  is  one  of  the 
most  popular  sheets  in  that  section  of  the  State.  Cur- 
rent topics  are,  of  course,  the  leading  subjects  in  the 
paper,  but  social  notes  and  local  affairs  are  eagerly 
looked  for  in  each  issue  by  the  interested  public.  As  an 
advertising  medium  it  enjoys  a  degree  of  popularity  not 
held  by  any  other  weekly  in  the  county.  Job  printing 
of  every  description  is  a  particular  feature  of  the  "Re- 
publican" office,  and  all  macliinery  used  is  of  modern 
kind,  the  owner  being  a  progressive  man  who  believes 
in  keeping  abreast  of  the  times. 

Hugh  William  Thompson  was  born  in  Westfield,  N. 
Y.,  Oct.  2,  1858,  the  son  of  Hugh  William  and  Elizabeth 
(McDowell)  Thompson.  The  former  was  an  Irish- 
man, born  in  County  Down,  coming  to  the  United 
States  in  1851.  By  trade  he  was  a  carpenter  and  con- 
tractor, in  business  with  his  brother,  John  Thompson. 
He  and  his  wife  were  married  in  Westfield  and  to 
them  were  born  the  following  children  :  Jane,  Hugh 
William,  of  whom  further;    John  F.,  and  Eliza. 

In  his  boyhood,  Hugh  William  Thompson,  Jr.,  at- 
tended the  graded  schools  of  his  native  town,  after 
which  he  entered  the  office  of  the  Mayville  "Sentinel," 
a  weekly  newspaper,  and  began  to  learn  the  trade  of  a 
printer.  He  remained  there  three  years,  leaving  it  to 
take  a  position  on  the  staff  of  a  paper  at  Silver  Creek. 
This  was  once  owned  by  Charles  E.  Brown,  who  after- 
ward sold  it  to  George  E.  Bailey,  Hugh  W.  Thompson 
leaving  the  office  after  being  tlicre  three  years  and  a 
half.  I'"or  a  short  time  he  was  engaged  in  various  pur- 
suits until  he  finally  bought  the  "Wcstlield  Republican" 
and  has  been  its  publisher  ever  since.  Mr.  Thompson 
is  a  member  of  Summit  Lodge,  No.  219,  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons;  was  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum 
and  Knights  of  Pythias.  In  the  matter  of  politics,  Mr. 
Thompson  is  a  Republican,  as  befits  the  owner  of  the 
leading  organ  of  that  parly  in  the  vicinity.  He  is  inuch 
interested  in  the  political  affairs  of  his  town,  and  in 
I'XJI  was  elected  town  clerk,  an  office  which  lie  has  been 
re<-leitcd    to    every    term    since.       In    religion    he    is    a 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


521 


Presbyterian,  having  been  an  elder  in  the  Westfield 
church  for  some  years,  and  is  now  a  deacon  of  it. 

In  Westfield,  Nov.  8,  1894,  Hugh  William  Thompson 
was  married  to  Adele  H.  Hall,  and  they  had  one  child, 
Herbert  F.,  born  Jan.  9,  1896.  Mrs.  Adele  H.  (Hall) 
Thompson  died  in  Westfield,  Jan.  15,  1896. 

Herbert  F.  Thompson  was  educated  in  the  grammar 
and  high  schools  of  Westfield,  Mt.  Hermon  School  of 
Massachusetts,  and  Hamilton  College.  During  the 
World  War  he  enlisted,  Aug.  3,  1917,  at  Erie,  Pa.,  in 
the  Medical  Corps  of  the  army;  then  was  transferred 
to  Fort  Slocum,  N.  Y.,  remaining  there  only  a  week 
when  he  was  again  transferred,  going  first  to  Fort 
Oglethorpe,  and  a  little  later  to  Camp  Gordon,  both 
in  Georgia.  After  a  short  stay  at  this  camp  he  was 
sent  to  the  embarkation  station  at  Camp  Upton,  L.  I. 
On  May  5,  1918,  young  Thompson  and  his  companions 
in  arms  arrived  at  Liverpool,  England,  and  the  follow- 
ing day  were  sent  to  France,  via  Southampton.  After 
arriving  there  they  saw  active  service  from  start  to 
finish,  being  engaged  in  the  Somme  offensive,  his  unit 
being  an  infantry  outfit.  In  the  Argonne  forest  battles 
his  division,  the  82nd,  was  in  continual  action  from 
Oct.  5  to  Nov.  2,  1918,  and  before  that  they  had  taken 
part  in  the  St.  Mihiel  offensive  from  Sept.  12  to  Sept. 
16.  Mr.  Thompson's  regiment  was  for  some  time  sta- 
tioned at  the  Toule  sector,  at  Maubeuge,  and  at  the 
battle  of  the  Meuse.  After  the  signing  of  the  armistice 
they  were  ordered  to  return  to  the  United  States,  ar- 
riving here  May  9,  1919,  and  going  at  once  to  Camp 
Dix.,  N.  J.,  from  which  station  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged. May  13,  1919,  his  rank  at  the  close  of  the  war 
being  that  of  sergeant.  Since  returning  from  the  army, 
he  has  been  associated  with  his  father  on  the  "West- 
field  Republican,"  and  is  active  in  the  management  of 
the  paper.  During  the  war,  when  the  young  men  of 
Westfield  were  "Over  There,"  Mr.  Thompson,  Sr.,  kept 
them  supplied  with  free  copies  of  the  "Republican," 
which  helped  the  boys  "Over  There"  to  feel  somewhat 
that  they  were  "Over  Here." 


CHARLES  C.  HAAS — Among  the  most  successful 
builders  and  business  men  of  Jamestown,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  should  be  mentioned  Charles  C.  Haas, 
general  contractor,  with  offices,  warehouses  and  yards 
at  the  corner  of  Tenth  and  Monroe  streets.  Mr.  Haas 
is  a  native  of  Warren,  Pa.,  bom  Jan.  16,  1875,  son  of 
Peter  and  Elizabeth  (Dick)  Haas,  both  now  deceased, 
the  former  having  been  a  mason  contractor  at  Warren 
and  Jamestown  for  many  years. 

The  family  removed  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  when 
Charles  C.  Haas  was  but  three  years  of  age,  and  he 
received  his  education  in  Jamestown  grammar  and  high 
schools.  He  became  employed  in  a  local  shoe  factory, 
and  when  sixteen  years  of  age  began  to  learn  the  trade 
of  mason.  Upon  completing  his  apprenticeship,  he 
followed  his  trade  as  a  workman  for  about  twelve 
years.  In  1903,  when  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  he 
established  himself  in  the  contracting  business  on  his 
own  account.  From  the  outset  Mr.  Haas  met  with 
notable  success,  and  since  that  time  has  done  some 
of  the  largest  construction  work  in  this  part  of  New 
York  State  and  in  Northern  Pennsylvania.  His  enter- 
prise at  this  time  is  one  of  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the 


entire  region,  and  has  been  developed  entirely  through 
his  own  energies  and  intelligence.  In  the  year  1903 
he  started  with  about  ten  employees,  and  some  idea  may 
be  gained  of  the  growth  of  his  business  when  it  is 
stated  that  at  the  present  time  he  often  employs  as 
many  as  two  hundred  men.  Among  the  largest  build- 
ings erected  by  him  in  Chautauqua  county  should  be 
mentioned  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Association 
building,  the  Chautauqua  School  of  Nursing,  the  East 
Side  School,  the  Euclid  Avenue  schools,  the  Fairmont 
Avenue  School,  the  New  Wellman  building,  the  Fur- 
niture Exchange  building,  the  largest  structure  in 
Jamestown ;  the  Pilgrim  Memorial  Church,  the  Bank 
of  Jamestown,  the  Barrett  building,  the  large  ware- 
houses of  the  D.  H.  Grandin  grilling  Company,  the 
Eagle  Temple,  and  many  handsome  residences,  in- 
cluding the  summer  home  of  W.  D.  Packard,  at  Chau- 
tauqua, associated  with  the  great  Packard  Motor  Car 
Company.  Still  other  construction  done  by  him  is 
the  West  Side  Fire  Station,  additions  to  the  Acme 
Woolen  Mills,  the  building  of  the  Automatic  Registering 
Machine  Corporation,  additions  to  the  Chautauqua 
Worsted  Mills  and  the  Ferncliffe  Worsted  Mills,  the 
Webber  &  Knapp  factory,  the  Jamestown  Boiler  Works, 
the  Jamestown  Bottling  Works,  additions  to  the  Sher- 
man Street  Grammar  School,  the  Straus  block,  the 
High  School  heating  plant,  the  Warner  dam.  a  State 
job;  Jamestown  Malleable  Products  Corporation  build- 
ing, and  many  other  buildings,  including  storerooms, 
etc.,  large  and  small,  and  the  handsome  residences  of 
S.  M.  Merriman,  Charles  C.  Wilson,  and  P.  F.  Simon. 
At  Warren,  Pa.,  he  erected  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
church,  the  residences  of  William  Knapp.  James  Clark 
and  others,  and  remodelled  the  Library  Theatre  build- 
ing. At  Olean,  N.  Y.,  he  erected  the  Higgins  Memorial 
Hospital,  and  at  Ridgway,  Pa.,  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  building.  Mr.  Haas,  through  his 
long  and  diligent  service  to  the  building  trade,  has 
earned  a  reputation  which  places  him  in  the  front  rank 
of  the  builders  of  New  York  State.  His  construction 
work  on  institutional,  commercial  and  private  buildings 
truly  makes  him  the  dean  of  the  building  trade  in  Chau- 
tauqua county. 

Mr.  Haas  is  affiliated  with  a  number  of  prominent 
organizations  in  this  region,  including  various  Masonic 
bodies;  the  Elks;  the  Eagles;  Knights  of  Pythias;  the 
Jamestown  Board  of  Commerce;  the  Builders'  Ex- 
change, of  which  he  is  vice-president;  the  Rotary  Club; 
the  Sportsmen's  Club,  of  which  he  is  treasurer ;  the 
United  Spanish  War  Veterans,  having  served  through- 
out the  Spanish-American  War  with  Company  E.  65th 
Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers ;  the  Buffalo  Builders' 
Exchange ;  the  National  Contractors'  Association ; 
Jamestown  Manufacturers'  and  Employers'  Association, 
and  the  Young  Men's  Christian  .Association.  In  religious 
belief,  Mr.  Haas  is  an  Episcopalian  and  attends  St. 
Luke's  Episcopal  Church.  He  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, but  has  not  sought  public  office. 

Charles  C.  Haas  was  united  in  marriage,  June  29. 
1903.  in  Jamestown,  with  Huldah  G.  Swanson,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  P.  and  .Anna  S.  Swanson,  of  Jamestown. 
Six  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haas,  as  fol- 
lows: Iris  Geneva,  born  March  18,  1904;  Ruth  Marion, 
born  March  18,  1908;  Alice  Marion,  bom  June  9.  1915; 
Elizabeth,  Virginia  and  Charles  C,  Jr.,  died  in  infancy. 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


EDWARD  D.  REAGAN— Amons  the  financiers  of 
Chautauqua  county,  X.  V..  Mr.  Reagran  is  a  figftire  of 
prominence.  fiUinsr  the  positions  of  vice-president  of  the 
State  Bank  of  Ma>Tille  and  the  First  National  Bank 
of  Ripley,  and  cashier  of  the  Xational  Bank  of  West- 
tield,  and  it  can  be  truly  said  that  he  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ers of  the  banking  fraternit\-  of  Chautauqua  county. 

Edward  D.  Reagran  was  born  Aug:.  25,  1S76,  at 
French  Creek.  X.  Y.,  son  of  John  and  Julia  Agnes 
( Grady")  Reagan.  John  Reagan  was  a  well  known  agri- 
culturist in  the  town  of  French  Creek  for  many  years 
until  his  death,  X^ov.  22.  1004.  and  his  widow  still  retains 
her  residence  there.  Edward  D.  Reagan  attended  the  dis- 
trict schools  of  French  Creek,  afterwards  entering  the 
Westfield  High  School  and  graduating  in  1S05.  He 
then  obtained  a  position  as  clerk  in  the  X'ational  Bank 
of  W'estfield.  later  becoming  assistant  cashier,  and 
served  for  eighteen  years  with  this  institution.  He  was 
elected.  Jan.  i,  1013.  to  the  position  of  cashier  of  the 
State  Bank  of  Mayville.  which  position  he  resigned. 
Feb.  I.  1020,  to  accept  the  cashiership  of  the  National 
Bank  of  Westfield.  at  which  time  he  was  elected  vice- 
president  of  the  State  Bank  of  Mayville,  and  on  Feb. 
28.  1920.  he  was  elected  vice-president  of  the  First  X'a- 
tional  Bank  of  Ripley.  Mr.  Reagan  is  a  director  of 
the  Xational  Bank  of  Westfield.  First  Xational  Bank 
of  Ripley,  and  the  State  Bank  of  Mayville.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Westfield  Chamber  of  Commerce,  hav- 
ing been  its  treasurer  since  its  organization.  His  polit- 
ical connections  are  with  the  Democratic  party,  but  he 
has  never  sought  public  oflice.  He  is  a  member  of  St. 
James'  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  Westfield.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  having  served  the 
order  as  collector  for  twelve  years,  the  Knights  of  Co- 
lumbus, and  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,  of  which 
he  is  a  past  president.  He  has  achieved,  in  more  than 
one  direction,  substantial  and  honorable  success,  having 
started  in  a  modest  way  and  arising  to  prominence  in 
his  field  of  endeavor,  being  a  fine  type  of  the  self- 
made  man.  Mr.  Reagan  is  identified  with  the  social  life 
of  Westfield.  and  is  a  golf  enthusiast.  He  spends  much 
of  his  leisure  time  at  his  beautiful  home  on  South 
Portage  street,  Westfield,  which  is  surrounded  by  well 
appointed  grounds. 

Mr.  Reagan  married  Frances  Catherine  Balizet, 
daughter  of  Eugene  Charles  and  Mary  (Masson)  Bali- 
zet. of  Meadville.  Pa.,  the  ceremony  being  performed 
Feb.   6,    19 1 8. 


JOSEPH  ALBERT  McGINNIES  was  born  in  the 
Xorth  of  Ireland.  Nov.  7.  1861.  He  came  to  America 
with  his  mother  in  1864,  joining  the  husband  and  father, 
William  McGinnies.  at  Ripley.  The  parents.  William 
and  Elizabeth  f Lighthouse)  McGinnies.  made  Ripley 
their  home  until  death  claimed  them  many  years  later. 
Joseph  A.  McGinnies  has  always  remained  loyal  to  his 
adopted  town,  Ripley,  and  well  he  may  be  for  it  has 
alway  been  loyal  to  him.  It  was  here  he  was  educated 
in  the  local  schools,  it  was  here  that  he  grew  to  man- 
hood. v.h<rc  he  entered  business,  where  he  was  niar- 
ri'd.  where  he  took  an  interest  in  politics,  anrl  v;here 
he  ha-,  grown  into  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the 
tov.n  and  county. 

While  still  in  boyhood  he  entered  the  drug  store  of 


Dr.  Simon  in  the  village  of  Ripley,  became  a  pharmacist, 
and  eventually  purchased  the  store  in  which  he  had 
gained  his  business  and  professional  experience.  With 
a  clear  insight  into  business  and  politics,  he  soon  be- 
came a  recognized  leader  in  the  business  and  political 
life  of  the  community.  While  still  on  the  sunny  side  of 
thirty,  he  was  nominated  by  the  Democratic  party  of  his 
district  for  the  office  of  member  of  Assembly,  and 
although  the  district  was  overwhelmingly  Republican, 
he  ga\e  his  adversary  a  close  run  for  the  office.  Later 
he  became  a  convert  to  the  principles  and  policies  of 
the  Republican  party,  and  for  twenty-five  years  has 
been  identified  with  this  great  political  organization, 
never  swerving  in  his  allegiance  to  the  party  and  its 
candidates. 

He  was  first  elected  a  member  of  the  Chautauqua 
County  Board  of  Supervisors  in  l8g6  as  a  Democrat, 
and  continued  year  after  year  as  the  representative  of 
his  town  as  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party  until 
1905,  when  he  became  convinced  that  the  Republican 
party  came  nearer  meeting  his  ideals  of  government 
than  any  other,  and  he  promptly  announced  his  allegi- 
ance to  that  party.  The  people  of  his  town  had  elected 
him  supervisor  regardless  of  his  political  faith,  because 
they  had  confidence  in  his  ability  and  fidelity,  and  in 
his  desire  to  serve  its  interests,  and  his  change  in  par- 
tisanship made  no  difference  with  those  who  knew  him 
best,  and  he  was  elected  the  next  year  on  the  Republi- 
can ticket.  And  when  the  Board  of  Supervisors  con- 
vened in  1906,  he  was  elected  clerk  of  that  body,  a 
position  he  has  held  down  to  the  present  time.  His 
familiarity  with  the  duties  and  obligations  of  the  board, 
and  its  relations  to  the  towns  of  the  county  and  the 
State,  gave  him  the  position  of  leader  of  the  board, 
whose  advice  was  asked  and  accepted  by  Republicans 
and  Democrats  alike. 

In  addition  to  his  duties  as  a  druggist,  and  his 
interest  in  politics,  he  acquired  an  interest  in  agricul- 
ture and  became  a  grape-growing  farmer.  In  addition 
to  looking  after  his  own  small  farm,  he  was  made  ad- 
ministrator at  one  time  and  another  of  estates  in  the 
grape  belt  and  managed  them  as  successfully  as  he  did 
his  own  business.  As  a  grape  grower  he  became 
vitally  interested  in  the  marketing  of  his  product,  was 
instrumental  in  the  organization  of  the  Chautauqua  & 
Erie  Grape  Growers'  association,  was  for  some  years  a 
director  in  this  organization,  and  for  several  years  has 
been  the  secretary-treasurer  and  manager  of  the  asso- 
ciation, having  direct  charge  of  marketing  millions  of 
dollars'  worth  of  grapes  each  year,  to  the  great  advan- 
tage of  the  grape  farmers  of  the  region. 

He  was  elected  member  of  Assembly  from  the  Sec- 
ond Chautauqua  District  in  11)15,  as  the  candidate  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  immediately  took  a  place  of  influ- 
ence in  the  Assembly  at  Albany.  He  has  held  that 
position  down  to  the  present  time,  and  is  now  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  leaders  of  that  body,  a  man  whose 
judgment  is  trusted  by  his  associates  and  whose  knowl- 
edge of  State  affairs  is  recognized  in  the  Assembly  and 
in  the  various  departments  of  the  ,St;itc  government, 
lie  has  taken  deep  interest  in  tlie  matter  of  assessment 
.■md  taxation,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  posted 
men  in  the  Legislature  on  these  important  subjects.  In 
the  session  of  the  Legislature  for  1918  and  lyig  he  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


523 


made  chairman  of  the  special  committee  on  war  prep- 
arations; he  is  also  a  member  of  the  committee  on 
ways  and  means  and  on  taxation,  and  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  several  of  the  most  important  special  committees 
of  the  Legislature  during  the  past  five  years.  He  was 
elected  chairman  of  ways  and  means  committee  at  the 
session  of  igai.  He  is  a  member  and  supporter  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  of  Ripley.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  various  Masonic  bodies  from  the  Blue  Lodge  up  to 
the  Commandery,  having  filled  the  chairs  of  each  order; 
he  has  held  the  important  post  of  deputy  master  for  the 
Fortieth  Masonic  District.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Odd  Fellows,  the  Encampment,  the  Maccabees,  and 
the   Eagles. 

On  Jan.  7,  1884,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Anna 
Brockway,  a  member  of  one  of  the  old  and  influential 
families  of  the  town  of  Ripley.  They  are  the  parents  of 
one  daughter,  Clara  Elizabeth,  who  was  educated  in  the 
Ripley  schools  and  also  at  the  University  of  Syracuse, 
where  she  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor 
of  Arts.  She  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1919,  to  Park 
J.  Johnson,  and  they  also  reside  in  the  town  of  Ripley. 


LEN  ROSS  FRANCIS,  postmaster  and  well  known 
citizen  of  Ripley,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  is  a  native 
of  the  town  of  Mina,  in  this  county,  born  Dec.  lO,  1S74. 
the  son  of  Elihu  and  Elnora  (Ross)  Francis.  His 
father  was  a  contractor  and  builder  at  Mina  and  Ripley 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  his  mother,  Elnora  (Ross") 
Francis,  was  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  earliest  of 
Chautauqua  county  families,  and  her  father  was  a  well 
known  lawyer  in  Mina. 

Len  R.  Francis  received  a  good  education  in  the 
graded  and  high  schools  of  Ripley,  finishing  with  a 
course  at  Clarke's  Business  College  at  Erie,  Pa.  After 
graduating,  he  entered  the  grape  basket  manufacturing 
business  at  Ripley  Crossing.  He  kept  the  plant  in 
operation  for  about  five  years,  and  conducted  his  farm 
on  which  he  cultivated  grapes.  Later  he  went  into 
grape  growing  more  extensively,  and  managed  Farrell's 
vineyard  for  four  years,  after  which  he  purchased  a 
good  fruit  and  grape  farm,  giving  his  entire  time  to  its 
management.  He  has  been  actively  interested  in  the 
political  affairs  of  his  town,  being  a  member  of  the 
Democratic  party.  From  1912  to  1914,  he  was  highway 
commissioner  of  the  town,  resigning  that  appointment 
when  he  became  postmaster  of  Ripley  in  IQ14.  From 
1914  to  the  present,  he  has  held  this  post,  giving  the 
town  efficient  service.  He  is  a  member  of  the  of^cial 
board  of  Ripley  Methodist  Church,  member  of  the  local 
Grange,  and  his  fraternal  organizations  are  the  local 
lodges  of  the  Masons,  Odd  Fellows,  and  Eastern  Star 
societies. 

Len  Ross  Francis  was  married,  Dec.  10,  1903,  at  Rip- 
ley, to  Ada  C.  Bentley.  They  have  one  child,  a  son, 
Ellsworth  Ross. 


Sun;"  for  two  years  connected  with  the  Princeton  Uni- 
versity Press;  and  before  coming  to  Chautauqua  was 
secretary  of  the  publishing  firm  of  Marshall  Jones 
Company,  of  Boston.  He  has  for  two  years  written  the 
"Watch  Tower"  of  the  "St.  Nicholas  Magazine."  He 
is  author  with  Edgar  O.  Achorn  of  a  novel,  "The  Un- 
known Quantity,"  published  in  September,  1919;  and 
of  "Vagrom  Verses,"  published  in  1915.  During  the 
war  he  was  a  member  of  all  the  Liberty  Loan  commit- 
tees at  Princeton,  and  edited  a  weekly  paper  under  the 
title  of  "Bonds  and  Bullets."  An  historical  pnem  by  Mr. 
Teall  took  one  of  the  prizes  in  the  competition  held  in 
connection  with  the  two  hundredth  anniversary  of  the 
founding  of  Newark,  N.  J. 

Chautauqua  Press  issues  the  books  and  bulletins  for 
the  home  reading  course,  publishes  the  "Chautauquan 
Daily"  and  the  "Chautauquan  Weekly;"  has  charge  of 
the  editorial,  secretarial  and  pedagogical  conduct  of  the 
Chautauqua  Literary  and  Scientific  Circle,  and  the 
advertising  and  publicity  work  of  the  Institution  in  all 
its  branches.  As  an  agency  for  publicity  it  publishes 
and  distributes  the  many  Quarterlies,  which  include  the 
"Summer  Program,"  the  "Schools,"  "C.  L.  S.  C,"  etc. 
The  increased  number  of  readers  of  the  "C.  L.  S.  C."  of 
about  twenty-five  per  cent,  over  the  previous  year, 
involved  the  reprinting  of  one  thousand  sets  of  all  the 
books. 


EDV/ARD  N.  TEALL  has  been  since  Jan.  i,  1920, 
the  head  of  the  Press  Department  of  Chautauqua  Insti- 
tution and  managing  director  of  the  Chautauqua  Press. 
He  is  a  graduate  of  Princeton  Universitj',  class  of  1902, 
with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  and  A.  M.;  for  fourteen  years 
was  a  member  of  the  editorial  staflf  of  the  "New  York 


PERRY  ADDISON  MASON  is  one  of  Chautau- 
qua county's  representative  business  men,  who  for  more 
than  twenty  years  has  been  town  clerk  of  Ripley,  and 
for  a  longer  period  has  been  a  leading  merchant  of 
that  place.  In  addition  he  has  operated  a  good  sized 
farm  in  the  vicinity.  The  fact  that  he  has  been  reelected 
regularly  to  the  office  of  clerk  of  the  township  testifies 
to  his  stability  and  his  community  spirit.  He  is  a 
native  of  Ripley,  born  June  25,  1876,  son  of  Clarence 
and  Florence  (Perry)  Mason,  the  former  a  farmer  and 
latterly  a  merchant.  Clarence  Mason  died  in  October, 
1897,  but  his  widow  still  survives. 

Perry  Addison  Mason  received  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  place,  and  for  more  than  three 
years  after  leaving  school  was  a  clerk  in  the  Ripley 
National  Bank.  His  father,  however,  having  on  Jan. 
I,  1897,  purchased  the  merchandizing  business  in  Ripley 
of  a  Mr.  Burrows,  caused  him  to  leave  the  bank  and 
join  his  father  in  business.  They  took  over  the  store 
he  still  conducts,  and  for  twenty-one  of  the  twenty-two 
years  of  its  operation  it  has  been  managed  wholly  by 
him,  for  his  father  died  in  October,  1897,  as  previously 
mentioned.  Perry  A.  Mason  is  a  man  of  commendable 
industry,  for  in  addition  to  the  store  business,  and  the 
public  duties,  he  has  also  maintained  in  successful  and 
skillful  cultivation  the  farm  he  inherited  from  his 
father.  The  Masons  are  Presbyterians  by  religious 
conviction.  Mr.  Mason  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
has  taken  active  part  in  political  affairs  in  the  section 
of  New  York  State  in  which  he  lives,  and  had  he  more 
time  to  devote  to  such  matters  he  would  probably  have 
taken  a  more  prominent  part.  He  belongs  to  the  Ma- 
sonic order.  Blue  Lodge.  Royal  Arcanum,  and  Eastern 
Star.  Of  the  last-named,  his  wife  is  also  an  active 
member. 

On  Jan.  12,  189S,  Perry  Addison  Mason  was  married 


524 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


to  Lillian  Platte,  of  Warren,  Pa.  Mrs.  Mason  is 
prominent  in  all  home  activities,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Literary  Club  of  Ripley,  of  which  she  is  president.  In 
her  religious  views  she  is  an  Episcopalian,  but  attends 
the  Presbyterian  church  of  Ripley.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ma- 
son have  two  cliildren:  Harriett  Clair,  who  now  attends 
the  Ripley  High  School:  and  Eli.^abeth  Rose,  who  is 
in  the  lower  grades. 


FRANCIS  BEATTIE  BREWER,  M.  D.— Brewer 

is  a  name  of  antiquity  in  England,  from  whence  came 
the  ancestors  of  Dr.  Francis  B.  Brewer,  of  Westfield, 
N.  Y.,  a  son  of  Ebenezer  Brewer,  grandson  of  Colonel 
Ebenezer  Brewer,  an  officer  of  the  Revolution,  serving 
on  the  staff  of  General  Jonathan  Chase,  whose  daugh- 
ter Mary  he  married:  great-grandson  of  Thomas 
Brewer,  a  shipbuilder  of  Boston.  Mass..  in  171x1. 

Ebenezer  Brewer,  father  of  Dr.  Francis  B.  Brewer, 
was  a  soldier  of  the  War  of  1S12.  He  married,  in  1817, 
Julia  Emerson,  of  Windsor,  Vt.,  and  settled  in  Keene, 
N.  H..  where  his  son,  Francis  B.,  was  born,  but  later 
moved  to  Western  Pennsylvania.  There  he  became  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Brewer,  Watson  &  Company, 
and  engaged  extensively  in  lumbering  on  Oil  creek,  a 
name  which  later  became  so  familiar  in  connection  with 
the  discovery-  and  production  of  petroleum. 

Dr.  Francis  Beattie  Brewer,  son  of  Ebenezer  and 
Julia  (Emerson)  Brewer,  was  born  in  Keene,  N.  H., 
Oct.  8.  1820,  and  died  at  his  home  in  Westfield,  N.  Y., 
July  29,  1892.  He  studied  in  good  preparatory  schools, 
entered  Dartmouth  College,  where  he  was  graduated  in 
1843.  going  thence  to  Dartmouth  Medical  College, 
whence  he  was  graduated  M.  D.  in  1845.  He  began 
practice  in  Barnet,  Vt.,  but  in  1850  moved  to  Plymouth, 
Mass..  and  the  same  year  he  visited  his  father  in  West- 
em  Pennsylvania.  He  was  greatly  impressed  with  the 
country  and  its  opportunities,  so  much  so  that  in  1851 
he  moved  to  Titusville.  Pa.,  and  there  practiced  his 
profession  for  ten  years.  He  also  became  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Brewer,  Watson  &  Company,  and  during 
his  entire  ten  years  was  engaged  with  that  firm  in  their 
lumbering  and  mercantile  operations.  The  firm  owned 
several  thousand  acres  of  timber  land  on  Oil  creek  and 
its  tributaries.  On  this  land  was  an  oil  spring  which 
attracted  his  interest  to  such  an  extent  that  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1834  Clong  before  the  discovery  of  oil)  he  wrote 
to  business  friends  in  New  York  describing  it  as  "a 
peculiar  oil,  surpassing  in  value  any  other  oil  now  in  use 
for  burning,  fur  lubricating  m;ichincry,  and  as  a  me- 
dicinal agent.  The  yii,-ld  is  abundant  and  the  supply 
inoxh.'uistible." 

This  letter  to  Eveleth  &  Bissell  also  contained  a 
proposition  from  Brewer,  Watson  &  Company,  looking 
toward  the  formation  of  a  company  in  New  York  for 
producing  and  marketing  the  oil.  Dr.  Brewer  soon 
afterward  went  to  New  York,  taking  a  quantity  of  oil 
which  he  had  pumped  from  the  spring,  which  was  sub- 
mitted to  experts  for  chemical  analysis.  There  was  no 
diffcrenrc  of  opinion  as  to  the  fjuality  of  the  oil,  but  no 
one  could  believe  that  it  could  Ix;  taken  from  the  ground 
in  fiuantity.  Dr.  Brewer,  however,  did  so  believe,  and 
his  arguments,  Ijacked  by  a  large  consignment  fjf  the  oil, 
at  last  convinced  the  New  York  men.  and  on   Nov.  6, 


1854,  Eveleth  &  Bissell  wrote  Dr,  Brewer  that  the 
organization  of  a  joint  stock  company  was  nearly  com- 
plete. Dr.  Brewer  in  the  meantime  was  pumping  oil 
from  the  spring,  which  was  used  in  the  company's 
lumber  mills  as  an  illuminant  and  a  lubricant,  and  was 
the  founder  of  the  oil  business.  The  first  recorded  oil 
lease  was  made  July  4,  1853,  between  Brewer,  Watson 
&  Company  and  J.  D.  Augier.  Eveleth  &  Bissell  in 
New  York  accomplished  the  formation  of  the  first  oil 
company,  the  Pennsylvania  Rock  Oil  Company,  certi- 
ficate of  incorporation  being  filed  with  the  recorder  of 
the  City  of  New  York  in  1854.  Dr.  Brewer  was  one 
of  the  incorporators  and  directors  of  that  company, 
which  operated  on  the  lands  of  Brewer,  Watson  &  Com- 
pany. Colonel  E.  L.  Drake  was  sent  out  from  New 
Haven  as  a  representative  of  the  eastern  stockholders 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Rock  Oil  Company  to  sink  a  well, 
which  he  accomplished,  but  not  until  Aug.  26,  1859;  Dr. 
Francis  B.  Brewer  was  really  the  pioneer  in  the  oil 
business,  and  Brewer,  Watson  &  Company  the  first  to 
introduce  petroleum  in  large  quantities,  and  to  them 
the  birth  of  a  new  business  must  be  credited. 

On  May  I,  1861,  Dr.  Brewer  moved  from  Titusville 
to  Westfield,  N.  Y.,  and  did  not  again  resume  medical 
practice.  In  1864  he  aided  in  organizing  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Westfield,  becoming  its  first  president, 
an  office  he  held  for  ten  years.  He  continued  a  direc- 
tor of  the  bank  as  long  as  he  lived.     The  same  year, 

1864,  he  joined  others  in  organizing  the  Townsend  Man- 
ufacturing Company,  of  which  he  became  president  in 

1865,  and  sole  owner  in  1870,  the  name  then  being 
changed  to  the  Westfield  Lock  Works.  In  1864  he 
offered  his  services  to  the  government  as  field  surgeon, 
and  in  April,  1865,  was  sent  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
as  medical  inspector  for  the  State  of  New  York,  Gov- 
ernor Fenton  making  the  appointment,  which  carried 
with  it  the  rank  of  major.  He  continued  in  the  service 
until  honorably  discharged  at  the  close  of  the  war. 

Dr.  Brewer  took  a  very  active  part  in  the  public 
life  of  the  village  and  State,  serving  for  ten  years  as 
supervisor,  1868-78,  and  for  three  years  was  chairman 
of  the  board.  He  was  also  president  of  the  village:  dele- 
gate to  the  Republican  National  Convention  at  Phila- 
delphia in  1872;  representative  from  the  first  Chautau- 
qua district  to  the  Legislature  in  187.5-74,  serving  on 
the  committee.  Ways  and  Means,  both  terms:  appointed 
a  director  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  on  behalf  of 
the  government  by  President  Grant  in  1874:  appointed 
a  manager  of  the  Buffalo  State  Insane  Asylum  by  Gov- 
ernor Cornell,  1881-82,  and  by  Governor  Hill,  1886-87: 
elected  representative  to  the  Forty-eighth  Congress  of 
the  United  States  from  the  Thirty-third  New  York 
Congressional  District  in  18S2,  serving  on  the  Pen- 
sions Committee.  In  all  of  these  offices  he  served  with 
honor,  and  until  his  health  failed  never  declined  any 
duty  or  trust  imposed  upon  him,  although  he  never 
sought  i)olitical  preferment. 

Dr.  Brewer  was  a  member  of  Summit  Lodge,  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Westfield.  He  was  a  man 
of  kindly  heart  and  ready  sympathy,  quickly  responding 
to  any  demand  upon  his  time  or  purse.  He  was  public- 
spirited  .-mfl  so  uniformly  courteous  and  considerate 
th.it   lie   w;is  generally   beloved.      Upon   the   day   of  his 


(S:/^.  ^h-^^ 


^^i.f^u....^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


525 


funeral   all   business  houses   of  the  village  closed,  and 
throngs  attended  the  last  services. 

Dr.  Brewer  married  Susan  Hooper  Rood,  at  Haver- 
hill, N.  H.,  July  20,  1848,  daughter  of  Rev.  Heman  and 
Frances  S.  (Moody)  Rood.  To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Brewer 
were  born  the  following  children:  I.  Eben,  born  May 
14,  1849,  at  Barnet,  Vt. ;  he  was  a  journalist  in  Erie, 
Pa.;  he  was  the  first  United  States  postal  agent  in 
Cuba,  where  he  died  in  1898;  he  married  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Courtwright  Lowry,  of  Erie,  Pa.  2.  Frances  M., 
born  Oct.  16,  1852,  in  Titusville,  Pa.;  she  married 
William  C.  Fitch,  a  lawyer,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.;  chil- 
dren: Francis  B.,  Roger  S.,  and  Frances  E.  3.  Francis 
B.,  born  Oct.  16,  1852,  in  Titusville,  Pa.;  he  was  a 
merchant  early  in  life  and  later  an  agriculturist;  now 
retired  and  living  at  the  homestead  of  the  family  in 
Westfield;  married  Caroline  E.  Selden,  of  Erie,  Pa.; 
children :  George  S.,  Francis,  and  Selden.  4.  George 
E.,  born  July  28,  1861,  in  Westfield,  N.  Y.;  he  is  a  sur- 
geon in  New  York  City;  during  the  World  War  he 
served  in  the  medical  corps  of  the  United  States  army 
with  the  rank  of  colonel;  married  Effie  L.  Brown,  of 
Chester,  Pa.;    children:     Leighton,  and  George  E.,  Jr. 


GEORGE  FRANCIS  OPDYKE— The  patent  of 
nobility  which  rested  its  honors  and  distinction  in  the 
person  of  the  late  George  Francis  Opdyke  came  from 
high  authority,  since  it  was  based  on  fine  character  and 
large  and  worthy  achievement.  His  measure  of  tem- 
poral success  in  important  fields  of  enterprise  was  large, 
but  greater  than  this  was  the  intrinsic  loyalty  of  prin- 
cipal, the  deep  human  sympathy  and  tolerance,  and  the 
broad  intellectuality  that  designated  the  man  as  he  was. 
His  career  in  the  world  of  business  was  such  as  to 
advance  the  welfare  of  others  as  well  as  himself,  and 
he  had  a  high  sense  of  personal  stewardship,  though  at 
all  times  he  was  significantly  free  from  ostentation.  His 
was  the  gracious  reserve  which  indicates  fine  mental 
and  moral  fiber,  and  in  usefulness  to  the  community 
he  surpassed  many  another  man  who  has  attained  to 
more  of  publicity.  To  those  who  came  within  the  sphere 
of  his  influence,  his  life  was  a  veritable  benefaction,  and 
its  angle  of  usefulness  was  comprehensive  to  a  degree 
not  superficially  apparent.  He  broadened  his  intellectual 
horizon  to  become  a  man  of  culture  and  mature  judg- 
ment, and  in  him  was  that  sincere  simplicity  that  be- 
tokens true  greatness  of  character  and  of  ideals. 

Mr.  Opdyke  was  a  resident  of  the  city  of  James- 
town, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  Oct.  i,  1913,  and  he  was  a  scion 
of  a  family  whose  name  became  identified  with  the  his- 
tory of  the  Empire  State  in  the  earliest  part  of  the 
Colonial  era,  so  that,  prefatory  to  the  more  specific 
record  of  his  career  and  tribute  to  his  memory,  it  is 
but  consistent  that  there  be  entered  concise  but  notably 
interesting  data  concerning  the  history  of  the  Opdyke 
family  in  .\merica. 

There  are  two  distinct  families  of  Opdyke  in  the 
United  States,  tracing  from  the  earliest  period  in  New 
Amsterdam,  the  sturdy  little  Dutch  city  that  formed 
the  nucleus  of  our  present  great  national  metropolis. 
One  branch  of  the  family  is  of  pure  German  origin, 
and  its  first  representative  in  America  was  Op  der  Dych 


(as  he  personally  signed  his  name),  who  occupied  high 
position  in  the  Dutch  West  Indies  Company  and  in  the 
early  government  of  New  Amsterdam  under  Dutch  oc- 
cupation. He  was  of  the  eighth  generation  in  line  of 
direct  descent  from  Op  der  Dych,  who  was  born  in  1297, 
and  who  was  magistrate  of  Wesel,  a  town  on  the  banks 
of  the  Rhine,  in  the  Province  of  Rhennish  Prussia, 
Germany.  Representatives  of  this  family  settled  in 
Holland,  and  there  is  no  doubt  of  its  relationship  to 
the  family  of- which  the  subject  of  this  memoir  was  a 
scion.  The  latter  branch  traces  descent  from  Lewis 
Jansen  Opdych,  who  was  a  Hollander,  and  concerning 
whom  little  information  is  now  available  prior  to  his 
appearance  in  New  Netherland  in  1653. 

Lewis  Jansen  Opdych  was  born  in  Holland  within  the 
first  two  decades  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  about 
the  middle  of  that  century  he  purchased  land  at  Graves- 
end,  in  what  is  now  Kings  county,  N.  Y.  He  became 
the  owner  of  this  property  in  1655;  he  resided  in  Fort 
Orange,  the  nucleus  of  the  city  of  Albany,  in  1653-54, 
and  he  died  on  his  estate  at  Gravesend  in  1659.  He 
was  a  man  of  some  financial  resources,  and  early  in 
his  residence  in  America  he  made  his  way  up  the  Hud- 
son river  to  Fort  Orange,  where  he  engaged  in  the  fur 
trade,  his  residence  in  what  is  now  the  city  of  Albany 
being  opposite  the  present  postoffice  building  and  on  the 
corner  of  Broadway  and  State  street.  This  vigorous 
pioneer  left  three  sons:  Peter,  Otto  and  Johannes,  and 
the  last  mentioned  was  next  in  order  of  descent  to  the 
subject  of  this  review. 

Johannes  Opdych  was  born  in  1651,  and  died  at  Hope- 
well, N.  J.,  in  1729,  he  having  been  a  prosperous  farmer. 
After  his  marriage  he  removed  with  his  large  family, 
in  1697,  to  New  Jersey,  and  settled  in  what  is  now  Law- 
renceville,  Mercer  county.  He  purchased  a  tract  of 
thirteen  hundred  acres  of  land,  including  the  present 
site  of  the  village  of  Pennington,  where  is  established 
Pennington  Seminary,  maintained  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  acquired  much 
real  estate,  and  within  his  residence  of  thirty-two  years 
in  New  Jersey  he  became  one  of  its  most  wealthy  and 
influential  citizens.  His  will,  bearing  date  of  Feb.  12, 
1729,  is  still  preserved  in  the  archives  of  the  New  Jersey 
capitol,  at  Trenton.  His  six  children  were:  Foyntje, 
Engettje,  Annetje,  Lawrence,  Albert  and  Bartholomew. 

Albert  Opdych,  the  second  son,  was  born  at  Dutch 
Kills,  Queens  county,  N.  Y.,  about  1685,  and  died  at 
Maidenhead,  N.  J.,  in  1752.  He  resided  at  Hopewell, 
N.  J.,  during  the  major  part  of  his  life,  and  was  the 
only  one  of  the  family  to  retain  the  original  orthography 
of  the  patronymic,  all  other  representatives  having 
adopted  in  his  generation  the  form  of  Updike.  His  sons 
are  the  ancestors  of  all  the  Opdyckes,  Opdykes,  Op- 
dyches  and  Obdykes  in  the  United  States.  He  became 
a  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  His  eight  children 
were:  John,  Joshua,  William,  Benjamin,  Sarah,  Cath- 
erine, Frank  and  Hannah. 

Joshua  Opdych  was  born  in  Hopewell  township.  Hun- 
terdon county,  N.  J.,  in  1713,  and  died  in  1749.  Though 
he  was  the  second  son  he  inherited  a  double  portion 
of  his  father's  estate,  and  settled  in  Amwell,  Hunter- 
don county,  in  the  watershed  district  of  the  Delaware 
and  Raritan  rivers.  He  retained  the  ancient  Aryan 
love  of  the  soil,  and  purchased  warrants  for  fractional 


526 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


parts  of  allotments  held  by  Quaker  "proprietors," 
through  which  means  he  became  the  owner  of  lands  in 
Hunierdon,  Morris  and  Sussex  counties,  N.  J.  He 
never  sold  any  of  his  land,  and  from  his  land  and  from 
his  great  estate  he  gave  valuable  tracts  to  each  of  his 
children  who  attained  maturity.  His  old  homestead  at 
Amwell  comprised  500  acres  and  eventually  became 
known  as  Kingwood.  His  first  house  was  a  log  building, 
but  the  substantial  stone  dwelling  which  he  finally 
erected  as  the  family  domicile  is  still  standing.  He  was 
a  zealous  Baptist  and  was  the  leading  spirit  in  founding 
the  church  of  this  denomination  at  Baptistown,  near  his 
home.  In  1739  he  was  a  delegate  from  Kingwood  to 
the  Baptist  General  Convention  in  the  city  of  Philadel- 
phia. Joshua  Opdyke  was  tall,  well  proportioned,  cheer- 
ful and  even  01  temperament,  but  firm  in  his  convictions 
and  resolute  in  all  things.  Two  of  his  sons  were  val- 
iant soldiers  of  the  Continental  Line  in  the  War  of  the 
Revolution.  In  1738,  he  married  Ann  Green,  and  they 
had  eight  children :  Richard,  Luther,  Sarah,  Elizabeth, 
Margaret,  Frances,  Hannah  and  Catherine.  Richard, 
the  elder  son,  was  a  substantial  farmer,  and  served 
forty  years  as  justice  of  the  peace  at  Kingwood,  be- 
sides which  he  presided  eleven  years  on  the  bench  of 
the  county  court.  He  was  a  true  patriot,  a  man  of 
much  influence  in  public  affairs,  and  represented  his 
counr\'  in  the  Colonial  Congress. 

Luther  Opdycke,  the  younger  son,  was  born  March 
29,  1740,  and  died  in  183S.  He  held  the  office  of  justice 
of  the  peace  for  half  a  century,  and  it  is  a  matter  of 
record  that  within  this  long  period  none  of  his  decisions 
was  ever  reversed  by  a  court  of  higher  jurisdiction, 
while  during  a  portion  of  the  time  he  served  as  asso- 
ciate judge  or  surrogate  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas.  He  was  the  administrator  of  many  estates  and 
was  commonly  known  as  "Squire  Opdyche."  He  re- 
ceived a  regular  commission  as  ensign,  and  served  as  a 
gallant  soldier  during  the  major  part  of  the  War  of  the 
Revolution,  to  the  tension  and  vicissitudes  of  which  he 
fully  lived  up,  as  he  took  part  in  various  battles  and 
endured  his  share  of  hardships.  In  1770,  he  erected  the 
"old  red  house"  in  which  all  of  his  children  were  born 
and  in  which  he  continued  to  make  his  home  until  his 
death.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  character  and  great 
energ>-,  and  that  he  was  progressive  in  his  day  and 
generation  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  he  became  the 
owner  of  several  farms,  and  owned  and  operated  two 
mills  and  a  distillery.  He  was  thrice  married,  and  his 
wile,  whose  maiden  name  was  Gertrude  Hall,  was  the 
mother  of  his  seven  children.  He  was  a  zealous  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  church  and  frequently  served  as  a 
preacher  in  the  same.  Of  his  children  the  eldest  was 
George,  the  ancestor  of  him  to  wln^m  this  sketch  is 
dedicated. 

George  Opdycke  was  born  in  the  old  homestead  of 
which  mention  has  just  been  made,  and  the  date  of  his 
nativity  was  Dec.  0,  1773,  his  death  having  occurred 
'.n  Jun'.-  15,  1851.  Concerning  him  the  following  state- 
ment has  lx;cti  written  : 

H<-  w.Tx  a  man  of  '■ontented  dlspo.sltlon,  took  keen 
Intcr'-Ht  In  pa.valni?  f;vi.ntH  hut  hart  no  desire  to  bPcome 
a'tlv.,  in  puMIc  affalrM.  He  wuh  held  in  un<iualifled 
rcfrpfcct  by  hl«  nel(?hbor».  who  yald  that  he  "knew 
more  than  all  the  Hclioolma.sterB."  He  .stood  hIx  feet 
In  helKhl,  welched  one  hundred  and  eighty  poundn, 
and  was  a  man   of  Impressive  appearance.     Ho   Inher- 


ited   the    old    red    house    in    which    he    was    born,    and      1 
there   he   lived  a  quiet,   peaceful   life.     In   1793   he   en- 
rolled In   the  Hunterdon  Militia,  and  at  Kingwood   he 
served  as  school  trustee,  assessor,  overseer  of  the  poor, 
and  as  a  member  of  the  grand  jury. 

.\t  Baptistown,  Hunterdon  county,  N.  J.,  George  Op- 
dyke   married    Mary    Stout,   and   of   their   ten    children 
George   (second  of  the  name),  was  the  third  in  order 
of  birth,  he  having  been  born  in  the  historic  old  home-     jj 
stead,  Dec.  7,  1805.  I 

George  (2)  Opdyke  passed  his  early  life  on  the  farm, 
and  at  the  age  of  si.xteen  years  he  assumed  the  dignified 
position  of  schoolmaster,  in  which  connection  he 
served  as  instructor  to  a  number  of  his  former  school- 
mates, who  obeyed  him  only  after  he  had  flogged  them 
into  submisssion.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  be- 
came clerk  in  a  general  store  at  Baptistown,  and  he 
sedulously  saved  his  earnings.  When  twenty  years 
old  he  borrowed  $500.00  and  in  company  with  one  of  his 
chums  made  his  way,  by  river,  canal  and  Lake  Erie,  to 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  for  a  short  time  he  was  engaged 
in  the  grocery  business.  He  then  continued  his  journey 
to  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  La.,  where  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  another  young  man.  Fitch  Falger,  and  ■ 
opened  a  clothing  store,  in  which  they  manufactured  j 
their  own  goods.  The  enterprise  proved  very  success-  ( 
ful,  and  through  this  means  Mr.  Opdyke  always  main- 
tained that  he  laid  the  foundation  of  his  fortune,  besides 
which  he  gained  many  of  the  Southern  mannerisms 
of  speech  and  deportment  which  characterized  him 
through  the  remainder  of  his  life.  In  1832,  Mr.  Op- 
dyke disposed  of  his  business  interests  in  New  Orleans 
because  of  yellow  fever,  and  engaged  in  the  clothing 
trade  in  New  York  City,  his  first  establishment  having 
been  on  Cherry  street,  when  he  later  removed  to  Nas- 
sau street,  near  the  site  of  the  old  Dutch  church.  He 
continued  his  successful  business  operations  as  a 
clothing  merchant  for  several  years,  and  then  engaged 
in  the  drygoods  business,  in  connection  with  which  he 
became  an  importer  and  made  frequent  trips  to  Europe, 
each  foreign  sojourn  having  recorded  his  visitation  to 
Switzerland  and  the  historic  Rhine  country  of  Ger- 
many. 

When  the  first  railroad  was  built  to  Newark,  N.  J., 
Mr.  Opdyke  purchased  twenty  acres  of  land  on  the 
heights  overlooking  Newark  and  New  York  bays. 
There  he  made  many  improvements  in  the  way  of 
building  and  general  development  during  the  fifteen 
years  that  he  there  maintained  his  residence.  He  de- 
veloped wonderful  discrimination,  circumspection  and 
judgment  as  a  business  man,  had  a  seemingly  incxliaust- 
ible  command  of  resources  and  expedients  in  bending 
forces  and  mediums  of  details  to  his  will,  developed 
splendid  executive  and  administrative  talent,  and  by  pre- 
cept and  example  he  encouraged  and  aided  the  young 
men  wlio  came  within  the  splierc  of  his  benignant  influ- 
ence. He  found  diversion  and  mental  uplift  and  ex- 
pansion through  his  well  directed  reading  and  study, 
which  touched  and  brouglit  familiarity  with  the  best 
in  literature,  including  history,  logic,  pliilosophy  and 
scientific  subjects.  He  became  a  really  scholarly  man 
of  liigh  attainments  and  broad  intellectual  ken,  and 
was  distinctively  a  man  of  thought  and  action,  as 
shown  liy  the  fact  that  men  of  learning  sought  his 
comjiany   and    found   profit   in    the   same.      In    1851,    he 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


527 


wrote  and  published  a  most  valuable  work  on  political 
economy,  and  the  same  found  distinctive  favor  among 
the  most  profound  students  on  the  subject,  even  in- 
cluding John  Stuart  Mill.  The  work  was,  however,  in 
advance  of  the  times  and  thus  it  did  not  meet  with  the 
general  popular  reception  which  was  its  due.  In  this 
volume  Mr.  Opdyke  discussed  the  theory  of  wages,  the 
value  of  land  and  other  questions,  and  advocated  many 
theories  that  today  are  accepted  doctrines,  among  them 
being  that  of  inconvertible  paper  money,  in  connection 
with  which  subject  he  described  and  recommended  the 
currency  system  now  in  vogue  in  the  United  States.  In 
the  same  work  he  discussed  the  question  of  slavery, 
and  gave  a  logical  argument  on  free  trade,  as  close  and 
strong  as  any  demonstration  in  Euclid. 

In  1854,  Mr.  Opdyke  returned  with  his  family  to  New 
York  City,  where  he  became  president  of  one  of  the 
largest  banks  and  a  director  in  several  important  in- 
surance companies.  He  was  a  member  of  the  New 
York  Chamber  of  Commerce  from  1858  to  1880,  and 
was  its  president  from  1867  to  1875.  He  was  a  staunch 
Democrat,  was  opposed  to  the  extension  of  slavery  in 
the  climacteric  period  leading  up  to  the  Civil  War,  and 
his  initial  prominence  in  politics  came  in  1848,  when  he 
was  a  delegate  from  New  Jersey  to  the  national  con- 
vention of  the  Free  Soil  party,  at  Buffalo.  In  this  con- 
vention he  served  with  Hon.  Salmon  P.  Chase  on  the 
committee  on  resolutions,  and  to  strengthen  the  party 
cause  in  New  Jersey,  he  consented  to  became  its  can- 
didate for  Congress.  In  1856,  he  supported  Gen.  John 
C.  Fremont,  the  Republican  candidate  for  the  presi- 
dency, and  in  the  same  year  he  was  defeated  as  a  can- 
didate for  representative  of  the  Murray  Hill  district  in 
the  New  York  Legislature,  though  two  years  later  he 
was  elected  to  the  Legislature  from  this  same  district, 
his  service  in  the  Legislature  embodying  a  strenuous 
opposition  to  the  schemes  of  plunder  which  a  certain 
contingent  was  attempting  to  force  through  the  legisla- 
tive body.  In  1859,  he  was  the  Republican  candidate 
for  mayor  of  New  York  City,  but  was  defeated  by  his 
Democratic  opponent,  Fernando  Wood. 

In  i860,  Mr.  Opdyke  was  a  delegate  to  the  Repub- 
lican National  Convention,  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  where 
he  did  most  effective  service  in  furthering  the  nomina- 
tion of  Abraham  Lincoln  for  the  presidency.  David 
Dudley  Field  and  Mr.  Opdyke  cooperated  with  Horace 
Greeley  to  defeat  the  nomination  of  Seward,  and  effected 
the  formation  of  the  combination  that  named  Lincoln 
as  the  party's  candidate.  Mr,  Opdyke  gave  $20,000  to 
the  carrying  forward  of  the  Lincoln  campaign,  and  after 
election  President  Lincoln  tendered  him  appointment  as 
collector  of  the  port  of  New  York  City,  a  position 
which  he  felt  constrained  to  decline.  The  first  public 
action  taken  by  the  New  York  Chamber  of  Commerce 
in  support  of  the  government  at  the  inception  of  the 
Civil  War  was  the  adoption  of  a  resolution  that  was 
offered  by  Mr.  Opdyke,  April  19,  1861,  and  he  personally 
contributed  liberally  of  time  and  money  to  further  the 
cause  of  the  Union  during  the  dark  period  of  the  war. 

In  1861,  Mr.  Opdyke  was  elected  mayor  of  the  City 
of  New  York,  and  his  administration  continued  until 
the  close  of  the  fiscal  year  of  1863.  He  was  active  in 
the  raising  of  troops  and  sending  them  to  the  front, 
and  it  was  during  his  term  as  mayor  that  the  historic 


draft  riots  occurred  in  the  national  metropolis.  Mayor 
Opdyke  had  protested  to  Secretary  Stanton  against  re- 
moving every  regiment  of  the  State  Militia  from  New 
York  City,  but  in  vain.  He  was  advised  by  friends  to 
leave  the  city  until  the  excitement,  involving  personal 
peril  to  the  mayor,  should  subside,  but  he  refused  to 
leave  his  post  of  duty,  and  to  meet  the  grave  dangers 
incidental  to  the  draft  riots  he  called  to  his  aid  the  heads 
of  the  police  and  militia  departments,  the  governor  of 
the  State,  General  Wood,  with  his  few  soldiers  in  the 
harbor,  and  the  marines  in  the  navy  yard.  Through 
such  cooperation  the  mayor  was  enabled  to  present  a 
bold  front  during  the  three  days  of  terror,  the  streets 
of  the  city  having  been  as  silent  as  though  struck  by 
plague  save  for  the  time  when  the  mob  raged,  plun- 
dered, burned  and  murdered.  The  mayor's  factory  at 
Second  avenue  and  Twenty-first  street  was  destroyed  by 
fire  through  the  work  of  the  mob,  and  his  home  at  No. 
79  Ffith  avenue  was  twice  attacked,  Mrs.  Opdyke 
having  escaped  through  a  neighboring  house  to  a  car- 
riage, in  which  George  Opdyke  awaited  her,  which  was 
driven  through  a  howling  mob  and  at  great  peril  to  the 
affrighted  occupants.  Three  days  after  Mayor  Opdyke 
had  weired  Secretary  Stanton  for  troops,  three  regi- 
ments arrived  in  the  city,  and  the  next  day  four  other 
regiments  appeared  on  the  scene,  so  that  order  was  re- 
stored without  further  trouble  of  a  serious  nature.  The 
mayor  labored  twenty  hours  each  day  during  the  four 
days  that  the  riot  was  in  progress,  directing  and  advis- 
ing the  movements  of  troops  after  they  had  arrived  on 
the  scene,  and  in  general  assumed  all  responsibility.  At 
the  height  of  the  riot,  to  appease  the  mob,  the  Board  of 
Aldermen  voted  an  appropriation  of  $2,500,000  for  the 
relief  of  those  who  had  been  drafted.  As  mayor  Mr. 
Opdyke  refused  to  approve  this  ordinance  on  the  part 
of  the  Council,  and  declared  that  the  rioters  should  be 
conquered,  not   conciliated. 

In  1867-68,  Mr.  Opdyke  was  a  delegate  to  the  conven- 
tion that  effected  a  revision  of  the  constitution  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  and  in  this  connection  he  found 
most  congenial  work.  He  rendered  valuable  service, 
especially  in  connection  with  articles  pertaining  to 
canals,  public  schools  and  government  of  cities.  In  1867, 
he  retired  from  the  drygoods  business  and,  in  company 
with  his  sons,  engaged  in  the  banking  business.  This 
firm  advanced  funds  for  the  building  of  more  than  one 
thousand  miles  of  railroad  in  different  parts  of  the 
country.  Most  of  the  banks  which  took  such  a  course 
became  insolvent  in  the  panic  of  1873,  and  a  New  York 
morning  paper  announced  the  failure  of  George  Opdyke 
&  Sons,  this  statement  having  caused  a  run  on  the  Op- 
dyke bank,  which  paid  $500,000  in  one  day  and  thus 
weathered  the  storm.  Mr.  Opdyke  and  his  sons  made 
large  financial  sacrifice  to  sustain  the  railroads  whose 
bonds  had  been  sold  to  the  public  through  them,  and 
thus  Mr.  Opdyke  kept  his  business  honor  and  reputation 
unsullied,  by  bringing  the  railroad  bonds  back  to  par 
and  thus  avoiding  loss  to  the  bondholders.  His  strength 
was  as  the  number  of  his  days,  and  his  integrity  was 
an  impregnable  bulwark,  the  steadfast  honor  that  de- 
noted the  man  as  a  man  among  men.  During  the  last 
few  years  of  his  life  Mr.  Opdyke,  honored  by  all  who 
knew  him.  lived  virtually  retired,  but  he  continued  to 
make   frequent  contributions  to  the  press  on  questions 


^28 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


of  public  import.  His  religious  faith  was  in  harmony 
with  the  tenets  of  the  Unitarian  church,  but  he  attended 
and  gave  Hberal  support  to  the  Dutch  Reformed  church, 
of  which  his  wife  was  an  earnest  member,  and  of  him 
it  has  well  been  said  that  "he  was  tolerant  of  all  things 
by  intolerance." 

On  Sept.  20,  1S29.  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Opdyke  to  Elizabeth  H.  Strycker,  and  they  became 
the  parents  of  six  children.  Mr.  Opdyke  died  June  12, 
iSSo,  survived  by  his  wife. 

George  Francis  Opdyke,  son  of  George  and  Elizabeth 
H.  (Strycker^  Opdyke,  was  born  at  Clinton  place, 
Newark.  X.  J.,  March  22,  1S40.  and  as  before  stated,  he 
was  a  resident  of  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  attended  the  schools  of 
his  native  city  until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  when 
the  family  removed  to  New  York  City,  where  he  com- 
pleted his  studies.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  he  be- 
came associated  with  the  drygoods  business  conducted 
by  his  father,  and  in  i&X)  he  became  a  member  of  the 
banking  house  of  George  Opdyke  &  Sons,  with  which  he 
continued  to  be  associated  until  1S80.  In  1881,  he  estab- 
lished the  banking  tirm  of  Opdyke  &  Company,  and  he 
continued  as  its  able  and  honored  e.xecutive  head  until 
l&'s.  when  he  retired  from  active  business.  He  gained 
reputation  as  a  banker  of  broad  capacity,  due  conserva- 
tism and  great  circumspection,  so  that  in  the  commercial 
and  general  business  world  his  name  became  synony- 
mous of  security  and  inviolable  fairness,  honor  and  in- 
tegrity. He  was  one  of  the  representative  bankers  of 
the  great  national  metropolis,  and  in  his  active  career 
had  to  do  with  financial  and  industrial  affairs  of  the 
broadest  scope  and  importance. 

In  1881,  Mr.  Opdyke  removed  with  his  family  to  the 
beautiful  little  city  of  Plainfield,  Union  county,  N.  J., 
where  he  continued  his  residence  until  1909,  when,  for 
the  purpose  of  seeking  a  place  that  might  tend  to  im- 
prove his  much  impaired  health,  he  removed  to  James- 
town, X.  Y..  where  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life, 
a  gracious,  kindly  and  noble  gentleman,  a  profound 
student  and  scholar,  and  a  loyal  citizen  who  commanded 
the  high  regard  of  all  who  knew  him.  In  harmony  with 
his  earnest  convictions,  he  allied  himself  with  the  Pro- 
hibition party,  and  he  was  specially  active  in  the  sup- 
port of  its  cause.  He  was  a  zealous  member  of  the 
Baptist  church,  as  is  also  his  widow,  who  was  his 
devoted  companion  in  the  exemplifying  of  the  higher 
ideals  of  life  and  who  has  taken  a  deep  interest  in 
civic  affairs  and  in  church  and  benevolent  work,  though 
she  has  had  no  predilection  for  the  activities  of  the 
general  world  of  society.  She  is  a  member  of  the 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  at  Hudson,  N.  Y. 

In  Xew  York  City,  March  i,  1881,  was  solemnized 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Opdyke  to  Ida  Reed,  who  was 
b<-irn  and  reared  in  that  city,  and  who  is  a  daughter  of 
Almet  and  I./-na  CVan  Duscn)  Reed.  .Mmet  Reed  was 
Vjrn  at  Coxsackic,  N.  Y,,  April  I,  1810,  and  died  in 
Xew  York  City,  in  February,  1880.  His  wife  was  born 
Dec.  .30.  i8f2,  and  died  in  the  year  18^,4.  The  Van 
Dusen  family  was  founded  in  the  United  States  about 
the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  it  has  been 
one  of  sjKjcial  prominence  in  the  history  of  the  Hudson 
and  Mohawk  valleys  of  New  York,  while  representatives 
of  the  name   were  patriot  soldiers   in  the  War  of  the 


Revolution.  John  Wan  Dusen,  of  the  sixth  generation 
of  the  family  in  .\merica,  was  born  at  Claverack,  N.  Y., 
in  1779,  and  became  one  of  the  successful  business  men 
and  influential  citizens  of  Columbia  county,  and  who 
was  engaged  in  business  at  Johnstown  for  more  than 
forty  years.  In  1S20  he  established  the  Good  Hope 
Flour  Mills,  which  he  operated  many  years,  and  he 
also  was  an  e.xtensive  dealer  in  real  estate.  He  was 
held  in  implicit  confidence  and  esteem  in  the  community, 
served  as  clerk  of  Livingston  township,  1805-12,  and 
as  township  supervisor,  1812-20.  In  1823,  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  State  Legislature,  and  he  was  an  officer  in  the 
State  Militia  for  many  years.  He  was  one  of  the  or- 
ganizers and  a  director  of  the  National  Hudson  River 
Bank,  at  Hudson,  and  was  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Dutch  Refonned  church.  He  died  on  his  farm  at 
Greenport,  Columbia  county,  N.  Y.,  May  26,  1863,  and 
he  was  the  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Opdyke,  widow  of 
George  F.  Opdyke. 

George  F.  and  Ida  (Reed)  Opdyke  became  the  par- 
ents of  two  children,  Wilbur  Francis,  who  was  born  at 
Plainfield,  N.  J.,  in  1881 ;  and  Dorothea  Van  Dusen, 
who  was  born  at  Plainfield,  March  31,  1889,  her  death 
having  occurred  April  20,  1910.  Concerning  Dorothea 
V.  D.  Opdyke  the  following  estimate  of  appreciation  has 
been  written : 

She  was  always  guided  by  high  Ideals,  was  a  gra- 
clou.s  and  accomplished  young  woman  devoted  to  her 
home  and  her  friends  and  active  In  church  work. 

Wilbur  Francis  Opdyke  acquired  his  early  education 
at  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  and  thereafter  attended  the  Mo- 
ravian School  for  Boys  at  Nazareth,  Pa.  Later  he  took 
special  courses,  along  scientific  lines,  in  the  college  at 
Colorado  Springs,  Co!.,  and  the  University  of  Nevada, 
at  Reno.  He  is  now  sales  manager  of  the  Crescent  Tool 
Company,  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  of  which  corporation  he  is 
a  stockholder.  Dec.  6,  1907,  recorded  his  marriage  to 
Lula  E.  Cheney,  of  Jamestown,  who  is  a  representative 
of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  families  of  Chautauqua 
county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Opdyke  have  two  children, 
George  Francis,  who  was  born  at  Lyons,  Ga.,  Nov.  21, 
1908,  and  who  is  of  the  fourth  generation  of  the  Opdyke 
family  to  bear  the  name  of  George;  and  Frank  Wilbur, 
who  was  born  at  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  7,  191 1. 


ASA  CHENEY— In  judging  of  the  strength  and 
vitality  of  any  community  it  must  always  be  to  the  great 
rural  and  agricultural  population  that  we  turn  as  a 
final  criterion,  knowing  that  if  its  character  is  sturdy 
and  strong  the  society  must  be  sound  at  heart.  With 
such  an  assurance  to  base  our  judgment  upon,  there  is 
certainly  everything  to  give  one  the  liveliest  optimism 
if  we  turn  our  attention  to  the  agriculturists  of  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  whose  strong,  conservative  pro- 
gressivencss  displays  all  that  we  like  best  to  associate 
with  the  idea  of  Americanism.  One  of  the  finest  examples 
of  this  fine  class  of  men  was  Asa  Cheney,  a  most  suc- 
cessful farmer,  who  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  Bemus 
Point,  Chautauqua  county,  for  many  years,  until  his 
death,  Oct.  25,  1906.  He  was  a  highly  respected  and 
admired  figure  in  the  community.  He  came  of  a  family 
that  is  old  in  the  traditions  anrl  history  of  this  country. 

(I)   William  Cheney,  imniigranl,  came  from  England 


^ 


4 


& 


^f 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


529 


in  1635.  and  settled  in  Hull,  Mass.,  with  his  wife,  Mar- 
garet Cheney,  and  three  sons :  John,  William,  Thomas, 
of  whom  further. 

(II)  Thomas  Cheney,  youngest  son  of  William  and 
Margaret  Cheney,  served  as  a  soldier  in  King  Philip's 
War.  He  married,  Jan.  11,  1655,  Jane  Atkinson,  in  Rox- 
bury,  Mass.,  and  among  their  children  was  William,  of 
whom  further. 

(III)  William  (2)  Cheney,  son  of  Thomas  and  Jane 
(Atkinson)  Cheney,  was  born  in  Roxbury,  Mass.,  June 
30,  1663.  He  married,  in  Roxbury,  Rebecca  Newell,  and 
among  their  children  was  Ariel,  of  whom  further. 

(IV)  Ariel  Cheney,  son  of  William  (2)  and  Rebecca 
(Newell)  Cheney,  was  born  in  Roxbury.  Mass.,  May  I, 
1695.  He  married,  in  Pomfret,  Conn.,  May  3,  1720, 
Maria  Waldo,  and  among  their  children  was  Daniel,  of 
whom  further. 

(V)  Daniel  Cheney,  son  of  Ariel  and  ]\Iaria  (Waldo) 
Cheney,  was  born  in  Connecticut,  Dec.  25,  1728.  He 
married,  June  23,  1757,  Zerviah  Paine,  and  among  their 
children  was  Jonathan,  of  whom  further.  After  the 
Revolutionary  War,  Daniel  Cheney  migrated  to  Pitts- 
town,  N.  Y.,  and  from  there  to  Chautauqua  county  early 
in  1S07. 

(VI)  Jonathan  Cheney,  son  of  Daniel  and  Zerviah 
(Paine)  Cheney,  was  born  in  Connecticut,  March  10, 
1769.  He  married  Amy  Cole,  and  among  their  children 
was  Calvin,  of  whom  further. 

(VII)  Calvin  Cheney,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Amy 
(Cole)  Cheney,  was  born  in  Pittstown,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  29, 
1800.  He  married  Lydia  Bly,  and  their  children  were: 
Spencer,  Asa,  of  whom  further,  Abel,  twin  of  Asa, 
Joshua,  and  William. 

(VIII)  Asa  Cheney,  son  of  Calvin  and  Lydia  (Bly) 
Cheney,  was  born  in  Ellery,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  13,  1826.  His 
childhood  was  spent  in  the  home  of  his  parents,  and  he 
gained  his  education  in  the  Jamestown  Academy.  He 
acquired  his  first  knowledge  of  farming  by  assisting 
his  father  in  the  work  upon  his  farm,  and  after  gradu- 
ating from  the  Jamestown  Academy  he  began  farming 
on  his  own  account,  becoming  in  time  the  owner  of  one 
of  the  finest  farms  on  the  main  road  between  Bemus 
Point  and  Jamestown,  one-half  mile  west  of  Belleview 
school  house.  This  he  cultivated  with  a  high  degree 
of  success,  disposing  of  his  products  in  the  local  mar- 
kets, and  he  became  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of 
the  community.  His  success  was  due  entirely  to  his 
indefatigable  industry,  intelligence  and  knowledge  of 
agricultural  methods,  and  no  one  deserved  more  than  he 
the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  his  fellow-citizens. 
Mr.  Cheney  gave  much  of  his  time  to  activities  of  public 
benefit,  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  local  affairs,  dis- 
playing a  public-spirited  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the 
community.  He  served  his  fellowmen  in  a  number  of 
official  capacities,  among  these  offices  being  supervisor 
of  the  town  for  seven  years.  He  did  much  to  advance 
the  agricultural  interests  of  Bemus  Point  and  the  sur- 
rounding region,  and  was  an  active  member  of  Union 
Grange,  Jamestown,  for  many  years.  He  was  inter- 
ested in  financial  institutions  of  Jamestown,  among  them 
being  the  National  Chautauqua  County  Bank,  Bank  of 
Jamestown,  and  the  Farmers  and  Mechanics  Bank.  In 
his  religions  belief,  he  was  a  Universalist,  attending  the 
church  of  that  denomination  in  Bemus  Point,  where  he 


was  regarded  as  one  of  the  prominent  members  of  the 
congregation,  and  was  a  trustee  of  the  church  for 
eighteen  years. 

Asa  Cheney  was  united  in  marriage,  March  21,  1850, 
in  the  town  of  Ellery,  with  Catherine  Griffith,  daughter 
of  John  and  Tryphena  (Bemus)  Griffith,  both  well 
known  and  highly  regarded  residents  of  Ellery  in  their 
time.  The  Griffith  family  was  among  the  pioneer  fami- 
lies of  Chautauqua  county,  likewise  the  Bemus  family, 
and  it  was  near  the  present  Cheney  homestead  that  both 
families  settled  originally.  Bemus  Point  and  Griffith's 
Point  on  Lake  Ch.autauqua  were  the  sites  of  their  homes, 
and  these  places  were  named  after  their  founders.  Mrs. 
Catherine  (Griffith)  Cheney,  who  still  resides  at  the  old 
Cheney  homestead,  is  one  of  the  remarkable  women  of 
the  county  at  the  present  time.  She  is  in  her  ninety-fifth 
year,  and  is  possessed  of  faculties  which  are  most  un- 
usual for  her  years.  She  manages  much  of  her  business 
affairs,  and  in  November,  1920,  in  her  ninety-fourth  year, 
voted  for  Warren  G.  Harding  in  the  presidential  elec- 
tion. She  has  always  been  abreast  of  the  times,  and  iit 
1889  was  the  first  president  of  a  woman's  organization 
in  the  promotion  of  suffrage  in  Ellery  township,  and 
at  the  last  election  she  saw  her  hopes  fulfilled  in  Na- 
tional Suffrage  for  women.  She  is  a  member  of  the 
Union  Grange  of  Jamestown,  and  Chautauqua  county 
and  New  York  State  bodies  of  the  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry. She  was  a  delegate  at  one  time  to  a  State  Con- 
vention of  the  Grange.  She  has  always  been  interested 
in  church,  educational  and  historical  matters,  and  is  an 
ardent  member  of  the  Chautauqua  Historical  Society. 
Ophelia  Griffith,  sister  of  Catherine  (Griffith)  Cheney, 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Ellery,  March  30,  1837,  and 
died  in  the  house  in  which  she  was  born,  April  13,  1920. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cheney  were  the  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  I.  Frank  W.,  born  Feb.  26.  1S52;  married 
Delia  Palmer;  children:  Rolin  K.,  Frank  W.,  Jr.,  and 
Lula.  2.  Mark  H.,  born  July  22,  1S53;  died  Sept.  18, 
1907;  married  (first)  Mary  Bennett;  child,  Alice; 
married  (second)  Frances  Ingerson ;  children:  Minnie 
K.  and  Ralph  E.  3.  W.  Beecher,  born  Aug.  6,  1854;  un- 
married. 4.  Miles  E.,  born  Oct.  11,  1855,  died  Sept.  27, 
1890;  married  Harriett  Foster;  no  issue.  5.  Morris  P. 
born  March  14,  1858;  married  Anna  Weaver;  children: 
Gerald  G.,  Ruth  L.,  and  Hazel  E.  6.  Martha,  born  May 
3.  1S60,  died  Dec.  19,  1916;  unmarried.  7.  Jennie,  born 
March  31.  1862.  died  Sept.  30,  1865.  8.  Lillie,  born  July 
12,  1863,  died  May  8,  1864.  9.  Alta,  born  April  12.  1866, 
died  April  3,  1867.  10.  Eva  K.,  born  Dec.  8,  1868.  died 
July  25,  1915;  married  Russell  D.  Rex  ford  :  children: 
Herbert  C,  Arthur  T.,  and  Helen.  11.  John  C.  born 
Sept.  29,  1871 ;  married  Edith  Bates;  children:  Asa  B. 
and  M.  Agnes. 


ROYAL  MARSH  BATES,  a  prominent  attorney 
of  Jamestown.  Chautauqua  county.  N.  Y.,  wlicre  he  has 
an  office  in  the  Wellman  building,  is  a  native  of  this 
city,  born  April  2.  1886.  Mr.  Bates  is  a  member  of  an 
ancient  Scottish  family,  the  House  of  .Argyle.  and  is 
a  descendant  of  John  Althouse  Bates,  who  came  from 
England  and  settled  near  Grimsby.  Ontario,  many  years 
ago. 

Charles  W.  Bates,  father  of  Royal  M.  Bates,  was 
born  in  Canada,  and  was  the  first  member  of  the  family 


00'' 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


to  locate  in  the  United  States,  to  which  country  he  came 
as  a  young  man.  He  was  engaged  in  busi- 
ness at  Jamestown.  X.  Y..  for  a  number  of 
years  and  was  a  prominent  member  of  the 
community.  Before  coming  to  this  country  he  was 
associated  with  military  service  in  Catiada.  and  after 
settling  in  Jamestown  became  a  state  officer  of  the 
Order  of  Maccabees.  He  is  an  Episcopalian  in  religious 
belief,  and  a  Republican  in  politics.  Mr.  Bates  mar- 
ried Mary  Marsh,  a  native  of  Illinois. 

During  his  childhood,  Royal  Marsh  Bates  attended 
the  public  schools  of  Jamestown,  and  graduated  from 
the  High  School  with  the  class  of  1905.  After  com- 
pleting his  studies  at  that  institution,  where  he  was 
prepared  for  college,  he  matriculated  at  Syracuse  Uni- 
versity, where  he  took  up  the  study  of  the  law  and  was 
graduated  in  1909  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  Shortly 
afterwards  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Chautauqua 
county,  and  coming  to  Jamestown,  established  himself 
in  legal  practice.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Bates 
has  consistently  followed  his  profession  and  has 
established  himself  as  one  of  the  leading  at- 
torneys of  the  community,  gaining  the  respect 
and  confidence,  not  only  of  his  professional 
colleagues.,  but  of  the  community-at-large.  Mr. 
Bates  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  has  never  taken  an 
acti\e  part  in  public  aflfairs  and  is  quite  without  ambition 
for  poli'.ical  preferment  of  any  kind.  In  191 1  he  joined 
the  Xew  York  National  Guard  and  continued  a  member 
of  that  organization  until  1915.  At  the  present  time  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Jamestown  Bar  Association,  the 
Lawyers"  Club  of  Buffalo,  the  Jamestown  Club,  the 
Jamestown  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  local  lodges  of 
the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  the 
Order  of  Maccabees,  the  Syracuse  Alumni  .Association, 
and  the  Phi  Delta  Theta  College  fraternity.  In  his  re- 
ligious belief  Mr.  Bates  is  an  Episcopalian  and  attends 
the  church  of  that  denomination  at  Jamestown. 

Royal  Marsh  Bates  was  united  in  marriage,  Dec.  21, 
1910.  at  .Auburn,  N.  Y.,  with  Alace  'M.  Searing,  a  native 
of  that  place,  a  daughter  of  .\dolphus  H.  and  Sarah 
(Mekerit  Searing,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  New 
York  State  and  who  now  make  their  home  at  Auburn. 
Mr.  Soaring  is  a  prominent  attorney  and  county  judge 
at  that  place,  and  is  a  well  known  Republican  and  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  Order  and  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bates  are 
the  parents  of  two  children,  as  follows:  Wilmot  S.  and 
Sarah  Louise. 


GUSTAF  FABIAN  SELLSTROM— One  of  James- 
tov.-n's  well  known  citizens,  who,  although  born  in  a 
foreign  land,  has  contributed  much  to  the  life  of  this 
city,  is  Gustaf  Fabian  .Scllstrom.  He  was  born  at  Wim- 
merby,  Sweden,  June  9,  1851,  the  son  of  P.  Adolph  and 
Johanna  Maria  CBcrg)  Scllstrom.  In  1856  the  elder  Mr. 
Sellstrom  died,  leaving  his  widow  with  the  care  of  three 
children:  ''ju^taf  I'abian,  at  the  age  of  four  years;  Carl 
/\dolph  and  John  Frederick,  the  two  latter  now  deceased. 

Gustal  Fabian  Scllstrom,  better  known  as  Fabian  Sclls- 
trom, attended  the  scho'jls  of  his  native  country.  At 
r-icvcnteen  years  01  age  he,  together  with  his  mother  and 
two  brothers,  came  to  Jamestown,  where  he  secured 
employment   in   the  [ilant  of   Jones  &  GifTord,   furniture 


manufacturers.  Leaving  the  furniture  plant  he  went  to 
Bradford,  Pa.,  and  remained  there  until  1877,  being  em- 
ployed during  that  time  as  a  foreman  in  a  factory.  De- 
siring to  return  to  Jamestown,  he  secured  a  position  as 
manager  for  Halliday  &  Benedict,  meat  dealers.  In  1881 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  John  Fred- 
erick Sellstrom,  under  the  firm  name  of  Sellstrom  Bros., 
meat  dealers,  which  continued  until  1885,  when  through 
accidental  death  while  hunting,  John  Frederick  was  taken 
away.  Fabian  Sellstrom  bought  out  the  interest  of  his 
brother's  estate  in  June,  1885,  and  continued  the  busi- 
ness himself.  Desiring  a  better  location,  he  decided  in 
May,  1886,  to  purchase  the  business  of  Drake  Sessions 
on  Third  street,  and  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century 
remained  at  this  location,  building  up  a  large  and  suc- 
cessful business,  being  the  largest  retail  meat  dealer  in 
Chautauqua  county. 

During  these  years  he  became  interested  in  several  of 
the  manufacturing  industries  in  the  city,  and  became  one 
of  the  strongest  supporters  of  the  Dahlstrom  Metallic 
Door  Company,  this  institution  owing  much  to  his  loyal 
support  during  times  of  difficulties  and  financial  stress. 
During  the  early  period  of  organization  he  was  com- 
missioned to  handle  several  important  business  deals  and 
problems  of  this  concern.  In  1912  Mr.  Sellstrom  sold 
out  his  meat  business,  retiring  from  active  commercial 
life.  He  took  active  part,  however,  in  the  affairs  of  the 
Dahlstrom  Metallic  Door  Company  as  vice-president  and 
treasurer  until  1918,  when  he  retired  entirely  from  active 
business.  His  interests  in  real  estate  and  inanufacturing 
concerns  continue  to  keep  him  in  touch  with  the  business 
life  of  Jamestown.  In  politics,  Mr.  Sellstrom  is  a  Re- 
publican, but  in  practice  is  an  independent  voter,  giving 
his  support  to  the  candidate  he  feels  most  nearly  meets 
the  requirements  of  the  office.  In  fraternal  life,  he  is 
a  member  of  all  the  Masonic  bodies  up  to  and  including 
the  thirty-second  degree,  and  also  is  a  member  of  several 
social  organizations. 

During  all  these  years  of  business  life  the  constant  aid 
and  encouragement  of  his  devoted  wife  meant  a  great 
deal  to  his  achievements  and  progressive  development. 
On  .August  3,  1882,  at  Jamestown,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Emily  Eugenia  Lundberg.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Scllstrom  were  born  four  children:  i.  Elmer  W., 
received  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools,  later 
attending  Cornell  University  and  graduating  with  the 
degree  of  Civil  Engineer  in  1907.  Leaving  the  Univer- 
sity he  became  associated  with  the  Dahlstrom  Metallic 
Door  Company,  being  active  in  the  upbuilding  of  that 
institution.  He  has  been  actively  identified  with  com- 
munity work,  serving  in  many  capacities.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  all  the  Masonic  bodies  and  past  eminent  com- 
mander of  Jamestown  Commandery,  Knights  Templar, 
lie  is  at  present  the  president  of  the  Jamestown  Rotary 
Club.  2.  May  H.,  also  attended  the  public  schools, 
graduating  in  1904,  and  later  taking  up  special  work  in 
piano  at  the  Sherwood  Music  School  at  Chicago.  Upon 
graduating  from  there  she  became  one  of  Mr.  Sherwood's 
able  assistants.  Later  .she  was  associated  in  the  music 
department  (jf  Miss  Bennett's  School  for  Girls  at  Mill- 
brook,  N.  Y.  In  1917  she  became  the  wife  of  Crawford 
N.  Bargar,  a  sketch  of  whom  follows,  to  whom  one 
child  h;is  bern  born.     3,  Lilla  E.  F.,  died  in  i8y.),  at  the 


<^^a/«^f-<>'^  (0jj3^^^C^'€^^2y^''i>^'-'^^^^ 


ELIAS  C.  BARGAR 


ALICE  E.   (TOTMAN)   BARGAR 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


531 


age  of  four  years.  4.  V.  Emily,  was  educated  in  the 
Jamestown  public  schools,  graduating  with  the  class  of 
1915,  and  the  next  year  graduating  from  Dana  Hall  at 
Wellesley,  Mass.  She  also  attended  Simmons  College  at 
Boston  and  Smith  College  at  Northampton,  Mass.,  re- 
ceiving the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  from  the  latter 
institution  in  1920,  and  is  now  active  in  the  educational 
and  social  life  of  the  community. 

Mrs.  Emily  E.  Sellstrom  was  born  in  Wester  Gotland, 
Sweden,  in  1857,  a  daughter  of  John  Eliason  and  Maria 
Christina  Lundberg.  Her  father  was  a  well  known  mer- 
chant in  Longared,  Sweden,  and  lived  to  the  ripe  age  of 
eighty-nine  years.  Her  mother  died  in  her  early  forties. 
Mrs.  Sellstrom  is  next  to  the  youngest  in  a  family  of 
five  children.  Her  brothers,  John  Edward  and  William, 
came  to  this  country  and  were  engaged  in  the  tanning 
industry  at  Ridgeway,  Pa.,  for  many  years,  and  C.  Oscar 
in  the  steel  industry  at  Duquesne,  Pa.  John  Edward  and 
William  are  now  deceased.  Her  sister,  Mrs.  Solomon 
Johanson,  lives  at  Osarp,  Limmared,  Sweden. 

Airs.  Sellstrom  came  to  this  country  as  a  young  girl, 
and  has  been  active  in  the  church  and  community  life 
of  the  city.  For  a  number  of  years  past  she  has  been 
the  president  of  the  Ladies'  Auxiliary  of  the  Norden 
Club,  and  has  contributed  much  to  the  literary,  educa- 
tional and  social  interest  manifested  there.  Always  inter- 
ested in  the  best  of  literature,  considerable  of  her  time 
has  been  devoted  along  these  lines  and  she  has  written 
many  verses  which  have  been  a  joy  to  her  friends.  She 
has  also  written  a  number  of  plays,  one  of  which,  en- 
titled "Then  and  Now,"  an  historical  play,  has  been 
given  on  many  occasions  to  the  interest  and  benefit  of 
the  audiences.  Being  interested  in  the  advancement  of 
equal  suffrage  and  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  cause,  she 
contributed  much  of  her  time  and  thought  to  it.  As  a 
member  of  the  First  Lutheran  Church,  of  Jamestown, 
she  has  taken  active  interest  in  church  work. 


THE  BARGAR  FAMILY— Andries  Bargar  or  An- 
dres Barrager  came  to  Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.,  from 
Holland  or  Germany,  and  settled  with  his  wife,  Phebe 
Lehman  or  Leighman,  in  that  section  now  known  as 
Putnam  Valley,  Putnam  county,  N.  Y.  The  children  of 
Andries  and  Phebe  (Lehman)  Bargar  were:  Andres 
(2)  ;  John,  of  further  mention ;  Morton,  Peter,  Franz, 
Hannan,  Sophie,  Betsey,  Jerusha  and  Maria. 

John  Bargar  was  born  in  1748,  died  in  1818.  He  was 
a  farmer  of  Putnam  Valley  all  his  active  years,  and 
during  the  Revolution  served  with  the  Seventh  Regiment, 
Dutchess  County  Militia.  He  married  Martha  Tomp- 
kins, daughter  of  Cornelius  Tompkins,  of  Putnam  Val- 
ley. Children:  i.  Cornelius,  born  1770,  died  Feb.  27, 
1847.  2.  Mary,  born  July  21,  1778,  married  Jeremiah 
Chapman,  Jr.  3.  John,  born  July  21,  1779,  died  Dec. 
24,  1856,  and  is  buried  at  Adams  Corners,  N.  Y.  4. 
Nathaniel,  of  further  mention.  5.  Jane,  born  Nov.  14, 
1781,  died  Oct.  17,  1851.  6.  Phebe,  born  1786,  died  Sept. 
g,  1830;  married  Jedediah  Hill.  7.  Fanny,  born  April 
22,  1789,  died  May  22,  1874;  married  Annanias,  son  of 
Bartholomew  Tompkins.  8.  Reuben,  born  1792;  mar- 
ried  (first)   a  Miss  Horton,  and   (second)   Mary  Travis. 

Nathaniel  Bargar  was  born  in  Putnam  Valley  in  1780, 
died   Dec.   28,    1816;   his   will   bearing   date   of    Dec.   23, 


i8i6,  names  his  father  John,  wife  Susannah,  two  sons 
and  three  daughters.  The  witnesses  to  his  will  were 
John  and  Reuben  Bargar.  He  was  a  farmer  of  Putnam 
Valley.  He  married  Susannah  Crawford.  Children :  i. 
Nathaniel  C,  of  further  mention.  2.  Mary,  born  Sept. 
II,  1812,  died  April  30,  1833.  3.  Martha  (or  Sarah).  4. 
Susan,  born  Oct.  16,  1815,  died  Jan.  15,  1872;  married 
Samuel  F.  Smith,  of  Putnam  Valley,  born  Feb.  i,  1814, 
died  March  i,  1899.     5.  Elias,  removed  to  Kansas. 

Nathaniel  -C.  Bargar  was  born  June  24,  1808,  in  Put- 
nam Valley,  New  York,  died  in  Gerry,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  16,  1859.  He  was  one  of  the  early 
pioneers  in  Chautauqua,  having  come  here  with  his 
young  wife,  driving  all  the  way  in  an  ox-cart.  He  mar- 
ried (first)  Catherine  Tompkins,  born  in  1812,  daugh- 
ter of  John  Tompkins.  She  died  Feb.  14,  1837,  at  Ellery, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  They  were  the  parents  of 
three  sons:  i.  John  D.,  born  Sept.  10,  1829,  died  June 
20,  1889,  at  Charlotte,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. ;  he 
married  Elizabeth  Lewis,  and  lived  the  greater  part  of 
his  life  on  a  farm  about  two  miles  north  of  Sinclair- 
ville;  a  son,  George  L.,  was  born  to  them  in  1847. 
George  L.,  the  son,  married  Hattie  M.  Putnam,  and 
they  had  one  son,  Allen  E.,  torn  1889,  a  graduate  of 
the  law  department.  University  of  Buffalo,  admitted  to 
the  New  York  bar,  1915,  served  overseas  in  France  with 
the  United  States  Army,  attorney  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
in  1921.  2.  Nathaniel  T.,  born  Feb.  17,  1834,  died  Jan. 
9,  1903,  at  Sinclairville,  N.  Y. ;  he  married  (first)  in  1854, 
Ruth  A.  Austin,  who  died  in  1886,  leaving  twin  daugh- 
ters, Jennie  and  Jentie,  born  in  1866;  he  married  (sec- 
ond) Ella  Tyrrell,  who  survived  her  husband  a  few  years. 

3.  Lowrec  D.,  born  Feb.  7,  1837;  he  enlisted  during  the 
Civil  War,  fought  with  the  iS4th  Regiment,  was  cap- 
tured and  died  in  Libby  Prison ;  he  married  Sarah  Van 
Wert,  and  had  a  son,  Seth,  born  in  1861.  Nathaniel  C. 
Bargar  married  (second)  Tamar  Tompkins,  a  sister  of 
his  first  wife,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  five  children : 

4.  Emory  O.,  born  May  2,  1838,  died  in  Sinclairville, 
N.  Y.,  July  16,  1885;  married  Cynthia  J.  McCullough, 
and  they  had  six  sons  and  a  daughter ;  Emory  O.  Bar- 
gar was  proprietor  of  a  drug  store  in  Sinclairville,  which 
after  his  death  passed  to  his  six  sons  :  John  M.  C,  who 
was  well  educated,  a  musician,  and  prominent  in  church 
and  community  life  at  Springville,  N.  Y. ;  Edgar  N.,  a 
wealthy  business  man  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y. ;  Emery  J.,  Floyd 
L.,  Clayton  T.,  Victor  H.  Ethel  is  the  name  of  his 
daughter.  5.  Mary  A.,  born  1840,  died  1845.  6.  Martha 
J.,  born  1843,  died  1845.    7.  Elias  C,  of  further  mention. 

8.  Westoby,  born  Sept.  8,  1851,  died  in  Eskeridge,  Kan., 
Oct.  20,  1884 ;  was  a  well  known  merchant  of  that  town. 

9.  Lewis  C,  died  aged  sixteen  years. 

Elias  C.  Bargar  was  born  May  19,  1846,  in  the  town 
of  Gerry,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  until  1891  was 
a  farmer  of  that  town.  In  that  year  he  moved  to  James- 
town, where  he  later  engaged  in  the  grocery  business, 
continuing  until  1905,  when  he  retired  and  continued  to 
reside  in  Jamestown.  From  1908  to  1910  Mr.  Bargar 
served  in  the  City  Council  as  alderman  from  his  ward, 
and  still  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  public  affairs. 

Elias  C.  Bargar  married  (first)  in  1870,  -Mice  E.  Tot- 
man  (see  Totman),  born  in  the  town  of  Pomfret,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  March  4.   1851,  died  Jan.   i,  1906, 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


in  Jamestown.  Mrs.  Bargar  was  a  woman  of  refinement, 
with  marked  literan.-  ability,  fluent  of  speech  and  ready 
of  pen.  Unselfish,  loyal  and  womanly,  she  was  to  her 
children  a  faithful  counselor  and  guide,  and  they  "rise 
up  and  call  her  blessed."  She  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Jamestown,  the  James- 
town Political  Equality  Cluh,  and  Union  Grange,  Patrons 
of  Husbandry,  being  an  officer  of  the  two  last  named 
organizations  at  the  time  of  her  death.  Elias  C.  Bargar 
married  (second)  lOoS,  Elnora  King  (Bowen)  in  James- 
town. Elias  C.  and  .\lice  E.  (Totman)  Bargar  were  the 
parents  of  five  children:  i.  Lewis  T.,  born  Feb.  l6, 
1S75,  resides  in  Jamestown,  a  machinist;  he  married,  in 
190:;.  Elizabeth  Rogers,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  eight 
children ;  Lewis  T.,  Jr.,  born  April  12,  1903 ;  Thomas  D., 
born  Feb.  9,  1905;  John  C,  born  March  22,  1907;  Mary 
A.,  bom  July  20,  1909;  Clarence  E.,  born  1911,  died 
1914:  G.  Arthur,  born  July  9,  1914;  Roger,  born  Oct. 
23,  1916;  Lawrence  ^L,  born  Oct.  12,  1920.  2.  Daniel 
T.,  bom  May  23,  1S77,  died  Dec.  13,  1905,  a  graduate  of 
Jam.estown  High  School,  class  of  1899;  his  death  in 
young  manhood  was  a  great  shock  and  loss  to  his  family ; 
he  was  a  man  of  lofty  ideals  and  keen  mind,  as  was 
evidenced  in  all  that  he  undertook;  at  the  time  of  his 
death  he  was  engaged  as  a  partner  in  the  grocer>'  busi- 
ness with  his  brother  Crawford  K.  3.  Crawford  N.,  of 
further  mention.  4.  Mary  A.,  of  further  mention.  5. 
Alice  E..  born  .-Vugust  7,  1882,  died  Jan.  30,  1884. 

Crawford  X.  Bargar  was  born  June  4,  1878,  in  Gerry, 
X.  Y.  After  receiving  a  sound  education  in  the  James- 
town public  and  high  schools,  he  entered  the  grocery 
business  as  an  employee  in  his  father's  store,  remaining 
in  such  capacity  for  eight  years,  when  he  with  his 
brother,  Daniel  T.,  purchased  their  father's  interest. 
This  partnership  was  continued  for  two  years  until 
Daniel  T.  Barger's  death,  after  which  time  Crawford  N. 
Bargar  resumed  business  alone  for  the  subsequent  seven 
years.  In  January,  191 1,  he  became  manager  of  the  S. 
M.  Flickinger  Company,  Inc.,  wholesale  grocers  of 
Jame;town,  a  position  he  continues  to  the  present  time. 
Mr.  Bargar  is  a  director  of  the  S.  M.  Flickinger  Com- 
pany, Inc.,  the  Flickinger  Stores,  Inc.,  the  Empire 
Worsted  Mills,  the  Bank  of  Jamestown,  and  the  Pren- 
dergast  Building  Company.  He  is  a  member  of  Mt. 
Moriah  I^dge,  Xo.  145,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons; 
Western  Sun  Chapter,  No.  67,  Royal  Arch  Masons; 
Jamestown  Commandery,  No.  61,  Knights  Templar,  and 
the  Crescent  I-.odge,  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  also  rs 
affiliated  with  Union  Grange,  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  Kiwanis  Club,  the  Norden  Club,  and  active 
in  the  Board  of  Commerce.  He  is  a  progressive,  public- 
spirited  citizen,  always  ready  to  "lend  a  hand"  in  f\irthcr- 
ing  any  cause  in  his  community. 

He  married,  in  Jamestown,  April  28,  1917,  May  H. 
Sellstrom,  daughter  of  Fabian  and  Emily  E.  (Lundberg) 
Sellitrom  Csee  Sellstrom).  Mrs.  Bargar  is  a  woman  of 
culture  and  refinement  with  musical  talent.  She  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Jamestown  High  School,  1904,  and  of 
the  Sherwood  Music  School,  Chicago,  III.  Mrs.  Bargar 
ha^>  ap[;eared  in  concert  work  in  both  Chicago  and  Chau- 
tau'i'ia.  While  in  Chicago  she  was  a  member  of  the 
Amateur  Musical  Club.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Mozart 
Club,  Union  Grange,  Ladies'  Auxiliary  of  the  Norden 
Club,  and  the  Northsidc  Sunshine   Club.     Mrs.   Bargar 


was  once  president  of  the  Campaign  Club  of  Jamestown, 
an  organization  that  was  instrumental  in  the  suffrage 
movement  of  Chautauqua  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bargar 
are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Robert  Sellstrom  Bargar, 
born  August  8,  1010.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bargar  are  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church. 

Mary  A.  Bargar  is  one  of  Jamestown's  best  known 
women,  and  has  been  prominently  in  the  public  eye  for 
several  years  as  teacher  and  public  official,  her  three 
years  in  the  office  of  city  clerk  bringing  her  forward. 
Her  political  career  has  been  unmarred  as  yet  by  defeat, 
even  though  in  a  city  where  nothing  without  a  Repub- 
lican label  can  survive,  she  made  her  entrance  as  a  candi- 
date on  the  Prohibition  ticket  and  was  elected  over  her 
Republican  competitor,  and  so  acceptably  served  her 
term  that  two  years  later  she  carried  the  Republican 
primary  and  was  reelected  at  the  March  election,  1920. 
Mary  A.  Bargar  was  born  May  20,  1879.  She  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools,  finishing  with  graduation 
from  Jamestown  High  School,  class  of  1899.  The  four 
years  following  graduation,  she  taught  in  the  James- 
town grade  schools,  then  entered  Syracuse  University, 
whence  she  was  graduated,  class  of  1910.  The  next 
eight  years  Miss  Bargar  spent  in  teaching,  three  years 
in  high  school  at  Gloversville,  N.  Y.,  two  years  in  high 
school  at  Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.,  and  three  years  in 
Jamestown  High  School.  In  March,  1918,  she  was 
elected  city  clerk  of  Jamestown,  which  position  she  holds 
at  the  present  time.  She  is  interested  in  many  of  James- 
town's organizations,  social,  charitable  and  religious,  and 
is  a  woman  of  fine  quality,  her  public  service  being  of 
most  efficient  and  praiseworthy  character.  She  is  a 
member  of  the  First  Methodist  Church. 

(The    Totman    Line). 

There  were  four  of  the  Totman  brothers:  Abijah, 
Daniel,  Harvey,  and  Joshua,  sons  of  Joshua  Totman,  who 
was  also  a  son  of  a  Joshua  Totman,  born  in  1751  ;  two 
of  these  sons  were  by  a  first  wife  of  the  father,  and  two 
by  the  second  wife.  Abijah  Totman,  the  eldest  brother, 
was  born  about  the  year  1800,  and  in  1826  married  Betsey 

,  aged  twenty-five  years.    They  were  the  parents  of 

nine  children:  Levi,  David,  Edscl,  Julia,  Phoebe,  Esther, 
George,  Perry,  and  Sophia,  all  deceased,  the  last  sur- 
vivor dying  in  1920.  Harvey  Totman,  the  third  brother, 
had  two  sons.  Joshua  Totman,  the  fourth  son,  had  a 
son,  Joshua  (2),  whose  son,  Roy  Totman,  now  resides 
in  Cassadaga,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 

Daniel  Totman,  the  second  brother,  was  born  April  8, 
181 1,  died  June  27,  1880.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  char- 
acter and  high  ideals,  his  early  life  a  fitting  e.xample  to 
his  children,  and  his  influence  in  his  community  always 
for  good.  He  married  Elvira  P.  Fisher,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  two  children:  Stephen  D.  and  Alice  E. 
Stephen  D.  Totman,  born  May  26,  1846,  married  and  left 
three  children:  George,  born  1879,  married  Flossie  A. 
Poiie,  and  died  Feb.  15,  1912;  Franklin  D.,  born  1880, 
married  Emily  Adell  Webber,  who  died  in  1900;  Alice 
E.,  born   1885,  married  Leslie  S.  Wood. 

Alice  E.  Totman,  only  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Elvira 
P.  fFisher)  Totman,  was  born  March  4,  1851,  in  the 
town  of  Pomfret,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  died  in 
Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  in  1906.  She  was  educated  in  the 
district    schools,    Gainesville    Seminary,   and   Jamestown 


(L^^:!dyt,C(yt^    CC.     c\tL 


T^y^^ln^ 


1 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


533 


High  School,  and  before  her  marriage  she  taught  school. 
In  1870  she  married  Elias  C.  Bargar,  of  previous  men- 
tion in  this  review,  and  for  twenty  years  thereafter  their 
home  was  on  the  farm  in  Gerry,  Chautauqua  county,  and 
their  five  children  were  born  there. 


Mr.  Lenna  was  married  in  Johnsonburg,  Pa.,  in  1903, 
to  Hilda  M.  Nordstrom,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
three  children :     Harry  A.,  Reginald  A.,  and  Helen   M. 


OSCAR  A.  LENNA — Like  many  other  prominent 
business  men  of  Chautauqua  county,  Oscar  A.  Lenna  is 
of  Swedish  birth,  having  been  born  April  16,  1876,  at 
Helsingborg,  a  seaport  of  Sweden,  where  he  spent  his 
youth.  At  the  early  age  of  seven  it  became  necessary 
for  him  to  seek  employment  away  from  home  to  assist 
a  widowed  mother  with  two  younger  children  to  support ; 
he,  however,  attended  school  five  winters,  and  at  the 
age  of  twelve  was  prepared  to  enter  high  school,  but 
instead  he  continued  to  work  away  from  home  to  assist 
his  mother. 

In  1894  he  came  to  United  States,  arriving  at  the 
port  of  New  York,  and  immediately  went  to  Ridgway, 
Elk  county.  Pa.,  where  he  worked  in  the  lumber  woods 
for  about  two  years ;  for  Several  years  after  that  he 
worked  in  the  steel  mills  at  South  Chicago,  111.,  Niles  and 
Hazelton,  Ohio ;  he  then  engaged  in  the  hotel  business 
at  Johnsonburg,  Elk  county.  Pa.,  and  continued  there 
until  1904,  when  he  moved  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and 
entered  the  wholesale  liquor  business.  In  1914  he  began 
an  active  career  as  a  manufacturer — organized  the 
Jamestown  Car  Parts  Manufacturing  Company,  which 
concern  was  incorporated  in  August  of  that  year,  and  is 
now  capitalized  at  $500,000.  The  company  manufac- 
tures automobile,  truck,  and  tractor  radiators  and  other 
car-parts.  Mr.  Lenna  has  been  its  president  from  the 
beginning.  A  factory  was  rented  at  first  where  sixty 
people  were  employed.  The  expansion  of  the  business, 
however,  soon  made  a  larger  plant  necessary  and  a  site 
was  purchased  on  Allen  street  extension,  where  a  large 
factory  was  erected  in  1917  and  occupied  in  December 
of  that  year.  From  the  very  outset  this  company  has 
been  ably  managed  and  has  had  a  prosperous  career,  Mr. 
Lenna  giving  it  his  personal  attention,  and  it  is  among 
the  leading  manufacturing  concerns  of  the  city  of  James- 
town. 

In  June,  1920,  Mr.  Lenna,  with  several  other  promi- 
nent business  men  of  the  city  of  Jamestown,  incorporated 
the  Jamestown  Malleable  Products  Corporation,  which 
concern  was  capitalized  at  $500,000.00  and  is  now  erect- 
ing a  large  plant,  and  when  plans  are  completed  will  be 
one  of  Jamestown's  largest  industries ;  since  its  incor- 
poration Mr.  Lenna  has  been  its  president.  Mr.  Lenna 
is  also  a  director  of  the  Union  Trust  Company  of  James- 
town, N.  Y.,  and  has  other  business  interests  of  impor- 
tance ;  in  fact,  is  one  of  the  prominent  and  well  known 
figures  in  Jamestown's  business  aflfairs. 

The  rise  of  Mr.  Lenna  in  business,  and  as  a  well 
known,  esteemed  and  honored  citizen  has  been  indeed 
remarkable  and  can  be  attributed  to  these  essential  quali- 
fications— an  energetic  and  careful  well  trained  business 
man,  and  a  genial  personality  of  the  kind  that  makes 
friends;  in  fact,  in  every  respect  he  is  a  self-made  man. 
Mr.  Lenna  is  a  member  of  several  of  the  leading  clubs  of 
the  city  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y. ;  is  also  a  Mason,  and  a 
member  of  other  leading  fraternal  societies. 


MAJOR  AUGUSTE  BARTHOLDI  PETERSON. 

native  of  Jamestovifn,  is  by  profession  an  attorney,  and 
by  practice  a  soldier  of  honorable,  indeed  notable,  war 
record. 

He  was  born  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  8,  1888,  the  son 
of  Edward  A.  and  Edith  (Kirkpatrick)  Peterson,  the 
former  a  much  esteemed  resident  of  that  city,  where  for 
so  many  years  he  was  one  of  its  leading  merchants. 
Mrs.  Edith  (Kirkpatrick)  Peterson  died  while  her  son, 
Auguste  Bartholdi,  was  still  an  infant.  He  received  his 
academic  education  wholly  in  local  schools,  attending  the 
Jamestown  Grammar  School  for  primary  instruction, 
and  in  1908  graduated  from  the  Jamestown  High  School. 
Deciding  upon  law  as  a  profession,  he  then  entered  the 
Albany  Law  School  of  Union  University,  and  in  1912 
was  graduated  therefrom  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor 
of  Laws.  After  serving  a  clerkship  of  one  year  with 
one  of  the  leading  law  firms  of  Jamestown,  Auguste  B. 
Peterson  established  himself  in  independent  practice  in 
Jamestown,  and  gave  indications  of  an  alert  mind,  a 
good  understanding  of  law,  and  a  readiness  of  expres- 
sion which  promised  well  for  his  success  in  his  future 
practice  at  the  legal  bar. 

Of  course,  when  the  national  emergency  came  in  1917, 
all  private  interests  became  secondary,  and  the  men  of 
professions,  important  and  unimportant,  and  the  men 
of  business,  employer  as  well  as  employed,  stood  pre- 
pared to  cease  their  civilian  occupations  when  the 
national  call  came.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  national  call 
came  to  Major  Peterson  quite  a  while  before  the  entry 
of  the  United  States  into  the  World  War.  He  was  pro- 
bation officer  of  Jamestown  at  the  time  National  Guard 
regiments  were  federalized  in  1916  to  proceed  to  the 
Mexican  border  because  of  the  trouble  with  Mexico,  and 
when  the  local  company  of  the  New  York  State  National 
Guard  was  mustered  into  the  Federal  forces.  Attorney 
Peterson  set  aside  his  personal  and  professional  affairs, 
and  took  his  military  post  of  junior  command,  first  lieu- 
tenant of  the  Jamestown  unit.  That  was  on  July  i,  1916. 
Proceeding  to  the  Mexican  border.  Lieutenant  Peterson 
was  detailed  to  headquarters  company  and  had  full  charge 
of  all  the  signalling  of  the  corral  and  of  the  mounted 
scouts  and  orderlies,  and  detailed  to  act  as  adjutant  of 
the  second  battalion,  in  addition  to  his  company  duties 
with  his  own  unit.  Company  E.  In  February,  1916,  the 
New  York  National  Guard  units  returned  to  their  home 
stations,  and  were  mustered  out  of  the  Federal  service, 
but  scarcely  a  month  had  passed  before  another  call  came 
from  Washington  for  the  federalization  of  State  Na- 
tional Guard  units,  this  time  because  of  the  grave  and 
almost  certain  involvement  of  the  United  States  in  the 
World  War.  On  March  28,  1917,  Lieutenant  Peterson 
was  mustered  into  the  Federal  service,  and  left  with 
his  company  on  Easter  Sunday,  April  8,  1917,  for  Silver 
Creek  for  guard  duty.  He  was  later  detailed  back  to 
Jamestown  on  recruiting  duty,  and  on  August  13,  1917, 
left  for  Buffalo  with  a  detachment  of  eighty  recruits. 
On  Sept.  29,  1917,  he,  with  former  New  York  State  Na- 


534 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


tional  Guard  units,  left  Buffalo  for  Camp  Wadsworth, 
Spartansburg,  S.  C.  While  there  he  was  trans- 
ferred from  Gimpany  E  to  Company  C,  and  detailed  as 
assistant  judge  advocate  of  the  General  Court  of  the 
division.  On  Jan.  31,  191S,  he  was  detailed  to  Aurora, 
111.,  there  to  take  a  special  course  in  cipher  and  code, 
and  upon  his  return  to  Camp  Wadsworth  was  detailed 
to  the  office  of  the  chief  of  staff  of  the  27th  Division, 
as  instructor  in  this  work.  Shortly  afterwards,  on  May 
16,  1018,  he  sailed  for  France.  The  glorious  record  of 
the  J7th  Division  in  France  is  too  well  known  to  make 
necessary  a  reviewing  herein  of  its  achievements,  and  it 
will  suffice  if  the  writer  adheres  strictly  in  this  article 
to  a  recounting  of  Major  Peterson's  part  in  the  work  of 
that  division,  which  brought  fame  to  itself  and  to  \\ 
American  -\rmy  and  Nation,  particularly  by  its  thrilling 
achievement  of  piercing  the  supposedly  impregnable 
Hindenburg  Lijie.  Major  Peterson  was  intelligence 
officer  of  the  division,  and  as  such  had  to  constantly 
follow  the  fighting,  and  as  is  well  known  the  27th  Divi- 
sion had  to  endure  some  of  the  most  desperate  fighting 
of  the  war.  He  was  in  three  major  battles :  At  the 
Hindenburg  Line,  near  Bony,  Sept.  29,  1918;  at  La  Selie 
River,  near  St.  Souplet,  Oct.  17,  1918;  and  at  Jonc  de 
Mer  Ridge,  near  .\rbie  Guernon,  Oct.  18,  1918.  And  he 
was  present  at  the  following  engagements :  Vierstratt 
Ridge,  near  Mount  Kemmel,  Sept.  2,  1918 ;  at  the  Knoll, 
Guilmont  Farm,  and  Quennemont  Farm,  Sept.  27,  1918; 
and  at  St.  Maurice  River,  near  Catillon,  Oct.  19,  igi8: 
and  also  in  minor  actions  at  the  East  Poperinghe  Line, 
July  9  to  August  20,  1918,  and  in  the  Dickeburch  sector, 
August  21  to  30,  1918. 

Major  Peterson's  work  as  intelligence  officer  was  ap- 
parently meritorious,  as  the  following  citations  indicate : 

Headquarters,   27th   Division,  U.  S.  A., 

A.  E.   F.,  in  France.  Jan.  11.  1918. 

1.  I  recommend  that  Captain  Auguste  B.  Peterson, 
assistant  chief  of  staff  of  this  division,  be  appointed  a 
(reneral  staff  officer.  This  officer  has  mo.st  satisfactor- 
ily performed  general  staff  duty,  as  G-2  in  this  divi- 
sion, for  the  past  four  months,  part  of  which  service 
was  rendered  during  active  operations.  He  has  demon- 
strated special  qualifications  for  the  duties  performed 
by  him.  Captain  Peterson  pos.sesses  the  bearing, 
habits,  and  manner  which  an  officer  should  possess 
to  refiect  credit  upon  the  general  staff.  He  Is  thor- 
oufrh  In  his  work,  quiet  and  unassuming  in  manner, 
enert''-tlc  and  resourceful  In  the  performance  of  duty. 
I  am  Informed  that  at  the  staff  college  at  Longres,  Brlt- 
l?h  ofticer.s  who  have  lectured  on  Intelligence  work, 
have  noticed  and  recommended,  as  an  example,  the 
intelligence  work  of  this  division  during  operatione 
If  so.  credit  is  due  to  Captain   Peterson. 

2.  The  prohibition  of  further  promotion  prevented 
the   promotion   of   this  officer   to   the   grade   of  major. 

JOHN  F.   O'RYAN. 

Major-General. 

Eventually,  however,  the  arbitrary  order  of  the  gen- 
eral staff  prohibiting  further  promotion  of  officers  after 
Nov.  II,  1918,  the  date  of  the  signing  of  the  armistice, 
was  withdrawn,  and  Auguste  B.  Peterson,  who  had  been 
promoted  to  a  captaincy  on  Oct.  15,  1918,  was  promoted 
to  the  grade  of  major  in  February,  1919,  having  served 
a?  acting  chief  of  staff  throughout  tlie  stay  of  the  divi- 
sion in  France. 

Further  evidence  of  the  value  of  Captain  Peterson's 
services  to  the  division  is  contained  in  the  general  report 
of  the  division  commander.  The  following  is  extracted 
from  the   section   regarding  intelligence  work: 


The  foregoing  comments  would  be  incomplete  with- 
out recognition  of  the  marked  efficiency  of  Captain 
Auguste  B.  Peterson,  Div.  intelligence  olBcer,  by  rea- 
son of  whose  services  you  had  a  valuable  assistant, 
and  whose  charge  of  the  intelligence  work  during  the 
La  Selie  River  operations  was  marked  by  a  high 
order  of  excellence. 

Again,  the  official  citation  of  Captain  Peterson,  by 
Major-General  O'Ryan,  dated  Feb.  18,  1919,  reads: 

Captain  Auguste  B.  Peterson,  G-2  division  head- 
quarters. For  exceptionally  efficient  and  meritorious 
service,  as  intelligence  officer  of  the  division,  during 
the  periods  of  operations  in  Belgium  and  France.  The 
work  of  this  officer  was  frequently  commented  upon, 
for  its  special  value,  by  officers  of  our  own  and  Brit- 
ish armies. 

UNITED  STATES  ARMY  CITATION— Major  Auguste 
B.  Peterson.  Intelligence  Officer,  27th  Div..  for  excep- 
tionally meritorious  and  conspicuous  services  as  intel- 
ligence otficer.  27tii  Division,  France,  American  Expe- 
ditionary Forces. 

In  testimony  thereof,  and  as  an  expression  of  appre- 
ciation of  these  services,  I  award   him   this  citation. 

Awarded  on  20th  June,  1919. 

JOHN  J.   PERSHING, 

Commander-in-Chief. 

Upon  the  return  of  Major  Peterson  to  his  native  place, 
he  was  appointed  secretary  of  the  Jamestown  Board  of 
Commerce,  and  took  hold  of  matters  with  a  zest  which 
indicates  a  true  interest  in  the  community  with  which 
his  family  has  had  such  a  long  association.  Andrew 
Peterson,  his  grandfather,  whose  life  is  elsewhere  re- 
corded in  this  work,  was  one  of  the  first  Methodist 
Episcopal  ministers  of  Jamestown.  In  February,  1920, 
Major  Peterson  resigned  his  position  as  secretary  of  the 
Board  of  Commerce  and  affiliated  himself  with  Lyman  R. 
Van  Vlach  and  Allen  E.  Bargar  for  the  practice  of  law 
under  the  partnership  name  of  Van  Vlach,  Peterson  & 
Bargar.  Major  Peterson  is  a  commander  of  the  Ameri- 
can Legion,  and  a  member  of  the  Veterans  of  Foreign 
Wars;  Distinguished  Service  Order  of  the  United  States; 
Mt.  Moriah  Lodge ;  Jamestown  Club ;  Rotary  Club,  and 
several  other  fraternal  and  civic  organizations. 

While  in  military  service  and  in  recruiting  duty  in 
Jamestown,  he  was  married  at  Chautauqua,  July  28, 
1917,  to  Clarissa  May  Starling,  of  Sandford,  Fla.,  daugh- 
ter of  B.  J.  and  Elizabeth  Starling,  of  that  place,  where 
the  former  owned  and  operated  some  fruit  farms.  Major 
and  Mrs.  Peterson  are  the  parents  of  one  son,  Robert 
Bartholdi,  born  in  Jacksonville,  Fla.  Through  her 
mother,  who  is  regent  of  the  Florida  Chapter,  Mrs. 
Peterson  belongs  to  the  Daughters  of  the  American 
Revolution,  and  also  to  the  Daughters  of  the  Con- 
federacy. 


CHARLES     AUSTIN     HANVEY,     Oph.— Since 

iCK^  Dr.  Hanvey  has  practiced  his  profession  in  James- 
town, coming  the  year  after  his  graduation  from  the 
Rochester  School  of  Optometry.  His  office  and  plant  is 
in  the  Wellman  block,  and  tiiere  eyes  are  tested,  ex- 
amined, and  prescribed  for,  the  prescriptions  now  num- 
bering seventeen  thousand,  being  filled  by  experts  who 
grind  the  glasses  to  the  requirements  of  the  prescrip- 
tion. This  latter  branch  of  his  business  was  added  by 
IJr.  llanvcy  as  a  convenience  to  his  clients,  the  time 
consumed  in  sending  work  away  and  awaiting  its  re- 
turn being  saved  by  doing  the  work  at  his  own  plant. 
OlJtometry   is   imw   rccoi^nized   as   a   sep;iratc   profession 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


535 


by  many  states,  and  New  York  has  now  joined  with 
those  states  requiring  a  four  years'  course  before  grant- 
ing the  degree  of  Oph. — Doctor  of  Optometry.  Dr. 
Hanvey  is  a  son  of  Henry  P.  and  Belle  (Lincoln)  Han- 
vey,  his  father  for  many  years  an  engineer  in  the 
employ  of  the  Erie  Railroad,  and  at  the  present  time 
(1920)  eligible  to  the  retired  list.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Han- 
vey are  the  parents  of  three  children:  Mrs.  Jennie 
Hughes,  a  widow;  Lettie,  wife  of  Eugene  Passett,  and 
Charles  Austin,  of  this  review. 

Charles  Austin  Hanvey  was  born  in  Attica,  N.  Y., 
April  4,  1880.  He  was  educated  in  Lockport  High 
School,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of 
1899.  He  was  a  student  for  one  year  in  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  Training  School  at  Chicago, 
111.,  and  after  that  course  in  physical  culture  he  entered 
the  Rochester  School  of  Optometry,  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
from  which  institution  he  was  graduated  in  the  year 
1905.  The  following  year  he  located  in  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.,  and  has  practiced  there  ever  since.  In  igi2.  Dr. 
Hanvey  received  his  degree  of  Doctor  of  Optometry  at 
the  completion  of  a  course  of  study  at  the  Philadelphia 
College  of  Optometry.  A  specialty  with  Dr.  Hanvey  is 
the  treatment  of  defective  vision  in  infant  children  with- 
out subjecting  them  to  the  pain  and  risk  of  an  opera- 
tion. Numbers  of  children  have  been  treated  and  their 
vision  corrected  by  optometrists  without  an  operation, 
children  who  were  crosseyed  or  their  eyes  defective 
from  the  time  of  their  birth,  and  this  method  of  treat- 
ment has  thus  demonstrated  its  value,  and  to  this  branch 
Dr.  Hanvey  is  giving  his  closest  attention.  Dr.  Hanvey 
is  a  member  of  the  American  and  New  York  State  Op- 
tometric  societies ;  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge,  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons,  and  from  that  base  has  built  his  Masonic 
membership  in  the  Ancient  Accepted  Scottish  Rite,  be- 
ing affiliated  with  Jamestown  Lodge  of  Perfection; 
Jamestown  Council,  Princes  of  Jerusalem,  and  Buffalo 
Consistory.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Mt.  Tabor  Lodge 
and  Chautauqua  Encampment,  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows. 

Dr.  Hanvey  married,  Aug.  10,  1919,  Mabel  M.  May- 
bee,  daughter  of  Frank  and  Catherine  Maybee,  of 
Jamestown. 


JEROME  BONAPARTE  FISHER  was  perhaps 
the  most  brilliant  and  conspicuous  figure  of  Western 
New  York  in  public  life  during  the  last  generation. 
Upon  his  death  (June  18,  1919)  Chautauqua  county 
mourned  the  loss  of  a  favorite  and  distinguished  son. 
No  citizen  of  this  county  since  Governor  Reuben  E. 
Fenton  was  so  widely  known  and  honored  throughout 
the  United  States. 

His  public  career  and  service  started  in  early  man- 
hood. He  was  twice  elected  county  judge  of  Chautau- 
qua county  and  served  for  fourteen  years  as  Supreme 
Court  reporter  of  New  York  State.  Before  giving  the 
data  of  Judge  Fisher's  life  and  achievements,  we  will 
present  the  picture  of  the  man,  as  drawn  in  the  editorials 
written  and  eulogies  delivered  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
by  men  who  knew  him  intimatelj'. 

As  a  lawyer,  Judge  Fisher  was  a  brilliant  and  skillful 
advocate,  and  a  counsellor  of  rare  judgment.  He  was 
for  years  the  conceded  leader  of  the  Chautauqua  county 
bar,  and  engaged  in  most  of  the  important  litigations. 


He  was  a  man  of  strong  character  and  integrity,  and 
of  keen  and  forceful  intellect.  He  had  deep  reverence 
for  the  law.  He  presided  as  county  judge  with  dignity 
and  courtesy,  "his  sense  of  justice,  tempered  with 
mercy,  enabled  him  to  determine  questions  affecting 
persons  with  humaneness,  and  of  property  with  strict 
impartiality." 

As  orator,  public  speaker  and  campaigner,  he  won  a 
national  reputation.  He  read  extensively  and  was  a 
student  of  history,  economics  and  politics,  as  well  as  of 
men  and  passing  events.  He  had  delivered  speeches  and 
addresses  on  patriotic,  political  and  public  occasions,  at 
memorial  services,  or  at  social  gatherings  in  nearly 
every  State  of  the  Union.  He  possessed  a  voice  of 
unusual  range  and  of  rare  richness  and  appeal.  No 
jury  or  audience  long  resisted  the  charm  and  magnetism 
of  his  personality.  Patriotic  and  public-spirited  in  the 
highest  degree,  on  many  occasions  he  aroused  his  audi- 
ences to  patriotic  fervor  or  civic  duty  by  his  own  en- 
thusiasm and  sincerity,  by  the  inspiration  of  his  high 
ideals  of  service  and  love  of  country,  and  by  the  magic 
of  his  words  and  golden  voice.  From  early  manhood 
an  active  and  ardent  Republican  in  politics,  he  engaged 
in  many  important  State  and  National  campaigns.  In 
igoS  he  traveled  with  William  H.  Taft  in  his  successful 
campaign  for  the  presidency.  He  was  also  with  Frank 
W.  Higgins  in  his  campaign  for  governor  in  1909.  He 
has  been  described  as  "one  of  the  truly  great  cam- 
paigners of  his  time." 

He  also  possessed  that  rare  ability  of  extemporane- 
ous response,  a  fund  of  anecdotes,  an  ever  ready  sense 
of  humor,  which  made  him  an  ideal  toastmaster  and 
after  dinner  speaker,  and  with  which  he  delighted  and 
enlivened  many  a  formal  banquet  and  social  gathering. 
Judge  Henry  A.  Melvin,  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Cali- 
fornia, said  of  Judge  Fisher : 

He  was  a  wonderful  man;  he  was  an  orator  in  the 
hifjhest  sense  of  that  much  abused  term.  I  have  heard 
him  called  by  a  brother  that  loved  him  "an  old-fash- 
ioned orator."  not  meaning  by  that  that  his  methods 
were  antiquated,  but  that  ver>'  few  of  our  modern 
orators  made  use  of  so  brilliant  phrases  combined 
with  the  graces  of  diction  that  were  the  very  courtesy 
of  speech. 

While  his  addresses  and  speeches  were  numerous,  and 
although  he  responded  unselfishly  to  repeated  demands 
for  his  services  as  a  speaker,  at  great  personal  and 
financial  loss,  he  possessed  little  egotism,  and  but  few 
of  his  speeches  and  addresses  have  been  preserved.  One 
of  them,  his  address  on  "The  Life  and  Works  of 
Reuben  E.  Fenton,"  delivered  at  the  centennial  cele- 
bration of  Chautauqua  county,  may  be  found  in  the 
"Centennial  History."  This  work  was  a  labor  of  love, 
for  as  a  young  lawyer  Mr.  Fisher  attracted  the  atten- 
tion and  gained  the  friendship  of  Governor  Fenton,  who 
named  him  as  one  of  his  executors. 

For  fifty-five  years  Judge  Fisher  lived  in  Jamestown. 
He  had  known  many  of  the  pioneers  of  the  county  and 
was  intimately  acquainted  with  the  early  history  of  this 
region.  He  took  keen  interest  and  active  part  in  the 
growth  and  development  of  his  city,  and  was  perhaps 
never  happier  than  when  giving  expression  to  his  pride 
in  Jamestown,  and  in  describing  the  beauty  and  grandeur 
of  Chautauqua  county  and  the  Empire  State. 

In  spite  of  his  brilliant  attainments  and  public  career, 
Judge  Fisher  will  undoubtedly  be  longest  and  best  re- 


536 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


membered  by  the  present  generation  as  a  friend.  He 
possessed  in  surpassing  degree  those  generous  qualities 
of  mind  and  lieart.  of  loyalty  and  ready  sympatliy,  which 
win  and  retain  friendship.  He  took  a  deep  interest  in 
fraiernalism  and  was  especially  devoted  to  the  Benevo- 
lent and  Patriotic  Order  of  Elks,  for  its  principles  and 
its  patriotic  and  charitable  service  especially  appealed 
to  him.  In  tlie  national  councils  of  that  order  he  was 
"a  leader  among  leaders."  He  had  been  elected  grand 
exalted  ruler  of  the  national  order  and  in  that  capacity, 
in  looi.  instituted  a  lodge  at  Honolulu.  Hawaii.  During 
the  World  War,  in  addition  to  the  inestitnable  service 
which  he  performed  in  his  own  community  in  moulding 
public  opinion  and  arousing  patriotism  by  his  voice  and 
commanding  influence.  Judge  Fisher  found  opportunity 
for  great  service  as  a  member  of  the  national  "Elks' 
War  Relief  Commission."  This  commission  constructed 
two  large  hospitals  and  performed  general  work  in  the 
relief  and  service  of  maimed  and  sick  soldiers  and 
sailors. 

Following  Judge  Fisher's  death  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
the  National  Order  of  Elks  in  convention  at  Atlantic 
City  by  resolution  set  aside  the  hour  of  il:oo  A.  M., 
Wednesday,  July  9,  1919,  for  a  special  memorial  service 
to  testify  to  his  wonderful  personality  and  public  service, 
and  to  express  the  admiration  and  esteem,  and  the  sense 
of  bereavement  felt  by  the  half  million  members  of  that 
order  at  his  death.  The  services  conducted  and  the 
eulogies  there  delivered  by  distinguishd  men  were 
printed  in  a  beautiful  brochure.  Space  will  permit  but 
brief  extract  therefrom  and  we  choose  certain  passages 
which  accurately  and  intimately  describe  Judge  Fisher's 
creed  of  life  and  the  personal  side  of  his  character: 

He  loved  and  served  his  fellowmen  who  in  their  turn 
rewarded  his  great  genius  with  their  highest  honors. 
He  enriched  himself  with  riches  surpassing  price  by 
enriching  humanity  with  his  golden  gifts.  His  chiv- 
alric  kindness  knew  no  caste  or  creed.  Earth's  dreary 
places  he  gladdened  wherever  he  found  them.     •      •     • 

He  believed  in  the  fatherhood  of  God  and  the  broth- 
erhood of  man;  in  the  religion  of  love  and  the  gospel 
of  good  works:  that  "above  all  sects  is  truth,  above 
all  nations  is  humanity."  He  believed  that  all  the 
sons  of  men  are  sons  of  God.  He  sympathized  with 
human  frailties  and  human  sufferings.  He  felt  that 
the  man  who  scatters  flowers  in  the  pathway  of  his 
fellowmen.  who  lets  into  tlie  dark  places  of  life  the 
sunshine  of  human  sympathy  and  human  helpfulness 
is  following  in  the  footsteps  of  the  Master.  He  be- 
lieved that  "we  rise  by  raising  others,  and  he  who 
stoops  above   the  fallen   stands   erect." 

From  his  earliest  youth  until  almost  his  last  day, 
■whether  in  the  athletic  arena  of  the  high  school  or 
university.  In  the  courts,  on  the  platform,  in  fraternal 
clr'le  or  in  patriotic  endeavor,  his  was  the  strenuous 
career.  Not  alone  as  .an  inspiring  exemplar  of  the 
highest  citizenship,  but  as  a  .iurist  of  learning  and 
probity,  a.s  an  orator  of  compelling  power  and  ardent 
Americanism,  a.s  an  after  dinner  speaker  whose  wit 
and  humor  made  every  occasion  which  he  graced  a 
real  delight,  and  above  all  as  an  unselfish  and  faithful 
friend,  he  will  be  long  remembered.     •     •     • 

His  Amerieanism  was  an  Inspiration  to  all  who 
knew  him.  His  patriotism  was  as  pure  as  the  red 
blood  which  pulsed  from  his  pure  heart.  And  he  was 
at  his  very  best  when  he  was  giving  expression  in  his 
own  eloquent  style  to  his  sentiments  of  loyalty  and 
love    of   country    which    were    a    part    of    his    very    life 

Personal  .association  with  .Judge  Fisher  was  a  delight 
He  maintain''!  the  vivacity  and  enthusiasm  of  youth, 
for  lie  grew  old  only  In  years.  His  keen  wit.  ever 
without  a  sting:  his  sense  of  humor:  his  gentleness 
and  '■onslderatlon;  his  geniality,  and  his  real  affection 
for  all  h\■^  associates,  made  him  a  lea<]lng  spirit  In 
every    g.atherlng. 

HI"  pride  In  the  beautiful  wife  of  his  youth  and  In 
hl»*  stalwart  sons  was  efpjalled  only  by  his  e.'igemess 
to  make  sacrlflces  In  their  behalf.     For  many  years  he 


represented  professionally  the  largest  corporate  Inter- 
ests of  his  community,  but  this  never  gave  to  hia 
nature  a  sordid  taint,  and  throughout  his  active  life 
he  seemed  never  to  seek  or  care  for  wealth.  Perhaps 
this  is  one  of  the  secrets  of  his  hold  upon  the  affec- 
tions of  his  fellow-men  and  especially  of  his  profes- 
sional brethren  who  find  in  his  career  a  demonstration 
that 

A  good  name  is  rather  to  be  chosen  than  great 
riches:  and  loving  favor  than  silver  and  gold. 

And  long  after  his  brilliant  talents,  his  acquired 
accomplishments,  and  his  professional  and  civic  emi- 
nence shall  be  only  pleasant  memories,  the  large  heart- 
edness,  the  willing  service,  and  the  gift  of  kindness  of 
Jerome  B.   Fisher  will   keep  his  memory  beloved. 

Jerome  Bonaparte  Fisher,  the  son  of  Jerome  B.  and 
Polly  (Martin)  Fisher,  was  born  Feb.  13,  1851,  at  Rus- 
sell. \\'arren  county.  Pa.,  in  the  foothills  of  the  Alle- 
ghcnies.  Until  thirteen  years  old  he  lived  at  Russell, 
attending  the  public  schools  of  Pennsylvania.  His  fam- 
ily then  moved  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  where  he  attended 
the  public  schools,  graduating  from  the  Union  School 
and  Collegiate  Institute  in  1872.  After  that  he  attended 
Cornell  University  for  two  years,  taking  an  optional 
course.  He  taught  school  four  years  before  going  to 
college,  and  during  vacations  worked  on  a  farm  and 
with  his  father  in  lumbering  and  rafting  on  the  Alle- 
gheny river.  While  at  Cornell  he  stood  high  in  his 
studies,  was  captain  of  the  baseball  nine  and  rowed  on 
the  college  crew. 

He  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Bootey  & 
Fowler,  at  Jamestown,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
of  New  York  State  in  1878.  He  started  practice  with 
Marvin  Smith,  under  the  firm  name  of  Smith  &  Fisher. 
In  August,  1881,  he  became  junior  partner  of  the  firm  of 
Cook,  Lockwood  &  Fisher.  In  1S83.  Mr.  Lockwood  hav- 
ing retired.  Arthur  C.  Wade  was  admitted  to  partner- 
ship, and  the  firm  name  became  Cook,  Fisher  &  Wade. 
This  partnership  continued  until  the  death  of  Judge 
Cook,  in  July,  1805.  Later  that  year  M.  R.  Stevenson 
entered  the  firm,  the  firm  name  being  changed  to  Fisher, 
Wade  &  Stevenson. 

In  1S96,  .Mr.  Fisher  was  the  unanimous  choice  of  the 
Republican  party  convention  for  county  judge,  and  was 
elected  the  following  November  by  a  majority  of  7,000. 
He  was  reijlected  county  judge  in  1902,  but  resigned  in 
the  fall  of  1905  to  accept  appointment  as  Supreme  Court 
reporter  of  the  State  of  New  York,  an  appointment 
made  by  the  justices  of  the  Appellate  Divisions  of  the 
.Supreme  Court.  As  Supreme  Court  reporter  he  edited 
and  published  seventy-nine  volumes  (Vols.  109  to  188) 
of  the  opinions  of  that  court.  While  holding  this  posi- 
tion, he  was  able  to  retain  his  residence  at  Jamestown 
and  to  continue  to  some  extent  the  active  practice  of 
law.  In  1908,  he  formed  the  partnership  of  Fisher  & 
Fisher,  with  his  son,  Marion  H.  Fisher,  and  this  con- 
nection continued  until  his  death.  While  studying  law, 
Judge  Fisher  wa.s  twice  elected  clerk  of  the  village  of 
Jatncstown,  and  later  represented  the  city  on  the  Board 
of  Supervisors.  In  18S3.  he  was  delegate  to  the  Na- 
tional Republican  convention  supporting  the  nomination 
of  Benjamin  Harrison.  In  1884.  he  was  chosen  alternate 
delegate  to  the  Republican  National  convention  and 
there  supported  the  nomination  of  James  G,  Blaine. 

Judge  Fisher  was  a  member  of  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge, 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons ;  Western  Sun  Chapter, 
Royal  Arch  Masons;    Ismailia  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


537 


Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  of  Buffalo;  and 
was  the  first  eminent  commander  of  the  Jamestown  Com- 
manderj',  Knights  Templar.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Republican  Club  of  New  York  City;  Fort  Orange  Club 
of  Albany;  Connewango  Fishing  Club  of  Warren,  and 
for  many  years  of  the  Jamestown  Club.  He  joined  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  as  a  charter 
member  of  Jamestown  Lodge,  No.  263,  in  1893.  I" 
1894.  he  was  elected  e.xalted  ruler  of  that  lodge,  and  in 
i8g6  grand  trustee  of  the  National  order.  In  1900,  he 
was  elected  grand  e.\alted  ruler  of  the  Elks,  and  in  1901, 
in  that  capacity,  he  founded  a  lodge  at  Honolulu,  Ha- 
waiian Islands,  the  first  lodge  of  the  order  to  be  insti- 
tuted outside  the  United  States. 

On  Dec.  19,  1878,  at  Jamestown,  Mr.  Fisher  married 
Julia  E.  Hatch,  a  daughter  of  Mason  B.  and  Polly 
(Strong)  Hatch.  The  Hatch  family  came  among  the 
pioneers  from  Vermont  and  originally  settled  at  Elling- 
ton. Mrs.  Fisher  died  in  October,  191 1,  leaving  four 
sons :  Jerome  B.,  Jr.,  Marion  H.,  Daniel  E.,  and 
Reuben  F.,  sketches  of  whom  follow. 

Mr.  Fisher  died  at  his  home  in  Jamestown,  June  18, 
1919,  after  a  protracted  illness.  He  was  buried  in  Lake- 
view  Cemetery  at  Jamestown,  his  funeral  being  attended 
by  members  of  the  judiciary,  of  the  bar,  the  Elks  and 
the  Masonic  orders.  The  burial  ritual  of  the  Elks  being 
performed  at  the  grave  by  past  grand  e.xalted  rulers  of 
that  order. 


JEROME    BONAPARTE   FISHER,   JR..   son   of 

Judge  Jerome  Bonaparte  and  Julia  E.  (Hatch)  Fisher 
(q.  v.),  was  born  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  11,  1880. 
He  completed  the  course  of  the  public  grade  and  high 
schools  of  the  city,  then  entered  Jamestown  Business 
College.  In  June.  1900,  after  completing  his  course  at 
the  last  named  institution,  he  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Farmers  and  Mechanics  Bank,  but  resigned  eighteen 
months  later  to  take  a  position  with  the  Pennsylvania 
Gas  Company  as  bookkeeper,  which  position  he  held 
.  until  September,  1917,  when  he  became  traveling  audi- 
tor for  the  National  Fuel  Gas  Company  of  New  York, 
a  position  he  has  ably  filled  until  the  present  (1921). 
He,  however,  retains  his  residence  in  Jamestown,  where 
he  has  many  fraternal  and  social  ties.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
Chadakoin  Boat  Club,  the  Chautauqua  Council  of 
United  Commercial  Travelers,  and  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican.  His 
recreations  are  those  of  the  out-of-doors,  and  he  is  one 
of  Jamestown's  well  known  younger  citizens. 

Mr.  Fisher,  on  Oct.  15.  1907,  married  Imogene  Par- 
tridge, daughter  of  Frank  E.  and  Anna  Berry  Par- 
tridge, of  Jamestown.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fisher  are  the 
parents  of  two  sons:  Jerome  Bonaparte  (3),  born  April 
19,  1910;  Warren  Partridge,  born  April  8,  1918. 


MARION  HATCH  FISHER,  son  of  Jerome  Bona- 
parte and  Julia  E.  (Hatch)  Fisher  (q.  v.),  followed 
his  father  at  the  bar.  and  from  October,  1908,  until  the 
death  of  Judge  Fisher,  in  1919,  they  practiced  law  to- 
gether at  Jamestown  under  the  firm  name  of  Fisher 
&  Fisher.  Since  then  Mr.  Fisher  has  continued  practice 
alone. 


From  May,  1917,  until  Dec.  31,  1920,  Mr.  Fisher 
served  as  assistant  district  attorney  of  Chautauqua 
county,  under  appointment  by  the  Hon.  William  S. 
Stearns,  district  attorney.  Mr.  Stearns  gave  to  Mr. 
Fisher  full  charge  of  all  criminal  work  in  the  southern 
half  of  the  county,  comprising  the  First  Assembly  Dis- 
trict. To  the  public  business  Mr.  Fisher  devoted  the 
same  care  and  attention  which  he  gives  to  his  private 
practice.  He  made  no  nice  distinctions  as  to  the  limits 
of  his  duty,-  but  gave  unsparingly  of  his  time  in  the 
investigation  of  crimes  as  well  as  in  the  prosecution  of 
offenders. 

As  assistant  district  attorney,  Mr.  Fisher  won  new 
laurels  as  a  successful  trial  lawyer.  He  secured  convictions 
in  every  case  prosecuted  by  him  save  one  in  which  the 
jury  disagreed.  However,  he  sought  no  convictions  by 
arousing  prejudice  or  passion.  His  work  as  prose- 
cutor was  always  characterized  by  dignity,  impartiality 
and  fair  consideration  of  the  rights  of  those  accused 
of  crime.  His  successes  were  won  by  painstaking 
preparation  and  analysis,  and  by  fair  and  logical  pre- 
sentation of  his  cases. 

Two  of  the  cases  prosecuted  by  Mr.  Fisher  were 
unusual  and  require  special  mention  in  the  judicial  his- 
tory of  the  county.  In  March,  1920,  he  secured  the 
conviction  of  Pandeli  Constantine  on  a  charge  of  man- 
slaughter, in  causing  death  by  selling,  without  poison 
labels,  toilet  preparations  containing  wood  alcohol, 
knowing  that  such  preparations  were  being  used  in 
Jamestown  as  beverages.  The  victim  was  one  of  the 
seven  men  who  died  in  Jamestown  in  September,  19 19, 
all  of  whom  showed  symptoms  of  wood  alcohol  poison- 
ing. This  was  the  first  conviction  in  the  State  for  such 
a  crime.  On  Dec.  23.  1920,  Mr.  Fisher  secured  the  con- 
viction of  Edw'ard  Persons  of  murder  in  the  first 
degree.  Persons,  with  a  companion  who  turned  out  to 
be  the  comparatively  innocent  accomplice,  was  charged 
with  shooting  George  Klinger,  a  taxicab  driver  of 
Jamestown,  at  nightfall  on  Sept.  25,  1920,  on  a  lonely 
road  south  of  Lakewood  in  the  town  of  Busti,  and  with 
burning  the  body  in  a  straw  stack.  The  criminals  were 
strangers  and  had  escaped.  The  clues,  theories  and 
motives  were  many  and  baffling.  However,  the  crim- 
inals were  traced  and  arrested  in  Ohio  within  five  weeks. 
Mr.  Fisher  worked  unceasingly  for  three  months  on 
this  case,  and  credit  for  unraveling  the  mystery  is 
largely  due  to  him  and  LTndersheriff  Tarbo.x.  Persons 
was  tried  before  Justice  Charles  B.  Sears.  The  trial, 
which  lasted  ten  days,  aroused  more  public  interest 
than  any  case  tried  in  this  county  for  years.  In  view 
of  the  wave  of  crimes  of  violence  sweeping  the  country 
during  the  year  1920  the  conviction  was  deemed  of 
great  importance.  The  task  of  the  prosecution  was 
most  difficult.  Persons  was  ably  defended  by  Lee  L. 
Ottoway  and  Frank  H.  Alott,  Esquires.  The  people  w^ere 
required  to  call  some  forty  witnesses  to  establish  the 
chain  of  evidence,  largely  circumstantial,  which,  with 
certain  confessions,  established  the  defendants'  guilt. 
For  the  successful  preparation  and  trial  of  this  case 
Mr.  Stearns  publicly  gave  the  entire  credit  to  Mr. 
'Fisher.  Following  the  completion  of  this  case  Mr. 
Fisher  resigned  his  office  in  order  to  devote  his  entire 
time  to  private  practice. 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Marion  H.  Fisher  was  born  Dec.  14,  1881,  at  James- 
town. N.  V.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  that 
city  and  graduated  from  the  high  school  in  1901.  He 
then  entered  the  Sheffield  Scientific  School  of  Yale  Uni- 
versity, graduating  from  there  in  IQ04.  He  began  his 
legal  studies  in  his  father's  ofiice,  attended  Albany  Law 
School  during  the  year  1004-05,  and  from  the  fall  of 
1005  until  the  fall  of  lOoS  acted  as  secretary  to  his 
father  in  the  office  of  the  Supreme  Court  reporter  at 
Albany,  assisting  in  the  editing  and  publishing  of  the 
opinions  of  the  Appellate  Divisions  of  the  Supreme 
Court.  While  at  Albany,  Mr.  Fisher  completed  his 
legal  studies  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  State 
of  Xew  York  in  March,  igoS.  In  high  school  Mr. 
Fisher  was  prominent  in  athletics,  playing  left  end  on 
the  champion  Jamestown  High  School  football  elevens 
in  1S97  3nci  iSgS,  and  quarterback  in  lOOO.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  the  first  high  school  basketball  team, 
and  rowed  on  two  victorious  Chadakoin  Boat  Club 
crews  (  1S99  and  1004')  in  the  annual  race  with  the  Chau- 
tauqua crews  for  the  Miller  Trophy.  During  summer 
vacations.  Mr.  Fisher  worked  for  four  seasons  for  the 
Chautauqua  Steamboat  Company,  the  last  year  (1903) 
as  captain  of  the  excursion  steamer  "City  of  Chicago." 
At  Yale.  Mr.  Fisher  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Chi 
Phi  fraternity,  and  at  the  Albany  Law  School  of  the 
Phi  Delta  Phi,  legal  fraternity.  He  is  a  member  of 
Jamestown  Lodge,  No.  263,  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  of  the  Chadakoin  Boat  Club,  the  Moon 
Brook  Golf  Club,  and  other  social  organizations. 

Mr.  Fisher  was  united  in  marriage  at  the  Hotel 
Gotham.  June  28,  1913,  with  Ethel  Breon  Jones,  daugh- 
ter of  Louis  Breon  and  Marietta  (Carolin)  Jones,  of  that 
city.  They  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Robert,  born 
March  11,  1915. 


DANIEL  E.  FISHER,  son  ol  Jerome  Bonaparte 
and  Julia  E.  (Hatch)  Fisher  (q.  v.),  was  born  in 
Jamestown,  March  i,  18-84.  He  attended  the  Jamestown 
public  schools,  and  while  there  was  a  member  of  the 
High  School  Lyceum,  representing  the  school  on  debat- 
ing teams  and  interscholastic  speaking  contests.  He 
played  on  three  high  school  football  teams,  and  was 
captain  of  the  team  in  1902.  .\fter  leaving  high  school, 
he  attended  the  Jamestown  Business  College,  and  then 
for  several  years  worked  in  the  oil  fields  of  Ohio  and 
Oklahoma.  In  1910,  he  received  a  serious  injury  in  the 
hip,  returned  to  Jamestown,  and  following  a  protracted 
illness,  died  Sept.  13,  1917,  at  the  Jones  Hospital,  and 
v.as  buried  in  Lakcview  Cemetery  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y. 

Daniel  F.  Fisher,  to  a  marked  degree,  inherited  his 
father's  personal  magnetism,  generosity  and  ability  to 
mix  with  men  and  make  friends,  and  his  untimely  death 
was  sincerely  mourned. 


CAPT.  REUBEN  FENTON  FISHER  is  one  of 
Jamestown's  youncr  htisin'-^  men  who  have  given  a 
((')'!']  account  of  thf-m^elvcs  both  as  Imsiness  men  and 
as  citizens.  He  won  his  captain's  commission  during 
the  World  War,  but  since  his  return  from  the  army  has 
U:en  rccommissioned  as  captain  in  the  United  States 
Officers'  Reserve  Corps,  which  gives  him  a  living 
claim  to  the  rank.     Captain   Fisher  is  a  son  of  Judge 


Jerome  Bonaparte  Fisher,  whose  passing  in  1919  caused 
a  genuine  wave  of  sorrow  to  sweep  over  Chautauqua 
county,  for  Judge  Fisher  was  one  of  the  best  known 
men  of  Chautauqua  county  and  past  grand  exalted 
ruler  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks 
of  the  L'nited  States.  A  deep  admirer  of  Governor 
Reuben  E.  Fenton,  and  in  honor  of  his  friend,  he 
named  his  youngest  son  Reuben  Fenton  Fisher. 

Reuben  Fenton  Fisher  was  born  in  Jamestown,  X.  Y., 
Nov.  10,  188S.  He  attended  Jamestown  public  schools 
and  Holbrooks  Military  Academy,  finishing  his  courses 
at  the  latter  school  in  1908.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
football  teams  and  rowed  on  the  Chadakoin  Boat  Club 
crews  against  Chautauqua  crews  in  1905-06-07.  He 
entered  Sheffield  Scientific  School,  Yale  LIniversity, 
wlicnce  he  was  graduated  in  the  mechanical  engineering 
department,  class  of  191 1.  In  that  year  he  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Art  Metal  Construction  Company 
of  Jamestown,  resigning  in  1916  to  become  associated 
with  the  Jamestown  Shale  Paving  Brick  Company. 
After  a  year  with  that  company  war  broke  out  between 
tlie  United  States  and  Germany;  Mr.  Fisher  applied  for 
the  first  officers'  training  camp  and  was  commissioned 
first  lieutenant  of  the  ordnance  department  in  May, 
1917,  reporting  for  active  duty  in  October,  1917,  and  in 
June,  1918,  was  commissioned  captain  in  the  United 
States  Army.  He  was  honorably  discharged  and  mus- 
tered out  of  the  LTnited  States  service,  March  10,  1919. 
He  was  recommissioned  captain  of  the  Officers'  Re- 
serve Corps,  Llnited  States  Army,  May  14,  1919,  and 
now  holds  that  commission  (May,  1920). 

.'\fter  his  return  from  service  in  March,  1919.  Captain 
Fisher  became  general  manager  of  the  Monarch  Re- 
fillable  Fuse  Company,  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  in  1916  and  1917  was  a  mem- 
ber of  botli  the  city  and  county  Republican  committees. 
He  is  a  Master  Mason  of  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge,  a  com- 
panion of  Western  .Sun  Chapter,  and  a  sir  knight  of 
Jamestown  Commandery,  Knights  Templar.  He  is  a 
member  of  Jamestown  Lodge,  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  Alpha  Zeta  and  Chi  Phi  fraternities; 
Yale  Engineering  Society,  Chadakoin  Boat  Club,  Moon 
Brook  Country  Club,  and  a  member  of  St.  Luke's 
Protestant  Episcopal   Church. 

Mr.  F'isher  marrie<l.  in  Germantown,  Pa.,  May  21, 
1919,  Helen  B.  Moore,  daughter  of  Henry  R.  and 
Blanche  W.  (Bartram)  Moore.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fisher  has  been  born  one  child,  Sarah  Moore,  July  15, 
1920. 


MRS.    SUSAN    M.    (CLELAND)    ISBELL— The 

first  Clcl.iiid  in  the  town  of  Charlotte,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  to  appear  upon  the  records  as  a  land 
owner  was  John  Cleland,  Jr.,  who,  in  March,  1813, 
bought  lot  S3,  townsliip  4,  range  11,  according  to  the 
survey  of  the  Holland  Company.  This  does  not  in- 
dicate the  true  date  of  the  Cleland  settlement  in  the 
tfjwn,  however,  as  he  had  arrived  there  in  March,  t8io, 
and  two  of  the  Cleland  brolliers,  Nathan  and  Oliver, 
came  in  the  spring  of  i8u.  Later,  the  entire  family  of 
John  and  Thankful  (Iviton)  Cleland  came  from  Otsego 
cotinty,  in  the  southern  central  part  of  New  York  State, 
and  settled  on  now  section  12,  town  of  Charlotte.  This 
John   Cleland,   Jr.,   was   a  son  of  John  and   Thankful 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


539 


(Eaton)  Cleland,  and  a  grandson  of  James  Cleland, 
the  American  ancestor,  who  was  born  in  Edinburgh, 
Scotland,  and  came  to  New  England  in  1750.  John 
Cleland,  Jr.,  was  the  father  of  Byron  Cleland,  and  the 
grandfather  of  Susan  M.  Cleland,  now  Mrs.  Henry 
Isbell,  who  with  her  husband  resides  on  their  farm 
in  Charlotte,  the  town  to  which  more  than  a  century 
ago  her  ancestors  came  to  join  with  the  forces  of  civ- 
ilization in  wresting  from  the  forest  farms,  homes,  and 
communities.  Clelands  from  the  first  bore  well  their 
part  in  this  great  work,  and  those  representing  the 
pioneers  of  a  century  ago  bear  equally  well  their  part  in 
twentieth  century  life. 

(I)  James  (2)  Cleland,  the  American  ancestor,  born 
in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  came  to  New  England  in  1750. 
He  was  the  son  of  James  (l)  Cleland,  a  man  of  wealth 
and  education  in  Edinburgh,  and  undoubtedly  his  son 
was  given  educational  advantages  in  accordance  with  his 
father's  position  in  the  city.  James  (i)  Cleland  married 
a  Miss  Bruce,  and  at  the  time  of  the  birth  of  their  son 
James  (2)  they  were  residents  of  Edinburgh.  After 
the  coming  of  James  (2)  Cleland  to  this  country  in  1750, 
he  located  in  Boston,  Mass..  and  in  that  State  passed 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  married  Thankful  Wilder, 
and  they  were  the  perents  of  seven  children  :  Samuel. 
Thomas,  James,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution;  John,  of 
further  mention ;  Helen,  Molly,  and  Hannah. 

(H)  John  Cleland,  son  of  James  (2)  and  Thankful 
(Wilder)  Cleland,  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  Feb.  16, 
1758,  and  lived  in  Plainfield,  in  that  State;  he  was  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolution,  serving  two  years,  1778- 
1780,  in  the  company  commanded  by  Captain  Thomas, 
of  Colonel  Milk's  regiment.  During  his  service  he  was 
orderly  to  General  Putnam  and  saw  considerable  active 
service.  He  married,  in  1780,  and  in  1807,  with  his 
wife  and  family  of  eight  children,  moved  to  New  York 
State,  locating  first  in  Otsego  county.  In  the  spring  of 
181 1  two  of  his  sons.  Nathan  and  Oliver,  made  the  long 
journey  to  Chautauqua  county,  where  their  brother 
John  had  preceded  them  in  March,  1810,  and  being 
pleased  with  lands  and  conditions,  made  a  favorable  re- 
port, and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  John  Cleland  and 
his  family  found  his  sons  in  what  is  now  the  town  of 
Charlotte.  The  long  journey  of  300  miles  was  made 
in  wagons,  eighteen  days  being  consumed  ere  the  desti- 
nation was  reached.  The  homestead  farm  which  they 
selected  was  a  tract  of  300  acres  on  lot  54,  section  12, 
east  of  present  Charlotte  Center,  where,  with  the  aid  of 
stalwart  sons,  a  clearing  was  soon  made  and  eventually 
the  entire  tract  was  brought  under  cultivation.  The 
first  settlement  was  made  in  Charlotte  in  1809,  and  in 
March  of  the  next  year  John  Cleland,  Jr.,  was  on  the 
ground,  the  forerunner  of  his  family  who  came  the 
next  year — thus  the  claim,  to  be  pioneers  of  the  town, 
is   fully  substantiated. 

John  Cleland  married,  in  East  Windsor,  Conn.,  April 
27,  17S0,  Thankful  Eaton,  of  an  old  Connectici:t  family, 
born  April  12,  1757,  died  at  the  homestead  in  Charlotte. 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  19,  1844,  aged  eighty- 
seven  years.  John  Cleland  died  Feb.  16,  1827,  aged 
sixty-nine  years,  and  both  were  buried  in  the  Pickett 
Cemetery,  a  plot  of  ground  given  to  the  neighborhood 
by  John  Pickett,  off  the  original  Pickett  farm.  Children 
of  John  and  Thankful   (Eaton)   Cleland:  Beriah,  born 


Nov.  15,  1 781;  Edna,  born  June  28,  1782;  Samuel,  born 
Sept.  I,  1784,  died  in  infancy;  James,  born  Sept.  26, 
1786,  died  in  infancy;  Samuel  (2),  born  May  14,  1788; 
Thankful,  born  April  22,  1790;  John  and  James  (2) 
(twins),  born  Feb.  19,  1792;  Oliver,  born  Oct.  25, 
1793;  Nathan,  born  March  5,  1795;  Martin,  born  April 
10,  1797. 

(HI)  John  (2)  Cleland,  son  of  John  (i)  and  Thank- 
ful (Eaton)  Cleland,  was  born  in  Plainfield,  Mass., 
Feb.  1 9,  1792,  died  in  Charlotte,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  and  was  buried  in  Pickett  Cemetery.  He  was 
brought  to  New  York  State  by  his  parents  in  1807,  re- 
maining with  them  in  their  sojourn  in  Herkimer  and 
Otsego  counties,  until  the  spring  of  1810,  when  he  made 
the  long  journey  through  the  scarcely  settled  country  to 
Chautauqua  county,  finally  settling  in  what  is  now 
Charlotte.  He  took  up  a  tract  of  120  acres  on  lot  54, 
and  in  the  records  is  given  as  a  purchaser  of  lot  53, 
township  4,  range  11,  of  the  Holland  Land  Company's 
survey,  in  1813;  when  the  remainder  of  the  family  came 
in  181 1,  they  too,  settled  in  Charlotte,  making  a  very 
important  addition  to  the  male  population  of  the  town. 
John  (2)  Cleland  continued  active  in  farm  life  until 
incapacitated  by  the  weight  of  the  years  which  he 
carried.  The  Cleland  brothers,  Samuel,  John,  Oliver, 
and  Nathan,  were  men  of  great  strength  and  endur- 
ance and  also  were  men  of  strong  character  and  upright 
life.  All  lived  to  be  very  old  men,  and  at  the  time  of 
publishing  Young's  "History  of  Chautauqua  County," 
1875,  their  ages  were  thus  given:  Samuel,  eighty-seven; 
John,  eighty-three ;  Oliver,  eighty-one ;  Nathan,  the 
youngest  of  the  four,  lived  to  be  ninety-two.  The  line 
of  Nathan  Cleland  is  traced  in  this  work  in  reviews  of 
the  lives  of  Dr.  Charles  S.  Cleland,  and  of  his  brother, 
Owen  M.  Cleland. 

John  (2)  Cleland  married,  April  12,  1812,  Hannah 
Pickett,  born  Feb.  13,  1795,  died  Feb.  9,  1873,  and  was 
buried  in  Pickett  Cemetery.  She  was  of  the  Pickett 
family  of  Charlotte,  the  first  settler  in  the  town  being 
John  Pickett,  who  built  the  first  log  house  in  the  town, 
and  with  his  brother,  Daniel  Pickett,  and  Arva  O. 
Austin,  were  the  only  families  who  passed  the  winter 
of  1809-10  in  the  town.  John  Pickett  is  credited  with 
being  third  on  the  list  of  purchasers  of  land  from  the 
Holland  Land  Company,  his  purchase  being  made  in 
1809,  township  4,  range  II,  lot  62.  He  was  unmarried 
at  the  time,  but  his  brother  Daniel  came  with  his  family 
in  the  fall  of  1809.  and  settled  upon  lot  63.  He  was 
a  brother-in-law  of  Arva  Taylor,  who  also  built  a  log 
cabin  on  lot  63,  these  early  settlers  all  being  related. 
John  Cleland  soon  becoming  one  of  the  family,  his 
wife,  Hannah,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Pickett.  The 
Picketts  were  from  Columbia  county,  N.  Y.,  later  resi- 
dents of  Chenango,  whence  they  came  to  Chautauqua. 
John  and  Hannah  (Pickett)  Cleland  were  the  parents 
of :  Darius,  born  July  28,  1813 ;  Augustus,  born  May  22, 
1816;  Emily,  born  Aug.  g,  1818;  Marilla,  born  Nov.  28, 
1820;  John  Wilder,  born  April  16,  1823;  Hannah,  born 
May  18,  1825 ;  Byron,  of  further  mention. 

(IV)  Byron  Cleland,  youngest  son  of  John  (2)  and 
Hannah  (Pickett)  Cleland,  was  born  at  the  homestead 
in  the  town  of  Charlotte,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
Oct.  27,  1830.  died  at  his  home  in  the  village  of  Cassa- 
daga,  in  the  town  of  Stockton,  April  9,  1916,  an  octo- 


540 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


genarian.  He  attended  the  district  schools  near  his 
home  in  Charlotte,  also  tlie  old  Fredonia  Academy.  He 
was  very  well  educated  for  those  years.  He  followed 
school  teaching  for  a  number  of  years,  beginning  at  the 
age  of  sixteen :  he  taught  several  years  in  the  South 
before  the  Civil  War.  After  his  marriage  he  returned 
to  the  old  homestead  to  take  care  of  his  parents,  which 
he  did  until  their  death,  remaining  on  the  farm  as  long 
as  he  could  work  a  farm,  then  moved  to  Cassadaga,  on 
a  small  farm,  and  there  spent  the  remaining  years  of 
his  long  and  useful  life.  He  was  a  farmer  all  his  life. 
He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-six,  and  was  buried  in 
Cassadaga  Cemetery,  beside  his  first  wife  and  two  sons. 

Byron  Cleland  married  (.first")  Sept.  22,  1S56,  Lu- 
cinda  E.  Hill,  of  Cherry  Creek.  Chautauqua  county.  N. 
v..  who  died  Aug.  22.  1S94,  and  is  buried  in  Cassadaga 
Cemetery.  They  were  the  parents  of:  i.  Jennie  V., 
born  Feb.  14,  1S5S,  died  Aug.  14,  1890;  she  married. 
Oct.  31.  I&?0.  Edgar  Collor.  of  Lowell.  Mich.  2-3-4. 
John.  James,  and  Jason  (triplets),  born  June  26.  1861, 
the  last-named  dying  in  infancy;  John  and  James  grew 
to  manhood  and  both  died  Jan.  28.  1883.  5.  Susan  M., 
of  further  mention.  Byron  Cleland  married  (second) 
Mrs.  Lucy  Gree. 

(V")  Susan  ^L  Cleland.  youngest  daughter  of  Byron 
Cleland  and  his  first  wife.  Lucinda  E.  (Hill)  Cleland, 
was  horn  at  the  home  of  her  parents  in  Charlotte,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  June  25.  1S65.  She  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  and  followed  teaching  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  before  her  marriage.  Dec.  i,  1886,  to  Erie  P. 
Pickett,  a  farmer  of  Charlotte,  who  died  Jan.  24,  1906, 
leaving  two  children :  Fern,  wife  of  Walter  Lamkin, 
of  Fredonia.  N.  Y. ;  Ralph  Alanson,  a  farmer  of  the 
town  of  Stockton ;  he  married  Myrtle  Bussing.  Mrs. 
Susan  yi.  (Cleland)  Pickett  married  (second)  Henry 
Isbell.  born  Oct.  22,  i860,  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  a  son  of 
Richard  and  Ansty  (McCarthy)  Isbell,  his  father  born 
in  England,  died  in  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.  He  re- 
ceived his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Pittsburgh,  and  after  leaving  school  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Buftalo  Southwestern  Railroad,  continuing  until 
1907.  becoming  a  foreman  of  construction.  In  1907, 
Mr.  Isbell  gave  up  his  work  with  the  railroad  and  came 
to  Charlotte,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  of  forty 
acres,  which  he  cultivates  and  causes  to  produce  abun- 
dantly. Mr.  Isbell  married  (first)  Anna  Densen,  who 
died  at  Cherry  Creek,  N.  Y.,  leaving  two  children : 
Jennie,  who  married  Bey  Fox.  a  farmer;  and  Nellie, 
who  married  Walter  B.  Hall. 

Mrs.  Isbell  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  and 
active  in  church  work.  Mr.  Isbell  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  a  meml>er  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  of  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees. 


CHARLES  MORRIS  WAITE— Since  the  organiz- 
ali'^n  of  the  ConcwanKo  \'allty  National  Bank,  Jan.  i, 
1907.  at  Concv.antio  \allcy  village,  Mr.  Waite  has  been 
its  assistant  cashier  and  cashier  successively.  Conc- 
wango  \'alley  village  lies  on  both  sides  of  the  line 
bctv.ecn  Chautauqua  and  Cattaraugus  counties,  the 
bank  building  being  on  the  Cattaraugus  side,  Mr. 
Waitc'?.  horn'-  on  the  Chautauqua  side.  Mr.  Waite  is  of 
N'-w  England  ancestry,  his  father,  Galusha  Miner 
Waite,  l>eing  of  Vermont  birth  and  parentage,    (^alusha 


M.  W'aite,  a  lumberman  and  farmer,  settled  in  the  town 
of  Poland.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  He  married  Jane 
Bunce,  who  was  born  in  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y. 

Charles  M.  Waite,  son  of  Galusha  M.  and  Jane 
(Bunce)  Waite,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Poland,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  March  5,  1S55.  He  was  educated 
in  public  schools,  and  the  Chamberlain  Institute  at 
Randolph.  N.  Y.,  and  began  his  business  career  imme- 
diately after  graduation.  He  taught  school  for  one 
term,  then  accepted  a  position  as  clerk  in  the  store  of 
Aldricli  &  Pratt,  at  Kennedy.  About  three  years  later 
Mr.  Pratt  withdrew  and  Mr.  Waite  and  Orlando  Sweet- 
land  entered  the  firm  with  Mr.  Aldrich,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Aldrich,  Sweetland  &  Waite.  After  a  short 
time  spent  with  this  firm,  Mr.  Waite  went  into  business 
for  himself  at  Watts  Flats,  and  later  took  a  position 
as  a  salesman  with  B.  F.  Lounsberry.  After  a  short 
period  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Lounsberry,  Mr.  Waite 
entered  the  office  of  the  Breed  Furniture  Company,  of 
Jamestown,  which  position  he  left  to  enter  the  employ 
of  the  Chautauqua  County  National  Bank  as  teller, 
where  he  remained  for  eight  years.  He  then  became 
associated  with  C.  F.  Munson,  of  Jamestown,  a  manu- 
facturer of  wooden  mantles,  then,  in  partnership  with 
H.  A.  Doring  and  Af.  E.  Town,  began  the  manufacture 
of  mattresses.  Two  years  later  he  returned  to  the 
bank,  which  in  the  meantime  had  become  a  trust  com- 
pany, and  later  reorganized  and  known  as  the  National 
Chautauqua  County  Bank,  its  present  name.  Here  he 
remained  for  eight  years,  when,  his  health  failing,  he 
assumed  charge  of  the  farm  of  Charles  M.  Dow,  in 
Randolph.  About  eighteen  months  later,  in  January, 
1907,  Mr.  Waite  accepted  a  position  as  assistant  cashier 
with  the  Conewango  Valley  National  Bank,  which  was 
then  being  reorganized.  L^pon  the  death  of  Horace 
Wells,  cashier,  Mr.  Waite  succeeded  to  that  position, 
which  position  he  now  holds. 

Mr.  Waite  married,  Oct.  8,  1876,  in  Kennedy,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  Carrie  Aldrich.  daughter  of  George 
A.  and  Huldah  S.  (Eaton)  Aldrich.  Mrs.  Waite  died 
in  January.  1907,  leaving  two  sons :  George  Burton, 
born  in  1878.  who  married  Elizabeth  Bentley,  and  they 
reside  in  Jamestown,  and  have  one  child,  a  daughter, 
Carrie;  and  James  Aldrich.  born  in  1880,  who  married 
Josephine  Colenso,  and  they  reside  in  Jamestown,  and 
are  the  parents  of  two  children,  Alice  and  Robert. 


GLENN  D.  CLARK— Among  the  successful  and  re- 
spected citizens  of  Ellicott  township,  Jamestown, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  should  be  mentioned  Glenn 
D.  Clark,  a  member  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  the 
neighljorhood,  and  a  son  of  Cary  and  Laura  H.  (Cole) 
Clark,  lifelong  residents  of  the  place.  Cary  Clark  was 
apprenticed  to  a  local  shoemaker  to  learn  the  trade 
when  but  twelve  years  of  age,  and  after  five  years  of 
training  engaged  in  the  same  line  of  business  on  his 
own  account,  following  the  same  for  many  years. 

Glenn  D.  Clark  was  born  Feb.  7,  1881,  at  Jamestown, 
and  as  a  boy  attended  the  public  schools  of  the  city. 
For  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Clark  has  been  engaged  in 
the  plastering  and  brick  laying  business.  He  is  well 
and  favorably  known  to  his  fellow-citizens  and  enjoys 
an  enviable  reputation  among  them  for  his  honesty  and 
for  the  accommodating  spirit  and  skill  with  which  he 


Cl)arIcG  £0,  mnitt 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


541 


discharges  his  duties,  and  his  public-spirited  interest  in 
the  community.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
takes  a  keen  and  intelligent  interest  in  the  vital  ques- 
tions and  issues  of  the  times.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  Railroad  Trainmen,  and  in  religious 
belief  is  a  Methodist,  he  and  the  members  of  his  family 
attending  the  church  of  that  denomination  at  James- 
town. 

Glenn  D.  Clark  married,  Sept.  28,  1902,  at  Bemus 
Point,  N.  Y.,  Gladys  Gates,  born  at  Fluvanna,  N.  Y., 
Nov.  28,  1883,  a  daughter  of  Albert  C.  and  Corinnie 
(Brown)  Gates,  of  that  place.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark 
are  the  parents  of  two  children :  Cecil  G.,  born  Aug.  9, 
1903,  at-  Jamestown,  N.  Y, ;  and  Lester  F.,  born  May 
16,  1905,  at  Fluvanna. 


HENRY  C.  DRAKE— Among  the  representative 
citizens  of  Fredonia  must  be  numbered  Henry  C.  Drake. 
During  his  residence  in  this  town  he  has  become  closely 
and  influentially  identified  with  her  leading  interests, 
and  no  movement  looking  toward  better  things  for 
Fredonia  is  without  his  generous  support. 

Henry  C.  Drake  was  born  in  Mayville,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  26,  1873,  the  son  of  the  late  Dexter 
M.  and  Helen  (Kirk)  Drake;  the  Drake  family  being 
Stockton  pioneers,  and  the  Kirk  family  settling  in  the 
town  of  Charlotte  about  the  year  1816.  His  youth  was 
spent  in  Sinclairville,  where  he  attended  the  public 
school,  and  he  later  was  graduated  from  Jamestown 
Business  College.  The  five  years  following  he  was  a 
reporter  on  the  Jamestown  "Journal,"  subsequently 
returning  to  Sinclairville,  where  he  conducted  the 
"Leader-Commercial"  for  three  years,  going  thence  to 
Fredonia  to  work  on  the  "Censor."  At  this  time  he 
returned  to  his  chosen  profession  of  shorthand  re- 
porting, and  was  appointed  court  stenographer  for 
Chautauqua  county  in  1905,  which  position  he  still  holds 
(1921).  Mr.  Drake  has  always  extended  his  aid  and 
cooperation  to  any  cause  or  movement  which  in  his 
judgment  makes  for  progress  in  any  department  of  the 
town's  and  county's  life.  He  is  not  self-seeking  or  am- 
bitious for  political  honors,  but  he  was  thrice  elected 
unopposed  to  the  position  of  president  of  the  village 
of  Fredonia.  He  was  a  member  of  the  school  board 
for  two  terms.  He  also  is  justice  of  the  peace  of  the 
town  of  Pomfret,  having  been  elected  to  that  office  in 
1902.  During  the  World  War  he  was  chief  clerk  on 
the  Draft  Board  No.  I.  of  Chautauqua  county.  He  is 
a  past  master  of  Forest  Lodge,  No.  166,  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons. 

Mr.  Drake  married,  Oct.  14,  1896,  Ada  F.  Tate,  of 
Fredonia.  N.  Y. 


EDWIN  R.  HOPKINS,  M.  D.— Among  the  promi- 
nent men  of  Chautauqua  county  who  have  been  identi- 
fied with  the  medical  profession  for  a  great  number 
of  years  is  Dr.  Edwin  R.  Hopkins,  who  has  accom- 
plished results  which  rebound  greatly  to  his  credit.  He 
is  one  of  those  scholarly  physicians  whose  deep  research 
into  the  fields  of  medicine  has  peculiarly  fitted  him  for 
the  practice  of  his  chosen  career.  That  tribute  of  re- 
spect and  admiration  which  is  justly  given  to  those  men 
who  have  worked  their  way  to  positions  of  prominence 


in  the  community  is  due  him,  and  his  ability  is  amply 
attested  by  the  success  he  has  achieved. 

Ezra  Hopkins,  father  of  Dr.  Edwin  R.  Hopkins,  was 
a  farmer  late  in  life.  He  married  Catherine  Johnson, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of  nine  children :  Edwin  R., 
mentioned  below;  Emily  E.,  Franklin  E.,  Josephine  L., 

Alfred,  Byron  J.,   Ida  M.,  wife  of  Wolcate,  of 

Sherman;  Grant  S..  and  Katherine  M. 

Dr.  Edwin  R.  Hopkins  was  born  May  21,  1848,  in 
Westfield,  N.-Y.,  the  son  of  Ezra  and  Catherine  (John- 
son) Hopkins.  He  attended  the  public  schools  in  West- 
field  and  Westfield  Academy.  Choosing  the  medical 
profession,  he  entered  the  medical  department  of  the 
University  of  Buffalo,  and  was  graduated  with  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine,  class  of  1877.  After 
serving  an  interneship  at  the  Buffalo  General  Hospital, 
he  was  appointed  resident  physician  there  for  one  year, 
and  then  came  to  Silver  Creek,  where  he  opened  an 
office  and  has  since  been  actively  engaged  in  his  pro- 
fession here,  devoting  much  of  his  time  to  surgery  and 
general  practice.  Dr.  Hopkins  stands  high  in  his  pro- 
fession in  Chautauqua  county,  and  his  counsel  in  sur- 
gical and  important  medical  matters  is  sought  and  his 
influence  is  always  exerted  for  good.  When  he  oper- 
ates it  is  for  the  benefit  of  the  patient,  it  is  not  for  his 
gratification  nor  for  the  fee.  He  has  always  had  an 
instinctive  love  for  his  work,  the  good  he  could  do  his 
fellowmen,  and  he  has  never  swerved  from  duty. 

Professionally,  Dr.  Hopkins  is  a  member  of  the 
Chautauqua  County  Medical  Society,  and  fraternally,  he 
affiliates  with  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons.  It  is  with 
the  Republicans  that  he  casts  his  vote,  and  no  man  has 
more  at  heart  the  welfare  and  true  progress  of  the 
community.  For  a  number  of  years  Dr.  Hopkins  has 
been  a  constant,  faithful  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  his  activities  and  interest  in  good 
work  knows  no  bounds. 


REV.    EDMUND    J.    O'CONNOR,    S.    T.    B.— 

Father  O'Connor  came  to  Silver  Creek  as  pastor  of 
Our  Lady  of  Mt.  Carmel  Church  in  1912,  being  ap- 
pointed by  Bishop  Colton,  and  has  won  his  way  to  the 
hearts  of  his  people,  and  to  the  esteem  of  those  who 
are  familiar  with  the  man  and  his  work. 

Rev.  Edmund  J.  O'Connor  was  born  near  Guelph, 
Ontario,  Canada,  there  spending  his  youth  and  acquiring 
his  early  education  in  Guelph  schools.  He  later  entered 
St.  Mnry's  College,  at  Montreal,  Canada,  and  also  was 
a  student  at  Holy  Cross  College,  Worcester,  Mass.  He 
next  entered  Canisius  College,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  whence 
he  was  graduated  in  philosophy  and  science  courses  in 
1002,  receiving  the  degree  B.  A.  Tlie  succeeding  five 
years  were  spent  in  divinity  study  at  North  American 
Theological  College  in  Rome.  Italy,  there  being  awarded 
the  baccalaureate  degree  of  Sacred  Theology,  and  or- 
dained to  the  priesthood  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church 
by  Cardinal  Respighi.  in  the  Roman  Basilica  of  St.  John 
Lateran,  May  25,  IOT7. 

.\fter  ordination  he  returned  to  the  LInited  States, 
locating  in  Bufi^alo,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  assigned  by 
Bishop  Colton  to  the  Chapel  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
Delaware  avenue  (the  present  site  of  the  new  St.  Jo- 
seph's  Cathedral),   as   assistant   to   Rev.  James   F.   Mc- 


54- 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Gloin.  After  five  years  of  faithful  service  there,  he  was 
appointed.  May  5,  lou.  by  Bishop  Cohon,  to  tlie  pas- 
torate of  Our  Lady  of  Mt.  Carmel  Church,  at  Silver 
Creek.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  because  of  his  especial 
fitness  to  the  post,  a  parish,  whose  congregation  had 
been  largely  increased  by  the  settlement  in  the  com- 
munitv  01  a  large  number  of  Sicilians. 


SIMON  JOSEPH  KARIN— Among  the  prominent 
attorneys  of  Dunkirk.  Chautauqua  county.  N.  V..  where 
he  has  an  ofiice  in  the  Lake  Shore  National  Bank  build- 
ing, should  be  mentioned  Simon  Joseph  Karin.  a  native 
of  the  city  of  Buffalo,  born  Aug.  25,  1877.  a  son  of 
Michael  and  Ann  (CuUigan)  Karin.  The  elder  Mr. 
Karin  is  a  native  of  County  Claire,  Ireland,  and  his  wife 
of  Manchester,  England.  They  both  came  to  this  coun- 
try when  young  people  and  were  married  at  Dunkirk, 
where  Mrs.  Karin's  people  were  residing.  Shortly  after 
their  marriage  they  went  to  Buffalo,  where  they  resided 
a  number  of  years,  and  later  they  removed  to  Dun- 
kirk, where  they  are  now  residing.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Karin  are  well  known  here  and  are  members  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  church,  and  politically  strong  Demo- 
crats. 

Simon  Joseph  Karin  came  from  his  native  city  of  Buf- 
falo to  Dunkirk  with  his  parents  when  about  six  years 
of  age.  but  attended  the  public  schools  of  the  former 
city  for  a  time.  Afterwards  he  was  a  student  of  St. 
Mary's  Parochial  School  in  Dunkirk,  and  after  leaving 
this  school  at  the  age  of  thirteen  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Brooks  Locomotive  Works  in  Dunkirk  as  an 
office  boy.  He  remained  with  the  Brooks  Company  for 
fifteen  years  and  was  promoted  from  time  to  time  to 
various  positions  in  their  office  until  he  became  head  of 
the  time  department.  He  resigned  this  position  in  1905, 
and  then  entered  the  retail  shoe  business,  remaining 
for  several  months.  He  then  studied  in  the  Fredonia 
Normal  School  in  order  to  fit  himself  for  the  career 
of  a  lawyer.  Subsequently  he  entered  the  office  of 
Thomas  J.  Cummings,  a  well  known  attorney  of  Dun- 
kirk, for  the  purpose  of  reading  law,  and  later  matricu- 
lated in  the  law  school  of  the  University  of  Buffalo, 
graduating  therefrom  in  the  class  of  1910  with  the  de- 
gree of  LL.  B,  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  the 
September  term  in  1910  of  the  Supreme  Court  in 
Rochester.  N.  Y.,  and  shortly  afterwards  opened  an 
office  in  Dunkirk  for  the  general  practice  of  law  and 
has  continued  in  this  to  the  present.  Mr.  Karin  is 
attorney  for  the  Dunkirk  Savings  &  Loan  .\ssociation 
in  addition  to  his  private  practice,  is  active  in  the  public 
life  of  Dunkirk,  and  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  lead- 
ing Democrats  in  this  region.  He  has  held  a  number  of 
important  local  offices  and  was  secretary  of  the  County 
and  City  Democratic  committees  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  was  also  acting  Municipal  Court  judge  of  Dunkirk 
for  a  time,  but  resigned  from  this  office  in  191 5  to 
arrept  a  recess  appointment  as  postmaster  of  Dunkirk, 
v.hirh  was  tendered  to  him  April  23,  1915.  He  was 
reapp'.inted  to  this  office  for  a  full  term  of  four  years, 
\)'-r.  17,  1915.  and  on  March  3.  1920,  again  received 
another  appointment  for  four  m^TC  years.  He  has  ren- 
derf-d  valuable  service  to  the  community  and  done 
much  to  develop  the  efficiency  of  his  department.  He 
w.-is   at   one   time   deputy   state   superintendent   of   elec- 


tions. He  is  a  member  of  the  Dunkirk  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  and  in  social  and  fraternal  circles  is  affili- 
ated with  a  number  of  important  organizations,  in- 
cluding the  local  lodges  of  the  Order  of  Maccabees,  An- 
cient Order  of  Hibernians,  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  and  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  of  which 
he  is  a  past  grand  knight.  In  religious  belief,  Mr. 
Karin  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and  attends  St.  Mary's 
Church  at  Dvmkirk. 

Mr.  Karin  was  united  in  marriage,  Nov.  27,  1913,  at 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  with  Louise  A.  Lennertz,  a  native  of 
Dunkirk,  daughter  of  John  and  Clara  (Fellinger)  Len- 
nertz. Her  parents  are  natives  of  Germany  and  came 
to  this  country  in  early  youth,  being  married  at  Dunkirk. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Karin  are  the  parents  of  five  children, 
as  follows :  Anna  Louise,  Mary  Paula,  Agnes,  died  in 
infancy;   Roger  Paul,  and  Barbara  Jane. 


GUST  C.  PETERSON,  who  since  the  establishment 
of  the  Level  Furniture  Company,  Jamestown,  has  had 
charge  of  its  plants,  and  prior  to  that  had  like  re- 
sponsibility in  the  plants  of  other  Jamestown  furniture 
manufacturers,  is  a  native  of  that  city  and  has  advanced 
from  humble  circumstances  to  a  position  of  importance 
among  the  furniture  manufacturers  of  that  busy  center 
of  the  trade.  The  Level  Furniture  Company  affords 
employment  for  many  Jamestown  residents,  and  the 
success  it  has  experienced  has  in  great  measure  been 
due  to  the  technical  and  administrative  ability  of  Mr. 
Peterson.  And  that  his  lifelong  record,  and  his  mode 
of  living  in  general,  have  brought  him  the  respect  of  his 
fellow-citizens  is  manifest  in  the  public  ofiice  he  holds, 
that  of  alderman,  and  especially  in  the  fact  that  he  has 
been  elected  to  the  office  four  times. 

Gust  C.  Peterson  was  born  in  Jamestown,  Nov.  27, 
1S74.  the  son  of  Charles  G.  and  Matilda  Peterson.  The 
Peterson  family  is  of  Swedish  origin,  and  Charles  G. 
Peterson,  father  of  Gust  C,  was  born  in  that  country, 
although  he  lived  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  James- 
town, where,  like  his  son  and  so  many  others  of  his 
countrymen,  he  was  connected  with  the  furniture  manu- 
facturing industry  of  the  place.  In  his  earlier  years  of 
residence  in  Jamestown,  his  labor  did  not  bring  a  very 
substantial  return,  and  his  son.  Gust  C,  sought  to  help 
the  family  by  commencing  to  work  at  an  unusually  early 
age.  In  fact,  the  three  years  of  his  boyhood  from  nine 
to  twelve,  when  most  boys  spend  their  time  in  play  and 
school.  Gust  C.  spent  in  steady  work,  as  a  mill  hand, 
at  the  Jamestown  Worsted  Mills,  and  the  Broadhcad 
Mills.  He  had  attended  the  gr;imniar  school  for  the 
first  few  grades,  and  was  eventually  compelled,  by  law, 
to  return  to  school,  and  pursue  his  studies  until  he  had 
reached  the  age  of  fourteen  years.  He  then  again  began 
to  work,  finding  employment  for  eighteen  months  in 
Newman's  Spring  Bed  Factory,  after  which  he  found 
more  lucrative  work,  as  a  machine  hand,  in  the  furni- 
ture factory  of  Breed  &  Johnson,  with  which  firm  he 
remained  until  the  factory  was  closefl  down.  Soon 
after  that  happening  he  became  an  employee  of  the 
Fenton  Roberts  Sideboard  Company,  at  Falconer,  near 
Jamestown,  and  held  connection  with  that  company  until 
its  finances  became  involved  during  the  national  panic 
of  iiSoi,  when  so  many  manufacturers  were  forced  to 
suspend  nperations,  and  many  ultimately  passed  through 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


543 


the  courts  in  bankruptcy.  The  Fenton  Roberts  Com- 
pany was  one  of  these,  and  conditions  in  Jamestown 
generally  were  so  unsettled  that  for  eighteen  months 
Gust  C.  Peterson  could  not  find  steady  employment. 
Afterwards,  however,  for  three  years  he  was  with  the 
reconstructed  Breed  &  Johnson  Company,  later  known 
as  the  Eckman  Company,  and  during  the  last  year  of 
his  service  to  them  held  the  responsible  position  of  man- 
ager in  the  shops.  He  was  a  skilled  workman,  and 
later  was  with  the  Maddox  Table  Company,  making 
samples.  Subsequently,  until  1904,  he  had  part  in  the 
management  of  the  Baily  Jones  Company.  In  IQ04,  he 
joined  others  in  the  organization  and  establishment  of 
the  Level  Furniture  Company,  and  of  the  new  corpora- 
tion he  was  appointed  general  manager  and  director. 
He  has  held  that  capacity  ever  since,  and  has  seen  the 
company's  operations  develop  almost  tenfold  during 
the  fifteen  years  from  its  establishment  to  the  present, 
until  the  Level  Furniture  Company  has  become  a  manu- 
facturing industry  of  appreciable  consequence  to  the 
city. 

Having  regard  to  the  educational  handicaps  in  his 
young  days,  the  business  success  of  Gust  C.  Peterson 
is  noteworthy.  Of  course,  knowledge  cannot  come 
without  study,  and  where  a  man  rises  superior  to  early 
handicaps  and  unfortunate  limitations,  it  invariably  has 
come  only  by  resolute  application  in  later  life  to  studies 
which  should  have  formed  part  of  the  academic  cur- 
riculum of  his  early  years.  It  was  so  with  Mr.  Peter- 
son. Although  he  had  to  work  steadily  during  his 
youth,  he  later  took  advantage  of  the  excellent  night 
schools  of  Jamestown,  and  also  studied  much  at  home. 
Naturally  an  observant  man,  of  alert  mind,  and  of 
studious  inclination,  he  quickly  acquired  much  of  the 
fundamental  knowledge  he  had  been  denied  during  his 
earlier  years.  He  was  particularly  apt  in  technical 
matters.  Without  tuition,  he  learned  to  read  draw- 
ings and  in  that  way  became  sufficiently  proficient  to  be 
able  to  do  his  own  designing.  When  the  first  plant  of 
the  Level  Furniture  Company  was  established,  Mr. 
Peterson  drew  the  plans,  superintended  the  building, 
and  placed  the  machinery.  He  is  an  omnivorous  reader, 
and  has  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  many  subjects 
that  are  in  no  way  connected  with  his  business.  Politi- 
cally, Mr.  Peterson  is  a  Socialist,  and  has  taken  some 
part  in  political  activities.  Particularly  in  local  affairs 
is  Mr.  Peterson  interested.  He  is  serving  in  his  fourth 
term  as  alderman  of  the  Fourth  Ward,  and  he  is  ac- 
tively associated  with  the  local  lodges  of  the  Eagles 
and  Odd  Fellows  fraternal  organizations. 

In  May.  1S97,  Mr.  Peterson  was  married,  in  James- 
town, to  Hildra  Bergman,  of  a  well  known  Jamestown 
family.  They  are  the  parents  of  four  children,  three  of 
whom  are  living,  namely  :  Clayton,  who  is  shipping  clerk 
in  the  plant  of  the  Level  Furniture  Company;  Viola, 
who  now  attends  the  Jamestown  Business  College,  and 
eventually  will  enter  upon  a  business  career;  Grace,  who 
attends  the  grammar  school. 


been  turned  out  by  the  company,  and  the  manufacture  of 
tables  was  eventually  discontinued  altogether. 

The  plant  was  first  established  on  Allen  street,  and 
the  first  samples  made  in  the  old  Martin  building.  The 
incorporators  were:  William  Bjurte,  president;  F.  O. 
Ruckman,  secretary  and  treasurer;  J.  M.  Anderson,  A. 
Carlson,  O.  Bloomquist,  G.  \'.  Olson,  E.  Jones,  directors; 
with  G.  C.  Peterson,  manager.  Mr.  Peterson  is  still 
general  manager  of  the  company,  and  the  present  cor- 
poration officers  are :  John  M.  Anderson,  president ; 
Elmer  P.  Jones,  vice-president ;  and  J.  .■\.  Bloomquist, 
secretary  and  treasurer.  The  development  of  the  com- 
pany has  been  appreciable  since  1904;  it  then  gave  em- 
ployment to  about  thirty  men ;  today  it  employs  275. 
At  the  outset,  it  had  factory  floor  space  of  io,coo  square 
feet,  and  had  not  use  for  the  whole  of  it ;  today  it 
occupies  75,000  square  feet,  and  at  times  the  space 
becomes  congested.  Phonograph  cabinets,  for  the 
Edison  Phonograph  Machine  Company,  are  now  the 
main  product  of  the  plant.  Many  phonograph  compan- 
ies purchase  cabinets  from  the  Level  Furniture  Com- 
pany, but  the  bulk  of  its  output  goes  to  the  Edison 
Company.  The  plant  is  well  equipped  with  wood  work- 
ing machines,  and  its  product  is  of  a  high  grade.  The 
power  originally  was  steam,  but  now  the  plant  is  sup- 
plied with  175  horsepower  in  steam  and  73  horsepower 
in  electricity.  The  development  of  the  industry  is 
commendable  and  must  be  gratifying  to  the  men  who 
have  had  a  part  in  its  affairs  since  its  inception.  It  is 
a  plant  of  appreciable  consequence  to  the  city  of  James- 
town. 


THE  LEVEL  FURNITURE  COMPANY  was  es- 
tablished in  1904.  the  original  intention  being  to  confine 
their  operations  to  the  manufacture  of  library  and  par- 
lor tables,  but  manv  commodities   in   wood   have  since 


CONRAD  W.  GREEN,  president  of  the  Brocton 
Fruit  Products  Company,  of  Brocton,  N.  Y..  and  one 
of  the  most  widely  known  preservers  and  manufacturers 
of  fruits,  vegetables  and  juices,  of  Chautauqua  county, 
is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  March  4,  1878,  a  son  of 
Conrad  and  Fiorina  (Ora)  Green,  lifelong  residents 
of  that  country. 

The  childhood  of  Conrad  W.  Green  was  spent  in 
his  native  land  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  fifteen 
years,  during  which  period  he  attended  the  local  schools 
and  gained  the  elementary  portion  of  his  education.  He 
then  came  to  the  United  States  and  attended  for  a  time 
the  Kelley  School  near  Sandusky,  Ohio,  .'\fterwards 
he  secured  employment  in  the  vineyards  of  Western 
New  York,  but  being  of  a  very  ambitious  character,  he 
continued  his  studies  at  night  school  and  later  worked 
his  way  through  a  business  college.  After  this  he  re- 
turned to  his  native  land  and  took  an  extensive  course 
in  fruit  and  vegetable  preserving  in  a  well  known  school 
in  Berlin.  Here  he  acquired  the  knowledge  and  science 
of  the  art  of  preserving  which  helped  him  in  later  years 
to  become  the  head  of  the  large  industry  under  the  name 
of  the  Brocton  Fruit  Products  Company.  After  com- 
pleting his  course  abroad  he  returned  to  .America  and 
settled  at  Portland,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  in  1903, 
and  secured  a  position  with  the  Brocton  Fruit  Products 
Company  as  superintendent  of  the  plant,  .\fter  a  short 
time  in  the  employ  of  this  concern,  during  which  he 
rendered  himself  of  great  service  to  his  employers,  he 
was  admitted  into  partnership  in  association  with 
Messrs.    R.    .•\.    Hall,    Ernest    Buckner   and    Robert    N- 


544 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Martin.  Mr.  Hall  and  Mr.  Buckner  were  president  and 
vice-president,  respectively,  of  the  State  Bank  of  Broc- 
ton.  They  operated  the  plant  and  business  until  the 
year  loii,  meeting  with  notable  success,  and  tlien  in- 
corporated the  concern  with  Mr.  Green  as  president  and 
general  manager,  R.  .A.  Gregory,  vice-president,  and 
R.  A.  Ha!l.  secretary  and  treasurer.  When  Mr.  Green 
first  became  associated  with  the  business  it  was  a  small 
one.  but  under  his  skillful  and  far-seeing  management 
it  rapidly  grew  until  it  reached  its  present  great  pro- 
portions. Several  large  additions  have  been  made  to 
the  original  plant,  which  is  now  one  of  the  largest  of 
its  kind  in  ihe  country,  the  property  now  amounting  to 
ten  acres.  Three  additions  are  now  in  process  of  con- 
struction, which  will  bring  the  floor  space  to  200,000 
square  feet.  They  have  a  large  market  for  their  prod- 
ucts throughout  the  United  States,  as  well  as  exporting 
them  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  In  addition  to  his  indus- 
trial activities.  Mr.  Green  is  also  largely  engaged  in 
the  growth  of  grapes,  and  is  the  owner  of  three  ex- 
tensive vineyards,  totaling  200  acres,  where  he  raises 
large  quantities  of  the  fruit  that  is  used  in  his  manu- 
facturing plant. 

On  Dec.  15,  1920,  Mr.  Green  purchased  the  well 
known  business  formerly  conducted  under  the  name  of 
Harvard-Kaboth  \"ineyards.  Inc.,  of  Brocton,  N.  Y. 
This  business  was  organized  in  1003  and  had  a  very 
rapid  growth,  and  its  trade  names.  Harvard  and  Naboth, 
are  known  throughout  the  United  States.  In  order  to 
keep  pace  with  the  growing  demand  for  his  products, 
he  acquired  the  Harvard-Xaboth  interests,  which  has 
materially  aided  in  the  industrial  growth  of  Brocton, 
the  increase  of  agricultural  interest  through  its  farming 
district  and  the  expanding  of  the  company's  own  busi- 
ness. The  products  of  this  well  known  concern  are 
cider,  grape  juice,  vinegars,  fruit  syrups,  tomatoes, 
catsup,  chili  sauce,  jellies  and  jams. 

Mr.  Green  is  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Brocton 
Building  and  Loan  .A-Ssociation,  of  which  he  is  a  direc- 
tor, and  also  a  founder  and  director  of  the  Dunkirk 
Trust  Company,  and  a  director  of  the  State  Bank  at 
Brocton.  It  was  he  who  donated  the  land  for  the  uses 
of  the  Paul  De  Laney  Company,  a  sketch  of  which 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  He  is  the  ov,'ner  of  a 
number  of  tenement  houses  in  Brocton,  and  is  a  very 
public-spirited  citizen.  He  is  a  member  of  Brocton 
Lodge,  Free  arid  .Xcccpted  Masons;  Knights  of  Pythias; 
a  Rcpubh'can  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  His  plant  has  often  been  made  use  of  by  the 
Agricultural  Department  of  the  United  States  for  the 
conduct  of  experiments  in  connection  with  the  produc- 
tion of  fruit  juices. 

Mr.  Green  married,  July  21,  1904,  Charlotte  I.  Dol- 
bcrg.  of  Brocton,  a  daughter  of  Peter  and  Lottie  Dol- 
b'rrg,  •■•Id  and  highly  respected  residents  here.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Conrad  \V.  Green  are  the  parents  of  seven  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  .Milliccnt,  who  is  a  student  in  Miss 
Marot's  Schf^ol,  at  Thompson,  Conn. ;  Howard.  Evelyn, 
Leonard.  Nona.  Isabella,  and  Dp  I'orcst,  all  now  at- 
tending the  grammar  schools  of  Brocton. 

Although  a  native  of  Germany.  Mr.  Clrcen  has,  during 
his  long  residence  here,  Ijcrome  wholly  in  sympathy  with 
American  institutions  and  ideals.  He  was  especially 
active    in    war    work    during    the    great    struggle,    and 


assisted  greatly  with  the  various  drives  of  the  Liberty 
Loans,  Red  Cross,  and  all  others  in  the  effort  to  aid  his 
adopted  country. 


JOHN  GILBERT  WICKS,  who  has  been  for  many 
years  one  of  tlie  leaders  of  the  bar  in  Western  New 
York,  and  among  the  prominent  and  influential  citizens 
of  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  is  a  member 
of  a  family  that  has  been  prominent  in  this  region  for 
many  years.  He  is  a  son  of  Walter  D.  and  Wealthy 
(Clark")  Wicks,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
the  town  of  Carroll.  N.  Y.,  where  the  former  was  en- 
gaged for  many  years  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  was 
prominent  in  social  and  political  circles  in  his  day.  He 
served  as  county  superintendent  of  schools,  and  was 
the  incumbent  of  other  offices.  During  the  Civil  War 
period,  he  was  active  in  encouraging  recruiting,  and 
many  volunteered,  and  it  was  largely  due  to  his  instru- 
mentality that  the  draft  law  was  never  applied  to 
Carroll. 

John  Gilbert  Wicks  was  born  Jan.  10,  1853,  in  the 
town  of  Carroll,  now  Kiantone,  N.  Y.  He  received  his 
education  at  the  Union  School  of  Jamestown.  While 
still  a  mere  youth,  he  determined  upon  the  law  as  a 
profession,  and  upon  completing  his  studies  entered  the 
law  office  of  Cook  &  Lockwood,  well  known  attorneys  of 
that  day.  Later  he  entered  the  law  department  of  Union 
College  and  was  graduated  from  that  institution  with 
the  class  of  1876,  receiving  his  degree  of  LL.  B.  In 
August,  1S76,  he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Jamestown.  In  18S3,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  J. 
Delevan  Curtis,  which  was  continued  until  Aug.. 
1892.  and  since  then  he  has  practiced  in  partnership  with 
Warner  S.  Rcxford,  as  Wicks  &  Rexford.  In  1877,  he 
was  appointed  attorney  for  the  City  National  Bank  and 
has  since  been  connected  with  that  institution.  During 
his  professional  career,  Mr.  Wicks  has  made  for  him- 
self an  almost  unique  position  among  the  attorneys  of 
this  region,  is  honored  alike  by  his  professional  col- 
leagues and  by  the  community-at-large,  and  has  handled 
a  large  proportion  of  the  important  litigation  of  the 
county.  Mr.  Wicks  served  as  a  member  of  the  City 
Council  for  six  years ;  a  city  attorney  for  four  years, 
during  which  time  he  was  connected  with  numerous 
public  improvements;  as  county  attorney,  handling  the 
duties  of  that  office  in  a  most  efficient  manner;  and  at 
the  time  of  the  redrafting  of  the  city  charter,  Mr. 
Wicks  was  placed  in  charge,  and  he  wrote  article  7 
allowing  the  city  to  acquire  public  utilities.  He  has  also 
served  as  consulting  attorney  in  corporation  matters  in 
many  prominent  cases.  He  sold  city  bonds,  and  col- 
lected other  moneys  for  city  improvement  without  ever 
being  placed  under  bonds.  Mr.  Wicks  is  prominent  in 
social  and  fraternal  affairs  in  Jamestown,  and  is  a 
member  and  past  chancellor  of  the  local  lodge  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias;  a  member  and  past  district  deputy 
of  tlic  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose  and  the  Fraternal 
Order  of  F.agles. 

Mr.  Wicks  was  united  in  marriage  with  F.nima  L. 
Russell,  a  daughter  of  John  R.  and  Hannah  (Roy) 
Russell,  and  they  arc  the  parents  of  one  child,  Ethel, 
who  became  the  wifi-  of  Edward  Curtis,  to  whom  she 
Ikis  borne  one  son,  Louis  R.  Curtis. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


545 


CHARLES  MELVIN  NICHOLS,  who  has  been 
for  many  years  one  of  the  prominent  figures  in  the  in- 
dustrial life  of  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N,  Y., 
is  a  member  of  one  of  the  old  and  distinguished  families 
of  this  region,  which  was  founded  in  America  early  in 
the  Colonial  period. 

(I)  The  name  Nichols  is  an  old  one  in  England, 
where  the  ancestors  of  Mr.  Nichols  resided  prior  to 
their  coming  to  this  country,  and  it  has  since  gained  a 
wide  distribution  in  the  new  world.  The  founder  of 
that  branch  of  the  family  with  which  we  are  here  con- 
cerned was  one  Thomas  Nichols,  who  was  born  in 
England,  and  came  to  the  New  England  colonies  before 
1655.  He  was  doubtless  a  relative  of  the  Thomas  Nich- 
ols who  was  a  planter  in  the  adjoining  town  of  Cam- 
bridge before  1638,  and  who  then  removed  to  Hingham. 
Thomas  Nichols  of  this  account  was  married  at  Mai- 
den, Mass.,  in  1655,  and  appears  to  have  been  one 
of  a  number  of  sons,  as  he  left  a  brother,  George  Nich- 
ols, in  England,  who  was  the  executor  of  the  estate 
of  their  father,  Walter  Nichols,  a  clothier  of  Cogges- 
hall,  in  the  County  of  Essex,  England,  while  James 
Nichols,  probably  another  brother,  was  also  at  Maiden, 
where  he  married  in  April,  1660.  Thomas  Nichols 
removed  as  early  as  1665  to  Amesbury  and  had  a  seat 
in  the  Meeting  House  there,  in  1667.  He  was  also  a 
member  of  the  Train  Band  in  1680.  and  his  death  oc- 
curred there  sometime  prior  to  1720.  His  wife,  whom 
he  married  at  Maiden,  September,  1655,  was  Mary 
Moulton,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Thomas  and  Josiah.  twins,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; Ebenezer  (a  daughter),  who  became  the  wife 
of  Benoni  Tucker;  Thomas,  mentioned  below;  Samuel; 
Rachel ;  John,  who  married  Abigail  Sargent ;  Sarah, 
who  became  the  wife  of  Roger  Stephens. 

(H)  Thomas  (2)  Nichols,  son  of  Thomas  (i)  and 
Mary  (Moulton)  Nichols,  was  born  Oct.  16,  1670,  at 
Amesbury,  Mass.  Not  a  great  deal  is  known  concerning 
his  life,  but  he  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 
He  married  (first)  Jane  Jamison,  born  Feb.  22,.  1673-74, 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Esther  (Martin)  Jamison.  He 
married  (second)  April  30,  1731,  Judith  Hoages,  of 
Newbury.  His  children  by  his  first  wife  were  as  fol- 
lows: Anna,  who  became  the  wife  of  Samuel  Colby; 
Jonathan ;  Mary,  who  became  the  wife  of  Ralph  Blais- 
dell ;  Esther,  who  became  the  wife  of  Ichabod  Colby; 
Thomas;  David,  mentioned  below;  Rachel  and  Stephen. 
His  children  by  his  second  wife  were  Ebenezer  and 
Benjamin. 

(HI)  David  Nichols,  son  of  Thomas  (2)  and  Jane 
(Jamison)  Nichols,  was  born  Oct.  26.  1709,  at  Amesbury, 
Mass.,  and  was  lost  at  sea  in  1756.  He  resided  at  Salem, 
where  he  married,  in  1730,  Hannah  Gasldll,  born  Aug. 
16,  1709,  died  June  30,  1793.  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Bethiah   (Gardner)  Gaskill. 

(IV)  A  break  occurs  here  in  the  direct  line  of  descent 
of  the  Nichols  family  and  it  cannot  be  stated  with 
certainty  which  of  the  sons  of  David  and  Hannah 
Nichols  should  appear  in  this  place.  It  is.  however,  a 
matter  of  practical  certainty  that  David  Nichols  of  New 
York  was  a  grandson  of  the  David  Nichols  of  the 
third  generation. 

(V)  David  (2)  Nichols,  grandson  of  David  (i)  and 
Hannah    (Gaskill)    Nichols,   was    born    about    1775,    in 

Chau— 35 


Claverack,  Columbia  county,  N.  Y.  He  later  settled 
in  Jefferson  county,  at  Cape  Vincent,  where  his  death 
occurred  in  1830.  He  served  during  the  War  of  1812 
in  the  American  Army,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, being  honored  for  his  thrift  and  energy.  He  mar- 
ried Jerusha  Spinning,  and  they  were  the  parents  of 
the  following  children:  Elijah;  Andrew,  mentioned 
below;  Lucretia,  George,  Demmick  and  Julianna. 

(VI)  Andrew  Nichols,  son  of  David  (2)  and  Jerusha 
(Spinning)  NJichols,  was  born  April  2,  1806,  in  Oneida 
county,  N.  Y.,  and  died  in  Kennedy,  Chautauqua  county, 
May  13,  1891.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  owned  a 
large  and  valuable  property,  and  also  was  active  in 
lumbering  on  the  St.  Lawrence  river.  It  was  about 
1870  that  he  sold  his  interests  in  Northern  New  York 
and  came  to  Chautauqua  county,  where  he  purchased 
a  small  farm  not  far  from  the  village  of  Kennedy. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  local  School  Board  and  was 
keenly  interested  in  the  cause  of  education,  also  took 
a  prominent  part  in  the  religious  life  of  the  community. 
A  Democrat  during  his  entire  life,  Mr.  Nichols  was 
nevertheless  sufficiently  independent  to  vote  for  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  on  the  occasion  of  his  second  campaign. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  enjoyed  the  esteem  and  affection  of  the  com- 
munity. He  married,  in  1830,  Cordelia  Holcomb,  a 
native  of  Essex  county,  N.  Y.,  born  March  22,  iSri, 
died  Oct.  21,  1900,  aged  eighty-nine  years,  a  daughter  of 
Sullivan  Holcomb,  of  Guilford,  Conn.,  who  was  an 
officer  in  the  War  of  1812.  The  children  of  Andrew 
and  Cordelia  Nichols  were  as  follows:  I.  Maria,  born 
1831,  died  1887;  became  the  wife  of  Harvey  S.  Elkins. 
2.  Benjamin,  mentioned  below.  3.  Seth  Lee.  born  July 
2,  1837,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  and  now  engaged  in 
business  as  a  farmer  and  stock  dealer  in  Minnesota.  4. 
Ira  C,  born  March  16,  1840,  at  Clayton,  N.  Y.,  died  in 
1908 ;  served  as  a  lieutenant  in  the  13th  Regiment, 
United  States  Colored  Troops,  during  the  Civil  War; 
he  later  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  at  Kennedy,  N. 
Y. ;  married,  July,  1867,  Selina  Abbey,  who  bore  him 
five  children,  as  follows :  E.  Ross,  Lynn,  Leigh,  Mary 
and  Edna.  5.  Jane,  who  became  the  wife  of  Edward 
Carr,  of  Randolph,  N.  Y.  6.  Andrew  (2),  who  became 
a  stockman  and  farmer  in  Minnesota,  and  now  makes 
his  home  near  Tacoma,  Wash. ;  he  married  Harriett 
Walker,  deceased,  who  bore  him  one  son,  Kenneth.  7. 
Mary,  who  became  the  wife  of  William  Cole,  superin- 
tendent of  the  Chautauqua  Lake  Assembly  Grounds, 
where  they  reside.  8.  Isaac  C,  who  is  now  a  mine 
owner  at  .\shland.  Wis.,  and  resides  at  Tacoma,  Wash. 

(VII)  Benjamin  Nichols,  son  of  Andrew  and  Cor- 
deHa  (Holcomb)  Nichols,  was  born  Jan.  i,  1835,  at 
Clayton.  Jefferson  county,  N.  Y.,  and  was  educated  in 
the  local  public  schools.  As  a  lad  he  assisted  his 
father  with  the  work  on  the  latter's  farm  during  the 
time  that  he  was  a  student,  and  when  about  seventeen 
years  of  age  came  to  Chautauqua  county,  where  he  en- 
tered the  Jamestown  Academy,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated in  1852.  He  then  learned  the  trade  of  millwright 
in  the  employ  of  Barnett  Stillwell,  and  after  two  years 
with  Carlisle  Patterson  and  John  Phetelace,  in  the 
same  line,  engaged  in  business  for  himself  as  a  mill- 
wright. He  was  exceedingly  successful  in  his  enterprise, 
and  erected  a  number  of  important  mills  in  this  region 


546 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


and  equipped  them  with  machinery,  inchiding  flour 
mills  at  Kennedy.  X.  Y. :  Union  City,  Meadville  and 
Conneautville.  Pa.,  as  well  as  many  other  places.  He 
made  his  home  in  Kennedy.  K.  Y..  until  1884.  and  was 
engaged  there  in  association  with  W.  T.  Falconer,  Sr., 
and  his  brother.  I.  C.  Nichols,  in  the  lumber  business. 
In  18S3,  he  retired  from  business  as  a  millwright  and 
devoted  his  attention  entirely  to  his  extensive  lumber 
interests.  During  the  Civil  War  he  was  engaged  with 
Daniel  Griswold  and  Harvey  S.  Elkins  in  the  building 
of  tlat  boats  wliich  they  loaded  with  provisions  and 
farm  produce  for  the  use  of  the  Union  Army  and  floated 
them  down  the  Allegheny  and  Ohio  rivers,  to  where  the 
forces  were  encamped.  In  1S83.  Mr.  Nichols  formed  a 
partnership  with  William  Babcock.  with  whom  he 
operated  a  foundry  and  machine  shop.  They  purchased 
at  nrst  the  Jamestown  Iron  Works,  which  they  fitted 
up  for  their  purposes,  and  later,  in  188S,  Mr.  Nichols 
purchased  Mr.  Babcock's  interest  and  admitted  his  son, 
Charles  Melvin  Nichols,  as  a  partner.  In  18S4.  he  re- 
moved from  Kennedy  to  Jamestown,  where  lie  built 
a  handsome  residence  in  which  he  continued  to  live 
until  his  death.  Sept.  6,  1912.  Eight  years  before  the 
close  of  his  life,  he  retired  from  active  business  to 
enjoy  the  leisure  which  he  had  so  well  earned  through 
his  long  and  active  career.  In  addition  to  his  home  at 
Jamestown,  he  also  maintained  a  handsome  summer 
residence  at  Point  La-Ni-Ta  on  the  St.  Lawrence  river, 
situated  between  Claj-ton  and  Cape  X'incent.  In  poli- 
tics. Mr.  Nichols  was  a  Republican  and  served  for  a 
time  as  alderman  in  Jamestown,  performing  valuable 
work  for  the  communitv.  In  religion,  he  was  a  Metho- 
dist. 

Benjamin  Nichols  married.  Nov.  10.  1856.  at  Kennedy, 
N.  Y..  Jane  M.  Taxlor,  a  native  of  Schroon  Lake, 
Essex  county,  N.  Y.,  born  March  28,  1841,  a  daughter 
of  Eli  and  Lucinda  (Jencks)  Taylor,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  that  place.  Mrs.  Nichols  was 
twelve  years  of  age  when  she  accompanied  her  parents 
to  Chautauqua  county,  and  made  her  home  in  the  town 
of  Poland.  She  is  a  devoted  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  taught  a  Bible  class  in  the  Sun- 
day school  there  for  a  number  of  years,  as  well  as  being 
a  staunch  supporter  of  the  missionary  activities  of  the 
church.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benjamin  Nichols  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children :  i.  Delia  M.,  born 
Feb.  8,  1S58,  died  Oct.  3,  i')04;  she  was  a  woman  of 
unusual  character  and  a  delightfully  cheerful  dispositio^i 
which  rendered  her  popular  with  all  who  knew  her; 
she  was  also  a  talented  musician,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  held  the  post  of  organist  at  the  Kennedy  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church;  she  became  the  wife  of  Celestus 
L.  Wilcox.  2.  Melvin  C,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four 
years.  3.  William  S.,  who  died  in  infancy.  4.  Charles 
.Melvin.  mentioned  below.  S-  Myrtle  L.,  born  May  12, 
18//;.  who  became  the  wife,  Nov.  20,  1901,  of  Charles  E. 
Brown;  Mrs.  Brown  is  a  talented  musician,  and  a 
m'-mbcr  of  the  .Methodist  church.  6.  Maud  C,  born  Dec. 
20,  i8''i7.  died  Nov,  20.  1887.  when  less  than  twenty  years 
of  aKe  ;  she  became  the  wife  of  Salem  Parker,  to  whom 
^hf  t«-jre  one  daughter,  .Maud  Allinc,  born  .\'ov.  20, 
iW!/,  who  t>ecame  the  wife  of  Paul  Rosencrantz.  7. 
P';arl  L..  born  iJ'-c.  [4,  1871  ;  became  the  wife  of  h'rank- 


lin  H.  Oaks,  to  whom  she  bore  the  following  children  : 
Louis  Benjamin,  Jerald  Z.,  Percy,  Donald  and  Dudley. 
(MID  Charles  Melvin  Nichols,  fourth  child  and 
third  son  of  Benjamin  and  Jane  M.  (Taylor)  Nichols, 
was  born  May  iS.  1864.  at  Kennedy.  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.  .\s  a  lad  he  attended  the  local  public  schools, 
where  he  received  his  education.  Upon  completing  his 
studies  he  secured  a  position,  in  1883,  in  the  office  of 
Nichols  &  Babcock,  the  firm  at  that  time  operating  the 
Jamestown  Iron  Works  as  a  foundry  and  machine 
shop,  and  of  which  his  father  was  the  head.  When 
Benjamin  Nichols  purchased  the  interest  of  his  partner 
in  1888,  Charles  Melvin  Nichols  was  admitted  as  a 
member  of  the  firm  and  gradually  assumed  a  larger 
and  larger  share  of  its  management.  Finally,  in  1904, 
the  elder  Mr.  Nichols  retired  and  the  son  became  the 
entire  owner  of  the  enterprise.  The  concern  was  then 
reorganized  as  the  Jamestown  Iron  Works,  founders 
and  machinists,  with  Mr.  Nichols  as  superintendent  and 
general  manager,  an  office  which  he  continues  to  hold 
at  the  present  time.  Associated  with  him  are  Mr.  S.  S. 
Taylor,  who  is  the  practical  machinist  of  the  company, 
and  Emil  Froding,  the  practical  founder.  The  growth 
of  the  Jamestown  Iron  Works  may  be  seen  in  the  fact 
that  in  1883  there  were  but  thirteen  people  employed  in 
tlie  work  here,  including  the  owners,  wdiile  at  the  pres- 
ent time  there  are  forty-tive  exclusive  of  the  officers. 
They  do  a  very  large  general  founding  business,  mostly 
in  the  immediate  locality.  The  plant  occupies  a  tract 
of  land  containing  some  22,000  square  feet  and  the 
floor  space  amounts  to  as  much  as  27,000.  It  is  one 
of  the  pioneer  enterprises  of  its  kind  in  Jamestown  and, 
although  having  operated  under  several  different  names, 
has  continued  from  the  beginning  to  occupy  the  same 
location.  It  was  organized  shortly  after  the  close  of  the 
Civil  War,  and  at  one  time  owned  the  rights  in  several 
important  patents  which,  however,  it  has  since  sold  or 
disposed  of  in  other  ways.  Mr.  Nichols  also  purchased 
and  reorganized,  in  1910,  the  Jamestown  Garage  Com- 
pany on  Cherry  street,  and  is  now  the  treasurer  and 
secretary  of  that  concern,  which  does  the  largest  busi- 
ness of  its  kind  in  the  city  at  the  present  time.  Mr. 
Nichols  has  always  interested  himself  actively  in  the 
general  life  of  the  community,  and  was  for  eleven 
years  in  the  National  Guard  of  New  York,  in  which  he 
enlisted  Sept.  20,  1887,  as  a  member  of  the  13th  Sepa- 
rate Company.  At  the  time  of  the  outbreak  of  the 
Spanish-;\merican  War,  he  volunteered  his  services  in 
the  cause  of  his  country,  but  poor  health  made  it 
impossible  for  him  to  stand  the  hardships  of  camp  life, 
and  he  was  compelled  to  return  after  a  few  weeks. 
He  is  a  prominent  figure  in  the  social  and  fraternal 
circles  of  the  city  and  especially  so  in  the  Masonic 
order,  in  which  he  has  attained  the  thirty-second  de- 
gree in  Free  Masonry.  He  is  a  member  of  Mt.  Moriah 
Lodge,  No.  145,  .^ncient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons; 
Rising    Sun    Chapter,    No.    57,    Royal    Arch    Masons; 

Council,    Royal    and    Select    Masters;     

Comniandcry,  Knights  Templar; Tem- 
ple, Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine;  and  Buffalo  Consistory,  Sovereign  Princes  of 
the  Royal  Secret.  He  served  for  eleven  years  as  a 
volunlciT  finnian  in  Jamestown,  .-ukI  was  a  member  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


547 


Eagle  Hose  Company,  N.  2.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  in  1898  and  1899  represented  the  Third 
Ward  as  an  alderman,  proving  himself  a  capable  and 
disinterested  public  servant.  In  his  religious  belief  he 
is  a  Methodist. 

Charles  Melvin  Nichols  was  united  in  marriage,  June 
10,  1895.  in  Jamestown,  with  Sadie  (Sara)  Sweet,  a 
native  of  Corry,  Pa.,  born  Aug.  27,  1871,  a  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  Regina  Frances  (Huber)  Sweet.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Nichols  one  child  has  been  born,  Charles 
Malcolm,  June  25,  1906,  in  Jamestown.  The  family 
make  their  home  at  No.  108  Barrett  street,  and  reside 
in  the  summer  at  Clement  Park,  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
Chautauqua. 


RICHARD     HOUGHTON     HEPPELL,     son    of 

Richard  William  and  Harriet  Sarah  (  Houghton)  Hep- 
pell,  was  born  in  Greenpoint,  Long  Island.  N.  Y.,  Sept. 
7,  1869.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  and 
for  many  years  has  been  a  resident  of  the  cit\'  of  Dun- 
kirk, N.  Y..  closely  identified  with  its  business  and  civic 
life.  He  was  appointed  city  clerk  in  1910-11-12-13  and 
again  in  1920.  He  was  president  of  the  Municipal  Civil 
Service  Board  in  1918-19;  director  of  Dunkirk's  war 
gardens  during  the  World  War ;  member  of  the  Legal 
Advisory  Board;  member  of  the  committee  in  charge 
of  Liberty  Loan  and  Allied  "drives,"  and  served  on  the 
examining  board.  In  fact,  Mr.  Heppell  was  a  most 
valuable  aide  in  all  war  activities,  giving  freely  of 
his  time  and  ability  to  further  his  country's  cause.  In 
public  office  he  has  served  his  city  well,  and  holds  the 
respect  of  every  man  with  whom  he  has  business  or 
official  dealings. 

An  ardent  sportsman.  Mr.  Heppell.  as  a  member  of 
the  Northern  Chautauqua  Fish  and  Game  Club,  enjoys 
its  privileges,  but  is  always  mindful  of  the  game  regu- 
lations and  careful  to  observe  the  true  rules  of  sport. 
In  this  connection  it  is  proper  to  mention  that  Mr. 
Heppell  was  asked  to  prepare  a  chapter  on  Fish  and 
Game  Conservation  for  this  history  of  Chautauqua 
county,  the  result  being  one  of  its  most  interesting  fea- 
tures of  the  work.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Merchants' 
Exchange  and  the  Chamber  of  Commerce;  director  of 
the  Dunkirk  jMasonic  Association  ;  director  of  the  Dun- 
kirk Savings  and  Loan  Association ;  director  and  sec- 
retary of  the  East  End  Building  Association,  Inc. ;  sec- 
retary of  the  Marsden  Building  Company.  Inc.  Mr. 
Heppell's  affiliations  with  the  Masonic  order  are  most 
honorable.  He  is  a  past  master  of  Irondequoit  Lodge, 
No.  301.  Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  past  district  dep- 
uty grand  master  of  Chautauqua  District;  a  companion 
and  past  high  priest  of  Dunkirk  Chapter,  No.  191,  Royal 
Arch  Masons ;  past  thrice  illustrious  master  of  Dunkirk 
Council.  No.  25,  Royal  and  Select  Masters ;  a  sir  knight 
and  past  eminent  commander  of  Dunkirk  Commandery, 
No.  40,  Knights  Templar;  and  a  noble  of  Ismailia  Tem- 
ple, Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine. 
His  club  is  the  Dunkirk  Masonic.  He  is  a  communicant 
of  St.  John's  Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 


manufacture  of  pedestals,  furniture  ornaments,  and 
other  wood  working,  finds  employment  for  more  than 
thirty  men,  is  a  master  of  his  line,  a  wood  carver  of 
great  skill,  and  a  producer  of  furniture  ornaments  of 
the  highest  grade. 

He  was  born  Feb.  25,  1885,  received  a  graded  and 
high  school  education,  and  from  the  outset  of  his 
business  career  has  been  connected  with  the  manu- 
facture of  furniture.  For  many  years  he  worked  in 
Michigan  furnuure  factories,  and  became  very  proficient 
at  his  trade.  He  was  a  conscientious  workman,  always 
alert,  and  withal  intelligent,  so  that  it  was  not  long 
before  he  possessed  a  thorough  understanding  of  most 
of  the  machines  used  in  wood  working.  His  attention 
to  the  close  study  of  the  principles  of  his  trade  has  stood 
him  in  good  stead,  for  he  is  now,  while  a  young  man, 
directing  a  manufacturing  business  of  not  inconsiderable 
volume,  and  with  very  good  indication  of  future  ex- 
pansion, the  high  grade  of  his  factory's  product  being 
the  surest  indication  of  such  future  expansion.  When 
Mr.  Schulze  first  started  in  independent  business,  it 
was  in  partnership  with  a  Mr.  \'an  Stee,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Schulze  &  Van  Stee.  This  partnership 
was  dissolved  in  1913,  and  Mr.  Schulze  immediately 
organized  the  Jamestown  Fancy  Furniture  Company, 
which  he  has  developed  until  it  now  finds  employment 
for  a  good  number  of  skilled  workmen,  who  have  the 
advantage  of  the  most  modern  machinery,  housed  in  a 
modern  factory  building,  60x110,  two  stories  in  height, 
erected  by  Mr.  Schulze.  Mr.  Schulze  is  an  appreciative 
employer  of  labor,  and  by  personal  e.xample  is  able  to 
get  quality  as  well  as  quantity  out  of  his  men.  Mr. 
Schulze  gives  almost  the  whole  of  his  time  to  his  busi- 
ness. He  is  independent  in  politics,  a  Methodist  by 
religious  conviction,  and  fraternally  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  of  the  local  unit  of  which  organization 
he  is  one  of  the  leaders.  His  business  associations  bring 
him  into  membership  in  the  Manufacturers'  Associa- 
tion, and  the  Furniture  Manufacturers'  Association. 

On  July  II,  1917,  he  was  married,  in  Jamestown,  to 
Edna  Madden,  of  a  well  known  family  of  that  place. 


RUDOLPH  W.  SCHULZE,  well  regarded  citizen 
and  manufacturer,  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y..  founder  of 
the  Jamestown  Fancy  Furniture  Company,  which  in  the 


GEORGE  WILLIAM  KERR,  prosperous  and  re- 
spected farmer  in  Ripley  township.  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  is  the  son  of  a  patriot  of  worthy  Civil  War 
record,  and  has  himself  proved  to  be  a  stalwart,  useful 
citizen,  his  actions  being  marked  by  a  conscientious 
desire  to  help  forward  the  betterment  of  his  class,  and 
by  courageous  advocacy  of  principles  which  he  deems 
to  be  good  for  the  community.  For  many  years  he  has 
been  an  ardent  Prohibitionist,  and  has  not  hesitated  to 
make  known  his  views.  And  his  interest  in  the  plans 
of  the  Chautauqua  County  Farm  Bureau  for  the  bet- 
terment of  agricultural  conditions  within  the  county 
drew  him  into  participation  in  the  work;  he  has  been  a 
committeeman  of  the  bureau  almost  since  its  inception. 

He  was  born  in  North  East,  Pa.,  May  9,  1865,  the 
son  of  David  Edgar  and  Elizabeth  (Smith)  Kerr.  Soon 
after  that  event,  the  family  removed  to  Michigan,  where 
for  five  years  his  father,  David  Edgar  Kerr,  farmed  a 
tract  of  comparatively  wild  land.  After  five  years  of 
such  occupation,  however,  the  family  returned  to  Penn- 


548 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


sylvania.  and  two  years  later  came  into  New  York 
State  and  Chautauqua  county,  the  father  acquiring  a 
farm  of  sixty-eight  acres  in  Ripley  township.  It  was 
in  the  graded  school  of  Ripley  that  the  son,  George 
\V..  obtained  the  bulk  of  his  academic  education,  after 
wiiich  he  took  to  agricultural  occupations  upon  his 
father's  farm,  remaining  near  him  almost  until  his 
death.  His  father  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War. 
having  been  a  member  of  the  famous  Ninth  New  York 
Cavalry.  Company  I.  While  scouting  with  his  unit, 
he  was  thrown  from  his  horse  and  received  injuries 
wliich.  to  some  extent,  affected  his  after  life.  He  event- 
ually became  blind,  about  twelve  months  before  his 
death,  which  occurred  when  he  had  reached  his  forty- 
ninth  year. 

George  \\'illiam  Kerr  has  spent  the  main  part  of  his 
life  in  the  Ripley  district;  apart  from  the  few  years 
in  Pennsylvania,  and  the  five  years  in  Michigan  in 
early  life,  and  a  period  of  four  years  spent  in  the  oil 
tields  of  Pennsylvania,  after  he  had  grown  to  manhood, 
he  has  lived  all  his  life  in  Ripley.  After  working  in  the 
oil  fields  at  Bradford.  Pa.,  for  four  years,  he  returned 
to  Ripley,  and  bought  the  David  Woister  farm  of 
eighty-seven  and  one-half  acres  in  Ripley  township, 
and  that  has  since  been  his  home.  It  is  a  good  farm, 
and  since  he  took  up  its  cultivation  it  has  been  very 
appreciably  improved,  and  in  its  present  condition  yields 
a  good  return.  It  is  devoted  to  fruit  and  general  farm- 
ing, and  Mr.  Kerr  has  introduced  many  modern  methods 
of  farming  into  his  operations. 

He  has  always  taken  a  keen  interest  in  agriculture, 
and  for  many  years  has  been  an  active  member  of  the 
local  grange,  and  has  been  ready  to  cooperate  in  all 
movements  that  promise  good  for  the  agriculturists  of 
the  county.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Dairymen's  League, 
and  undertook  the  duties  of  committeeman  of  the  Chau- 
tauqua County  Farm  Bureau,  when  that  organization 
come  into  being.  During  the  recent  war,  he  proved  by 
his  practice  upon  his  own  farm  that  he  desired  to 
cooperate  with  the  purposes  of  the  Farm  Bureau,  and 
of  the  Federal  Department  of  Agriculture  in  preventing 
waste,  and  of  bringing  all  possible  acreage  into  cultiva- 
tirin.  In  that  way,  he  had  part  in  the  great  work  ac- 
complished by  the  American  farmers  during  the  period 
of  stress,  when  upon  the  surplus  foodstuffs  depended 
in  great  measure  the  success  of  the  Allies  in  the  war. 
And  he  proved  himself  to  be  whole-heartedly  patriotic 
by  his  contributions  to  the  various  funds  promoted  by 
the  government  and  governmental  agencies  for  the 
extraordinary  purposes  of  the  war. 

He  is  a  man  of  strong  characteristics;  has  been  an 
earnest  church  worker;  and  for  very  many  years  has 
been  an  active  Prohibitionist.  By  religious  conviction, 
he  is  a  Baptist,  member  of  the  Baptist  church  of  North 
East,  Pa.,  which  he  has  steadily  and  consistently  sup- 
ported. .And  in  furtherance  of  Prohibition  legislation. 
he  was  a  factor  of  some  consequence  in  his  district,  and 
wh'.th'-r  the  present  war  time  prohibition  legislation  be- 
comes a  permanent  measure  or  not,  George  William 
K'.-rr  will  always  be  a  staunch  and  capable  advoralc  of 
temperance. 

George  William  and  Josephine  Kirr  are  the  jjarenls 
of   two   children:    i.   Hubert   Frederick,    who   was   edu- 


cated locally,  and  eventually  became  an  auto  mechanic ; 
he  is  at  present  prospering  at  that  trade  in  North  Caro- 
lina. 2.  John  William,  who  went  to  Ripley  schools,  and 
eventually  married  Viola  Craley ;  he  is  a  candy  manu- 
facturer at  Mayville,  Chautauqua  county. 

George  William  Kerr  has  two  sisters  living:  Mrs. 
Edna  Shaw,  at  North  East.  Pa.,  and  Mrs.  Mary  Baker, 
at   Ripley.   Chautauqua  count}',   N.  Y. 

By  his  productive  agricultural  effort,  by  his  work  in 
connection  with  county  organizations,  and  by  his  local 
interest,  George  William  Kerr  has  taken  good  part  in 
Chautauqua  county  life  of  the  past  few  decades ;  and 
by  his  upright  principle,  adherence  to  a  strict  honorable 
code  of  life,  and  business  dealing  he  has  gained  the 
respect  of  his  neighbors  and  of  the  people  in  general 
in  his  community.  It  is  by  such  characteristics  that 
the  county  continues  to  advance,  and  by  such  stalwart 
characteristics  that  the  county  was  first  won  from  the 
wilderness. 


EDMOND  BENTON  OSGOOD,  a  prominent 
buisness  man  of  Brocton.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
and  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  general  life  of  this  place, 
is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  his  birth  having  occurred 
at  the  city  of  Bradford,  in  that  State.  March  26,  1863. 
He  is  a  son  of  Edmond  O.  and  Rowena  C.  (Colgrove) 
Osgood,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  that 
city  and  is  the  tenth  of  the  eleven  children  born  to  his 
parents. 

Mr.  Osgood  was  educated  at  the  schools  of  Bradford 
until  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  at  Angelica,  N.  Y., 
studying  at  the  high  school  for  a  number  of  years  at 
that  place,  and  in  1882  (thirty-eight  years  ago)  he  and 
his  father  engaged  in  the  furniture  and  undertaking 
business  in  Angelica,  N.  Y'..  where  Edmond  B.  Osgood 
remained  for  about  five  years.  In  the  spring  of  1892, 
he  removed  to  Brocton.  where  he  has  been  thus  occu- 
pied ever  since.  During  his  association  with  his  father 
Mr.  Osgood  thoroughly  learned  his  business,  and  is 
now  well  known  throughout  the  region  and  largely 
patronized.  Mr.  Osgood  has  always  been  actively  in- 
terested in  town  and  county  afi^airs.  and  on  Jan.  25, 
1904,  was  appointed,  by  Governor  Benjamin  B.  Odell, 
coroner  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  that  office  left  by  his  prede- 
cessor. Charles  Kinney,  resigned.  Since  that  time  Mr. 
Osgood  has  continuously  occupied  this  office,  having 
been  elected  to  it  at  each  subsequent  campaign.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  local  lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and 
is  chief  ranger  of  the  Order  of  Foresters.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  a  Methodist  in  his  religious  be- 
lief and  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at 
Brocton. 

Edmond  Benton  Osgood  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
February,  181)2,  at  .Angelica,  N.  Y..  with  Elizabeth  Fox, 
daughter  of  James  and  Ann  (Harrison)  Fox,  natives  of 
iMigland,  but  later  residents  of  Angelica,  N.  Y..  where 
their  daughter  Elizabeth  was  born,  Jan.  i,  1863,  and 
a  sister  of  W.  H.  Fox,  the  present  postmaster  of  Broc- 
ton, N.  Y.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edmond  Benton  Osgood 
have  one  daughter,  Montrose  C.  born  March  18,  1893, 
wife  f)f  Julius  Sherwood  Dunham,  of  Brocton,  N.  Y.,  a 
skclrh  of  whom  follows;  they  are  the  parents  of  two 
rhildrcn,  Jane  Helen  ami  Betty  Louise  Dunham. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


549 


JULIUS  SHERWOOD  DUNHAM,  who  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  most  capable  and  successful  of  the 
younger  business  men  of  Brocton,  N.  Y.,  and  now  the 
head  of  the  firm  of  Julius  A.  Dunham  &  Son,  is  a  na- 
tive of  the  town  of  Pleasantville,  Pa.,  born  May  23, 
1885,  a  son  of  Julius  A.  and  Helen  (Moss)  Dunham, 
old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  Pleasantville  and 
later  Brocton.  N.  Y.  The  elder  Mr.  Dunham  was  born 
at  Pleasantville.  Sept.  21,  1829,  and  spent  a  considerable 
portion  of  his  life  there.  In  1891  he  removed  with  his 
family  to  Brocton,  where  he  bought  the  mercantile 
establishment  of  Moss  &  Phillips  and  conducted  that 
old  business  under  the  name  of  J.  A.  Dunham,  which 
later  became  J.  A.  Dunham  &  Son,  taking  in  his  son 
above  mentioned  as  partner.  He  remained  thus  occu- 
pied up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  March  19,  1916,  a  period 
of  twenty-five  years,  during  which  time  he  was  a  valued 
citizen  of  Brocton  and  active  in  its  general  life.  He 
was  a  well  known  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  which 
he  joined  as  a  young  man  when  he  became  affiliated 
with  Oil  Creek  Lodge,  No.  303,  at  Titusville,  Pa.  .-\t 
the  time  of  his  death  he  was  a  member  of  Lake  Shore 
Lodge,  No.  851,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
of  Brocton;  Dunkirk  Chapter,  No.  191,  Royal  Arch 
Masons ;  Dunkirk  Council,  No.  25,  Royal  and  Select 
Masters ;  Dunkirk  Commandery,  No.  40,  Knights  Tem- 
plar; Buffalo  Consiston,',  Sovereign  Princes  of  the 
Royal  Secret;  and  Ismailia  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic 
Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  During  the  Civil 
War,  Mr.  Dunham  joined  the  121st  Regiment,  Penn- 
sylvania Volunteer  Infantry,  and  saw  considerable  active 
service  at  the  front  until  he  was  discharged  on  ac- 
count of  disability.  In  an  obituary  article  appearing 
in  one  of  the  local  papers  at  the  time  of  Mr.  Dunham's 
death,  occurs  the  following  passage  in  appreciation  of 
his   character: 

He  was  a  public-spirited  man,  always  giving  his 
time  and  means  to  every  public  Improvement  that 
in  his  opinion  was  for  the  benefit  of  the  community  in 
which  he  lived,  firmly  believing-  in  the  golden  rule; 
honest  and  upright  in  his  dealings  with  mankind, 
freely  giving  his  council  and  means  to  those  less  for- 
tunate   than    himself.     «     *     * 

In  the  death  of  Mr.  Dunham.  Erocton  loses  a  citizen 
who  "was  in  every  way  "worthy  of  the  confidence  and 
esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  the  host  of  friends 
"Who   remain. 

Julius  A.  Dunham  married,  Nov.  12,  1868,  Helen 
Moss,  eldest  daughter  of  Hon.  Theodore  S.  Moss,  and 
among  their  children  was  Julius  Sherwood,  with  whom 
we  are  here  chiefly  concerned. 

Julius  Sherwood  Dunham  passed  the  first  six  years 
of  his  life  at  his  native  town  of  Pleasantville.  Pa.,  but 
at  that  age  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Brocton,  N.  Y., 
where  he  began  his  education.  He  attended  the  public 
schools  of  this  place  for  a  number  of  years,  passing 
through  the  grammar  grades  and  high  school,  and  after 
completing  his  studies  at  the  latter  place  entered  East- 
man's Business  College  at  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  took  a  commercial  course.  During  this  time,  how- 
ever, the  young  man's  attention  had  been  strongly  en- 
gaged by  the  idea  of  a  professional  career  and  with  this 
idea  he  entered  the  law  department  of  the  University 
of  Michigan  in  order  to  study  his  chosen  subject.  His 
intention  in  this  direction  was  frustrated,  however,  t>y 
the  illness  of  his  mother,  which  caused  him  to  return 


home,  and  shortly  after  he  was  offered  a  place  in  the 
business  of  his  father.  This  was  accepted  by  the  young 
man,  who  thus  became  associated  with  a  business  with 
which  he  has  remained  ever  since.  Upon  the  death  of 
the  elder  Mr.  Dunham  he  took  entire  charge  and  became 
the  sole  owner,  and  since  that  time,  under  his  capable 
management,  it  has  developed  to  its  present  large  di- 
mensions and  become  one  of  the  large  stores  of  its 
kind  in  the  region.  In  addition  to  his  mercantile  activ- 
ity, Mr.  Dunham  has  always  been  keenly  interested  in 
agriculture,  especially  in  the  growing  of  grapes,  and  at 
present  owns  and  operates  a  fine  vineyard  of  fifty  acres 
which  he  inherited  from  his  grandfather,  Hon.  Theo- 
dore S.  Moss.  He  is  also  prominent  in  social  and 
fraternal  circles  here,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  the  Farm  Bureau  and  the  Portland  Grange. 
He  is  especially  prominent  in  Masonic  circles,  having 
taken  his  thirty-second  degree  in  Free  Masonary,  and 
is  affiliated  with  Lake  Shore  Lodge,  .-Ancient  Free  and 
.Accepted  Masons,  of  Brocton,  of  which  he  is  the 
treasurer;  Dunkirk  Chapter,  Royal  .'Vrch  Masons,  of 
Dunkirk;  Dunkirk  Council.  Royal  and  Select  Masters, 
of  Dunkirk ;  Dunkirk  Commandery,  Knights  Templar ; 
Ismailia  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine,  of  Buffalo ;  and  Buffalo  Consistory, 
Sovereign  Princes  of  the  Royal  Secret.  In  religious 
belief  Mr.  Dunham  is  an  Episcopalian,  attending  the 
church  of  that  denomination  at  Brocton,  and  in  politics, 
a  Republican. 

Julius  Sherwood  Dunham  was  united  in  marriage, 
Feb.  23,  1914,  with  Montrose  C.  Osgood,  of  Brocton, 
a  daughter  of  Edmond  B.  and  Elizabeth  (Fox)  Osgood, 
of  Brocton.  Two  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dunham,  Jane  Helen  and  Betty  Louise. 


MERLE  SHEARMAN,  who  for  the  past  fourteen 
years  has  conducted  a  livery  and  feed  business  in 
Jamestown,  known  as  the  Shearman  Livery,  is  very  well 
known  among  agriculturists,  and  especially  among  lov- 
ers of  horses,  in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 

Merle  Shearman  was  born  in  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  Feb.  7,  1868.  in  the  family  homestead  at  Busti,  the 
son  of  Winslow  and  Laura  Shearman,  both  now  de- 
ceased. Winslow  Shearman  was  a  prosperous  and 
respected  farmer  at  Busti,  and  to  him  and  his  wife 
were  born  seven  children.  They  were,  in  addition  to 
Merle:  Jennie,  deceased;  Dora,  who  married  Frank  P. 
Stoddard;  Anna,  who  married  William  E.  Dennison ; 
Cynthia,  deceased ;  Byron  W.,  who  eventually  was 
business  partner  with  Merle ;  and  Eric,  who  farms  the 
family  property  at  Busti. 

Merle  Shearman  received  his  elementary  education 
in  the  district  school  at  Busti,  and  later  attended  the 
Jamestown  High  School  and  Jamestown  Business  Col- 
lege. Thereafter,  until  he  had  attained  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years,  he  assisted  his  father  in  the  opera- 
tion of  the  farm.  He  was  a  boy  of  vigorous  tempera- 
ment and  adventurous  spirit,  and  went  West  when  he 
became  of  age.  For  five  years  he  remained  in  Mon- 
tana, his  love  of  horses  drawing  him  into  connection 
with  ranching  in  that  State.  He  had  a  horse  and  cat- 
tle ranch  of  his  own  at  Livingston,  Mont.,  but  he  event- 
ually disposed  of  that  and  returned  to  Busti,  N.  Y., 
and   there  purchased   a   farm,   which   for  the   following 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


five  years  he  steadily  cultivated.  He  then  sold  the  farm 
to  his  nephew  and  came  to  Jamestown  to  live.  His 
fondness  lor  horses  again  intiuenced  him,  for  after  he 
had  been  with  the  Salisbury  Wheel  Company  for  two 
years,  he  gave  up  that  steady  employment  so  that  he 
might  establish  himself  in  the  livery  business  in  James- 
town. It  was  in  1905  when  he  first  opened  business  in 
the  city  as  a  livery  stable  owner.  The  success  of  the 
business  later  induced  him  to  take  his  brother  into  part- 
nership, the  brothers  thereafter  trading  as  Shearman 
Brothers.  In  1009.  his  brother,  Byron  W.  Shearman, 
died,  and  since  then  Merle  Shearman  has  conducted  the 
business  alone.  It  is  a  substantial  livery  business,  and 
latterly  an  appreciable  volume  of  trading  in  hay  and 
feed  has  been  developed.  Mr.  Shearman  has  very  many 
friends  in  Chautauqua  county,  and  is  considered  to  be 
an  excellent  judge  of  horses.  He  is  much  interested 
in  the  Jamestown  Agricultural  Fair.  Mr.  Shearman 
does  not  take  much  part  in  political  affairs,  but  he  gives 
steady  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Jamestown  Board  of  Commerce,  and  fra- 
ternally belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  Macca- 
bees orders.  By  religious  conviction,  his  people  were 
Methodists,  but  his  family  attends  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Jamestown, 

On  Oct.  15.  iSoi.  in  Busti.  N.  Y.,  Merle  Shearman 
was  married  to  Audrey  M.  Palmer,  of  Ellicott.  They 
have  two  children :  .\llene.  who  became  the  wife  of 
Webster  Gokey,  of  Jamestown ;  and  Adelaide,  who  is 
at  home. 


HUGH  MARCUS  FLEMING,  one  of  the  leading 
residents  of  Brocton,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  secre- 
tary of  the  Brocton  Fruit  Products  Company,  secretary- 
treasurer  of  the  .-\hira  Hall  Memorial  Library,  and  one 
of  the  most  prominent  and  active  men  in  the  district, 
was  born  in  Forest  county,  Pa.,  May  15.  1858,  the  son 
of  John  and  Esther  (Henderson)  Fleming.  His  father 
was  a  farmer,  who  later  came  into  Chautauqua  county, 
and  was  well  known  in  Portland  township,  where  he 
settled  and  purchased  a  farm. 

The  education  of  Hugh  M.  Fleming  was  obtained  in 
the  district  school  in  the  town  of  Portland.  Chautauqua 
county,  and  a  commercial  college  in  Mt.  L'nion,  Ohio. 
After  completing  his  studies,  he  resolved  to  enter  com- 
mercial life,  and  became  interested  with  his  father  in 
the  grocery  business  in  Portland,  so  continuing  for  sev- 
eral years.  Later  he  was  in  the  employ  of  a  nursery 
company  for  several  more  years,  in  the  same  town, 
after  which,  in  1899,  he  came  to  Brocton,  becoming 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  G,  E.  Ryckman  Wire 
Company,  so  continuing  until  1915.  In  1919,  he  became 
secretary  of  the  Brocton  Fruit  Products  Company,  the 
position  he  is  holding  at  the  present  time  (1921;,  Mr. 
Fleming  has  taken  a  prominent  part  in  most  of  the 
public  movements  of  Portland  and  Brocton.  Politically, 
he  gives  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party,  and  for 
eighteen  years  was  town  clerk  of  Portland  and  village 
clerk  in  Brocton  since  1909.  Fraternally,  he  is  crjnnected 
with  the  .Masonic  order;  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
F'llow<i,  and  the  Knights  of  F'ythias,  of  which  he  is 
pas',  chancellor,  .^s  a  .Mason,  he  has  advanced  to  the 
thirty-second   degree,  and   has  been   through   practically 


all  the  chairs  of  the  Blue  Lodge,  the  chapter,  the  council 
and  the  commandery.  He  was  the  first  master  of  Lake 
Shore  Lodge,  of  Brocton,  and  district  deputy  for  the 
Chautauqua  district ;  member  of  the  Dunkirk  Chapter, 
Royal  .Arch  Masons ;  Dunkirk  Council,  Royal  and  Select 
Masters;  Dunkirk  Commandery,  Knights  Templar;  the 
Buffalo  Shrine;  Buffalo  Consistory;  and  the  Brocton 
Eastern  Star.  It  will  therefore  be  appreciated  that  he 
is  widely  known  in  the  district,  and  has  high  standing 
among  his  fellow  townsmen  and  fraternal  associates. 
Mr.  Fleming  is  a  man  of  pronounced  literary  inclinations 
and  has  been  actively  interested  in  the  work  of  the 
Ahira  Hall  Memorial  Library  having  been  a  member 
of  the  board  of  that  institution  for  nine  years.  For 
eight  years  he  has  been  secretary-treasurer  for  the  li- 
brary, and  his  wide  knowledge  of  books  has  been  in- 
valuable to  the  institution.  During  the  World  War  he 
took  an  active  part  in  the  work  of  making  successful 
in  his  district  the  flotation  of  the  various  Liberty  Loans 
and  other  funds. 

Mr.  Fleming  married  (first)  Maila  Mitchell,  who  died 
in  1897.  He  married  (second)  Viola  Mitchell,  sister  of 
his  first  wife,  both  of  the  town  of  Portland,  By  the 
first  marriage  there  was  one  child,  Clifford  Marcus,  born 
Dec.  27,  1883,  who  was  educated  in  Westfield  High 
School,  and  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College  in 
Poughkeepsie,  N,  Y, ;  he  married  Maud  Hodge,  of  Broc- 
ton, and  thev  have  two  children,  Frances  and  Charles. 


EDWARD  NEIL  SKINNER,  a  prominent  busi- 
ness man  of  Westfield,  Chautauqua  county,  N,  Y.,  where 
he  is  engaged  in  the  automobile  business,  is  a  native  of 
the  town  of  Portland,  N.  Y.,  born  .Aug.  10,  1879,  and  a 
member  of  an  old  and  distinguished  New  York  State 
family. 

His  grandfatlier,  David  Skinner,  located  at  Norwich, 
N.  Y.,  as  a  young  man,  and  later  came  to  Chautauqua 
county.  His  son,  Frank  Skinner,  father  of  Edward  N, 
Skinner,  was  born  at  Portland,  N,  Y.,  and  died  there  in 
-April,  i(;»7,  being  occupied  as  a  farmer  during  his  entire 
life.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  Methodist 
in  religious  belief.  He  married  Catherine  O'Neil.  a 
native  of  Ireland.  She  came  to  this  country  as  a  young 
girl  and  married  Mr.  Skinner  at  Portland,  Among 
their  children  is  Edward  Neil,  with  whose  career  we  are 
here  especially  concerned. 

Edward  Neil  Skinner  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Westfield,  N.  Y.,  also  the  Westfield  High  School.  Upon 
completing  his  studies  at  the  latter  institution,  he  turned 
his  attention  to  farming  and  was  employed  in  this 
occupation  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty-six. 
Mr,  Skinner,  however,  felt  that  a  larger  opportunity 
awaited  him  in  business  life,  and  with  this  end  in  view 
he  became  a  traveling  agent  for  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World.  He  remained  with  this  concern  three  years, 
and  then  removed  to  Westfield  and  in  1909  engaged  in 
the  automobile  business  in  partnership  with  William 
Xicol,  under  the  firm  name  of  Skinner  &  Nicol,  a 
garage  known  throughout  Western  New  York.  In  19 13, 
Mr.  Skinner  became  identified  with  the  Chautauqua 
Coriperative  Live  .Stock  Insurance  Company  of  West- 
field,  N.  v.,  and  since  that  time  he  has  held  the  office 
of  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  company,  which  is  now 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


551 


a  flourishing  concern  and  owes  its  success  to  his  capable 
management.  Mr.  Skinner  is  a  prominent  Democrat  in 
this  region,  his  voice  being  influential  in  the  councils  of 
his  party.  He  was  elected  a  trustee  of  Westfield  in  191 1. 
In  1915,  Mr.  Skinner  was  appointed  postmaster,  taking 
office  in  the  month  of  April  in  that  year  and  being 
confirmed  in  his  appointment  in  the  following 
December.  Mr.  Skinner  is  a  well  known  figure 
in  social  and  fraternal  circles  here,  and  is 
especially  prominent  in  the  Masonic  order,  being 
affiliated  with  Summit  Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  and  Westfield  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  local  lodges  of  the  Benevo- 
lent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  the  Woodmen 
of  the  World.  His  clubs  are  the  Masonic  of  Westfield, 
the  New  York  Automobile,  and  the  National  Automobile 
Dealers'  Association. 

Edward  Neil  Skinner  was  united  in  marriage,  Nov. 
26,  1902,  at  Westfield.  N.  Y.,  with  Lydia  A.  House,  a 
native  of  Westfield,  bom  Dec.  5,  1878.  a  daughter  of 
David  and  Mary  (Caldwell)  House.  Mr.  House,  who 
was  born  at  Portland,  N.  Y.,  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, and  a  staunch  supporter  of  Republican  principles 
and  policies.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  deceased.  One 
son  was  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Skinner,  Theodore  R., 
who  is  now  a  student  in  the  local  high  school. 


Mr.  Palmer  married,  Oct.  2,  1912,  Alice  V.,  daughter 
of  Albert  H.  and  Clara  A.  (Chapman)  Bierce,  of  Fre- 
donia,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  children : 
Bruce  Albert,  Mark  Joseph,  and  Ethel. 


RALPH  J.  PALMER — The  insurance  interests  of 
Chautauqua  county  have  certainly  no  more  aggressive 
or  successful  representative  than  they  possess  in  the 
man  whose  name  stands  at  the  head  of  this  article.  As 
active  manager  of  the  Tremaine  Insurance  Agency,  Mr. 
Palmer  ranks  among  the  foremost  in  his  line  of  busi- 
ness. 

Ralph  J.  Palmer  was  born  July  25,  1893,  in  Fredonia, 
son  of  Joseph  N.  and  Anna  (Curran)  Palmer.  The 
education  of  Ralph  J.  Palmer  was  received  in  the  gram- 
mar and  high  schools  of  Fredonia,  and  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  he  began  his  career  in  the  insurance  line.  At 
that  time  he  entered  his  father's  insurance  agency  with 
which  he  continued  to  be  identified  until  Dec.  i,  1913. 
when  both  father  and  son  purchased  the  G.  M.  Tremaine 
Insurance  Agency  and  the  two  agencies  were  united 
under  the  name  of  the  Tremaine  Insurance  Agency,  of 
which  Mr.  Palmer  is  now  active  manager.  The  Tre- 
maine Insurance  Agency  is  the  oldest  in  northern  Chau- 
tauqua county,  if  not  in  the  entire  county.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1859,  it  was  established  under  the  name  by  G.  M. 
Tremaine.  The  united  organization  is  now  one  of  the 
largest  agencies  in  existence,  dealing  in  all  kinds  of 
insurance.  The  following  are  the  companies  repre- 
sented :  The  .Agricultural  Insurance  Company ;  Colonial 
Fire  Underwriters,  Fire  .Association,  Firemen's  Fund, 
Glenn  Falls,  Home  of  New  York.  Insurance  Company 
of  North  America,  Travelers'  Insurance  Company,  the 
New  Hampshire,  the  Northwestern  Underwriters,  the 
Royal,  Security  and  others.  The  political  principles  of 
Mr.  Palmer  are  those  advocated  and  supported  by  the 
Republican  party.  He  affiliates  with  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of 
Fredonia,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  of  the  same  place.  During  the  late  war  he  was 
identified  in  various  war  activities. 


HARRY     A.     METTENDORFF— Prominent     in 

town  aft'airs,  and  superintendent  of  Westfield's  mu- 
nicipal electric  light  system,  is  Harry  A.  Mettendorff. 
He  has  held  this  post  since  March,  1913,  and  is  one  of 
the  well  known  younger  citizens  of  the  town. 

Harry  A.  Mettendorff  was  born  in  the  city  of  Dun- 
kirk, N.  v.,  March  4,  1889,  his  parents  being  Peter  and 
Anna  (Britcher)  Mettendorff,  and  they  were  also  the 
parents  of  one  daughter,  Mary  Pauline.  Peter  Met- 
tendorff was,  at  the  time  of  his  son's  birth,  connected 
with  the  Brooks  Locomotive  Works  of  Dunkirk,  but 
when  the  boy  was  four  months  old  the  family  moved 
to  Westfield  and  Mr.  Mettendorff  then  accepted  a  po- 
sition with  the  Lake  Shore  Railroad.  Harry  A.  Metten- 
dorff attended  the  grammar  school  of  Westfield  and 
later  the  high  school,  after  which  he  became  employed 
with  the  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  &  Lake  Erie  Rail- 
road, remaining  there  until  1908.  He  then  secured  em- 
ployment with  the  Westfield  Municipal  Lighting  Plant, 
and  while  employed  there  he  became  interested  in  and 
took  a  course  of  study  in  electricity.  Just  at  this  time 
there  was  a  vacancy  in  the  Dunkirk  Light,  Heat  and 
Power  Company,  and  he  became  night  engineer  in  the 
plant.  For  three  years  Mr.  Mettendorff  remained  at 
Dunkirk,  and  then  returned  to  the  Westfield  plant,  ac- 
cepting the  position  of  superintendent  in  March,  1913. 
He  immediately  began  to  make  improvements  in  the 
equipment  of  the  plant,  making  many  important  changes 
and  installing  new  generators.  Up  to  this  time  the  plant 
was  only  able  to  supply  very  limited  night  service,  and 
now  they  have  250  street  lights  and  500  customers,  in- 
cluding people  in  dwellings,  offices,  for  churches,  etc., 
with  thirty-si.x  miles  of  well  lighted  highways ;  and  the 
electric  switch  board  is  of  the  most  modern  type.  This 
is  a  municipal  plant,  having  started  in  operation  in  the 
fall  of  1893  with  one  engine,  a  belt  drive.  150  horse- 
power engine  of  the  Skinner  automatic  variety,  belted 
to  a  live  shaft  supplying  power  to  three  arc  light  ma- 
chines and  one  small  lighting  generator.  They  now  have 
an  additional  engine  of  225  horsepower,  and  these  en- 
gines supply  a  total  power  of  300  K.  V.  A.  capacity  in 
the  generators.  In  the  boiler  room  are  two  150  horse- 
power "Erie  City"  horizontal  tubular  boilers.  Since 
Mr.  Mettendorff  took  management  of  the  plant  he  has 
done  much  to  give  efficient  service  and  stands  well  with 
the  users  of  electric  power  in  this  vicinity.  He  is  like- 
wise well  known  in  a  social  way.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Royal  Arcanum  and  of  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  an  Episcopalian  in 
religion. 

In  Westfield.  Sept.  15,  1913,  Harry  A.  Mettendorff 
married  Gertrude  Newell,  of  that  town,  and  they  have 
two  children,  Jean  Louise  and  \'ivian  Grace. 


SALISBURY  AXLE  COMPANY,  INC.— One  of 

the  leading  manufacturing  industries  of  Jamestown,  N. 
Y.,  is  that  of  the  Salisbury  Axle  Company,  which  cer- 
tainly has  upheld  the  reputation  of  the  city  for  manu- 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


factured  products  of  the  highest  grade.  One  writer 
regarding  the  city  and  the  coimection  of  the  Salisbury 
Axle  Company  with  it,  stated  recently : 

Quality  is  the  keynote  which  has  made  James- 
town's products  known  Uiroughout  the  world  for  its 
excellence,  and  this  assertion  finds  confirmation  in  the 
reputation   achieved   by    the   Salisbury-   A-xle   Company. 

The  company,  whose  immense  plant  on  Tiffany  ave- 
nue, Jamestown,  is  devoted  almost  exclusively  to  the 
manufacture  of  automobile  axles  and  hubs,  had  its 
inception  eighteen  years  ago,  when  it  was  incorporated 
under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  New  York.  Its  organ- 
izers were  men  of  business  and  foresight,  who  saw 
that  for  a  product  of  uniformly  high  grade  and  relia- 
bility there  was  every  prospect  of  rinding  a  ready  and 
adequate  market.  Its  progress  has  kept  pace  with  the 
rapid  development  of  the  automobile  industry  during 
the  last  few  years,  and  new  markets  are  constantly  be- 
ing opened.  Undoubtedly,  there  is  a  promising  future 
of  successful  expansion  before  the  company,  because  the 
factor  of  prime  importance  at  the  plant  is  excellence  of 
product. 

As  the  plant  was  when  last  written  of,  it  consisted 
of  three  large  and  modern  structures,  affording  a  total 
floor  space  of  70,000  square  feet.  It  is  equipped  with 
the  latest  machinery  and  appliances  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  automobile  axles  and  hubs,  and  provides  em- 
ployment for  from  200  to  500  efficient  workmen.  The 
product  is  marketed  throughout  the  United  States  and 
Canada  among  the  more  representative  manufacturers 
of  automobiles.  The  corporation  is  fortunate  in  its 
executive  personnel,  the  direction  of  its  affairs  being  in 
the  hands  of  men  who  are,  stated  a  local  writer,  "potent 
factors  in  Jamestown's  industrial  development,  and  hold 
an  undisputed  position  in  local  manufacturing  circles." 
The  executives  of  the  Salisbury  Axle  Company  in  July, 
1919.  were:  F.  P.  Hall,  president;  S.  H.  Penfield,  vice- 
president  and  sales  manager;  E.  D.  Cook,  secretary; 
Fletcher  Goodwell,  treasurer;  E.  D.  Shearman,  genera! 
manager;  F.  E.  Clark,  purchasing  agent;  F.  P.  Hall,  Jr., 
chief  engineer.  This  company,  in  1919,  sold  its  interests 
to  a  New  York  syndicate  and  now  they  have  a  new 
board  of  officers,  all  outside  men. 

Certainly,  a  manufacturing  industry  yielding  work  to 
500  persons  is  a  factor  of  appreciable  importance  to  a 
city  of  the  size  of  Jamestown,  and  many  of  the  city's 
well  v.'ishcrs  would  naturally  hope  that  the  expansion 
of  the  Salisbury  .'\.xlc  Company's  business  be  even  more 
rapid  than  heretofore. 


CHARLES  MASON  DOW,  LL.  D.— Long  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Jamestov.n  bankim;  fraternity,  president  of 
the  National  Chautauqua  County  Bank,  the  "mother" 
of  all  Chautauqua  banks,  a  citizen  honored  with  high 
appointment  tjy  his  State  and  National  governments, 
Charles  M.  Dow  occupies  a  strong  position  in  the  public 
life  of  Chautauqua  county.  Not  less  was  he  honored 
in  private  life,  while  his  interest  in  all  that  pertained 
to  the  home  and  family  life  of  the  county  was  well 
proven  by  his  service  as  president  of  the  Chautauqua 
County  Historical  Society.  Conservation  of  our  natural 
parks  and  our  forests,  and  the  establishment  of  a  park 
syslf-m  in  Jamestown,  were  subjects  which  interested 
him  -.iTi'l   called   for  vabiablc  personal  service.     To  this 


add  literary  ability,  public  spirit,  and  patriotism,  and 
a  fairly  faithful  likeness  of  one  of  Chautauqua's  most 
eminent  citizens  is  obtained. 

Mr.  Dow  traced  descent  from  the  Dows  of  Hampton, 
Mass.,  who  came  from  Norfolkshire,  England,  to  New 
England  in  1637.  He  is  a  great-great-grandson  of  Solo- 
mon and  Mary  (Saunders)  Dow;  great-grandson  of 
Captain  Richard  and  Elizabeth  (Clough)  Dow;  grand- 
son of  Captain  Solomon  and  Elizabeth  (Buzzell)  Dow; 
and  only  son  of  Albert  Gallatin  Dow  and  his  second 
wife,  Lydia  Ann  (Mason)  Dow. 

Of  Albert  Gallatin  Dow,  centenarian,  it  has  been 
written  ; 

He  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  men  of  this  ag^e; 
mentally  and  physically  one  of  the  most  perfectly  bal- 
anced men  of  whom  history  gives  record;  who  without 
being  a  genius  or  a  specialist  had  the  ability  to  quickly 
grasp  any  subject:  a  man  of  medium  size,  with  body 
splendidly  developed,  and  every  organ  functioning  nor- 
mally. As  a  centenarian  he  took  the  same  active  inter- 
est in  current  affairs,  presiding  over  a  meeting  of  the 
board  of  directors  of  the  Chautauqua  County  National 
Bank  at  the  age  of  ninety-seven,  and  within  a  few 
weeks  of  his  death  wrote  his  personal  reminiscences 
to  be  distributed  among  the  guests  at  his  anticipated 
one  hundredth  birthday  anniversary.  He  attained  suc- 
cess as  merchant  and  banker;  was  chosen  State  Sen- 
ator, and  held  the  rsepect  and  friendship  of  every 
man  who  knew  him.  He  was  born  in  Plainfield,  N.  H., 
Aug,  16,  180S,  died  at  his  home  in  Randolph,  N,  T,, 
Saturday  night.  May  23,  190S,  not  quite  reaching  his 
one  hundredth  birthday, 

Albert  G,  Dow  married  (first)  Freelove  Mason,  who 
died  at  Randolph,  N.  Y.,  Aug,  21,  1847,  daughter  of 
Wheaton  and  Octavia  (Belden)  Mason,  They  were  the 
parents  of  five  children :  James,  Warren,  Sarah,  who 
died  in  childhood;  Mary,  and  Albert  G.  Mr.  Dow  mar- 
ried (second)  at  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  April  25,  1850, 
Lydia  Ann  Mason.  She  was  born  at  Pembroke,  N.  Y., 
June  9,  1814,  and  died  at  Randolph,  N.  Y.,  June  11,  1891, 
leaving  an  only  child,  Charles  Mason,  to  whom  this 
review  is  inscribed. 

Charles  Mason  Dow  was  born  at  the  family  home  in 
Randolph,  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  i,  1854, 
died  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y,.  Dec.  17,  1920.  He  was  edu- 
cated at  Randolph  Academy  and  Oberlin  College,  later 
pursuing  law  study  under  the  direction  of  Johnson  & 
Crowley,  of  the  Cattaraugus  county  bar.  He  did  not 
practice  law,  however,  but  embraced  business  life,  be- 
coming a  member  of  the  banking  firm,  A.  G.  Dow  & 
Son,  in  1876,  being  then  twenty-two  years  of  age.  A.  G. 
Dow  &  Son  maintained  a  bank  in  Randolph  and  from 
1879  until  1884,  Charles  M.  Dow  was  inanagcr  of  a 
branch  bank  in  Bradford,  Pa.  In  1884,  he  retired  from 
liusiness  and  spent  three  years  in  travel  and  leisure.  In 
1888,  Mr.  Dow  reentered  business  life  as  organizer  of 
tlie  Jamestown  National  Bank,  of  which  he  was  presi- 
dent froin  its  organization  until  its  consolidation  in 
1899  with  the  Chautauqua  County  Trust  Company.  He 
was  president  of  the  latter  institution  from  the  con- 
solidation in  1899,  until  a  later  reorganization  as  the 
Chautauqua  County  National  Bank,  of  which  he  was 
president  until  his  passing,  his  term  as  chief  executive 
of  the  same  institution  under  its  three  corporate  titles 
covering  the  entire  jieriod  188S-1920.  (See  banking 
chapter). 

.Mr.  I)'i\v  was  called  t-i  other  important  positions 
in  tlic  linanci.-'l  world,  anrj  held  various  directorshi])s. 
lie    (,rj!-inized     the    hanking    cUpariinent     c.f    the    Title 


CAmI^  tlA.  /SxnJ 


h'^uio^<-A.vh^Jj 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


SS3 


Guarantee  and  Trust  Company  of  New  York  in  1903, 
and  for  two  years,  1903-04,  served  that  institution  as 
vice-president.  He  was  a  trustee  of  the  American 
Surety  Company  of  New  York,  1903-15;  member  of 
Buffalo  Board  Federal  Reserve  Bank  of  New  York, 
1919-20;  vice-president  and  director  of  Salamanca  Trust 
Company;  director  of  the  Lake  Shore  National  Bank  of 
Dunkirk,  besides  various  others,  but  Jamestown  was  the 
scene  of  his  constant  interest  and  business  activity. 

Eschewing  politics  as  an  active  participant,  Mr.  Dow 
nevertheless  devoted  much  time  to  the  public  service 
and  rendered  to  both  county  and  State  public-spirited 
endeavor  of  value.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Constitu- 
tional Convention,  1915,  serving  as  chairman  of  the 
conservation  committee,  and  in  Jamestown  was  an  active 
advocate  of  public  parks,  and  president  of  the  first 
Board  of  Park  Commissioners  in  1900.  In  1898,  he  was 
appointed  a  commissioner  of  the  Niagara  State  Park 
Reservation,  an  office  he  held  continuously  for  sixteen 
years,  and  for  eleven  years,  1903-14,  was  president  of  the 
commission.  The  question  of  preserving  State  forests 
appealed  to  him,  and  he  became  so  prominent  an  advo- 
cate of  forest  conservation  that  he  was  elected  vice- 
president  of  New  York  State  Forestry  Association, 
trustee  of  the  Society  for  the  Preservation  of  the  .^di- 
rondacks,  trustee  of  the  American  Scenic  and  Historic 
Preservation  Society,  and  director  of  the  National  Con- 
servation Association.  He  was  for  many  years  asso- 
ciated with  William  P.  Letchworth  in  many  activities 
for  the  State,  and  at  the  latter's  death,  when  he  be- 
queathed to  the  State  beautiful  Letchworth  Park  in  the 
Genesee  valley,  Mr.  Dow  was  made  the  director  of  the 
commission  which  took  charge  and  made  of  the  park  one 
of  the  beauty  spots  of  the  State,  which  has  attracted 
the  admiring  attention  of  thousands  of  travelers  as 
well  as  the  many  visitors  from  our  own  and  adjoining 
states.  It  was  through  his  influence  that  the  arboretum 
was  established  in  Letchworth  Park,  regarded  as  the 
most  important  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States.  The 
function  of  the  arboretum  as  laid  down  by  the  director 
is  thus  stated : 

The  principle  upon  which  the  Letchwork  Park 
Arboretum  is  estaljlished  i."!  that  it  shall  consist  of 
a  permanent  collection  of  the  various  species  of  the 
world's  timber  trees  likely  to  thrive  in  this  northern 
climate,  planted  scientifically,  to  test  their  value  and 
illustrate  the  processes  of  development,  so  supplying 
not  only  knowledge  for  knowledg"e's  sake,  but  also 
knowledge  for  practical  use. 

During  the  period  of  war  between  the  United  States 
and  Germany,  1917-18,  Mr.  Dow  was  appointed  Federal 
Fuel  .Administrator  for  Chautauqua  county,  his  appoint- 
ment being  made  Oct.  26.  1917,  and  in  1918  he  was  made 
a  member  of  the  Federal  Milk  Commission.  These 
trusts  were  accepted  by  Mr.  Dow,  and  he  rendered  eflS- 
cient  service,  directing  the  energies  of  the  Fuel  Con- 
servation Commission  in  his  district  with  devotion  to 
the  best  interests  of  the  people  and  the  government. 

Almost  his  last  county  public  service  was  as  president 
of  the  Chautauqua  County  Historical  Society,  and  in 
that  ofi^ce  he  made  extraordinary  efforts  to  interest  the 
people  of  the  county  in  the  preservation  of  family 
history  and  records.  The  aid  of  the  society  was  freely 
offered,  and  personally  the  president  gave  substantial 
prizes  to  the  school  children  to  interest  them  in  county 
geography  and  history.    There  has  never  been  any  salary 


connected  with  any  of  the  above  positions,  and  it  may 
truly  be  said  that  few  men  in  Chautauqua  or  any  other 
county  have  given  more  freely  to  non-remunerative 
public  service.  But  his  pay  has  been  ample  in  the  con- 
templation of  the  good  accomplished. 

An  e-xtensive  traveler,  having  spent  long  periods  in 
practically  every  country  in  the  world,  where  he  was  an 
honored  guest  on  various  occasions,  a  wide  reader,  and 
associated  with  scientific  societies,  Mr.  Dow  acquired 
a  most  pleasing  style,  and  from  a  full  mind,  in  the  in- 
tervals of  a  busy,  useful  life,  wrote  much  of  interest 
concerning  his  years  of  study,  research  and  work.  Be- 
sides articles  in  "Outlook"  and  "Review  of  Reviews," 
he  is  the  author  of  "A  Century  of  Finance  and  Com- 
merce in  Chautauqua  County"  {1903),  "A  History  of 
the  State  Reservation  at  Niagara"  (1915),  and  "Bibli- 
ography and  Anthology  of  Niaraga  Falls"  (1919). 

Mr.  Dow  married,  Jan.  12,  1876,  Eleanor  Jones, 
daughter  of  Elisha  L.  and  Emily  (Sibley)  Jones.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Dow  were  the  parents  of  four  children:  Al- 
berta Gallatin,  wife  of  Fletcher  Goodwill ;  Charles 
Mason,  Born  Sept.  25,  1878,  died  Dec.  27,  1907,  a  gradu- 
ate of  Yale  College  and  Harvard  Law  School ;  Howard, 
born  Aug.  15,  1880,  now  vice-president  of  the  Chautau- 
qua County  National  Bank ;  and  Paul  Livingston,  born 
March  15,  1884,  died  Sept.  9,  1884. 

The  estimation  in  which  Mr.  Dow  was  held  among 
men  of  learning  is  best  attested  by  the  fact  that  in  1914 
Bethany  College  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Laws,  and  a  similar  degree  was  conferred 
by  Niagara  L'niversity  in  1915.  No  man  in  the  State 
was  more  deeply  interested  in  those  things  which  count 
for  the  advancement  of  the  nation  and  the  uplift  of 
society  than  he,  as  is  attested  by  the  numerous  societies 
and  organizations  of  which  he  was  a  member  and  for 
which  he  earnestly  labored.  In  his  home  city  he  was 
universally  respected,  and  his  passing  in  the  full  prime 
of  his  splendid  powers  brought  forth  universal  regret. 
When  conditions  developed  that  gave  assurance  that  the 
end  was  near  Mr.  Dow,  with  the  dignity  and  patience 
that  was  always  his,  awaited  the  end  with  calm  resigna- 
tion, and  with  a  full  realization  that  his  life's  work  was 
ended. 

The  following  extract  is  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  James 
Sullivan : 

He  touched  life  at  more  points  than  any  other  man 
whom  I  have  ever  known  intimately;  he  knew  min- 
utely more  of  the  inward  life  of  the  people,  not  alone 
of  this  locality,  but  of  the  country  g-enerally.  than 
most  of  the  philosophers.  He  instinctively  knew,  and 
he  had  a  delicate  appreciation  for.  the  finer  side  of 
every  person  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  and  his 
kindly,  though  often  blunt,  methods  of  bringing  men 
together  and  smoothing  out  the  rough  places  has 
served  to  preserve  and  perpetuate  friendships  which 
otherwise  would  have  drifted  into  animosities  which 
could  not  have  failed  to  mar  the  life  of  the  community. 
Add  to  these  splendid  qualities  that  charity  which 
delights,  not  in  ostentatious  giving,  but  in  daily  doing; 
which  appreciates  that  men  and  women  need  encour- 
agement in  the  development  of  character  and  an  abid- 
ing faith  more  than  a  fostering  of  their  self-pity,  and 
we  ha\'e  a  composite  picture  of  the  man. 


MRS.  ELEANOR  (JONES)  DOW— A  woman  of 
noble  character  and  fine  mind.  Mrs.  Dow  was  a  leader 
in  charitable  and  philanthropic  movements  in  Chautau- 
qua county,  and  for  all  time  her  name  will  be  inscribed 
among  those  real  women  of  her  State  who  gave  them- 


554 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


selves  without  reservation  to  the  cause  of  humanity. 
That  she  became  so  prominent  a  figure  in  the  work  of 
the  Woman's  Chib  was  not  through  her  wish,  for  her 
heart  was  in  another  phase  of  woman's  work,  and  her 
everlasting  monument  is  in  the  Agnes  Home  for  Young 
W  omen  and  the  Warner  Home  for  the  Aged,  institu- 
tions to  which  she  devoted  her  splendid  powers  for  many 
yearj.  Practically  she  gave  her  life  to  the  cause  of 
charity,  and  spent  her  best  efforts  in  that  cause. 

Mrs.  Eleanor  (Jones)  Dow  was  born  in  Allegheny, 
Pa..  Dec.  14.  1857.  died  at  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  29, 
lOJO,  daughter  of  Elisha  Livingstone  and  Emily  (Sibley) 
Jones,  her  father  one  of  the  pioneer  lumbermen  of  the 
Allegheny  section.  In  1870,  Mr.  Jones  retired  from 
business,  and  with  his  family  moved  to  Randolph,  N.  Y., 
then  the  home  of  his  daughter's  future  husband,  Charles 
M.  Dow.  Mrs.  Eleanor  (Jones')  Dow  was  a  graduate 
of  Chamberlain  Institute,  Randolph,  N.  Y..  class  of 
1S75.  -■^  portion  of  her  course  was  devoted  to  voice 
culture  and  expression,  studies  which  were  invaluable 
to  her  in  her  later  public  activity  in  women's  organiza- 
tions. In  1876  she  married,  and  in  1888  Jamestown  be- 
came her  home. 

In  the  city  of  Jamestown  Mrs.  Dow  became  well 
known  through  her  interest  in  charitable  work  and 
other  forms  of  woman's  work,  her  popularity  among 
the  women  of  Western  Xew  York  leading  to  her  elec- 
tion in  1809  to  the  presidency  of  the  Western  New 
York  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs.  She  held  that 
office  two  years,  and  during  that  period  was  a  member 
of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Xew  York  Federation, 
succeeding  to  the  presidency  of  that  larger  group  of 
women's  clubs  in  1902. 

In  1902  Mrs.  Dow  wrote: 

With  federation  comes  not  only  a  breadtfi  of  outlook, 
of  purpose,  of  as.sociation,  of  work,  which  means 
growth,  things  supremely  to  be  desired  in  the  indi- 
vidual club,  but  there  is  that  which  cannot  be  put  into 
cold  words:  a  broader  charity,  a  more  tolerant  spirit, 
and  a  sweetness  and  strength  of  sympathy  and  coop- 
eration among  strong  reserved  women  "widely  sepa- 
rated, yet  standing  together  in  a  concerted  movement 
for  the  common  good.  If  the  club  life  means  any- 
thing, it  means  higher  ideals  for  the  individual  and 
It  should  tend  toward  simplicity,  plain  living  and  liigti 
thinking. 

Mrs.  Dow  was  also  a  member  of  the  National  Federa- 
tion of  Women's  Clubs;  member  of  Sorosis.  New  York 
City;  and  in  1898  was  a  member  of  the  Scribblers  Club 
of  Buffalo.  In  Jamestown  she  founded  and  for  seven- 
teen years  was  president  of  the  .\rt  Club,  and  held 
similar  relation  to  the  Mozart  and  Fortnightly  clubs. 
Her  work  for  charitj'  was  both  consistent  and  persistent, 
and  it  was  through  her  able  Icadershif)  and  personal 
effort  that  the  .Xgncs  Home  for  Young  Women  and  the 
Warner  Home  for  the  Aged,  both  Jamestown  institu- 
tions, were  raised  to  their  present  plane  of  usefulness, 
and  placed  upon  a  sound  basis.  The  following  rcsolu- 
ti'ns  express  the  feelings  of  Mrs.  Dow's  contempora- 
ries in  this  her  great  life  work: 

'.S'lth  a  feeling  of  sadness  and  deep  personal  los'<, 
w.:.  the  fllrietor.H  of  the  Agnes  Home,  would  record  the 
death  of  our  beloved  honorary  president,  Mrs.  Kleanor 
.(  I;ow,  which  oenurred  at  her  home  In  this  city  on 
l>«:cember  2ft,  lft20.  Mr.".  Dow  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  ih*r  .Vgnes  Home  anrl  Its  president  from  the  organi- 
zation until  Hhe  took  up  the  active  direction  of  the 
Warrjer  Home  «lx  years  ago,  at  which  time  she  was 
rr.ii'le   honorary  president. 

It  wa«  due  10  h<  r  energy  and  pi-rseveranee  that  both 
the    AgncH    Home    for    Young    Women    and    later    the 


■\Varner  Home  for  the  Aged  became  realities.  Her 
interest  in  young  women  and  in  the  aged  and  infirm 
led  lier  to  be  untiring  in  her  efforts  in  behalf  of  these 
institutions.  Her  optimism  and  marked  ability  in 
organization  and  administration  brought  success  where 
many  others  might  have  failed.  Her  splendid  faith 
inspired  her  co-workers,  and  what  she  accomplished 
will  always  be  a  monument  to  her  broad  vision  and 
spirit  of  helpfulness. 

She   needs   no   song  that   we   can   sing, 
No  public  praise   the   world  can   bring. 
For  otlier  lives  have  felt  the  cheer 
Her  deeds  have  shed  for  many  a  year. 

Tributes  to  the  inemory  of  Mrs.  Charles  M.  Dow,  by 
the  board  of  directors  of  the  Agnes  Association  at  a 
meeting  held  Jan.  27  : 

At  this,  the  first  meeting  of  our  Board  in  the  New 
Year,  before  we  look  forward  to  all  that  may  lie 
before  us.  it  is  fitting  that  we  should  pause  to  look 
liackward.  even  to  the  beginning  of  this  work,  recall- 
ing the  inspiration,  the  untiring  effort  of  the  one  who 
made   it  all   possible. 

The  death  of  Mrs.  Eleanor  (Jones)  Dow,  our  co- 
worker and  our  friend,  has  severed  a  tie  that  has 
bound  us  together  for  nearly  sixteen  years  and  to-day 
we  wisli  to  pay  tribute  to  her  memory,  and  to  her 
work.     A  loving  tribute  from  saddened  hearts. 

Mrs.  Dow  was  the  first  President  of  the  Board  of 
the  Agnes  Home,  and  at  the  time  of  her  death,  its 
Honorary  President.  The  President  of  the  Warner 
Home,  and  the  President  of  the  Agnes  Association. 
For  ten  years,  the  trying  formative  years  of  the  work 
in  the  Agnes  Home,  she  stood  steadfastly  at  the  helrn, 
and  when  she  relinquished  the  active  control  of  this 
Board  to  take  up  the  more  pressing  and  needed  work 
of  establishing  the  Warner  Home  for  the  Aged,  she 
still  retained  her  membership  and  interest  in  the 
Agnes  Home,  and  became  its  Honorary  President. 
Always  ready  and  willing  to  advise  and  to  assist. 
Always  happy  in  our  achievement,  the  foundations  of 
which  she   had  so   successfully   builded. 

We  who  have  been  associated  vyith  Mrs.  Dow  in 
these  organizations  will  always  remember  that  so 
much  that  is  good  and  beautiful  and  dear  to  our 
hearts  in  the  work  in  which  we  are  privileged  to  have 
a  share  but  for  her  we  might  have  missed. 

Mrs.  Dow  traveled  extensively  at  home  and  abroad, 
her  last  voyage  abroad  being  taken  in  the  summer  of 
1020,  with  special  reference  to  her  health.  She  was  not 
benefited,  and  after  her  return  to  Jamestown  her  health 
gradually  failed,  her  condition  being  such  that  upon 
the  death  of  her  husband,  Dec.  17,  1920,  it  was  deemed 
best  not  to  inform  her  of  that  sad  event.  During  her 
active  years,  the  Dow  home  was  a  center  of  hospitality, 
in  which  many  persons  of  note  were  entertained,  as  well 
as  the  many  personal  friends  of  both  Mr,  and  Mrs. 
Dow. 

IN  MEMORIAM — MRS.  ELEANOR  J.  DOW. 

The  grim  messenger  of  death  has  claimed  another 
member  of  our  board.  With  the  passing  of  the  year, 
our  beloved  president,  Mrs.  Eleanor  J.  Dow,  was 
called  to  her  eternal  rest. 

Mrs.  Dow's  entire  life  has  been  given  in  service  for 
the  uiillft  and  betterment  of  the  standards  of  life. 
She  was  interested  in  all  of  the  institutions  of  James- 
town, and  actively  identified  with  the  work  of  many 
of  them  at  sometime  or  another;  but,  in  the  latter 
years,  her  supreme  efforts  were  In  behalf  of  the  Agnes 
As.sofiation.  She  has  been  not  only  president  of  the 
Agnes  Association  since  its  organization,  but  presi- 
dent of  both  branches  of  the  Association.  After 
bringing  the  Agnes  Home  to  the  point  where  it  was 
neaily  self-sustaining,  she  resigned  the  chair;  but 
never  r.  Ilniiuished  her  efforts  in  its  behalf. 

It  was  through  the  efforts  of  Mrs.  Dow  and  those  of 
lis  donor,  the  late  Mrs.  Mary  H.  Warner,  that  the 
Warner  Home  for  the  Aged  was  made  possible.  Mrs. 
Dow  was  gifted  with  rare  executive  ability.  We  recall 
the  time,  the  thought  and  the  energy  that  she  gave  to 
the  organization  of  this  Home.  To  many  of  us.  It 
.seemed  an  impossible  undertaking.  Not  so  with  Mrs. 
I  low.  With  her,  to  conceive  a  good  thought  was  to 
execute  It,  and  giving  unstlntlngly  of  h<'r  time  and 
energv  tlie  work  of  organlzathm  was  soon  accom- 
jiljM.id.  She  was  made  Its  first  president,  which  office 
she  continued  to  hold  until  the  time  of  her  death.     All 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


555 


through  the  years  of  the  Home's  existence,  she  had 
not  only  planned  ways  and  means  to  carry  on  the 
work,  but,  by  reason  of  her  faith,  her  courage  and  her 
resourcefulness  has  been  an  inspiration  and  help  to 
her  various  committees  at  all   times. 

Not  until  stricken  in  health,  while  abroad  this  past 
summer,  did  she  relax  her  efforts  for  the  furtherance 
of  this  work  which  was  so  dear  to  her  heart.  For- 
g'etting  self  entirely,  she  worked  unceasingly  toward 
her  goal  which  was  to  make  the  Warner  Home  for  the 
Aged  self-sustaining. 

The  entire  community  recognized  Mrs.  Dow  as  a 
most  remarkable  and  estimable  woman;  but  only  those 
■who  worked  with  her  intimately  can  know  the  keen, 
sincere,  earnest  efforts  she  made  for  those  less  for- 
tunate than  herself.  She  gave  ungrudgingly  of  her 
time,  her  thought,  her  means  and  her  energy  for  the 
promotion   of  a  worthy  cause. 

Although  in  years,  her  life  was  somewhat  shorter 
than  that  allowed  mankind,  yet,  in  point  of  service, 
she  was  able  to  accomplish  more  than  many  who  live 
their  alloted  time. 

This  board  can  ill  afford  to  lose  so  gifted  a  leader 
as  was  Mrs.  Dow;  but.  her  spirit  will  continue  with  us. 
"God  buries   the  worker;   but  carries  on  the  work." 

Knowing  and  loving  Mrs.  Dow.  we  share  with  her 
family  the  sorrow  which  this  sad  event  occasions  and 
we  extend  to  them  our  sincere  sympathy  in  their 
bereavement. 

Large  is  the  life  that  flows  for  others'  sakes, 
Expends  its  best,  its  noblest  effort  makes. 
Devotion  rounds  the  man  and  makes  him  whole; 
Love  is  the  measure  of  the  human  soul. 


THE  M.  R.  NELSON  DRY  GOODS  COMPANY 

— On  the  twenty-ninth  anniversary  of  his  birth.  March 
4,  191 1,  Martin  R.  Nelson,  in  partnership  with  Enoch 
Lindstrom,  established  the  Nelson  &  Lindstrom  dry 
goods  store  at  No.  no  East  Second  street,  Jamestown. 
They  started  with  an  up-to-date  stock  of  high  quality 
mark,  and  made  it  their  special  business  to  entirely 
satisfy  their  customers.  Mr.  Nelson's  long  experience 
in  the  dry  goods  business  helped  largely  to  make  the 
venture  the  great  success  it  proved  to  be.  This  partner- 
ship continued  until  May,  1914,  when  Martin  R. 
Nelson,  in  connection  with  his  brother,  Ernest  L.  Nel- 
son, bought  out  IMr.  Lindstrom's  interest  in  the  store, 
and  the  lirm  name  was  changed  to  the  M.  R.  Nelson 
Dry  Goods  Company.  The  new  combination  opened 
another  store  at  No.  627  East  Second  street,  near 
Winsor  street,  which  they  occupied  until  July  i,  1920, 
when  they  moved  to  their  new  and  modern  store  at 
No.  623  East  Second  street.  This  store,  which  might 
be  termed  No.  2,  is  one  of  the  finest  and  best  stocked 
shopping  centers  in  Jamestown.  Their  original  store 
at  No.  110  East  Second  street  also  is  a  very  finely 
stocked  store,  in  the  heart  of  the  shopping  district,  and 
in  the  ownership  of  these  two  places  it  can  be  truly 
said  that  the  Nelson  brothers  are  among  the  leading 
merchants  of  Jamestown.  They  make  a  specialty  of 
wash  goods,  white  fabrics,  fine  linens,  hosiery,  under- 
wear, sweaters  and  general  dry  goods.  The  business 
is  growing  steadily  each  year,  and  larger  quarters 
will  be  needed  from  time  to  time  as  they  have  been  in 
the  past.  The  firm  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Com- 
merce, and  the  Dry  Goods  Men's  Association,  both  of 
Jamestown  ;  and  of  the  National  Dry  Goods  Association 
of  .America. 


MARTIN  R.  NELSON— The  saying,  "when  dreams 
come  true,"  might  be  applied  to  Martin  R.  Nelson,  a 
leading  dry  goods  merchant  of  Jamestown.  When  a 
small  boy  his  favorite  pastime  was  "playing  store."  and 
as  he  grew  older  he  began  to  have  visions  of  the    time 


when  as  a  man  he  would  own  a  store  of  his  own.  The 
dream  of  his  youth  has  been  realized  by  the  grown  man, 
for  he  is  now  president  and  one  of  the  proprietors  of 
the  M.  R.  Nelson  Dry  Goods  Company,  of  Jamestown, 
and  the  ambition  of  his  life  is  an  accomplished  fact. 

Martin  R.  Nelson  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  his  birth 
occurring  in  Smoland,  March  4,  1882.  He  was  only  ten 
weeks  old  when  his  parents,  Charles  A.  and  Christina 
Nelson,  left  Sweden  for  the  United  States.  They  landed 
in  New  York  City  with  their  two  children,  Martin  R. 
and  Esther,  but  did  not  remain  there,  starting  at  once 
for  Jamestown,  N.  Y.  Here  two  more  children  were 
born  to  them,  Nanny  and  Ernest  L,  Charles  A.  Nelson 
was  with  the  Morgan  Manufacturing  Company  many 
years  in  Jamestown.  He  died  Aug.  9,  1913,  his  widow 
surviving  him. 

Martin  R.  Nelson  was  educated  in  the  public  and  high 
schools  of  Jamestown.  When  sixteen  years  of  age  he 
began  his  business  career,  accepting  the  position  of  clerk 
in  the  Boston  Store,  and  his  fidelity  to  duty  and  faith- 
fulness in  all  that  he  undertook  was  rewarded  by  pro- 
motion to  the  position  of  window  dresser,  for  which  he 
was  well  qualified,  and  at  the  expiration  of  a  few  years 
he  had  the  entire  charge  of  the  first  floor  of  the  store, 
the  various  departments  in  which  he  was  stationed 
giving  him  the  best  experience  possible  for  his  future 
enterprise.  Mr.  Nelson  was  connected  with  the  Boston 
Store  for  a  period  of  thirteen  years. 

On  March  4,  191 1,  on  the  twenty-ninth  anniversary 
of  his  birth,  Mr.  Nelson,  in  partnership  with  Enoch 
Lindstrom,  established  the  firm  of  Nelson  &  Lind- 
strom, dry  goods  merchants,  a  sketch  of  which  business 
precedes  this  article.  Mr.  Nelson's  long  and  varied 
experience  in  the  dry  goods  business  was  a  prominent 
factor  in  the  growth  and  development  of  the  enterprise, 
which  has  assumed  large  proportions. 

Martin  R.  Nelson  married,  in  Jamestown,  Sept.  15, 
1903,  Mabel  Peterson,  born  in  Jamestown,  the  daughter 
of  \\'illiam  and  Mary  (Peterson)  Peterson,  who  were 
among  the  pioneer  settlers  (Swedish)  of  Jamestown. 
Mr.  Peterson,  for  many  years,  was  with  the  Warner 
Sawmill  Company  of  this  city.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peterson 
are  now  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  are  the  parents 
of  one  son.  Weldon  M.,  born  in  Jamestown,  July  13, 
1907.  yir.  Nelson  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Swedish  Lutheran  Immanuel  Church,  he  serving  on  the 
board  of  trustees.  He  has  taken  great  interest  in 
church  work,  being  a  member  of  the  choir  at  one 
time,  and  has  served  in  various  other  capacities  con- 
nected with  the   church   work. 

This  is  a  story  of  a  remarkable  romance  of  a  young 
business  man,  for  Mr.  Nelson  had  no  more  advantages 
than  any  other  employee  who  embarks  as  a  clerk  in  a 
retail  business.  It  was  his  strict  application  to  the 
service  of  his  employer,  observation  of  the  business 
details  and  a  strong  desire  to  be  a  leader  in  the  dry 
goods  world  that  led  him  to  his  present  successful 
business  career.  He  stands  high  in  the  estimation  of 
the  business  men  of  the  city,  and  is  well  regarded  in 
trade  circles. 


ERNEST  L.  NELSON— The  success  of  any  busi- 
ness is  due  to  concentration,  study  of  business  principles, 
confidence,  and   faithful  partnership,  and   in  the  M.  R, 


".6 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Xelson  Dry  Goods  Company  there  is  a  complete  exam- 
ple of  these  foregoing  qualities. 

Ernest  L.  Kelson,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
above-named  company,  for  a  number  of  years  before 
becoming  connected  with  his  brother  was  assistant  sec- 
retary and  treasurer  of  the  Crown  Metal  Construction 
Company  of  Jamestown.  Here  he  became  well  versed 
in  business  methods,  and  feeling  that  he  could  better 
apply  his  knowledge  in  an  independent  way,  he  re- 
signed his  position  and  joined  his  brother,  in  November, 
1914.  in  the  dry  goods  business.  This  undertaking,  as 
before  mentioned,  has  proven  a  success,  and  the  com- 
bination can  truly  be  termed  one  of  confidence  and 
faithful  partnership.  Mr.  Xelson  has  gone  along  with 
his  brother.  Martin  R..  in  the  building  of  this  promising 
mercantile  business  and  likewise  shares  the  distinction 
of  his  brother  as  a  leading  merchant. 

Ernest  L.  Xelson  married,  in  Jamestown,  Sept.  9, 
1914,  .\da  Lundberg.  bom  in  Sugar  Grove,  Pa.,  the 
daughter  of  Peter  and  Matilda  (Anderson)  Lundberg, 
who  were  early  Swedish  settlers  of  Sugar  Grove.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Xelson  are  the  parents  of  three  children,  as 
follows:  Rachael  L..  born  June  21,  1915;  Ruth  E.,  born 
Oct.  14,  1918;    and  Helen,  born  Dec.  31,  1920. 

Mr.  Xelson,  like  his  brother,  Martin  R.,  takes  an 
active  part  in  church  work,  being  treasurer  of  the  Swe- 
dish Lutheran  Immanuel  Church,  a  member  of  the  choir, 
and  interested  in  other  activities  of  the  church. 


WAYNE  NELSON  CHENEY— William  Cheney 
was  a  very  early  resident  of  Ro.xbury,  in  the  colony  of 
Massachusetts  Bay,  in  Xew  England  (now  included  in 
the  city  of  Boston).  The  oldest  records  of  that  town 
which  have  been  brought  down  to  modern  times  are 
contained  in  a  volume  whose  opening  sentence  says  that 
the  book  was  bought  in  1639  for  the  purpose  of  record- 
ing various  matters  relating  to  the  inhabitants.  Its 
earliest  entries  are  not  dated.  One  of  these  is  a  list  of 
the  men  who  owned  land  and  lived  in  the  town,  en- 
titled "A  note  of  the  estates  and  persons  of  the  In- 
habitants of  Rocksbury."  Seventy  men  are  enrolled; 
they  range  from  "Edward  Pason,"  possessor  of  three 
acres  of  ground,  to  "Mr.  Thomas  Dudley"  with  his  356 
acres.  "William  Cheiney"  is  the  fortieth  name,  with 
twenty-four  and  one-half  acres,  showing  that  lie  was 
above  the  average  in  wealth.  This  list  is  on  a  page 
where  the  year  1640  is  given  as  the  date  of  a  preceding 
entry;  and  1642  is  the  date  of  the  entry  on  the  follow- 
ing page.  A  number  of  circumstances  indicate  that  the 
list  was  written  near  the  close  of  the  year  1640.  On 
other  pages  of  the  old  record  book  there  are  deeds  of 
land  recorded,  and  in  the  bounds  of  two  of  these  "the 
land  of  Cheney"  and  "the  meadow  of  Cheyney"  are 
mentioned;  both  were  made  in  1640.  These  records 
demonstrate  the  fact  that  William  Cheney  was  a  land- 
holder and  resident  of  Ro.xbury  before  1640.  Ife  and 
his  wife  Margaret  had  seven  children. 

William  (2)  Cheney,  son  of  William  (i)  and  Mar- 
garet Cheney,  made  his  home  in  Mcdfield  on  lands 
whif-h  his  father  had  acnuirefl  in  the  early  laying  out 
of  the  town,  when  it  was  a  part  of  Dedham.  He  after- 
ward resided  in  Dorchester.  He  died  in  ;68i,  bef|ucath- 
ing  his  propirty  to  his  widow  and  her  sons.  Only  two 
of  his  children  lived  to  maturity  and  had  families. 


William    (3)    Cheney,    son   of   William    (2)    Cheney, 

was  born  Aug.  3,  1666.     He  married  Margaret  , 

who  died  April  i,  1740.  She  and  her  husband 
were  both  members  of  the  church.  His  name  first  ap- 
pears on  a  list  of  persons  taxed  for  the  support  of  the 
minister  in  INIendon,  in  October,  1695.  The  town  voted, 
March  5,  1705-06,  to  give  him  "liberty  to  leave  some 
land  on  Magor  Miscock  and  take  same  and  instead 
neer  to  Seth  Chapin's  house,  neer  to  the  road  leading 
to  Sherburne."  He  received  another  grant,  April  13, 
1706.  He  resided  in  that  portion  of  Mendon  which  was 
afterward  incorporated  into  Milford,  and  carried  on 
his  large  farm  amid  the  hardships  and  dangers  of  the 
time.  He  died  July  i,  1753.  He  was  a  man  of  excel- 
lent character  and  much  esteemed  by  all  who  knew 
him.  In  1750  a  member  of  the  Milford  church  was  dis- 
ciplined for  intoxication  and  for  "casting  vile  reflec- 
tions" at  Mr.  Cheney;  and  the  pastor  took  occasion  to 
record  his  opinion  of  Mr.  Cheney  as  an  "honourable 
and  aged"  man.  Among  his  seven  children  was  Wil- 
liam. 

William  (4)  Cheney,  son  of  William  (3)  and  Mar- 
garet Cheney,  was  born  Feb.  7,  1704.  He  married,  at 
Dorchester,  May  20,  1726,  Joanna,  daughter  of  Nathaniel 
and  Sarah  (Wales)  Thayer,  of  Braintrce,  born  Aug.  18, 
1706.  She  received  a  bequest  from  her  father  in  1752. 
Mr.  Cheney  was  a  member  of  the  church  of  Mendon 
and  one  of  those  who  were  dismissed  from  that  body 
to  form  the  Milford  church  in  1741  ;  was  clerk  of  the 
Milford  precinct  from  its  organization  until  1747.  He 
was  a  joiner  and  a  farmer,  a  man  of  good  faculties. 
He  died  July  18,  1756.  The  seventh  of  his  ten  children 
was  Ebenezer. 

Ebenezer  Cheney,  son  of  William  (4)  and  Joanna 
(Thayer)  Cheney,  was  born  in  Mendon,  July  10,  bap- 
tized July  19,  1741.  He  married  (first)  March  18,  1760, 
Abigail  Thompson,  who  died  in  Warwick,  Jan.  16,  1776, 
aged  forty-one  years.  He  married  (second)  (published 
Oct.  18,  1776)  Hannah  Gould,  who  died  Oct.  10,  1828, 
aged  seventy.  He  served  in  the  French  and  Indian 
War;  enlisted  from  Mendon,  April  27,  1760,  in  Captain 
William  Jones'  company;  was  discharged  Nov.  26,  1760, 
after  thirty  weeks'  service,  roll  dated  at  Boston,  Feb. 
25,  1760-61.  He  was  a  sergeant  (Archives  Vol.  97, 
page  384).  He  was  received  in  full  communion  in  the 
church  of  Milford  (formerly  part  of  Mendon),  Aug. 
30,  1767.  After  a  few  years  he  removed  to  Warwick, 
where  he  was  at  one  time  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Selectmen.  The  town  of  Warwick  was  divided  in  1783, 
and  the  portion  in  which  the  Cheneys  and  Goodells 
resided  was  called  Orange,  and  incorporated  in  1810. 
This  fact  accounts  for  some  statements  made  else- 
where. He  remained  in  Orange  and  took  rank  as  a 
leading  citizen,  a  town  officer  in  several  instances.  He 
and  his  wife  sold,  in  1798  and  1824,  lands  in  Framing- 
ham,  which  had  belonged  to  her  relatives  by  the  name 
of  Learned.  He  died  in  Orange.  Nov.  14,  1828.  The 
line  traces  through  Ebenezer,  Jr. 

Ebenezer  (2)  Cheney,  son  of  Ebenezer  ( i  )  and 
Abigail  (Thompson)  Cheney,  was  horn  in  Mendon, 
Sept.  7,  1 761.  He  married  (first)  Feb.  17,  1785,  .^nna, 
daughter  of  Seth  and  Silence  (Cheney)  Nelson,  born 
June  10,  1767;  married  (second)  Anna  Noyes  of  Mil- 
ford.    Ill-  enlisted,  .May   10,   1 777,  in  Harvey's  company 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


557 


of  Well's  regiment,  and  served  two  months  and  ten 
days,  serving  at  Ticonderoga,  where  his  father  had 
camped  eighteen  years  before.  Again,  as  a  boy  "of 
seventeen  years,  five  feet  and  seven  inches  high,"  "hair 
brown,"  he  enlisted  from  Warwick  in  Proctor's  com- 
pany of  Williams'  regiment,  April  5,  1779,  for  eight 
months.  He  served  a  whole  year,  receiving  his  dis- 
charge, April  15,  1780. 

Ebenezer  (2)  Cheney  lived  for  a  time  after  the 
Revolutionary  War  at  Wardsboro,  Windham  county, 
Vt.,  and  in  1808  became  a  pioneer  in  the  Chautauqua 
county  region  of  New  York.  He  made  three  journeys 
to  Chautauqua,  all  of  them  on  foot.  On  the  first  occa- 
sion he  was  accompanied  by  his  son.  Nelson  E.  Cheney, 
the  journey  being  made  for  the  purpose  of  locating  a 
tract  of  pine  timber  adjacent  to  water  power  so  that 
it  might  readily  be  converted  into  marketable  lumber. 
He  purchased  160  acres  of  land  in  the  township  of 
Kiantone  from  the  Holland  Land  Company,  and  subse- 
quently returned  to  Vermont.  Between  1808  and  1812 
he  made  a  second  trip  to  Chautauqua  county  for  the 
same  purpose.  Eventually  another  parcel  of  land  was 
secured  from  the  Holland  Land  Company,  this  tract  in 
Poland  township,  a  part  of  it  on  the  main  road 
between  Jamestown  and  Kennedy,  seven  miles 
east  of  Jamestown,  and  two  and  one-half  miles 
west  of  Kennedy,  now  in  the  possession  of 
Wayne  N.  Cheney.  The  stream  which  furnished  the 
power  for  the  conversion  of  the  timber  into  lumber  was 
known  as  Cheney's  brook,  later  named  Dry  brook.  Eb- 
enezer Cheney  was  a  man  of  remarkable  physical  en- 
durance, as  is  proved  by  the  long  distance  he  covered  on 
foot.  While  prospecting  for  timber  sites  to  and  in 
Chautauqua  county,  he  frequently  traveled  for  weeks  at 
a  time  without  seeing  a  human  being,  his  way  often 
lying  through  dense  forests  of  primeval  growth. 
Through  woods  so  thick  that  sunlight  could  scarcely 
penetrate,  with  giants  of  the  forest  towering  often  one 
hundred  feet  to  the  first  limb,  and  fifty,  seventy-five, 
and  one  hundred  feet  beyond,  he  made  his  way,  often 
having  to  climb  a  high  tree  or  hill  to  sight  his  bearings, 
with  only  the  rivers  and  streams  as  dependable  paths 
and  guides.  The  game  of  the  woods  supplied  him  with 
the  means  of  subsistence.  There  were  plenty  of  bears, 
deer,  panthers,  wolves  and  smaller  species,  and  the 
birds  of  the  forests  were  numerous,  and  the  streams 
were  abounding  in  fish.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the 
most  fierce  animals  gave  him  little  trouble  as  they  had 
their  own  natural  prey.  He  came  on  an  errand 
of  peace,  and  the  Indians,  who  were  the  sole 
inhabitants  of  the  wild  country,  let  him  pass  un- 
molested. Throughout  his  life  he  enjoyed  visits  to  new 
territories,  and  on  one  occasion  he  traveled  on  foot 
through  Western  Pennsylvania  and  down  the  Ohio 
river  as  far  as  the  settlement,  now  the  city  of  Cincin- 
nati, crossing  the  Ohio  by  wading.  He  went  to  various 
parts  of  the  counties  adjoining  Chautauqua,  and  passed 
through  Fredonia  and  Jamestown  when  there  were  but 
a  few  log  cabins  in  these  places.  After  his  second  trip 
to  Chautauqua  county  he  returned  to  Vermont,  gathered 
his  belongings,  and  with  his  family  returned  to  the  place 
he  had  explored  so  thoroughly,  locating  in  Kiantone 
township,  clearing  a  piece  of  land,  building  a  house  of 
logs,  and  there  making  his  permanent  home.     He  died 


Aug.  12,  1S28.  Among  his  children  were  Nelson  E.,  of 
whom  further;  Levi,  Seth,  Maria,  Abigail,  and  Ruby. 

Nelson  E.  Cheney,  son  of  Ebenezer  (2)  Cheney,  was 
born  in  Wardsboro,  Windham  county,  Vt.,  Nov.  30, 
1793.  As  a  youth  of  fifteen  years  he  accompanied  his 
father  to  Chautauqua  county,  and  later  returned  with 
all  of  Ebenezer  Cheney's  family  to  settle  in  Kiantone 
township.  After  his  marriage  he  located  in  Poland 
township,  on  land  purchased  from  his  father,  who  orig- 
inally bought  it  from  the  Holland  Land  Company,  and  to 
this  tract  he  added  from  time  to  time  until  he  held 
title  to  more  than  800  acres.  He  devoted  himself  largely 
of  lumber  operations,  built  a  sawmill  of  good  size  at 
Cheney's  brook  in  1832-33,  and  there  sawed  much  of  the 
timber  cut  in  the  neighborhood.  A  large  part  of  the 
product  of  his  mill  was  rafted  down  the  Conewango 
creek,  the  Allegheny  and  Ohio  rivers  to  Pittsburgh  and 
Cincinnati.  Nelson  E.  Cheney,  in  addition  to  his  pri- 
vate lumbering  interests,  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
National  Chautauqua  Bank  of  Jamestown,  and  a  man 
of  influence  and  standing  in  the  locality.  He  is  buried 
in  Levant  Cemetery.  He  married  Hannah  Merrill,  and 
they  were  the  parents  of:  i.  Maria,  died  aged  eighteen 
years.  2.  Emery  M.,  of  whom  further.  3.  Nelson,  a 
well  known  physician  of  Chautauqua  county  and  Corn- 
ing, N.  Y.,  later  in  life  a  well  known  lecturer  on  Eng- 
lish literature.  4.  Newell,  a  teacher  and  farmer,  active 
in  public  life  as  collector  of  internal  revenue,  member 
of  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  of  the  New 
York  State  Legislature ;  he  held  the  rank  of  captain  of 
the  Ninth  Regiment  of  New  York  Cavalry  during  the 
Civil  War,  served  under  General  Sheridan  in  the  Shen- 
andoah Valley,  and  was  historian  of  the  Ninth  Cavalry. 

Dr.  Emery  M.  Cheney,  son  of  Nelson  E.  and  Hannah 
(Merrill)  Cheney,  was  born  on  his  father's  homestead 
near  Kennedy,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y..  March  21, 
1832.  He  was  educated  in  Warren  Academy.  Warren, 
Pa.;  Randolph  Institute,  Randolph,  N.  Y.,  and  the  Uni- 
versity of  Buffalo,  from  which  last  named  institution 
he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medi- 
cine in  1873.  He  has  since  practiced  his  profession  in 
Frewsburg,  East  Randolph  and  Poland  Center,  and  is 
one  of  the  oldest  physicians  in  point  of  service  in  the 
county.  His  professional  work  has  included  consider- 
able surgery,  and  for  ten  years  he  was  examining  sur- 
geon for  the  Pension  Bureau  of  the  United  States.  Dr. 
Cheney  is  a  member  of  numerous  medical  associations 
and  societies,  including  those  of  Cattaraugus  and  Chau- 
tauqua counties.  He  is  a  Republican  in  political  faith, 
and  has  steadfastly  supported  the  party  of  his  choice. 
Further  it  is  a  remarkable  and  quite  unusual  record  for 
a  family  to  hold  that  his  father  and  he  have  lived 
through  the  terms  of  every  president  of  the  United 
States  during  the  tenure  of  office  up  to  this  writing.  He 
married,  at  Levant,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  5, 
1S62,  Amanda  Tracy,  and  there  were  two  sons  of  this 
marriage :  Wayne  N.,  of  w^hom  further ;  and  Frederick, 
born  March  30,  1S74,  a  business  man  and  farmer  of 
Falconer,  married  S.  M.  De  Bell. 

Wayne  Nelson  Cheney,  son  of  Dr.  Emery  M.  and 
Amanda  (Tracy")  Cheney,  was  born  at  Poland.  Chau- 
tauqua county.  N.  Y.,  Aug.  14,  1867.  During  his  youth 
he  attended  Jamestown  Academy,  and  upon  the  com- 
pletion of  his  education  took  up  the  active  work  of  life. 


^^s 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


He  has  owned  the  farming  property  on  which  he  now 
lives  for  a  number  of  years,  having  managed  this  for 
his  father  many  years  prior  to  coming  into  its  posses- 
sion. He  has  dealt  largely  in  lumber,  and  in  this  line 
and  in  agriculture  has  spent  his  active  years.  Mr. 
Cheney  is  widely  known  in  Chautauqua,  is  a  member 
of  the  local  grange,  and,  like  his  father,  a  staunch  Re- 
publican. 

Wayne  Xelson  Cheney  married,  at  Poland  Center, 
July  J!,  iSq2,  Lottie  B.  Johnson,  born  Sept.  29,  1863, 
daughter  of  Hugh  and  Cordelia  cSpragiie)  Johnson. 
Tliey  have  one  daughter,  Florence,  bom  at  the  home- 
stead, Xov.  22.  1S93,  educated  in  the  district  schools  and 
Jamestown  High  School,  and  for  a  number  of  years  a 
school  teacher.  She  married  J.  Edward  Carr,  born  in 
Hall,  Ontario  countj-,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  16,  1894.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Cheney  are  attendants  of  the  Seventh  Day  Ad- 
ventist  Church  of  Jamestown,  and  interested  partici- 
pants in  community  affairs. 


WARREN  BEEDLE  LOOK— New  York  has  ac- 
quired a  well  deserved  reputation  for  the  large  number 
of  keen,  progressive  business  men  she  has  sent  out  in 
all  directions,  not  a  few  of  whom  have  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  Jamestown  and  Chautauqua  county  ofters 
in  many  respects,  advantages  not  to  be  found  in  some  of 
the  larger  cities  in  the  State.  Warren  B.  Look  has  be- 
come known  in  the  highest  circles  of  the  business  world 
as  a  man  to  be  implicitly  trusted  and  one  with  whom 
it  is  a  satisfaction  to  transact  business.  He  was  born 
in  Collinsville,  III,  Jan.  2.  1S84.  the  son  of  Arthur  War- 
ren and  Josephine  Arvilla  (Logan)  Look,  prominent 
residents  of  that  city. 

He  obtained  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  Collinsville,  and  in  1903  was  graduated  from  the 
St.  Louis  Manual  Training  School  at  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
After  completing  his  course  he  entered  the  employ  of 
the  Art  Metal  Construction  Company  at  St.  Louis.  In 
1908.  when  the  St.  Louis  branch  was  consolidated  with 
the  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  factory,  he  was  transferred  to 
Jamestown  as  assistant  superintendent,  and  in  1910  was 
made  general  superintendent.  In  1917,  he  resigned  and 
went  actively  into  oil  production,  in  which  business  he 
was  largely  interested  for  some  time,  and  l)ecame  the 
treasurer  of  the  Empire  State  Oil  Company. 

Mr.  Look  is  a  great  lover  of  nature,  has  traveled  ex- 
tensively and  gets  much  enjoyment  from  plant,  bird 
and  animal  life,  and  enjoys  all  out-doors  at  all  times  of 
the  year.  He  owns  and  mana.ges  successfully  one  of  the 
largest  and  best  equipped  and  stocked  farms  in  Chau- 
tauqua county.  Mr.  Look  is  a  Republican  and  votes  for 
the  men  and  principles  that  the  thinks  to  the  best  in- 
terest of  the  people.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of 
.Mt.  Moriah  Lodge.  No.  145,  Free  and  .\cccpled  Masons, 
and  Western  Sun  Chapter,  No.  67,  Royal  Arch  Masons. 
He  is  also  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason,  a  member  of 
the  Buffalo  C'msistory,  and  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Arabic  ("Jrder  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Moon  firook  Country  Club,  Rotary  Club, 
and  i-^  clitc'hlc  to  membership  in  the  Sons  of  the  r>!evo- 
lution  and  the  Sons  of  Veterans.  In  religious  aftilia- 
tions,  .\Ir.  Look  and  his  family  arc  members  of  .St. 
Luke's  Episcopal  Church  of  Jamestown,  and  are  active 
in  all  of  its  business,  as  well  as  social  affairs. 


On  Dec.  31.  11307.  at  Jacksonville.  III.,  Mr.  Look  was 
united  in  marriage  with  .Agnes  E.  Thornborrow,  a 
daughter  of  John  A.  and  Eliza  A.  Thornborrow.  To 
this  union  have  been  born  two  sons,  Warren  Travis, 
Dec.  2.  1908,  and  John  A.  Logan.  July  8,  1915. 

Mr.  Look  is  a  business  man  of  discerning  judgment 
and  keen  foresight.  His  business  dealings  bring  him 
in  contact  with  hundreds  of  persons,  and  nothing  but 
the  strictest  adherence  to  the  principles  of  honor  and 
integrity  has  ever  been  attributed  to  him. 


ALBERT  DeFOREST  YOUNG,  well  known  resi- 
dent and  physician  of  Mayville,  N,  Y.,  at  present  chief 
of  staff  in  the  Eye,  Ear,  Nose  and  Throat  Department 
of  the  Hudson  Street  Hospital  of  the  United  States 
Public  Health  Service  in  New  York  City,  is  one  of  the 
prominent  members  of  his  profession  in  Chautauqua 
county.  He  is  a  son  of  James  and  Mary  (Messenger) 
Young,  long  time  residents  of  Corry,  Pa.,  where  Albert 
DeForest  Young  was  born,  April  18,  1873.  James 
Young,  now  deceased,  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War, 
having  served  throughout  it  in  many  important  battles. 

Albert  DeForest  Young  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  city,  and  in  1895  graduated  from 
the  Cleveland  Medical  College,  now  the  Homoeopathic 
Department  of  Ohio  State  University.  He  came  to 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  located  in  Panama,  in 
the  year  of  his  graduation,  and  practiced  for  eight  years, 
subsequently  removing  to  Jamestown,  where  he  prac- 
ticed until  coming  to  Mayville  in  1907.  While  in  Pan- 
ama, he  was  health  officer  for  the  village  and  for  the 
township  of  Harmony  for  eight  years.  During  the 
summer  of  1903,  he  took  a  post-graduate  course  in  the 
New  York  Post-Graduate  Medical  School  and  Hospital. 
Dr.  Young  practiced  continuously  in  Mayville  with  much 
success  from  1907  until  1918.  He  was  health  officer  in 
Mayville  from  1907  until  he  resigned  in  1915,  and  presi- 
dent of  the  town  Board  of  Education,  1917-18.  He  is 
a  member  of  various  medical  organizations,  including 
Chautauqua  County  Medical  Society.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  being  a  thirty-second  degree 
Mason,  and  a  member  of  the  Shrine ;  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of  the 
Maccabees.  Woodmen  of  the  World,  and  William  L. 
Travis  Post,  No.  493,  .A.merican  Legion. 

Dr.  Young  enlisted  in  the  Medical  Corps  of  the 
United  States  army  in  1918  and  was  commissioned 
captain ;  he  trained  at  Camp  Greenleaf,  Ga.,  and  went 
overseas  during  the  latter  part  of  1918  with  Evacuation 
Hospital  Unit,  No,  28,  of  the  88th  Division,  This  unit 
saw  service  at  Eelfort  and  Nantes,  France.  He  was 
returned  to  the  United  States,  in  April,  1919,  on  account 
of  ill  health,  and  was  honorably  discharged  from 
United  States  Army  General  Hospital,  No.  24,  Pitts- 
burgh, Pa.,  July  S,  1919.  In  September,  1919,  he  went 
to  New  York  City  and  took  a  course,  specializing  in 
diseases  of  tlie  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat  in  Manhattan 
Hospital.  On  completing  this  course,  he  was  appointed 
chief  of  staff  in  the  Hudson  Street  Hospital,  which  he 
continues  to  the  present  (1021)  but  retains  his  family 
residence  in   Mayville. 

Dr.  'N'onng  married,  in  P;in;mia,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  Jan.  27,  181)7.  I'.leanor  Cook,  daughter  of  Deforest 
and   Adclia   (Hawkins;    Cook,  lifelong  residents  of  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


559 


town.  To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Young  were  bom  the  following 
children:  I.  Donald  C,  born  June  2,  1898;  educated 
in  the  Jamestown  and  Mayville  public  and  high  schools 
and  in  the  University  of  Michigan;  enlisted  in  the 
S.  A.  T.  C.  of  the  University,  where  he  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war;  married  Ann  Christenson,  of 
Detroit,  Mich.  2.  Stanley  D.,  born  Oct.  30,  1900;  edu- 
cated in  Jamestown  and  Mayville  public  and  high 
schools.  3.  Florence  E.,  born  Jan.  II,  1902;  educated  in 
Jamestown  and  Mayville  schools.  4.  James  L.,  born 
May  29,  1903 ;  educated  in  Mayville  schools.  5.  Paul 
A.,  born  Dec.  3,  1913,  now  attending  school  in  May- 
ville. 


COLONEL     WILLIAM     FRIES     ENDRESS— 

This  distinguished  family  is  of  extremely  ancient  line- 
age. Im  Hof,  a  baronial  race,  spreading  out  into  many 
branches,  is  still  flourishing  in  the  principal  lines,  namely, 
the  Swabian,  the  Franconian  and  the  Italian,  with  many 
subdivisions.  In  the  records  of  the  twelfth  century  it 
is  frequently  found  under  the  name  of  "de  Curia"  or 
"in  Curia."  As  early  as  the  thirteenth  century  it  di- 
vided itself  into  two  principal  branches,  which  assumed 
different  arms.  The  elder  branch  remained  at  the 
original  seat  of  the  race,  in  the  city  of  Laningen,  in 
Swabia  (now  Bavaria)  where  a  village  called  Imhoff 
may  yet  be  found. 

(I)  Johann  Im  Hof,  called  Johann  (2),  who  died 
A.  D.  1341.  is  the  progenitor  from  whom  all  the  race 
is  descended.  He  dwelt  upon  his  estates  at  Laningen, 
and  procured  through  his  wife,  Anne  Von  Gross,  citi- 
zenship in  Nuremburg.  He  was  adopted  among  the 
families  capable  of  holding  the  office  of  senator.  He 
had  issue. 

(II)  Konrad,  married  and  had  issue. 

(III)  Konrad  (2),  died  in  1449.     He  had  issue. 
(I\")   Johann  (3),  born  in  1419,  died  in  1499.    He  had 

issue. 

(V)  Johann  (4),  born  in  1461.  died  in  1526.  He  was 
burgomaster  of  Nuremburg;  married  and  had  issue. 

(VI)  Andreas,  otherwise  called  Endres,  was  bom 
about  1490.  and  was  a  member  of  the  senate,  or  Rath, 
of  Xuremburg,  in  the  year  1530.  As  senator  he  at- 
tended the  Diet  of  Augsburg  and  is  styled  "Herr  En- 
dress  im  Hoff"  by  Saubertheim  in  his  History  of  the 
Augsburg  Diet,  written  in  1631.  He  married  and  had 
issue. 

(V'll)  Endress,  born  about  1513,  married  and  had 
issue. 

(VIII)  Nicholas  Endress,  removed  from  Nuremburg 
to  Wertheim,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Mayn  river, 
about  1560. 

(IX)  Peter  Endress,  son  of  Nicholas  Endress,  born 
about  1569,  was  judge  of  the  Criminal  Court  of  the 
district. 

(X)  Nicholas  (2)  Endress,  son  of  Peter  Endress, 
was  born  in  1603.     He  married  and  had  issue. 

(XI)  Andress  Endress,  son  of  Nicholas  (2)  En- 
dress. born  in  1634,  married  and  had  issue. 

(XII)  Philip  Jacob  Endress,  son  of  Andress  Endress, 
born  in  1682,  died  in  1762. 

(XIII)  John  Zacharias  Endress,  son  of  Philip  Jacob 
Endress,  was  born  in  1726,  and  was  educated  in  the 
University  of  Tubingen,  now  the  University  of  Wirtem- 


burg.  He  was  an  extensive  traveler;  was  captured  in 
the  Mediterranean  sea  by  Corsairs  of  Algiers,  the 
famous  sea  pirates  of  that  day,  and  sold  into  captivity 
in  Algiers.  Subsequently  a  Neapolitan  merchant  (a 
Roman  Christian)  redeemed  him  into  freedom,  took 
him  to  Italy  and  furnished  him  wth  means  to  return 
to  his  native  land.  In  1766  he  came  to  America  and 
located  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  where  he  accumulated 
considerable  property  near  the  corner  of  Vine  and 
Third  streets:  He  was  an  officer  in  the  Continental 
army  in  the  War  for  Independence,  was  captain  in  the 
Philadelphia  Guards,  and  as  a  result  of  his  action  in 
the  Federal  cause  his  buildings  were  burned  to  the 
ground  when  the  British  occupied  the  city.  He  died 
in  1810,  and  was  buried  at  Easton,  Pa.  He  married, 
Sept.  13.  1768,  Mrs.  Maria  (Henrici)  Sansfelt.  a  widow 
of  French  Huguenot  extraction.  They  had  a  child. 
Christian  Frederick  Lewis,  mentioned  below. 

(XI\')  Christian  Frederick  Lewis  Endress,  D.  D., 
son  of  John  Zacharias  Endress,  was  born  in  Philadel- 
phia, March  12.  1775.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania,  which  institution  honored  him 
with  the  title  of  Doctor  of  Theology  in  1820.  Through- 
out most  of  his  lifetime  he  was  connected  with  Trinity 
Lutheran  Church,  pastor  from  1S15  to  1827  at  Lancas- 
ter, Pa.,  succeeding  Dr.  Henry  M.  Muhlenberg,  founder 
of  the  Lutheran  church  in  America.  About  1814,  with 
his  friend.  Col.  Nathaniel  Rochester,  he  removed  to 
Dansville,  N.  Y.,  in  the  far-famed  Genesee  Valley, 
where  they  purchased  large  tracts  of  land.  Subsequently 
Colonel  Rochester  went  further  on  to  the  Falls  of  the 
Genesee  and  established  the  city  which  bears  his  name. 
Dr.  Endress  did  not  remain  in  Dansville,  but  returned 
to  Pennsylvania,  locating  at  Easton,  where  he  died  Sept. 
27,  1827.  In  1801,  he  married  Margaretha  Fries.  They 
had  a  son.  Isaac  Lewis,  mentioned  below. 

(XV)  Judge  Isaac  Lewis  Endress,  son  of  Dr.  Chris- 
tian F.  L.  Endress,  was  born  in  Easton,  Pa.,  Sept.  14, 
1810,  died  in  1870.  He  was  educated  in  Dickinson  Col- 
lege, Carlisle,  Pa.  When  his  family  left  Pennsylvania 
for  Vv'estern  New  York,  he  entered  the  law  office  of 
Judge  Ewing,  of  Trenton,  N.  J.,  where  he  remained 
about  one  year.  He  then  went  to  Rochester  and  en- 
tered the  law  offices  of  Messrs.  Rochester  &  Ford,  and 
later  was  in  the  offices  of  Messrs.  Barnard  &  Hill. 
Eventually  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Rochester, 
where  he  initiated  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and 
whence  he  removed  to  Dansville  in  1832.  He  continued 
to  reside  at  Dansville  during  the  remainder  of  his  life, 
and  as  a  lawyer  obtained  an  enviable  reputation  and 
lucrative  practice.  For  some  thirteen  years  he  was  as- 
sociated with  Judge  John  A.  Van  Derlip  in  the  practice 
of  law,  under  the  style  of  Endress  &  Van  Derlip.  He 
was  an  old  line  Whig  as  a  young  man,  and  after  the 
formation  of  the  Republican  party,  transferred  his  al- 
legiance to  that  organization.  He  was  appointed  to  the 
office  of  judge  in  1S40  by  Governor  \\'illiam  H.  Seward; 
was  presidential  elector  in  1856;  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  State  Constitutional  Convention,  1868;  was  a 
delegate  to  the  National  Republican  nominating  con- 
vention of  1868;  and  was  several  times  a  member  of  the 
Republican  State  Committee.  He  was  president  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  Dansville  Seminary,  and  for  a 
number  of  years  was  one  of  the  town  railroad  commis- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


559 


town.  To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Young  were  born  the  following 
children:  I.  Donald  C,  born  June  2,  1898;  educated 
in  the  Jamestown  and  Mayville  public  and  high  schools 
and  in  the  University  of  Michigan ;  enlisted  in  the 
S.  A.  T.  C.  of  the  University,  where  he  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war;  married  Ann  Christenson,  of 
Detroit,  Mich.  2.  Stanley  D.,  born  Oct.  30,  1900;  edu- 
cated in  Jamestown  and  Mayville  public  and  high 
schools.  3.  Florence  E.,  born  Jan.  II,  1902;  educated  in 
Jamestown  and  Mayville  schools.  4.  James  L.,  born 
May  29,  1903;  educated  in  Mayville  schools.  5.  Paul 
A.,  born  Dec.  3,  1913,  now  attending  school  in  May- 
ville. 


COLONEL     WILLIAM     FRIES     ENDRESS— 

This  distinguished  family  is  of  extremely  ancient  line- 
age. Im  Hof,  a  baronial  race,  spreading  out  into  many 
branches,  is  still  flourishing  in  the  principal  lines,  namely, 
the  Swabian,  the  Franconian  and  the  Italian,  with  many 
subdivisions.  In  the  records  of  the  twelfth  century  it 
is  frequently  found  under  the  name  of  "de  Curia"  or 
"in  Curia."  As  early  as  the  thirteenth  century  it  di- 
vided itself  into  two  principal  branches,  which  assumed 
different  arms.  The  elder  branch  remained  at  the 
original  seat  of  the  race,  in  the  city  of  Laningen,  in 
Swabia  (now  Bavaria)  where  a  village  called  Imhoff 
may  yet  be  found. 

(I)  Johann  Im  Hof,  called  Johann  (2),  who  died 
A.  D.  1341,  is  the  progenitor  from  whom  all  the  race 
is  descended.  He  dwelt  upon  his  estates  at  Laningen, 
and  procured  through  his  wife,  Anne  Von  Gross,  citi- 
zenship in  Nuremburg.  He  was  adopted  among  the 
families  capable  of  holding  the  office  of  senator.  He 
had  issue. 

(II)  Konrad,  married  and  had  issue. 

(III)  Konrad   (2),  died  in  1449.     He  had  issue. 

(IV)  Johann  (3),  born  in  1419,  died  in  1499.  He  had 
issue. 

(V)  Johann  (4).  born  in  1461.  died  in  1526.  He  was 
burgomaster  of  Nuremburg;  married  and  had  issue. 

(VI)  Andreas,  otherwise  called  Endres,  was  bom 
about  1490,  and  was  a  member  of  the  senate,  or  Rath, 
of  Nuremburg,  in  the  year  1530.  As  senator  he  at- 
tended the  Diet  of  Augsburg  and  is  styled  "Herr  En- 
dress  im  Hoff"  by  Saubertheim  in  his  History  of  the 
Augsburg  Diet,  written  in  1631.  He  married  and  had 
issue. 

(VII)  Endress,  born  about  1513,  married  and  had 
issue. 

(VIII)  Nicholas  Endress,  removed  from  Nuremburg 
to  Wertheim,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Mayn  river, 
about  1560. 

(IX)  Peter  Endress,  son  of  Nicholas  Endress,  born 
about  1569,  was  judge  of  the  Criminal  Court  of  the 
district. 

(X)  Nicholas  (2)  Endress,  son  of  Peter  Endress, 
was  born  in  1603.     He  married  and  had  issue. 

(XI)  Andress  Endress,  son  of  Nicholas  (2)  En- 
dress. born  in  1634,  married  and  had  issue. 

(XII)  Philip  Jacob  Endress,  son  of  Andress  Endress, 
born  in  1682.  died  in  1762. 

(XIII)  John  Zacharias  Endress.  son  of  Philip  Jacob 
Endress,  was  born  in  1726,  and  was  educated  in  the 
University  of  Tubingen,  now  the  University  of  \\'irtcm- 


burg.  He  was  an  extensive  traveler ;  was  captured  in 
the  Mediterranean  sea  by  Corsairs  of  Algiers,  the 
famous  sea  pirates  of  that  day,  and  sold  into  captivity 
in  Algiers.  Subsequently  a  Neapolitan  merchant  (a 
Roman  Christian)  redeemed  him  into  freedom,  took 
him  to  Italy  and  furnished  him  wth  means  to  return 
to  his  native  land.  In  1766  he  came  to  America  and 
located  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  where  he  accumulated 
considerable  property  near  the  corner  of  Vine  and 
Third  streets.-  He  was  an  officer  in  the  Continental 
army  in  the  War  for  Independence,  was  captain  in  the 
Philadelphia  Guards,  and  as  a  result  of  his  action  in 
the  Federal  cause  his  buildings  were  burned  to  the 
ground  when  the  British  occupied  the  city.  He  died 
in  1810,  and  was  buried  at  Easton,  Pa.  He  married, 
Sept.  13,  1768,  Mrs.  Maria  (Henrici)  Sansfelt,  a  widow 
of  French  Huguenot  extraction.  They  had  a  child, 
Christian  Frederick  Lewis,  mentioned  below. 

(XI\')  Christian  Frederick  Lewis  Endress,  D.  D., 
son  of  John  Zacharias  Endress,  was  born  in  Philadel- 
phia, March  12.  1775.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania,  which  institution  honored  him 
with  the  title  of  Doctor  of  Theology  in  1820.  Through- 
out most  of  his  lifetime  he  was  connected  with  Trinity 
Lutheran  Church,  pastor  from  1815  to  1827  at  Lancas- 
ter, Pa.,  succeeding  Dr.  Henry  M.  Muhlenberg,  founder 
of  the  Lutheran  church  in  America.  About  1814,  with 
his  friend.  Col.  Nathaniel  Rochester,  he  removed  to 
Dansville,  N.  Y.,  in  the  far-famed  Genesee  Valley, 
where  they  purchased  large  tracts  of  land.  Subsequently 
Colonel  Rochester  went  further  on  to  the  Falls  of  the 
Genesee  and  established  the  city  which  bears  his  name. 
Dr.  Endress  did  not  remain  in  Dansville.  but  returned 
to  Pennsylvania,  locating  at  Easton,  where  he  died  Sept. 
27,  1827.  In  1801,  he  married  Margaretha  Fries.  They 
had  a  son,  Isaac  Lewis,  mentioned  below. 

(XV)  Judge  Isaac  Lewis  Endress,  son  of  Dr.  Chris- 
tian F.  L.  Endress,  was  born  in  Easton,  Pa.,  Sept.  14, 
1810.  died  in  1870.  He  was  educated  in  Dickinson  Col- 
lege, Carlisle,  Pa.  When  his  family  left  Pennsylvania 
for  W^estern  New  York,  he  entered  the  law  office  of 
Judge  Ewing,  of  Trenton.  N.  J.,  where  he  remained 
about  one  year.  He  then  went  to  Rochester  and  en- 
tered the  law  offices  of  Messrs.  Rochester  &  Ford,  and 
later  was  in  the  offices  of  Messrs.  Barnard  &  Hill. 
Eventually  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Rochester, 
where  he  initiated  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and 
whence  he  removed  to  Dansville  in  1832.  He  continued 
to  reside  at  Dansville  during  the  remainder  of  his  life, 
and  as  a  lawyer  obtained  an  enviable  reputation  and 
lucrative  practice.  For  some  thirteen  years  he  was  as- 
sociated with  Judge  John  A.  Van  Derlip  in  the  practice 
of  law.  under  the  style  of  Endress  &  Van  Derlip.  He 
was  an  old  line  Whig  as  a  young  man,  and  after  the 
formation  of  the  Republican  party,  transferred  his  al- 
legiance to  that  organization.  He  was  appointed  to  the 
office  of  judge  in  1840  by  Governor  William  H.  Seward ; 
was  presidential  elector  in  1856;  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  State  Constitutional  Convention,  1868;  was  a 
delegate  to  the  National  Republican  nominating  con- 
vention of  186S;  and  was  several  times  a  member  of  the 
Republican  State  Committee.  He  was  president  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  Dansville  Seminary,  and  for  a 
number  of  vears  was  one  of  the  town  railroad  commis- 


56o 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


sioners.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  and  a  member 
of  the  vestry  of  St.  Peter's  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church.  He  was  a  brilliant  lawyer  and  business  man, 
always  fair  and  square-minded  in  his  dealings  with  his 
fellowmen,  and  was  ever  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by 
all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 

He  married.  Oct.  29.  1S40.  Helen  Elizabeth  Edwards, 
daughter  of  William  and  Maria  (Fitzhugh)  Edwards, 
the  former  of  whom  was  a  direct  descendant  of  Pier- 
pont  Edwards,  a  brother  of  Jonathan  Edwards,  the  dis- 
tinguished Puritan  divine.  Maria  Fitzhugh  was  a 
daughter  of  Colonel  Perregrine  and  Elizabeth  Crowley 
(Chew")  Fitzhugh,  the  former  of  whom  was  an  aide 
to  General  Washington.  Colonel  Fitzhugh  was  a  son 
of  the  distinguished  Col.  William  Fitzhugh,  born  Jan. 
l6.  17JI,  died  Feb.  11,  179S;  at  one  time  commander  of 
all  the  British  forces  in  America;  the  progenitor  of  the 
Fitzhugh  family  of  X'irginia.  Children  born  to  Judge 
and  Mrs.  Isaac  L.  Endress :  I.  Anna  Maria,  bom  Sept. 
26,  1850;  married  James  M.  Edwards,  a  prominent 
banker  at  Dansville :  they  reside  at  the  old  Endress 
homestead  and  have  two  children,  Helen  McCurdy,  now 
Mrs.  Edward  J.  Fairchild ;  and  Katharine  Elizabeth. 
2.  Elizabeth  Chew,  born  Oct.  II,  1852.  3.  William  Fries, 
mentioned  below. 

(XVI)  Col.  William  Fries  Endress,  son  of  Isaac 
Lewis  and  Helen  Elizabeth  (Edwards)  Endress,  was 
b^'m  Aug.  2.  1855,  at  Dansville,  N.  Y.  He  received  his 
early  education  at  the  Dansville  Seminary,  and  in  1872 
entered  the  Pennsylvania  Military  Academy  at  Chester, 
Pa.,  in  preparation  for  the  United  States  naval  service. 
The  following  year  he  secured  his  commission  as  cadet 
midshipman  and  entered  the  United  States  Naval 
Academy  at  Annapolis,  Md.,  where  he  remained  until 
December,  1875,  when  continued  ill  health  obliged  him 
to  resign,  while  still  in  full  standing  in  his  class.  For 
the  following  year  he  gave  his  attention  almost  entirely 
to  the  recovery  of  his  health,  merely  occupying  a  part 
of  his  time  as  instructor  and  commandant  of  the  mili- 
tary battalion  at  Dansville  Seminary. 

In  the  fall  of  1876,  he  entered  the  sophomore  class  of 
Rensselaer  Polytechnic  Institute  at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  was 
graduated  in  June,  1879,  with  the  degree  of  Civil  En- 
gineer, being  the  fourth  in  the  direct  line  of  his  family 
ancestry  who  have  been  college-bred  men.  Deciding 
upon  a  business  career,  he  removed  to  Jamestown  soon 
after  his  marriage  in  1879,  and  purchased  the  old  es- 
tablished coal  and  building  supply  business  of  J.  Bald- 
win, Jr.,  with  which  line  of  enterprise  he  has  continued 
to  be  identified  during  the  long  intervening  years  to  the 
present  time  (1921).  In  the  early  eighties  he  owned 
and  operated  a  soft  coal  mine  at  Hilliards,  Butler 
county.  Pa.,  and  for  some  years  was  a  jobber  and 
wholesaler  of  soft  coal. 

As  chairman  of  the  railway  committee  in  1886,  he 
was  instrumental  in  bringing  the  Chautauqua  Lake  Rail- 
road to  Jamestown.  In  1886,  when  natural  gas  was 
piped  into  Jamestown,  thus  destroying  temporarily  the 
coal  business,  he  devoted  his  attuntion  to  the  develop- 
ment of  electric  lighting,  then  in  its  infancy,  organiz- 
ing and  building  the  plant  of  the  Jamestown  Electric 
Light  and  Power  Company.  In  1888,  ho  disposed  of  his 
interests  in  the  electric  business  at  Jamestown  and  was 
induced  to  visit  the  island  of  Cuba  in  the  interest  of  the 


Thompson-Houston  Electric  Company,  as  president  of 
the  Spanish  Electric  Company  of  Havana,  made  up  of 
New  York  and  Havana  capitalists.  He  succeeded  in 
introducing  the  "luz  electrica,"  and  was  instrumental 
in  lighting  up  the  cities  of  Havana,  Matanzas,  Cardenas, 
Puerto  Principe,  and  many  of  the  great  sugar  planta- 
tions. After  a  two  years'  residence  in  Havana,  he  re- 
turned to  Jamestown,  finding  his  coal  business  much 
improved  by  the  decreased  consumption  of  gas. 

His  two  years  residence  in  Cuba  enabled  Colonel 
Endress  to  become  familiar  with  the  Spanish  language 
and  customs,  and  being  so  fortunate  as  to  recover  from 
an  attack  of  yellow  fever  and  thus  rendered  immune, 
found  himself  most  favorably  conditioned  when  the 
Spanish-American  War  began  in  1898.  At  the  outburst 
of  that  conflict,  he  at  once  volunteered  his  services  and 
received  from  Governor  Black  a  lieutenant-colonel's 
commission,  with  staff  appointment.  Throughout  the 
five  months  of  war,  including  the  campaign  in  Porto 
Rico,  he  served  as  aide  to  Brigadier-General  Guy  V. 
Henry,  U.  S.  Army,  and  has  many  gratifying  evidences 
of  the  latter's  appreciation  of  his  soldierly  services. 

With  the  ending  of  hostilities.  Colonel  Endress  re- 
turned to  Jamestown  and  resumed  his  former  business 
activities.  About  1900,  he  became  interested  in  asso- 
ciation work,  seeing  the  great  benefits  to  the  retail 
dealer  which  should  come  from  organized  effort.  He 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  New  York  &  Penn- 
sylvania Retail  Coal  Association,  of  which  he  was  its 
president  during  the  five  years  of  its  greatest  success, 
and  in  1905  was  elected  president  of  the  International 
Council  of  Coal  Merchants,  the  executive  head  of  all 
the  retail  coal  associations  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  and  reelected  the  following  year. 

In  1902,  he  erected  an  extensive  cold  storage  and 
manufactured  ice  plant  on  his  coal  yard  property,  and 
in  1904  incorporated  his  entire  business  under  the  name 
of  the  Chautauqua  Refrigerating  Company,  of  which 
he  was  the  president  and  sole  owner.  This  plant  has 
since  been  enlarged  and  the  ice  business  developed  until 
now  it  is  the  leading  industry  of  its  kind  in  the  city. 
In  1917,  finding  corporation  restrictions  burdensome, 
he  dissolved  the  corporation,  taking  back  the  business 
and  operating  it  under  his  own  name.  During  the  eight 
years,  from  1909  to  1917,  he  was  engaged  in  the  whole- 
sale coal  business  under  the  name  of  Endress  &  Mitch- 
ell, operating  throughout  Western  New  York  and  North- 
western Pennsylvania.  With  the  outbreak  of  the  war 
with  Germany,  in  the  spring  of  1917,  Colonel  Endress 
was  made  a  member  of  the  Home  Defense  Committee 
of  Chautauqua  County,  and  appointed  county  director 
of  the  military  census,  a  work  of  considerable  magni- 
tude. .^t  the  same  time  he  was  elected  chairman  of  the 
Chautauqua  County  Chapter,  American  Red  Cross, 
charged  with  its  reorganization  on  a  war  footing.  The 
work  of  this  cliapter,  with  its  handling  of  a  quarter  of 
a  million  dollars,  is  one  of  the  brightest  chapters  in  the 
w.'ir  history  of  the  county,  its  record  placing  it  among 
the  best  chapters  in  the  Atlantic  Division,  reflecting 
great  credit  on  everyone  connected  with  its  manage- 
ment. In  recognition  of  his  work  and  ability.  Colonel 
Endress  has  been  imanimously  reelected  chairman  ever 
since.  Colimcl  luidress  is  an  officer  of  the  Military 
Order  of   thr   Porto  Rican  Expedition,  and  by  inheri- 


lA. 


L 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


561 


tance,  a  member  of  the  New  York  Commandery  of  the 
MiUtary  Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  Camp  Porter,  United  Spanish  War  Veter- 
ans, and  belongs  to  the  Army  and  Navy  Club  of  Amer- 
ica. During  his  entire  life  in  Jamestown  he  has  been 
a  communicant  and  faithful  member  of  St.  Luke's  Epis- 
copal Church,  for  many  years  a  member  of  its  vestry, 
and  at  present  its  senior  warden. 

He  married,  Aug.  27,  1879,  Dora  Elizabeth  Willey, 
daughter  of  Charles  B.  Willey,  of  Dansville,  N.  Y.,  of 
French  and  Scotch  descent,  who  died  Dec.  21,  1912, 
leaving  two  children,  viz. :  William  Fitzhugh,  mentioned 
below ;  and  Helen  Elizabeth  Chew,  born  Oct.  18,  1895, 
educated  at  the  National  Cathedral  School  of  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  and  married,  June  16,  1919,  to  Frank  Howard 
Field,  of  Sandusky,  Ohio,  whose  parents  were  formerly 
residents  of  Louisville,  Ky.,  descendants  of  the  Buck- 
ners  of  Virginia.  Mr.  Field  is  a  graduate  of  the 
University  of  Michigan  with  the  degree  of  Mechanical 
Engineer,  served  in  the  navy  during  the  World  War 
as  inspector  of  engineering  materials,  aeronautic 
United  States  Navy,  in  air-plane  production,  and  is  now 
assisting  Colonel  Endress  as  manager  of  his  business 
interests.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Field  reside  with  Colonel  En- 
dress  at  No.  500  Pine  street,  Jamestown,  and  have  one 
son,  Richard  Endress  Field,  born  Oct.  30,  1920. 

(XVII)  Captain  William  Fitzhugh  Endress,  United 
States  Army,  son  of  Colonel  William  Fries  Endress, 
was  born  in  Dansville,  N.  Y.,  July  17,  1880.  By  priority 
of  birth  this  boy  became  the  child  of  his  father's  "Class 
of  1879"  of  the  Rensselaer  Polytechnic  Institute.  In 
recognition  of  this  fact  he  was  presented  with  the  class 
cup,  a  beautiful  chased  silver  cup,  lined  with  gold  and 
emblazoned  with  devices  emblematical  of  the  various 
branches  of  engineering  science.  Captain  Endress  spent 
most  of  his  early  life  in  Jamestown,  attending  the  pub- 
lic and  private  schools  and  later  took  the  course  at 
Shattuck  Military  Academy  at  Faribault,  Minn.,  gradu- 
ating in  i8g8,  being  sergeant-major  of  the  battalion. 
After  a  year  spent  at  the  Rensselaer  Polytechnic  Insti- 
tute (his  father's  alma  mater),  he  secured  the  ap- 
pointment to  the  United  States  Military  Academy  at 
West  Point  from  Congressman  James  W.  Wadsworth, 
graduating  in  1905,  sixth  in  his  class  of  115.  He  chose 
the  engineers  and  was  promoted  in  the  army  second 
lieutenant,  corps  of  engineers.  He  was  promoted  first 
lieutenant  in  1907,  and  captain  in  1913.  His  first  as- 
signment to  duty  was  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kan.,  and 
afterwards  at  Washington  Barracks,  D.  C,  and  in  Cuba 
during  both  the  first  and  second  occupations.  During 
the  latter  term  he  was  in  charge  of  the  construction 
of  a  military  road  in  Pinar  del  Rio  Province,  his  work 
eliciting  the  following  words  of  commendation  from 
the  commanding  officer: 

While  in  the  work  he  displayed  great  energy  and 
good  judgment  and  showed  qualities  of  mind  and 
character  unusual  In  so  young  a  man.  I  always 
regretted  that  Cuba  should  not  have  had  earlier  the 
benefit  of  his  services. 

(Signed)  WILLI.AJM   M.    BLACK. 

Colonel,  Corps  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A. 
(Afterwards  Chief  of  Engineers). 

He  was  a  graduate  of  the  Engineer  School,  class  of 

1908,  and  the  following  year  was  sent  by  the  government 

to  Cornell  University  for  a  special  course  of  one  year 

in   mechanical   and   electrical   engineering,    from   which 

Chau— 36 


college  he  received  the  degree  of  M.  E.  in  1910.  For 
the  three  years  following  he  was  stationed  at  Wash- 
ington Barracks,  Washington,  D.  C,  as  instructor  and 
director  of  electrical  and  mechanical  engineering  at  the 
Engineer  School.  In  April,  1914,  he  was  ordered  to  the 
Panama  Canal  Zone  and  made  superintendent  of  the 
Gatun  Locks,  then  approaching  completion.  His  work 
was  to  organize  a  permanent  working  force,  and  to  see 
to  the  operation  and  maintenance  of  the  locks.  Person- 
ally he  put  through  the  two  first  ocean-going  steamers, 
the  "Allianca'  and  the  "Ancon,"  directing  the  operation 
himself  from  the  bridge  by  a  system  of  hand  signals 
which  he  himself  designed  and  which  were  subsequently 
adopted  at  the  locks  on  the  Pacific  end,  and  are  now 
used  by  all  the  pilots  on  the  canal.  The  smooth  and 
quiet  operation  of  the  locks  has  been  commented  upon 
by  many  visitors  to  the  Isthmus,  being  in  marked  con- 
trast to  the  noise  and  apparent  confusion  in  evidence 
at  most  great  locks  throughout  the  world,  this  result 
being  largely  due  to  the  discipline  and  efiiciency  of  the 
force  that  Captain  Endress  organized.  He  was  highly 
commended  for  his  successful  handlin.g  of  the  locks  by 
his  superior  officer,  Colonel  Hodges,  then  acting  gov- 
ernor of  the  Canal  Zone,  in  his  letters  from  which  we 
quote : 

Captain  Endress  was  superintendent  of  Gatun  Locks, 
in  charge,  first,  of  the  completion  and,  later,  of  the 
operation  of  the  lock-flight  and  all  its  appurtenant 
machinery  and  auxiliary  structures.  The  work  was 
arduous  and  complex:  and  demanded  good  administra- 
tion capacity,  as  well  as  minute  attention  to  detail. 
I  remember  oeing  astonished  at  the  rapidity  with 
which  he  became  familiar  with  the  complicated 
machinery,  and  the  mechanical  skill  which  he  showed 
in  solving  the  unexpected  problems  which  always 
accompany  the  Installation  and  first  operation  of  new 
devices.  On  this  work  he  reached  a  high  point  of 
efficiency  in  a  remarkably  short  time,  a  result  which 
could  not  have  been  attained  without  unusual  ability 
and  application,  or  without  conscientious  and  tireless 
devotion  to  his  new  duties.  During  all  the  time  while 
he  was  in  my  division  he  displayed  all  those  qualities 
in  a  marked  degree;  and  I  can  well  believe  that,  had 
he  been  content  to  spare  himself  as  he  might  have 
done,  his  bodily  strength  would  have  endured  with 
safety  the  strain  of  the  illness  which  proved  his  last. 
(Signed)  H.    F.    HODGES. 

Colonel,   Corps  of  Engineers,   U.   S.   A. 

(Member  Panama  Canal  Commission). 

From  the  many  commendatory  and  appreciative  tes- 
timonials from  his  commanding  officers  but  one  more 
quotation  is  selected,  that  from  the  builder  of  the  canal. 
General  George  W.  Goethals  : 

Captain  Endress  made  an  excellent  record  while  on 
duty  with  the  Canal.  On  account  of  his  recognized 
ability  and  special  qualifications  In  electrical  engi- 
neering, I  requested  his  detail  by  the  War  Depart- 
ment. He  arrived  on  the  Isthmus,  April  27.  1914.  and 
"U'as  at  once  assigned  to  duty  as  Superintendent  of  the 
Gatun  Locks.  In  this  position  he  was  responsible  for 
the  proper  maintenance  and  operation  of  the  locks, 
including  the  organization  and  training  of  the  re- 
quired personnel.  He  was  unremitting  in  his  interest 
and  industry,  and  faithfully  gave  the  full  measure  of 
his  unusual  ability  to  the  Interests  of  his  work. 

(Signed)  GEO.  W.  GOETHALS. 

Governor. 

Captain  Endress  was  relieved  from  duty  at  Gatun  in 
May,  1915,  and  shortly  after  was  put  in  command  of 
Company  M,  3rd  Battalion  of  Engineers,  with  station 
at  Corozal,  Canal  Zone.  This  company  was  part 
of  the  permanent  garrison  of  the  Canal  Zone, 
and  it  was  in  the  organization  of  this  force, 
and  the  establishment  of  permanent  quarters,  to- 
gether    with     the     many     duties     pertaining     to     his 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


office  as  chief  engineer  of  the  United  States  forces  in 
the  Canal  Zone,  member  of  the  Canal  Defense  Board, 
and  other  minor  assignments,  that  Captain  Endress 
undoubtedly  overworked  himself,  which  the  enervating 
climate  forbids,  and  which  unquestionably  had  much  to 
do  with  tlie  non-resisting  powers  of  his  system  to 
combat  the  attack  of  the  final  fatal  disease.  At  the 
time  of  his  death  he  was  on  his  way  north  to  get  his 
family  and  take  them  back  with  him  to  his  station  at 
Corozal.  Leaving  Cristobal,  Sept.  3,  1915,  on  the 
steamer  "Allianca,"  of  the  Panama  Railroad  Line,  he 
was  stricken  with  the  illness  wliich  culminated  in  an 
attack  of  pneumonia  resulting  in  his  death  which  oc- 
curred Sept.  7.  191 5.  while  ofif  Charleston,  S.  C.  The 
remains  were  taken  to  Washington  and  interred  in  the 
Xational  Cemetery  at  Arlington  with  full  military  hon- 
ors, the  grave  being  near  the  old  Lee  mansion,  where  an 
ancestor  of  Captain  Endress  lived,  and  but  a  few  steps 
from  the  grave  of  General  Guy  V.  Henry,  whom  Colo- 
nel Endress  served  as  aide  during  the  Spanish  War. 
The  Jamestown  "Evening  Journal"  in  an  editorial  under 
date  of  Sept.  9,  1915,  said: 

Captain  Endress  was  a  most  earnest  and  capable 
army  officer:  as  a  student  In  the  local  schools  and  the 
military  academy  at  West  Point  he  ranked  high,  and 
in  his  service  following-  his  o^raduation  he  gave  prom- 
ise of  great  usefulness  to  his  country.  A  young  man 
of  high  ideals,  of  devotion  to  his  country  and  his  call- 
ing, he  was  ever  ready  to  give  the  very  best  of  him- 
self .even  his  life,  for  his  country.  His  service  with 
the  army,  and  especially  in  the  enervating  tropical 
climate  of  the  Panama  Canal  Zone,  was  as  arduous 
and  a.^  important  as  it  could  possibly  have  been  upon 
the  field  of  battle,  and  the  result  shows  that  it  was 
JLi.-^t  as  dangerous,  and  yet  through  it  all  he  was  the 
cheerful  and  gallant  American  officer,  standing  at  the 
post  of  duty  until  relieved  by  tlie  Great  Commander 
of  all  human  forces. 

Captain  Endress  was  married  in  Holy  Trinity  Cathe- 
dral, Havana,  Cuba,  Xov.  20,  190S,  to  Abby  Van  Buren 
Wright,  of  Chestertown,  Md.,  and  left  four  children : 
William  Fitzhugh,  born  Jan.  3,  1910;  James  Wads- 
worth,  born  Jan.  12,  1911  ;  Elizabeth,  born  Sept.  6,  1912; 
John  Zacharias.  born  Sept.  20,  1914.  One  or  more  of 
them  will  doubtless  follow  their  father's  army  career. 
The  family  is  now   (i';2i)   living  in  Berkeley.  Cal. 


GERRY  WILLIAM  COLGROVE,  county  super- 
intendent of  pniir,  son  of  Allurt  H.  ami  .\nna  (  Sprague) 
Colgrovc,  was  born  in   North  E;cst,   Pa.,  Sept.  26,   1872. 

He  was  educated  in  the  public  and  high  schools  of 
Mayville,  N.  Y.,  and  upon  completing  his  studies  was 
variously  employed  in  farm  work  and  in  creameries 
and  cheese  factories  in  the  neighborhood  of  Mayville, 
K.  Y.,  until  about  1900.  He  became  sufficiently  ex- 
perienced in  the  manufacture  of  cheese  and  milk  prod- 
ucts to  embark  in  business  for  himself,  and  in  1901 
purchased  the  Waterman  Cheese  Factory  located  three 
miles  north  of  Dewittville.  He  conducted  this  plant 
for  five  years  and  then  disposed  of  the  business,  subse- 
quently locatin!{  in  Mayville.  In  I9I0,  he  was  ap- 
pointed turnkey  in  the  .Mayville  jail,  also  underslu-riff, 
holdint.^  that  position  for  oiKht  years.  In  the  l;itter  p.-irt 
01  I'll"  he  was  designrtttd  by  the  county  committee  to 
fill  the  vacancy  in  office  of  superintendent  of  the  poor 
for  Chaulau'iua  county  to  succeed  the  late  Charles  J'',. 
iJofk'e.  and  in  the  election  of  November,  1917,  was 
elected  by  a  good  majority  to  this  office  and  assumed 


tlie  duties  thereof.  Jan.  i,  1918.  Again,  in  1920,  he  was 
nominated  and  reelected  for  the  ensuing  term  of  three 
years.  Since  becoming  superintendent  of  poor,  Mr. 
Colgrove  has  brought  about  a  number  of  needed  im- 
provements in  the  county  buildings,  electric  lights  were 
installed,  and  power  is  developed  from  the  water  sys- 
tem which  in  turn  is  supplied  by  reservoirs  on  the 
farm,  thereby  bringing  about  great  economy.  Numer- 
ous changes  were  inade  in  the  hospital  and  almshouse, 
thus  accommodating  more  people  and  bettering  the  sani- 
tary conveniences.  The  farm  consists  of  480  acres,  half 
under  cultivation,  and  100  head  of  cattle  are  maintained. 

Mr.  Colgrove  has  at  all  times  been  interested  in  the 
general  affairs  of  the  community.  He  was  at  one  time 
town  collector  for  Chautauqua  township,  and  held  other 
minor  oflices.  A  Republican  in  politics,  Mr.  Colgrove 
has  always  served  the  best  interests  of  the  public  in 
this  affiliation.  He  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason,  a 
member  of  Peacock  Lodge,  No.  696,  of  Mayville; 
Westtield  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons ;  Jamestown 
Commandery,  Knights  Templar;  Buffalo  Consistory, 
Supreme  Princes  of  the  Royal  Secret;  Ismailia  Temple, 
Ancient  .Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine;  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  Mayville;  Be- 
nevolent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  the  Frater- 
nal Order  of  Eagles,  of  Jamestown.  He  is  a  member 
of  various  social  clubs  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Colgrove  married,  March  6,  1901,  in  Summerdale, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Carry  May  Clark,  daughter 
of  Milton  W.  and  Eliza  (Stowell)  Clark,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  Summerdale.  Mrs.  Colgrove  has 
always  been  interested  in  public  movements  and  welfare 
work.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Eastern  Star  Lodge  and 
the  Tuesday  Club,  both  of  Mayville.  She  has  assisted 
Mr.  Colgrove  in  his  work  in  Mayville,  and  is  at  present 
(1021)  matron  of  the  County  Home  at  Dewittville. 


WILLIAM  EDGAR  KING— This  review  of  the  life 
of  William  Edgar  King  is  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  an 
able  and  successful  lawyer,  who  was  known  and  hon- 
ored professionally  in  local  and  State  courts,  learned 
and  eloquent,  and  had  gained  a  clientele  influential  and 
devoted.  Not  only  was  Mr.  King  influentially  identified 
with  the  legal  fraternity,  but  as  a  citizen  he  was  ever 
ready  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  best  welfare 
and  the  truest  progress  of  Jamestown. 

William  Edgar  King  was  born  in  Bladensburg,  Ohio, 
where  he  attended  the  local  public  schools  for  a  time, 
later  moving  to  Huntington,  W.  Va.,  where  he  resided 
for  a  number  of  years  and  where  he  was  admitted  to 
tlie  bar  to  practice  law,  later  moving  to  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.,  associating  himself  for  a  number  of  years  with 
the  late  Judge  V.  E.  Peckham.  He  had  a  broad,  com- 
prehensive grasp  of  all  questions  brought  before  him, 
being  particularly  well  fitted  for  affairs  requiring  exec- 
utive and  administrative  ability.  Mr.  King  was 
a  man  endowed  with  a  rarely  vigorous  and 
alerl  mentality,  combined  with  an  intense  earnest- 
ness which  made  itself  fi'lt  in  every  department 
of  life  in  which  he  found  scope  for  his  energy.  His 
symprithctic  nature,  warm  heart  and  eminently  social 
disposition  drew  around  him  a  large  circle  of  devoted 
frirnds,  irrespective  of  profession,  nationality  or  creed. 
Mr.  King  was  a  member  of  Crescent  Lodge,  Knights  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


563 


Pythias;  Mt.  Tabor  Lodge,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  affiliated  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church. 

Mr.  King  married ,  and  they  were  the 

parents  of  two  sons:  Ziba,  of  Sapulpa,  Okla. ;  Edgar, 
who  operates  the  farm  near  Akeley,  Pa. 

Mr.  King  for  a  year  previous  to  his  death,  resided 
with  his  family  on  a  farm  near  Akeley,  Pa.,  but  when- 
ever he  remained  in  the  city  over  night  he  slept  in  a 
small  room  adjoining  his  law  office,  and  it  was  here 
that  his  brother  found  him,  he  having  passed  away 
during  the  night.  He  had  been  in  poor  health  for  some 
time  and  he  had  been  heard  to  say  that  he  felt  that  the 
end  was  near,  so  ere  he  had  approached  the  conlines  of 
old  age  this  ceaselessly  active  man  closed  his  fruitful 
and  beneficent  career.  Jamestown  was  deprived  of  one 
of  the  ornaments  of  her  legal  fraternity  and  his  friends, 
together  with  his  family,  suffered  an  inexpressible  be- 
reavement. 

In  a  professional  career  of  well-nigh  thirty  years, 
William  Edgar  King  achieved  a  wide  reputation,  and 
from  a  man  of  his  type  much  was  still  to  be  looked  for. 
But  while  we  say  with  sorrow  "his  sun  has  gone  down 
while  it  is  still  day,"  we  rejoice  in  the  thought  of  the 
record  which  he  left  to  his  community,  his  family  and 
his  friends.  Below  is  a  tribute  from  the  Jamestown 
Bar   Association  : 

The  Jamestown  Bar  Association  assembles  for  the 
purpose  of  expressing  regret  over  the  death  of  its 
brother  and  comrade,   William  Edgar  King". 

This  regret  is  relieved  in  part  by  the  kno'wledge  of 
his  professional  brethren  that  he  made  the  sudden 
transition  in  accordance  with  the  philosophic  convic- 
tions which  were  the  fruits  of  his  thorough  studies 
and  ripe  reflections. 

He  was  a  man  of  sterling  "worth;  a  quiet,  unassum- 
ing gentleman:  a  loyal  and  devoted  friend;  a  man  of 
broad  humanitarian  instinct  and  devoted  to  the  lite  of 
his  family;  his  passing  removes  a  genial  comrade 
from  the  ranks  of  the  profession. 

Be  it  Resolved,  therefore,  by  his  brethren  of  the 
bar  that  this  tribute  to  his  memory  be  spread  upon 
the  minutes  of  this  body  and  published  in  the  press 
of  the  city  and  that  the  secretary  be  directed  to 
deliver   a    suitable   copy   to   the   bereaved    familv. 


REV.  PETER  LOZZA— In  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  there  is  quite  a  large  Italian- American  popula- 
tion, some  hardly  speaking  any  English,  so  their  priest 
must  of  necessity  be  a  native  of  Italy.  Rev.  Peter 
Lozza,  the  assistant  rector  of  St.  James'  Catholic 
Church  in  Jamestown  and  the  rector  of  Our  Lady  of 
Loretto,  the  Catholic  church  at  Falconer,  N.  Y.,  is  very 
near  and  dear  to  his  parishioners,  and  it  is  to  him  they 
go  with  all  their  cares  and  troubles. 

Peter  Lozza  was  born  in  Casteggio,  Italy,  April  30, 
1881,  son  of  Charles  and  Mary  Lozza,  residents  of  that 
village.  The  boy's  education  began  in  the  local  grammar 
school  and  was  continued  in  a  private  school,  where  the 
high  school  subjects  were  taught,  the  course  extending 
over  a  period  of  five  years.  The  young  man  was  then 
eighteen  years  of  age,  and  having  a  very  decided  prefer- 
ence for  the  priesthood,  he  entered  the  seminary  at  Tor- 
tona,  Italy,  where  he  was  trained  for  that  vocation.  His 
novitiate  continued  for  six  years,  at  the  termination  of 
which  he  was  ordained  a  priest  in  Tortona,  May  30, 
1905. 

The  young  priest's  first  charge  was  as  assistant  to 
the  rector  of  the  Catholic  church  at  Casteggio,  where 


he  remained  for  three  years,  going  from  there  to  Novi 
Ligure  as  priest  in  charge,  remaining  in  this  village  for 
two  years,  then  being  sent  to  Arena ;  these  various 
charges  covered  a  period  of  about  seven  years.  In  1912, 
he  came  to  the  United  States  and  immediately  went  to 
Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  stationed  for  two 
years,  going  from  that  city  to  be  rector  of  two  churches 
at  Hulburton,  N.  Y.,  St.  Rocco  and  St.  Lucy.  His  next 
charge  was  the  Church  of  Ss.  Peter  and  Paul  at 
Brockville,  N.  Y.  In  January,  1915,  Father  Lozza  went 
to  Buffalo  to  become  assistant  rector  in  the  Church  of 
Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  and  at  St.  Lucy's  Church. 
All  his  former  parishioners  had  been  composed  of  Ital- 
ians, but  his  Buffalo  churches  were  not  Italians.  He 
next  was  returned  to  Jamestown,  Feb.  10,  1918,  and  is 
connected  with  St.  James'  Church  and  has  charge  of  the 
church  at  Falconer.  Father  Lozza  is  devoted  to  his 
religion,  and  holds  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his 
people.  He  is  an  earnest  worker  and  a  great  student. 
His  only  relative  is  a  sister,  Tressa  by  name,  who  is 
living  in  Italy. 


DR.   FLOYD  WARNER  HAYES,  who  is  one  of 

the  most  prominent  of  the  younger  physicians  of  James- 
town, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  has  an  office 
at  No.  211  Main  street,  is  a  son  of  John  B.  and  Ida  L. 
(Warner)  Hayes,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
the  town  of  Gerry,  N.  Y.,  where  the  former  owns  a 
large   farm. 

Dr.  Floyd  Warner  Hayes  was  born  on  this  farm  at 
Gerry.  Jan.  6,  1890,  and  as  a  lad  attended  the  district 
schools  in  the  county  and  later  the  Jamestown  High 
School,  from  which  he  graduated  in  the  year  1900.  He 
was  prepared  for  college  at  that  institution,  and  having 
determined  upon  the  profession  of  medicine  as  a  career 
in  life  entered  the  medical  school  of  the  University  of 
Buffalo.  From  this  institution  he  was  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1914.  taking  his  degree  as  doctor  of  medi- 
cine at  the  same  time,  and  immediately  afterwards 
went  to  Pittsburgh.  Pa.,  where  he  entered  the  South 
Side  Hospital,  in  order  to  take  special  courses  in  sur- 
gery. Upon  completing  these  studies.  Dr.  Hayes  came 
directly  to  Jamestown,  and  here  began  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  it  being  his  intention  to  specialize  to  a 
certain  extent  in  surgical  work.  He  had  been  thus 
engaged  for  about  one  year,  when  the  United  States 
entered  the  great  World  War.  whereupon  Dr.  Hayes 
offered  his  services  to  his  country  and  was  commis- 
sioned, June  20,  1917,  a  first  lieutenant  in  medical 
corps.  Ii6th  Field  Artillery.  He  was  sent  to  Fort  Ben- 
jamin Harrison  as  a  member  of  the  Medical  Officers' 
Training  Camp,  and  from  there  to  Spartansburg,  Ya. 
He  continued  with  the  same  unit  for  nine  months,  and 
was  then  sent  to  Newport  News.  \'a.,  to  embark  for 
France.  He  took  ship  for  that  country,  June  6,  1018. 
He  landed  in  France.  June  19,  1918,  was  stationed  at 
Bordeaux  for  four  weeks,  and  from  there  was  sent  to 
the  artillery  range  at  St.  Souge  in  order  to  take  the 
six  weeks'  course  there.  Here  he  came  into  contact 
with  the  actual  front  and  did  surgeon's  work  at  that 
place  and  at  Chateau-Thierry.  He  also  held  the  posi- 
tion of  camp  sanitary  inspector.  He  was  engaged  in 
active  duty  at  St.  Michael  Boute  from  Sept.  13  to  19, 
and  later  in  the  Argonne  battle  until  the  signing  of  the 


564 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Armistice  on  Nov.  ii.  lOiS.  On  Dec.  14  he  was  sent 
to  N'erdun.  where  he  remained  four  days,  and  then 
to  the  embarkation  camp  at  Le  Maus.  He  left  there  on 
March  i.  loio,  for  Brest,  and  on  March  4.  igiq,  sailed 
for  the  United  States,  where  he  arrived  nine  days  later. 
He  was  honorably  discharged  from  the  service,  March 
31,  lOio.  holding  a  commission  as  captain  at  that  time. 
Since  then  Dr.  Hayes  has  resumed  the  practice  of  his 
profession  at  Jamestown,  and  is  already  recognized  as 
one  of  the  capable  physicians  of  the  region.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  the 
Royal  .\rch  Masons,  the  Royal  and  Select  Masters,  the 
Ancient  .Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  the 
Sovereign  Princes  of  tlie  Royal  Secret,  and  has  taken 
the  thirty-second  degree  in  Free  Masonry.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Chadakoin  Club,  the  Psi  Epsilon  Psi 
and  the  Theta  Epsilon,  college  fraternities,  the  Monks 
Club,  the  Jamestown  Medical  Society,  the  New  York 
State  Medical  Society,  and  the  American  Medical  As- 
sociation. He  has  recently  joined  the  American  Legion, 
the  society  founded  for  all  those  connected  with  the 
military  service  of  the  United  States  in  the  great  war. 
Dr.  Hayes  is  not  affiliated  with  any  political  society,  but 
is  an  independent  voter,  preferring  not  to  be  swayed 
by  partisan  considerations  in  forming  his  judgments  on 
public  issues  and  candidates.     Dr.  Hayes  is  not  married. 


JAMES  D.  WOODARD,  one  of  the  most  prominent 
business  men  of  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  where  he  has  been  active  for  a  number  of  years  in 
various  <'nterprises.  is  a  native  of  Warren  county,  Pa., 
a  son  of  Jed  and  Amelia  (Green)  Woodard,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  there. 

Mr.  Woodard's  education  was  received  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  region,  which  he  attended  until 
he  had  reached  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  when  he  aban- 
doned his  studies  and  began  work  as  a  clerk  in  a  general 
store  in  the  locality.  Then  he  learned  the  tailor's  trade 
at  Youngsville,  Pa.,  and  later  the  finishing  trade  at 
Sugar  Grove,  Pa.,  being  employed  by  Gustave  Ander- 
son, for  whom  he  continued  to  work  at  the  close  of  his 
apprenticeship.  He  also  was  employed  as  a  tailor  by 
George  Ball  Company  of  Warren,  Pa.,  where  he  worked 
on  the  bench  and  learned  cutting.  The  young  man  then 
went  West  and  for  a  time  lived  at  Columbus,  Ohio, 
where  he  secured  employment  with  Samuel  Goodman 
as  a  cutter  and  drafter  of  patterns.  He  worked  at  that 
establishment  as  a  second  cutter  employed  in  the  manu- 
facture of  uniforms  which  were  made  for  the  Panhan- 
dle. From  there  young  Mr.  Woodard  went  to  Erie, 
Pa.,  where  he  worked  as  a  tailor  for  William  Betts,  in 
Park  Row,  and  at  the  Reed  House.  Eventually  he  re- 
turned to  Warren  and  worked  for  George  Ball  as  head 
cutter  until  the  year  when,  in  association  with  Mr. 
Henry  Lesser,  the  head  clerk  of  the  same  establishment, 
he  opened  a  similar  business  on  his  own  account  under 
the  firm  name  of  Woodard  &  Lesser.  This  enterprise 
was  carried  on  at  Warren  and  the  concern  dealt  in 
furnishings,  etc..  doing  the  largest  business  of  its  kind 
that  had  ever  been  transacted  in  that  place.  Mr.  Wood- 
ard and  his  partner  started  with  a  capital  of  but  $3,000, 
but  in  spite  of  large  expenses  were  able  to  meet  all  their 
obligations  in  the  first  year  and  did  more  business  than 
any  other  firm  in  the  locality.     They  continued  in  this 


business  from  1889  until  1893;  at  the  latter  date  the 
death  of  Mr.  Lesser  occurred  at  Buffalo,  where  he  was 
stationed  temporarily  on  a  buying  trip,  after  which  Mr. 
Woodard  continued  the  business  alone  for  two  years 
longer.  At  that  time,  however,  his  health  was  very 
poor  and  he  sold  out  his  interest  and  secured  a  position 
with  the  Warren  Street  Railway  and  was  given  charge 
as  supervisor  of  three  miles  of  the  city  track.  He  was 
raised  in  position  rapidly  until  he  had  charge  of  forty- 
two  miles  of  track  and  was  secretary  of  the  concern.  He 
also  became  interested  in  the  business  of  the  company, 
in  the  capacity  of  stockholder,  but  upon  his  retirement 
sold  out  this  interest,  and  in  191 1  came  to  Jamestown, 
with  w'hich  place  his  subsequent  career  has  been  associ- 
ated. 

Upon  coming  to  Jamestown,  Mr.  Woodard  pur- 
chased the  Humphrey  House,  one  of  the  popular  hos- 
telries  of  the  place,  and  ran  this  hotel  with  great  suc- 
cess, after  having  entirely  refurnished  and  altered  the 
interior  and  installed  all  model  conveniences.  For  a 
time  Mr.  Woodard  rented  the  hotel  to  another  manager, 
then  in  February.  1919,  again  took  over  the  manage- 
ment, and  is  at  the  present  time  conducting  it  in  the 
most  modern  and  up-to-date  manner  and  making  a 
splendid  success  of  it.  In  the  meantime,  Mr.  Woodard 
had  founded  the  Warren  Construction  Company  at  War- 
ren, Pa.,  and  secured  the  contract  for  the  building  of 
the  Trust  Company  building  and  also  a  number  of 
theaters  and  factories  in  Jamestown,  and  the  sur- 
rounding region.  It  was  he  who  erected  the  Gokey 
building,  after  the  completion  of  which  job  he  dis- 
posed of  his  interests  in  the  concern.  Shortly  before 
coming  to  Jamestown,  he  had  purchased  the  Fenton 
farm  at  Fentonville,  which  he  has  conducted  in  such  a 
maimer  as  to  supply  his  hotel.  Quite  recently  Mr. 
Woodard  became  interested  in  a  traction  company  and 
at  the  present  time  holds  the  double  office  of  president 
and  general  manager.  Another  enterprise  established 
by  Mr.  Woodard  is  the  Woodard  Clothing  Company 
at  Warren,  Pa.,  which  was  incorporated  in  1917  under 
its  present  title,  and  now  conducts  a  large  business  in 
Jamestown  in  addition  to  the  original  location,  his 
quarters  in  this  city  being  established  in  a  handsome 
brick  building.  Mr.  Woodard  is  the  president  of  this 
corporation,  and  the  large  business  which  he  conducts 
is  directly  the  result  of  his  business  talent  and  his  great 
grasp  of  practical  affairs.  Still  another  concern  in 
which  he  has  1)ccome  interested,  comparatively  recently, 
is  the  Community  Trade  Center,  the  purpose  of  which 
was  to  develop  the  Brooklyn  Square  section  of  the 
city.  This  concern  was  incorporated  in  1919  and  Mr. 
Woodard  was  elected  its  president.  The  object  of  this 
corporation  is  to  furnish  a  market  for  all  enterprises 
coming  to  Jamestown  to  transact  business,  and  it  is 
particularly  interested  in  developing  the  Brooklyn 
Square  section  of  the  city.  Other  concerns  with  which 
Mr.  Woodard  is  associated  are  the  Woodard  Company 
and  the  Brooklyn  Square  Realty  Corporation.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  business  life,  Mr.  Woodard  has  participated 
actively  in  the  general  affairs  of  the  community,  and 
is  a  member  of  a  number  of  impr)rtant  organizations 
here,  including  the  Masonic  order,  being  affiliated  with 
the  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  the  Royal  Arch 
Masons,  the  Royal   and   Select    Masters,    the    Knights 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


565 


Templar,  the  Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine,  the  Sovereign  Princes  of  the  Royal 
Secret,  and  has  taken  the  thirty-second  degree  in  Free 
Masonrj'.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Com- 
merce of  Jamestown,  the  Board  of  Commerce  of  War- 
ren, Pa.,  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  Warren,  of  which  he  is  past  exalted  ruler. 

James  D.  Woodard  was  united  in  marriage  at  W'ar- 
ren,  Pa.,  with  Leonia  J.  Nesmith,  of  that  place.  Three 
children  have  been  born  of  this  union,  as  follows: 
Clifford,  a  graduate  of  the  Harvard  University,  where 
he  won  the  degree  of  A.  B.  and  A.  AI.,  and  now  treas- 
urer of  the  Woodard  Company,  community  trades ; 
Bernice,  a  graduate  of  Wellesley  College,  who  became 
the  wife  of  Chauncey  W.  Lampsell,  of  Minneapolis, 
Minn. ;  Lloyd,  who  is  now  a  pupil  in  the  High  School  at 
Warren,  Pa. 


FRED  H.  HOOKER— That  this  is  the  name  of  a 
pioneer  agriculturist  and,  consequently,  a  leading  citi- 
zen of  Charlotte  Center,  no  resident  of  that  part  of 
Chautauqua  county  needs  to  be  told.  Mr.  Hooker  is 
actively  public-spirited,  and  for  some  years  served  most 
creditably  as  justice  of  the  peace. 

Charles  J.  Hooker,  father  of  Fred  H.  Hooker,  was 
born  in  1837,  at  Londonderry,  Vt.,  son  of  John  and 
Sarah  E.  (Warner)  Hooker.  When  the  boy  was  six 
years  old  his  parents  moved  to  Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  and 
it  was  there  that  he  grew  to  manhood,  attending  school 
in  Sardinia.  He  learned  candy  manufacturing  and  en- 
gaged in  it  for  some  years,  his  business  career  being 
interrupted  by  the  Civil  War.  Enlisting  in  Company 
C,  ii6th  Xew  York  Volunteers,  he  served  until  the 
close  of  the  conflict.  He  was  a  Democrat,  a  Mason, 
and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mr. 
Hooker  married,  in  1864,  in  Montgomery  county,  N.  Y., 
Mary  Wilks.  born  in  Sardinia,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of 
Rufus  and  Emm.a  (Starks)  Wilks,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  two  children :  John  Walter,  a  farmer  of 
Charlotte  township ;  and  Fred  H.,  mentioned  below. 
Mr.  Hooker  died  Feb.  15,  1875,  at  Springville,  Erie 
county,  N.  Y.,  and  his  widow  married  (second)  James 
Whatford,  of  Chautauqua  county,  becoming  by  this 
marriage  the  mother  of  the  following  children :  James, 
of  Oil  City,  Pa. ;  Mary,  married  G.  Summer ;  and  Agnes, 
married  Frank  Conklin,  of  Tidioute,  Pa. 

Fred  H.  Hooker,  son  of  Charles  J.  and  Mary  (Wilks) 
Hooker,  was  born  Nov.  13,  186S,  at  Sardinia,  N.  Y.  He 
received  his  education  in  local  public  schools  and  at 
Jamestow'n  Business  College.  He  learned  the  carpen- 
ter's trade  and  followed  it  for  seven  years,  settling,  at 
the  end  of  that  time,  in  Charlotte  Center,  where  he  en- 
gaged for  fifteen  years  in  the  making  of  cheese  boxes, 
in  combination  with  the  lumber  business.  Eventually 
he  settled  at  the  Center,  on  the  Kimbel  farm,  remaining 
until  the  present  time.  Today  he  is  an  established  ag- 
riculturist among  the  farmers  of  the  neighborhood  as 
the  manager  of  one  of  the  finest  estates  in  the  county, 
developed  largely  by  his  individual  efforts.  The  land  is 
devoted  to  general  and  dairy  farming,  and  he  is  still 
interested  in  the  lumber  business  and  in  timberlands. 

Not  only  as  an  agriculturist  is  Mr.  Hooker  to  be  re- 
garded as  a  man  of  enterprise  and  progressive  ideas, 
but  also  as  a  citizen  he  exhibits  the  same  characteris- 


tics, being  always  eager  to  do  all  in  his  power  for  the 
furtherance  of  the  general  prosperity.  Like  his  father 
he  is  a  loyal  Democrat,  and  for  eight  years  filled  the 
office  of  justice  of  the  peace  of  the  township.  He  is  a 
member  of  Centre  Grange,  No.  669,  and  affiliates  with 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  His  family  attend  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Hooker  married,  June  26,  1895,  at  Charlotte 
Center,  Carrie  E.,  daughter  of  Horace  E.  and  Ellen  C. 
(Lake)  Kimbel.  A  full  account  of  the  Kimbel  family 
is  appended  to  this  biography.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hooker 
are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Mary  Ellen,  now  attending 
school.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hooker  are  mutually  devoted  to 
each  other  and  to  their  daughter  and  the  hours  which 
bring  greatest  happiness  to  both  are  those  spent  at  their 
own  fireside. 

Of  large  nature,  genial  and  whole-souled,  Mr.  Hooker 
enjoys  marked  personal  popularity,  also  commanding 
the  sincere  respect  of  his  neighbors  and  fellow-citizens 
by  the  public  spirit  and  strict  integrity  which  have  char- 
acterized his  every  action  and  manifested  themselves  in 
all  his  dealings. 

(The  Kimbel  Line). 

Stephen  Kimbel,  the  first  ancestor  of  record,  and  a 
representative  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  fam- 
ilies of  New  England,  was  a  resident  of  Woodstock, 
Conn. 

Horace  Kimbel,  son  of  Stephen  Kimbel,  married 
Caroline  Stewart,  and  died  in  early  manhood. 

Horace  E.  Kimbel,  son  of  Horace  and  Caroline 
(Stewart)  Kimbel,  was  born  May  27,  1834,  in  Wood- 
stock, Windham  county.  Conn.,  and  was  still  an  infant 
when  death  deprived  him  of  his  father.  In  1837  Mrs. 
Kimbel,  accompanied  by  her  father-in-law.  left  Wood- 
stock and  moved  to  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  settling 
in  the  town  of  Gerry.  In  1855  Horace  E.  Kimbel  re- 
moved to  Charlotte  Center,  where  he  was  employed  by 
Henry  C.  Lake.  Later  he  was  associated  with  Mr.  Lake 
in  the  manufacturing  of  wood  mills,  a  pioneer  industry 
in  the  period  immediately  prior  to  the  Civil  War.  Sub- 
sequently Air.  Kimbel  settled  on  the  farm  owned  by 
Mr.  Lake,  making  it  his  home  for  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  As  the  years  went  on  he  became  known  not  only 
as  a  successful  agriculturist,  but  also  as  one  of  the 
leading  "horsemen"  of  Western  New  York,  owning  and 
raising  fine  blooded  race  horses,  and  distinguished  on 
the  race  track  at  Saratoga,  Brighton  Beach  and  Coney 
Island.  Among  the  horses  owned  by  him  were  "Bram- 
baletta,"  "Boccaccio,"  "Carley  B."  and  others  of  equal 
fame,  and  he  numbered  among  his  racing  friends  the 
late  James  R.  Keene,  the  Dwyer  brothers,  and  other 
noted  turfmen.  In  politics  Mr.  Kimbel  was  a  staunch 
Democrat  and  served  two  terms  as  supervisor  of  Char- 
lotte township,  filling  the  office  much  to  the  satisfaction 
of  all  good  citizens.  He  affiliated  with  Sylvan  Lodge, 
No.  303.  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Sinclairville. 

Air.  Kimbel  married,  April  12,  i860,  Ellen  C.  Lake, 
born  Nov.  9.  1833,  at  Charlotte  Center,  daughter  of 
Daniel  B.  and  Elvira  (Boynton)  Lake,  and  they  be- 
came the  parents  of  the  following  children:  I.  Charles 
E.,  married  Ellen  J.  Dibble,  and  died  in  1886;  their 
only  child,  Ellen,  married  Robert  Fessenden,  and  died 
in  1881.     2.  Carrie  E.,  mentioned  below.     Mrs.  Kimbel, 


;66 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


a  woman  of  culture  and  rerinement  and  possessing  liter- 
ar>-  gifts  of  an  unusual  order,  was  well  known  as  a 
contributor  of  both  prose  and  verse  to  the  magazines 
of  the  day,  and  withal  was  a  most  devoted  wife  and 
mother,  exemplifying  in  her  daily  life  all  the  Christian 
virtues.  On  Feb.  2S.  1910.  she  passed  from  the  home  of 
which  she  had  so  long  been  the  beloved  and  presiding 
genius.  The  death  of  Mr.  Kimbel.  which  occurred  Dec. 
II.  lOir.  at  his  home  in  Charlotte  Center,  deprived  the 
community  of  an  able,  useful  and  respected  citizen. 

Carrie  E.  Kimbel.  daughter  of  Horace  E.  and  Ellen  C. 
(Lake")  Kimbel.  became  the  wife  of  Fred  H.  Hooker, 
as  staled  above.  Mrs.  Hooker,  who  inherits  the  rare 
intelligence  and  refined  tastes  of  her  mother,  is  a  member 
of  Centre  Grange.  It  may  be  said  of  her  that  in  public 
spirit  she  bears  a  resemblance  to  her  father  who  com- 
bined with  this  trait  of  character  the  utmost  devotion 
to  his  family. 


JOHN  HEDENBERG  FOSTER,  nurseryman  and 
prominent  business  man  of  Fredonia,  Chautauqua 
county.  X.  V..  where  he  has  been  influential  in  the  gen- 
eral life  of  the  community  for  a  number  of  years,  is  a 
native  of  this  town,  born  Feb.  16,  1S67.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  a  family  that  has  long  resided  in  these  parts. 
His  paternal  great-grandfather,  Elisha  Foster,  kept  a 
tavern  at  the  State  Line  between  New  York  and 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  honored  at  one  time  by  having 
as  a  guest  no  less  a  personage  than  General  Lafayette, 
who  stopped  there  during  the  Revolution.  The  chair  in 
which  that  illustrious  personage  sat  while  eating  his 
meals  is  still  in  the  possession  of  the  present  Mr.  Foster. 

Henry  .\bell  Foster,  father  of  John  H.  Foster,  was 
b'.rn  in  Fredonia.  then  Pomfret,  in  1818,  but  left  his 
hf'me  early  and  was  employed  to  drive  a  stage  coach 
from  Buffalo.  X.  Y.,  to  Erie,  Pa.,  so  continuing  for 
many  years.  He  was  the  first  man  to  drive  across  Lake 
Erie  with  a  horse  and  cutter  when  that  body  of  water 
was  frozen,  a  feat  which  can  rarely  be  accomplished,  as 
it  requires  an  unusually  cold  winter  for  the  ice  to 
stretch  from  shore  to  shore.  After  leaving  the  stage 
coach  business.  Henry  A.  Foster  went  to  Terre  Haute. 
Ind..  where  he  engaged  in  the  wholesale  and  retail 
dry  goods  business  for  a  term  of  five  years  with  his 
two  brothers-in-law.  Later  he  was  a  traveling  salesman 
for  the  Chicago  White  Lead  and  Oil  Company  for  the 
long  period  of  forty-five  years.  He  was  a  veteran  of 
the  Civil  War,  serving  in  the  engineering  corps  for  two 
years,  during  which  time  many  of  the  important  battles 
were  fought.     He  married  Sarah  H.  Hedcnbcrg. 

John  Hedenberg  Foster  was  educated  in  the  Fredonia 
public  schools  and  later  the  Fredonia  Normal  School. 
He  then  secured  a  position  as  foreman,  when  still  a 
very  young  man,  with  the  Lewis  Rocsch  Nursery,  where 
he  remained  for  seventeen  years.  By  that  time  he  was 
in  a  f)osition  to  start  in  business  on  his  own  account,  and 
in  association  with  a  Mr.  Griffith  foimded  the  Fostcr- 
GrifTJth  Nursery  Company.  Mr.  Griffith,  however,  re- 
tired from  this  assoriation,  and  in  1912  the  I-V.ster- 
Cooke  Nursery  Company  was  organized.  Mr.  Foster 
purchased  his  partner's  int(rTCSt  and  became  the  sole 
proprietor  of  the  plant  in  1920,  when  the  name  of  the 
concern  was  changed  to  the  J.  H.  Foster  Nurseries. 
This  plant  is  a   large  one,   consisting  of   some   fifteen 


acres  whereon  are  erected  buildings  measuring  50x80 
feet  and  two  stories  in  height.  The  growth  of  the  busi- 
ness has  necessitated  the  renting  of  twenty-five  addi- 
tional acres  recently.  The  company  engages  in  whole- 
sale business  entirely  and  specializes  in  grape,  goose- 
berry and  currant  roots.  During  the  busy  season 
tliirty-five  hands  are  employed.  Mr.  Foster  is  a  Pres- 
byterian in  his  religious  belief  and  attends  the  church 
of  that  denomination  at  Fredonia.  He  is  a  member  of 
a  number  of  organizations  here,  fraternal  and  other- 
wise, including  Chautauqua  Lodge,  No.  318,  Indepen- 
dent Order  of  Odd  Fellow's,  of  which  he  is  past  noble 
grand ;  and  Star  of  the  West  Encampment,  No.  35,  of 
the  same  order,  of  which  he  is  past  chief  patriot ;  For- 
est Lodge,  No.  166,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons; 
the  Fredonia  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  the  National 
Nurserymen's  Association,  Mr.  Foster  is  a  Democrat 
in  politics  and  has  taken  active  part  in  the  public  life 
of  the  community.  He  has  held  a  number  of  offices 
including  that  of  school  trustee  and  has  been  president 
of  the  board  for  six  years. 

John  Hedenberg  Foster  was  united  in  marriage,  July 
7,  1892,  with  Elizabeth  Dietrich,  of  Dunkirk,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  four  children,  as  follows:  i. 
John  Henry,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nine  years.  2. 
Oliver  Dietrich,  who  was  educated  in  the  Fredonia 
public  schools;  he  was  called  to  the  National  colors, 
April  4,  1918.  and  sent  to  Camp  Dix,  where  he  re- 
mained one  month ;  he  then  embarked  for  France  with 
his  unit  and  was  in  a  training  camp  in  that  country 
until  July  7,  of  the  same  year ;  he  was  then  assigned 
to  the  78th  division  and  went  into  the  front  line 
trenches ;  he  participated  in  three  of  the  great  battles  on 
three  different  fronts,  and  saw  active  service  until  the 
night  of  Sept.  28,  wdien  he  was  gassed ;  he  remained  in 
the  hospital  for  some  time,  and  was  sent  back  to  the 
United  States,  being  discharged  at  Camp  Upton,  March 
10,  1919.  3.  Julia  A.,  who  was  educated  in  the  Fre- 
donia public  schools  and  the  State  Normal  College,  and 
took  a  special  course  in  music  under  Professor  Gaump, 
of  Buffalo;  she  now  gives  private  lessons  on  the  piano 
at  the  State  Normal  Gymnasium,  4.  Hedenberg  Abell, 
who  is  at  present  a  student  in  the  Normal  School. 


HAROLD  PERRY  HOYT,  formerly  a  prominent 
merchant  and  farmer  of  Maple  Springs,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  now  (1921)  living  in  Westfield  and  con- 
nected with  the  Nickel  Plate  Railroad,  was  born  Jan. 
25,  1895,  in  Maple  Springs,  Ellery  township,  a  son  of 
Charles  D.  and  Jessie  (Haskin)  Hoyt,  also  natives  of 
Maple  Springs.  Charles  D.  Hoyt  was  a  successful 
farmer  in  the  neighborhood  for  many  years. 

Harold  P.  Hoyt  passed  his  childhood  and  early  youth 
on  his  father's  farm,  attended  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  town  and  later  the  Mayville  High  School, 
there  completing  his  studies.  He  then  took  up  agricul- 
ture as  a  means  of  livelihood,  soon  meeting  with  suc- 
cess. Later  he  opened  a  general  store,  in  connection 
with  his  brother,  L.  D.  Hoyt,  in  Maple  Springs,  which 
they  conducted  for  four  years,  until  the  fall  of  1920, 
when  he  sold  his  interest  to  his  brother.  During  the 
World  War  he  entered  the  service  of  his  government, 
Sept.  27,  1917,  and  became  a  mcmlier  of  Battery  A, 
307th   Field   Artillery.     After  a  period   of   training   in 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


567 


this  country,  he  embarked  with  his  unit  for  France  and 
saw  active  service  for  a  year  with  the  American  Ex- 
peditionary Forces.  He  finally  received  his  honorable 
discharge,  May  22,  1919,  and  returned  to  civil  life  at 
his  home  in  Maple  Springs.  He  is  a  member  of  Ira 
Lou  Spring  Post,  American  Legion,  of  Jamestown.  He 
attends  Union  Church  at  Maple  Springs,  and  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics. 

Harold  P.  Hoyt  married,  Sept.  20,  1919,  in  Dunkirk, 
N.  Y.,  Mildred  M.  Brown,  a  native  of  Ellery  township, 
N.  Y.,  born  March  25,  1895,  a  daughter  of  Ira  H.  and 
Belle  (Haskins)  Brown,  lifelong  residents  of  Ellery 
township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ho>'t  are  the  parents  of  one 
child,  Harold  Perry,  Jr.,  born  Oct.  28,  1920. 


AXEL   VICTOR   GRAFSTROM— Among   all  the 

many  callings  pursued  by  men  in  this  comple-x  modern 
world,  it  is  probably  the  professions  that  require  the 
greatest  amount  of  effort  and  devotion  on  the  part  of 
their  followers  in  proportion  to  the  return,  and  of  the 
professions  there  are  few,  if  any,  in  which  a  real  and 
substantial  success  involves  a  larger  expenditure  of 
these  things  or  a  higher  quality  of  self  sacrifice  to  its 
cause  than  medicine.  The  nature  of  the  needs  to  which 
the  physician  attends  is  such  that  it  necessitates  his 
putting  aside  thoughts  of  self  and  the  giving  of  his 
entire  powers  and  being  to  the  case  in  hand.  It  would 
be  difficult  to  find  one  who  more  conscientiously  lives 
up  to  the  hard  conditions  imposed  by  his  altruistic  call- 
ing than  Dr.  .Axel  Victor  Grafstrom,  a  distinguished 
physician  of  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  who 
has  made  an  enviable  position  for  himself  in  the  regard, 
admiration  and  affection  of  the  community  which  he 
has  served  so  long  and  so  well. 

Dr.  Grafstrom  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  in  Aster- 
dothland,  Sept.  30.  1858.  His  father  was  Colonel  Carl 
Axel  Grafstrom,  an  officer  in  the  Royal  Swedish  Army, 
and  his  mother  was  Cecilia  W.  (Holmstrom)  Graf- 
strom, a  woman  of  high  character  and  charming  per- 
sonality. Besides  himself,  his  parents  had  another  son, 
Edward  Grafstrom,  who  came  to  the  L^nited  States  and 
was  employed  by  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  as  superinten- 
dent of  machine  shops  and  was  drowned  during  the  over- 
flow of  the  Kansas  river  at  Topeka,  Kan.,  after  dis- 
playing the  greatest  heroism  in  saving  many  others 
from  the  flood.  So  greatly  honored  was  he  for  his 
courage  and  self  sacrifice,  that  the  community  of  To- 
peka has  erected  a  monument  to  him  in  the  city  to 
perpetuate  his  memory  there. 

The  childhood  of  Dr.  Grafstrom  was  passed  in  his 
native  region,  and  it  was  there  that  he  began  his  edu- 
cational training,  attending  for  that  purpose  the  local 
schools.  He  then  entered  Orebro  College,  and  was 
graduated  from  that  institution  with  the  class  of  1879, 
receiving  the  degree  of  B.  S.  Later  he  took  a  course  of 
study  at  the  Royal  Army  College  at  Carlberg,  Sweden, 
and  was  graduated  in  1881,  receiving  at  the  same  time 
his  commission  as  second  lieutenant.  In  1885,  he  came 
to  the  United  States  and  here  attended  the  University  of 
New  York,  taking  the  medical  course  and  graduating 
with  the  degree  of  M.  D..  in  1893.  In  order  to  gain  the 
requisite  practical  experience  he  served  as  an  interne  in 
the  New  York  City  Hospital  at  Blackwell's  Island  for 
two  years,   from   1895  to   1897.     He  was  appointed,   in 


1900,  attending  physician  in  the  Gustavus  Adolphus 
Orphan  Home,  and  continued  to  fill  that  responsible  post 
until  1904.  It  was  in  1901  that  Dr.  Grafstrom  first  came 
to  Jamestown  and  engaged  in  private  practice  here,  and 
ever  since  that  time  he  has  continued  to  be  thus  occu- 
pied, performing  during  the  period  a  great  service  to 
the  community  by  his  brilliant  and  consistent  labors, 
and  winning  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens  and  pro- 
fessional colleagues  alike  as  one  of  the  leading  phy- 
sicians of  the  community.  Dr.  Grafstrom,  in  addition 
to  his  active"  practice,  has  written  extensively  on  medi- 
cal subjects,  contributing  articles  to  the  New  York 
"Medical  Times"  and  the  New  York  "Medical 
Journal,"  and  has  become  an  author  of  wide  repute 
and  high  standing  in  the  medical  world.  Among 
his  works  should  be  mentioned  a  te.xt  book  on  "Me- 
chano-Therapy,"  which  is  regarded  as  an  authoritative 
treatment  of  the  subject,  especially  in  Sweden,  the 
LTnited  States  and  Canada,  it  being  published  by  Sanders 
&  Company  of  Philadelphia  and  Toronto,  .Another  field 
in  which  Dr.  Grafstrom  has  performed  a  notable 
achievement  is  that  of  light  literature.  He  has  written 
many  stories  for  several  of  the  Swedish  periodicals, 
and  a  longer  work  in  that  language,  entitled  "Skanska 
Baron,"  published  at  Stockholm,  Sweden,  in  1914. 

Dr.  Grafstrom  is  a  member  of  the  Fraternal  Order 
of  Eagles,  the  Lief  Ericson  Society,  and  the  Swedish 
One  Hundred  Society.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a 
Lutheran  and  attends  Trinity  Church  of  that  denomina- 
tion in  Jamestown. 

Dr.  Grafstrom  was  united  in  marriage,  at  Jamestown, 
with  Julia  Anderson,  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Joseph- 
ine Anderson,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
this  city.  They  are  the  parents  of  one  son,  Paul  Axel, 
bom  Sept.  2,  191 1. 


SAMUEL  B.  ROBBINS— One  of  the  most  progres- 
sive young  business  men  to  be  found  in  Jamestown  or, 
indeed,  in  Chautauqua  county,  is  Samuel  B.  Robbins. 
.As  proprietor  of  the  Eagle  Garage.  Mr.  Robbins  is  a 
conspicuous  figure  in  his  home  city,  being  also  well 
known  in  fraternal  circles,  and  as  a  champion  of  the 
cause  of  good  government  and  improved  community 
conditions. 

Samuel  B.  Robbins  was  born  Aug.  14,  1887.  in  Utica, 
N.  Y.,  a  son  of  Julius  and  Hannah  Robbins.  He  was 
educated  in  local  grammar  and  high  schools,  and  as  a 
youth  became  a  traveling  salesman  for  the  Rochester 
Jewelry  Company.  While  stopping  in  Jamestown  his 
business  insight  discerned  an  opportunity  and,  with  the 
modest  capital  of  $200  and  an  equipment  of  one  Ford 
car,  he  established  the  Eagle  Garage  on  Barrett  avenue, 
and  for  one  year  thereafter  was  agent  for  the  Ford 
car.  In  1909  he  took  as  a  partner.  George  Rappole,  who 
endorsed  a  note  for  $1,200  and  incorporated  the  busi- 
ness for  $20,000  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  New 
York.  In  1910  the  partners  moved  to  First  street,  op- 
posite Broadhead  IMills,  and  in  July,  1913,  made  another 
migration,  this  time  to  their  present  quarters  in  the 
structure  of  the  Eagle  Building  Company,  Washington 
street.  Here  they  have  a  fine  showroom  and  offices 
built  to  meet  their  requirements.  In  1913  they  took 
an  agency  for  the  Hudson  automobile,  and  in  1917  for 
the  Packard  and  Essex  cars,  and  for  the  last  two  years 


;68 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


their  annual  sales  have  amounted  to  $300,000.  Mr. 
Robhins  also  has  a  wholesale  auto  supply  department, 
with  two  men  on  the  road,  covering  a  radius  of  150 
miles.  He  has  a  large  service  station,  employing 
thirty-two  men  and  three  salesmen,  the  office  force 
amounting  to  ten  people.  Politically.  Mr.  Robbins  is  a 
Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Fraternal  Order 
of  Eagles,  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
and  the  \V.  C.  T.  A  man  of  great  initiative  and  aggres- 
siveness. Mr.  Robbins  has  made  a  signal  success  in 
business,  and  as  he  is  not  yet  in  the  prime  of  life  may 
reasonably  be  expected  to  achieve  in  the  future  even 
mere  than  he  has  accomplished  in  the  past. 

Mr.  Robbins  married,  in  1913,  in  Jamestown,  Dorothy 


EDWIN  FREEMAN  LAKE— For  nearly  three- 
quarters  of  a  century  Mr.  Lake  has  been  a  resident  of 
Chautauqua  county,  and  has  been  an  important  factor  in 
its  substantial  development  and  permanent  improve- 
ment. He  has  seen  its  wild  lands  transformed  into  fine 
farms,  while  industrial  and  commercial  interests  have 
been  introduced,  and  thus  towns  have  become  thriving 
cities.  In  the  work  of  this  progress  he  bore  his  part 
and  was  particularly  active  as  a  representative  of  the 
agricultural  interests  of  the  county,  though  he  is  now 
living  a  retired  life  in  the  village  of  Sinclairville,  enjoy- 
ing a  well  earned  rest.  Mr.  Lake  was  born  on  the  Lake 
farm,  in  Charlotte  township.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
Aug.  20.  1S36,  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Elvira  (Boyenton) 
Lake. 

Henry  Lake  (grandfather),  pioneer  ancestor  of  the 
Lake  family  in  Chautauqua  county,  emigrated  from 
Rockingham,  \'t.,  where  he  had  married  and  had  a 
large  family.  Among  these  children  were  five  sons : 
Xathan,  Calvin,  Luther,  Freeman,  and  Daniel,  all  of 
whom  came  to  Chautauqua  county  and  settled  in  Char- 
lotte township. 

Daniel  Lake  (father)  was  born  in  Rockingham,  Vt., 
in  1802,  where  he  received  his  education.  After  com- 
pleting his  studies,  he  accepted  a  position  as  teacher  in 
the  schools  of  Lancaster,  Pa.  His  four  brothers  having 
previously  settled  in  Charlotte  township,  Mr.  Lake  came 
on  foot  from  Lancaster,  Pa.,  and  joined  them  here.  He 
purchased  a  tract  of  145  acres  of  land,  which  at  that 
time  was  all  woodland.  However,  he  returned  to  Lan- 
caster, Pa.,  and  continued  his  teaching  for  several 
months,  returning  later  'to  his  new  home.  In  the  years 
that  followed  Mr.  Lake  cleared  his  land  and  his  farm 
was  considered  one  of  the  best  in  Charlotte  township. 
He  died  on  his  farm  in  Charlotte  Center,  July  4,  1878, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-six  years,  and  is  buried 
in  Charlotte  Center  Cemetery,  Charlotte  township,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  X.  Y. 

Edwin  Freeman  Lake,  whose  name  is  the  caption  of 
this  article,  received  his  early  education  in  the  district 
schools  of  Charlotte  township,  and  after  completing  the 
studios  of  the  grammar  and  high  schools,  took  a  course 
in  the  Fredonia  .Academy.  He  accepted  a  position  to 
teach  in  Charlotte  and  Sheridan  townships,  continuing 
in  this  occupation  for  three  terms.  Mr.  Lake  resigned, 
however,  in  order  to  assist  bis  father  on  the  farm,  in 
which  occupation  he  continued  until  1015,  when  he  sold 
his  farm,  since  which  time  he  has  lived  retired.     .\s  a 


Democrat,  Air.  Lake  has  taken  a  prominent  part  in  local 
politics,  serving  for  three  years  as  town  highway  com- 
missioner ;  ten  years  as  township  assessor,  and  was  su- 
pervisor of  the  township  for  twelve  years,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  he  resigned.  Mr.  Lake  is  prominent  in 
fraternal  circles  as  well  as  in  business  circles,  being  a 
charter  member  of  Charlotte  Center  Grange,  No.  66g, 
of  which  he  was  the  first  master.  He  was  fire  director 
for  Charlotte  Center  Grange  in  the  Chautauqua  County 
Patrons'  Fire  Relief  Association  for  twenty-five  years, 
and  its  president  for  ten  years,  but  not  being  able  to  con- 
tinue the  work  he  resigned. 

On  Feb.  7,  1859,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary 
E.  Brooks,  born  in  Dublin,  N.  H.,  a  daughter  of  John 
and  .\daline  Brooks.  Her  death  occurred  June  24,  1903, 
and  she  is  buried  in  Charlotte  Center  Cemetery,  Char- 
lotte Center,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  Three  children 
came  to  bless  this  union:  i.  Daniel  F.,  who  married 
Dora  Bumpus,  of  Charlotte  township,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  four  children;  Nellie,  Dora,  Mildred  and 
Grace.  They  reside  in  Buffalo.  2.  Addie,  who  mar- 
ried (first)  Fred  Thompson,  and  they  were  the  parents 
of  one  child,  Hattie.  She  married  (second)  Squire 
Green,  of  Charlotte  township,  and  they  were  the  par- 
ents of  three  children:  Richard,  Lizzie,  and  Isabell.  3. 
George  E.,  who  married  Bernice  Reed,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  two  children  :  Agnes,  who  is  a  school  teacher, 
and  Edwin  S.,  who  is  still  a  student. 

In  concluding  this  article  we  will  say  that  although 
Mr.  Lake  came  to  this  community  with  but  little  capital, 
he  is  now  fairly  well-to-do,  and  is  one  of  the  leading 
and  influential  citizens  of  the  town  of  Sinclairville. 
\\'hatever  he  has  accomplished  and  whatever  success 
he  has  achieved  is  due  to  his  own  enterprise,  indomita- 
ble energy,  and  his  well  directed  labors. 


THE  FREDONIA-SALSINA  CANNING  COM- 
PANY— One  of  the  most  important  factors  in  the 
industrial  life  of  Fredonia,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
is  the  Fredonia-Salsina  Canning  Coinpany,  which,  de- 
spite the  fact  that  it  has  been  in  existence  for  little  more 
than  four  years,  has  grown  to  large  proportions  under 
the  capable  and  farsighted  inanagement  of  its  owners. 
The  Fredonia-Salsina  Canning  Company  was  founded 
in  the  spring  of  1916  by  a  group  of  young  Italian  busi- 
ness men  of  this  city,  all  of  whom  had  already  scored 
success  in  the  several  lines  of  business  in  which  they 
had  been  engaged  previously.  Each  one  of  these  young 
men  had  through  thrift  and  economy  saved  up  enough 
capital  and  were  prepared  to  organize  this  industrial 
establishment  for  themselves.  They  were  Antonio  A. 
Gugino,  who  with  his  cousins,  Nicholas  Frank  and 
Samuel  C.  Gugino,  had  resided  in  the  United  States  for 
about  thirty  years.  Then  besides  these  there  were  a 
number  of  others,  namely :  Joseph  Cristina,  Charles 
Leone  and  Anthony  Ballaglia.  All  had  gained  considera- 
ble experience  in  the  business  methods  of  their  adopted 
country.  A  planing  mill  was  purchased  at  first,  the 
buildings  proving  suitable  for  canning  purposes,  and 
the  ground  site  measuring  about  150x110  feet.  They 
at  once  set  about  iinproving  the  buildings,  removing  the 
old  |>laning  machinery  and  equipping  them  with  the 
most  nindcrn  and  up-to-dale  mcclianism  for  canning. 
A    company   was   then   organized   and   operations   com- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


569 


menced,  which  for  the  first  year  proved  rather  slow  in 
getting  started.  The  young  men  were  in  no  wise  dis- 
couraged, however,  reaHzing  that  it  would  take  a  little 
time  to  become  used  to  their  new  line  of  business  and 
place  it  on  a  solid  foundation.  The  result  has  been  re- 
markable, and  the  concern  is  now  widely  known 
throughout  the  entire  region.  During  the  busy  season 
which  has  just  closed  (1920),  the  concern  showed  an  ex- 
ceedingly healthy  growth,  and  fifty  hands  were  employed 
in  taking  care  of  the  work.  The  buildings,  two  stories 
in  height,  have  been  a  veritable  beehive  for  activity,  and 
enormous  quantities  of  canned  goods  have  been  turned 
out  which  have  found  a  market  in  all  parts  of  the 
United  States.  The  company  specializes  in  two  high 
grade  brands  of  goods,  namel)',  the  "Skylark"  and 
"Bluebird,"  in  which  an  unusually  high  standard  of 
excellence  is  maintained,  and  these  two  brands  have 
been  taken  in  advance  by  the  jobbers  of  New  York 
City,  Chicago,  Boston  and  Philadelphia.  In  this  busy 
plant  are  canned  tomato  products,  apples,  berries,  fruits, 
besides  quantities  of  cider.  The  growth  of  the  concern 
has  made  its  owners  contemplate  many  improvements, 
enlargements  and  additions  in  the  near  future,  which 
seems  to  insure  them  a  brilliant  success ;  each  one  of  the 
partners  has  his  separate  task  and  duty  to  perform  and 
cares  for  one  particular  branch  of  the  business,  Antonio 
A.  Gugino  being  the  general  manager  and  in  charge  of 
the  plant.  Some  of  the  former  members  have  with- 
drawn from  the  company,  and  it  is  now  conducted  by 
Antonio  A.  Gugino,  president  and  general  manager,  and 
Samuel  C.  Gugino,  treasurer.  They  incorporated  for 
$40,000  capital  stock,  Feb.  11.  1920. 

Antonio  A.  Gugino  was  born  in  Validllomo,  Italy, 
Feb.  28,  1887.  At  the  age  of  six  years,  he  came  to  this 
country  with  his  parents  and  immediately  afterwards 
they  established  themselves  in  Fredonia.  N.  Y.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Fredonia,  and  in  1901 
started  to  work  for  the  United  States  Canning  Com- 
pany and  continued  for  twelve  years.  His  next  employ- 
ment was  with  the  Cudahy  Packing  Company,  where  he 
had  charge  of  the  machinery  in  the  grape  juice,  jam  and 
jelly  department,  and  here  remained  five  more  years, 
these  two  plants  being  located  in  the  canning  district  of 
Fredonia.  Mr.  Gugino  gained  a  wide  knowledge  of  the 
science  of  canning  and  preserving  which  helped  him  so 
much  in  the  organization  of  his  own  company.  He  is  a 
trustee  of  St.  Anthony's  Beneficial  Society,  and  member 
of  that  church  in  Fredonia.  He  married,  in  1908,  in 
Fredonia,  Mary  Gangi,  a  native  of  the  same  city  as  her 
husband.  They  have  two  children,  Vincent  and 
Florence. 

Samuel  C.  Gugino,  cousin  of  Antonio  A.  Gugino,  was 
born  in  \'alidllomo.  Italy,  Dec.  27,  1883.  He  came  to 
this  country  with  his  parents  at  the  age  of  nine  years, 
and  at  once  the  family  came  to  Fredonia,  N.  Y.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Fredonia,  and  1901 
likewise  became  employed  by  the  United  States  Canning 
Company,  where  he  remained  three  years,  subsequently 
going  with  the  George  S.  Joslin  Nursery,  remaining  for 
the  next  twelve  years.  Here  he  had  charge  of  a  num- 
ber of  men  and  gained  much  experience  in  this  line  of 
business.  He  was  next  employed  by  the  Cudahy  Packing 
Company  for  a  period  in  Fredonia,  and  in  IQ16  he  went 
into  the  manufacturing  of  macaroni  products  in  James- 


town, N.  Y.,  withdrawing  from  this  business  in  1917, 
and  then  joined  the  Fredonia-Salsina  Canning  Com- 
pany. Mr.  Gugino  is  a  member  of  St.  Anthony's 
Church  of  Fredonia.  He  married,  in  Fredonia,  1907, 
Josephine  Camaratta,  a  native  of  Validllomo.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Gugino  have  five  children;  Lucy,  Charles,  Grace, 
Carrie  and  .Antoinette. 


JOHN  H.  DICKIE— A  man  well  known  for  his 
active  and  upright  life,  and  also  by  reason  of  his  serv- 
ices rendered  to  the  Union  cause  during  the  Civil  War, 
was  John  H.  Dickie,  of  Charlotte  townsliip,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  who  had  been  identified  during  the 
last  few  years  with  useful  and  important  business  in- 
terests in  Michigan,  Kansas,  and  Western  New  York. 

He  was  the  son  of  Henry  and  Marie  (Smith)  Dickie, 
and  was  born  in  Climax,  Kalamazoo  county,  Mich.  He 
grew  to  manhood  on  the  farm,  received  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  that  township,  and  when  the 
call  to  arms  came  in  1861  he  immediately  offered  his 
services  to  the  government.  Mr.  Dickie  enlisted  in  the 
Michigan  cavalry  under  Colonel  Javell,  and  was  soon 
promoted  to  quartermaster  sergeant.  He  remained  in 
the  army  for  three  years  and  three  months,  and  in  1864 
was  honorably  discharged  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kan. 
After  returning  home,  he  immediately  started  in  busi- 
ness, opening  a  hardware  store  at  Augusta,  Mich.  Mr. 
Dickie  remained  in  this  business  some  time,  and  in  1S79 
moved  to  Kansas,  locating  at  Topeka,  where  he  again 
took  up  the  hardware  business.  However,  in  1881,  his 
health  failed  him  and  he  was  forced  to  abandon  this 
occupation,  and  in  1882  he  came  to  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  located  in  Charlotte  township  on  the 
Fox  farm,  which  had  been  the  girlhood  home  of  his 
wife.  Here  he  took  up  farming  and  dairying,  and  in  a 
short  while  was  known  throughout  the  township  as  a 
man  whose  business  ability  was  unquestioned  and  a 
prosperous  and  influential  agriculturist.  Mr.  Dickie  con- 
tinued in  this  occupation  until  his  demise,  which  oc- 
curred Jan  I.  189S.  Mr.  Dickie  was  also  well  known 
socially,  being  a  prominent  member  of  the  Grange,  and 
a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  though  he  attended  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Charlotte  Center.  In 
politics  he  was  a  Republican,  though  in  local  affairs  he 
voted  for  the  men  and  measures  he  thought  were  for  the 
interests  of  all  the  people. 

On  the  Fox  homestead.  May  29.  1871,  Mr.  Dickie 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Ellen  Fox,  who  was  born 
in  Charlotte  township,  a  daughter  of  George  W.  and 
Eliza  (Hall)  Fox.  Mr.  Fox  came  to  Chautauqua  county 
with  his  parents,  Charles  and  Sylvia  Fox,  and  settled 
on  a  farm  near  Charlotte  Center.  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y..  and  there  followed  the  agricultural  business,  and 
was  prominent  in  all  social  and  business  affairs  through- 
out the  township.  In  politics  he  was  a  staunch  sup- 
porter of  the  Democratic  party.  Mr.  Fox  married 
(first)  in  Cherry  Valley,  N.  Y.,  Eliza  Hall;  she  died 
and  is  buried  in  Charlotte  Cemetery.  He  married  (sec- 
ond) Margaret  Kiane,  who  died  in  Meadville.  Pa.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dickie  was  born  one  child,  Mabel,  who 
married  John  Rose,  now  postmaster  of  Sinclairville. 
She  died"  leaving  a  son,  Gerald  M.  Rose,  who  resides 
with  his  grandmother  on  the  Fox  homestead. 


5/0 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


In  conclusion  will  say  that  Mr.  Dickie  was  hospita- 
ble and  generous,  and  no  man  greeted  or  entertained  his 
friends  with  warmer  cordiality.  He  was  intelligent. 
honest,  genial  and  straightforward,  of  strong  force  of 
character,  of  sound  judgment,  true  to  every  trust  con- 
fided to  his  care,  and  a  good  citizen  in  the  true  meaning 
of  the  term.  When  he  died  the  community  sustained 
a  loss  that  will  be  hard  to  replace. 


JAMES  THOMAS  BARNES,  well-to-do  farmer  in 
Portland  township,  Chautauqua  cciunty,  N.  Y.,  comes  of 
one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  that  section  of  the  count}-, 
his  grandfather  having  taken  up  wild  lands  in  Port- 
land township.  Prospect  Station,  more  than  a  century 
ago,  and  having  lived  for  almost  twenty  years  in  a  log 
house.  His  mother  also  was  of  a  pioneer  family  of  that 
township,  her  father.  Thomas  Bigelow,  having  come  into 
the  section  about  eight  years  after  the  grandfather  of 
James  Thomas  Barnes  came.  Both  families  in  suc- 
ceeding generations  have  held  to  that  district  and  are 
among  its  leading  people.  Alpha  and  James  T.  Barnes, 
father  and  son,  held  the  postmastership  at  Prospect 
Station  for  thirty  years,  and  James  T,  Barnes,  besides 
owning  a  rich  farm  of  2J5  acres  and  one  of  the  most 
extensive  vineyards  in  the  district,  has  during  his  life 
conducted  much  commercial  business,  consequential 
business,  for  at  one  time  he  was  the  leading  coal  mer- 
chant of  Prospect  Station  and  Westheld  township  and 
village,  his  trading  being  of  both  a  wholesale  and  retail 
character,  and  as  a  grape  buyer  he  still  does  extensive 
business  during  the  season,  his  purchases  in  some  years 
exceeding  seven  carloads  weekly,  and  at  one  time  he 
was  reputed  to  be  one  of  the  largest  buyers  of  apples 
in  the  county.  It  will  therefore  be  realized  that,  apart 
from  the  association  of  the  Barnes  family  with  the  early 
settlement  of  a  section  of  Chautauqua  county,  his  own 
activities  have  been  of  sufficient  consequence  to  give 
him  good  place  among  the  worthy  workers  and  pro- 
ducers whose  life  records  are  included  in  this  present 
historical  work  in  Chautauqua  county. 

James  Thomas  Barnes  was  born  in  the  family  home- 
stead on  the  farm  in  Portland  township,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  upon  which  he  has  lived  all  his  life, 
Feb.  3,  1852,  the  son  of  Alpha  and  Sarah  L.  (Bigelow) 
Barnes.  In  both  paternal  and  maternal  lines  the  genc- 
alogj-  of  James  Thomas  Barnes  goes  back  in  its  Ameri- 
can generations  to  old  Colonial  families,  the  paternal 
line  being  of  old  New  York  associations,  and  the  ma- 
ternal descent  connecting  with  the  well  known  Bigelow 
family  of  Colonial  Massachusetts. 

James  Barnes,  grandfather  of  James  Thomas  Barnes, 
was  the  first  of  the  Barnes  family  to  settle  in  Chau- 
Tauqua  county.  He  was  born  May  5.  1706,  and  mar- 
ried .Amanda  Noble,  January  26,  1818,  They  lived  at 
Uonri'-.  Oneida  county,  New  York,  but  in  August, 
181H,  came  into  Chautauqua  county  with  an  ox  team, 
and  settled  on  lot  5.3  T,  and  thereon  building  a  log 
hou-'',  in  which  the  family  lived  until  1836,  when 
hr-  built  a  house  on  the  property.  During  his  life, 
which  was  notable  for  the  most  part  for  worthy 
pioneer  effort,  James  Barnes  cleared  an  extensive  tract 
of  wild'-rn'ss,  and  in  his  later  years  owned  a  good 
productive  farm  of  yxi  acres.  The  site  of  Prospect  Sta- 
tion was  at  one  time  part  of  his  farm  and  he  well  merits 


a  place  among  the  substantial  pioneer  settlers  of  the 
county.  He  died  Jan.  19,  1S64,  and  his  widow,  who  was 
born  June  4,  1798,  died  twenty  years  later  than  her  hus- 
band, April  21,  1884.  They  were  the  parents  of  four 
children:  i.  Alpha,  of  whom  further.  2,  Calista,  born 
March  28,  1826,  died  May  3,  1846.  3.  Roxy,  born  March 
9.  1820.  4.  Delos,  born  Jan.  28,  1831,  All  are  now  de- 
ceased. 

Alpha  Barnes,  son  of  James  and  Amanda  (Noble) 
Barnes,  was  born  in  the  log  house  built  by  his  father 
upon  their  farm  in  Portland  township,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  8,  1823,  He  probably  did  not  have 
much  schooling,  for  in  his  young  days  the  section  was 
almost  a  wilderness,  and  for  such  a  sparse  population 
the  educational  facilities  would  of  necessity  have  been 
few.  But,  reared  in  that  rugged  environment,  he 
naturally  became  imbued  with  the  will  and  the  strength 
to  undertake  hard  tasks.  He  gained  a  worthy  reputa- 
tion for  industry,  which  was  obviously  true  of  him,  for 
before  his  death  he  possessed  600  acres  of  land,  most 
of  which  he  had  cleared.  On  Dec.  2,  1847,  he  married 
Sarah  L.  Bigelow,  who  was  born  in  Verona,  Oneida 
county,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  7,  1823,  and  died  in  Portland  town- 
ship, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y'.,  May  30,  i88g.  Her 
descent  from  the  Massachusetts  family  of  that  name 
may  be  traced  through  her  father  and  grandfather,  both 
of  given  name  Thomas,  and  both  born  in  Massachusetts, 
the  grandfather,  Oct.  I.  1718,  and  the  father,  Sept.  2, 
1781.  Thomas  (2)  Bigelow  went  from  Massachusetts 
into  Vermont  in  1804,  but  eighteen  years  later  came 
into  New  York  State,  at  first  settling  in  Verona,  Oneida 
county,  where  in  the  following  year  his  daughter,  Sarah 
L.,  mother  of  James  T.  Barnes,  was  born.  She  was 
four  years  old  when  her  father  came  into  Chautauqua 
county,  in  1826,  and  bought  title  to  part  of  lot  46  T, 
located  east  of  Prospect  Station.  At  first  the  family 
lived  in  a  log  house,  as  did  their  neighbors,  the  Barnes 
family,  but  in  about  1836  or  1837  Thomas  (2)  Bigelow 
built  a  fine  house,  and  during  his  active  life  acquired 
and  cleared  a  large  acreage.  In  his  maternal  descent, 
James  Thomas  Barnes  can  point  to  ancestors  of  note- 
worthy longevity;  his  maternal  grandfather,  Thomas 
Bigelow,  was  in  his  ninetieth  year  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  March  II,  1871,  and  Jerusha  (Putnam)  Bigelow, 
wife  of  Thomas  Bigelow,  lived  to  within  three  years  of 
nonogenarian  age,  her  death  occurring  May  28,  1865. 
They  w'ere  the  parents  of  a  large  family,  of  whom 
Sarah  L.,  mother  of  James  Thomas  Barnes,  was  the 
youngest  child.  Alpha  Barnes  lived  six  years  after  the 
death  of  his  wife,  Sarah  L.  (Bigelow)  Barnes,  his  death 
not  coming  until  Jan.  I,  1895,  he  being  then  in  his 
seventy-second  year. 

James  Thomas  Barnes,  son  of  Alpha  and  Sarah  L. 
(Bigelow)  Barnes,  was  born  on  the  ancestral  property 
in  Portland  township,  and  in  due  course  attended  the 
nearby  district  school,  later  becoming  a  student  at  the 
Westficld  Union  Academy,  and  still  later  at  the  West- 
field  High  School.  After  leaving  school,  he  assisted  his 
father  in  the  many  duties  of  the  farm  management,  and 
throughout  his  life  has  held  constant  connection  with 
farming;  as  a  tnnlter  of  fact,  that  connection  was  nec- 
essary as  his  agricultural  holdings  have  always  been 
so  extensive.  His  father  owned  fxx)  acres  at  one  time, 
and  James  T,  Barnes  still  owns  225  acres  of  valuable 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


571 


land.  Still,  he  has  not  confined  himself  wholly  to  farming ; 
in  fact,  he  has  been  a  man  of  important  commercial 
business  affairs.  For  many  years  he  was  a  retail  coal  mer- 
chant, and  had  probably  the  largest  coal  business  center- 
ing at  Prospect  Station.  And  as  a  fruit  buyer  he  has 
been  widely  known  throughout  the  county,  having  been 
at  one  time  one  of  the  largest  buyers  of  apples  in  the 
county.  Upon  his  farm  he  grows  large  quantities  of 
grapes  each  year,  having  forty  acres  in  vineyards,  and 
in  addition  he  has  for  many  years  been  an  extensive 
buyer  of  grapes,  shipping  in  the  season  as  many  as 
twenty  carloads  weekly.  His  farm  of  225  acres  includes 
probably  the  richest  section  of  the  ancestral  property, 
and  it  has  been  greatly  improved  by  Mr.  Barnes.  He 
remodeled  the  house  and  the  barns,  built  two  large  silos, 
and  made  other  substantial  improvements,  which  add  to 
the  beauty  and  utility  of  the  property.  Its  location, 
standing  as  it  does  about  300  feet  above  the  level  of  Lake 
Erie,  is  a  good  one,  and  it  well  merits  its  name.  Sunset 
View  Farm,  for  from  it  a  beautiful  sunset  view  is 
obtained,  also  a  fine  view  of  Lake  Erie,  five  miles  to 
the  westward,  and  on  clear  days  the  Canadian  shore 
can  be  discerned.  Mr.  Barnes  has  a  fine  herd  of  cattle, 
many  horses,  and  in  most  seasons  keeps  about  200  sheep, 
so  that  it  will  be  readily  understood  that  his  farming 
operations  are  by  no  means  inconsequential.  Of  late 
years  he  has  not  been  so  active  as  formerly,  advancing 
years  having  had  some  influence  in  deciding  the  matter 
of  physical  activities,  and  also  the  material  wealth  he 
has  accumulated  has  had  some  influence.  He  has  pros- 
pered well  in  his  decades  of  trading  and  farming,  and 
has  no  longer  any  need  to  take  business  affairs  so 
strenuously. 

Religiously,  the  Barnes  family  has  been  affiliated 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church ;  fraternally,  Mr. 
Barnes  is  a  Mason,  member  of  the  Westfield  Blue  Lodge, 
and  he  is  and  has  been  for  many  years  a  member  of 
the  Grange,  Westfield  Chapter.  Politically,  he  is  a  Re- 
pubHcan,  and  has  been  a  factor  of  influence  in  many 
national  campaigns  in  his  own  district.  He  has  never, 
however,  sought  political  office.  When  there  was  a 
postoffice  at  Prospect  Station,  he  and  his  father  for 
thirty  years  held  the  office,  but  it  was  more  because  of 
the  old  family  associations  with  that  locality  and  not  the 
stipend  that  influenced  James  T.  Barnes  in  holding  it  as 
long  as  it  remained  in  operation.  In  school  affairs  he 
has  undertaken  some  responsibility,  having  been  truustee 
and  collector.  He  is  president  of  the  Prospect  Tire  and 
Rubber  Company,  the  name  being  taken  from  this  lo- 
cality with  the  expectation  of  building  a  factory  here. 
It  is  located  at  No.  73s  Main  street,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  He 
was  also  president  of  the  Lake  Erie  Wine  Cellar.  He  is 
a  trustee  of  the  Westfield  and  Portland  Cemetery,  the 
beautiful  condition  in  which  it  is  maintained  reflecting 
creditably  upon  those  who  are  responsible  for  its  up- 
keep. 

On  March  25,  1874,  Mr.  Barnes  married  Evalyn  Web- 
ster, a  daughter  of  Lemuel  and  Lydia  Webster,  born  in 
the  town  of  Westfield,  April  30,  1853.  Zoe  Young,  a 
cousin  of  Mr.  Barnes,  has  been  a  member  of  the  family 
for  the  past  twenty-five  years,  and  expects  to  remain  as 
such.  Her  mother.  Kate  Bigelow  Young,  was  a  de- 
scendent  of  Thomas  and  Terusha  Bigelow. 

By  reason  of  his  ancestry,  and  also  of  his  own  activ- 


ities, James  Thomas  Barnes  has  come  prominently  into 
the  class  of  worth-while  sons  of  Chautauqua  county,  the 
recording  of  whose  doings  makes  such  a  work  as  this 
a  creditable  one. 


SAMUEL  CHARLES  CRANDALL— For  more  than 
fifty  years  a  prominent  business  man,  esteemed  and  held 
in  the  confidence  of  his  townspeople,  filling  important 
trusts  both  in  public  and  private  life,  the  late  Samuel 
Charles  Crandall,  of  Westfield,  was  amongst  the  fore- 
most citizens  of  Chautauqua  county. 

He  was  a  son  of  William  and  Sylvia  (Bandall)  Cran- 
dall, old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  Westfield, 
was  born  here,  March  18,  1853.  Samuel  C.  Crandall 
received  a  good  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  town  and  the  old  Westfield  Academy,  afterwards 
setting  out  upon  the  business  career  which  he  had  been 
so  long  identified  with.  He  engaged  in  the  basket  manu- 
facturing business,  and  in  addition  to  this  was  the 
leading  undertaker  in  this  section  of  the  county.  He 
became  a  prosperous  business  man,  and  was  well  iden- 
tified with  various  interests  all  through  his  long  career, 
and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  men  of  his  town. 
He  was  entrusted  with  a  number  of  private  charges  and 
was  executor  of  the  S.  Fred  Nixon  estate,  the  late 
speaker  of  the  New  York  State  Legislature.  In  mat- 
ters of  education,  he  was  foremost  in  advancing  and 
advocating  the  need  of  improvements  in  educational 
institutions,  and  he  was  on  the  board  of  directors  of 
the  State  Normal  School  in  Fredonia  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death.  In  later  life  he  was  the  manager  of  the 
Westfield  Telephone  Company,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  a  director  of  the  Natinal  Bank  of  Westfield.  Dur- 
ing the  late  World  War,  he  was  exceedingly  active  in 
the  various  movements  and  was  a  member  of  the  local 
board  under  the  Federal  Selective  Service  Law,  and  in 
this  cause  he  worked  incessantly,  which  fact  was  largely 
responsible  for  the  impairment  of  his  health,  and  his 
death,  which  occurred  Dec.  24,  1918,  was  a  sad  loss  to 
his  many  relatives,  friends  and  the  community.  In  mat- 
ters of  politics,  he  was  a  leading  Republican,  and  in  re- 
ligious belief  a  Presbyterian.  He  was  very  active  in 
church  circles  and  was  a  trustee  of  the  church  of  that 
denomination  in  Westfield. 

Mr.  Crandall  married  Eugenia  M.  Johnston,  daughter 
of  James  ?nd  Mary  Johnston,  of  Westfield.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Crandall  the  following  children  were  born : 
Herbert  James  and  William  Bell,  both  of  further  men- 
tion. 

At  the  time  of  the  death  of  Samuel  C.  Crandall  the 
local  press  united  with  his  personal  friends  in  paying  a 
remarkable  tribute  to  his  memory.  The  ^\'estfieId  "Re- 
publican," in  the  course  of  a  long  obituary  article,  had 
this  to  say  concerning  hira : 

Jtr.  Crandall  combined  with  hi."!  special  gifts  for 
bii.sines'^  a  hu-nor  which  to  those  who  knew  him  best 
was  most  cleli^ntful.  He  ■u-a.s  a  erood  s-tory  teller.  He 
was  penial  and  approachable  and  had  many  friends 
who  valued  hisrhly  his  opinions  and  sougrht  his  advice 
in  both  personal  and  business  affairs.  He  was  care- 
ful, prudent  and  conservative  in  counsel,  as  -well  as 
in  his  personal  habits  of  life  and  business,  and  was 
one  of  the  sterling-  men  of  rugged  character  who  help 
to  make  up   the  solid  backbone  of  any  community. 

Herbert  James  Crandall  was  born  in  Westfield.  Oct. 
18,   1890.     He  was  educated    in    the    public    and    high 


5/2 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


schools  of  W'estrield  and  Peekskill  Military  Academy, 
Peekskili,  X.  V.  Since  leaving  school,  he  has  been  in 
tlie  automobile  business  in  Silver  Creek,  N,  Y.,  as  agent 
for  the  Buick  Motor  Company.  He  is  a  member  of 
various  clubs  and  fraternal  orders.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican,  and  in  religion  a  Presbyterian.  He  mar- 
ried, in  Buffalo,  X.  Y..  Tune  29.  1915,  Marguerite  Eldora 
Xe  Mover,  daughter  of  Henry  W,  and  Mary  Jane  Xe 
Moyer, 

William  Bell  Crandall  was  born  in  Westtield.  Sept, 
20,  1S02,  He  attended  as  a  lad  the  public  and  high 
schools  of  Wesiheld.  He  then  matriculated  in  the  Val- 
paraiso University  in  Indiana,  and  was  graduated  from 
that  institution,  where  he  took  a  business  course,  in 
Islli.  Upon  completing  his  studies,  Mr,  Crandall  pur- 
chased the  hardware  business  of  H.  W.  Gibbs  &  Com- 
pany and  formed  a  partnership  with  C,  D,  Bell,  with 
whom  he  conducted  this  business  very  successfully  for 
about  si.x  years.  When  the  United  States  entered  the 
great  World  War,  Mr.  Crandall  at  once  gave  up  his 
business  to  do  his  part  in  the  effort  of  his  country  and 
enlisted,  May  6,  1918.  in  the  United  States  Army,  being 
sent  to  Camp  Wheeler,  Georgia,  to  take  part  in  convoy 
work.  He  was  connected  with  the  io6th,  the  supply 
train  of  the  31st  Division,  and  was  sent  with  that  body 
to  France,  landing  in  Brest  in  September,  1918.  From 
there  he  went  to  Bordeaux,  the  supply  base  of  the 
United  States  .\rmy,  and  became  a  member  of  the  out- 
fit attached  to  the  Motor  Transfer  Corps  which  carried 
supplies  to  the  front.  He  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
corporal.  On  account  of  his  father's  death  he  was  at- 
tached to  a  casual  company  and  reached  the  United 
States  two  months  earlier  than  his  company,  being  hon- 
orably discharged  at  Camp  Mills,  Long  Island,  May  12, 
IQIO.  Upon  returning  to  Westlield,  Mr.  Crandall  re- 
sumed his  father's  undertaking  business  in  partnership 
with  Mr.  Guy  Carpenter,  which  they  conduct  to  the 
present  time.  In  politics,  Mr.  Crandall  is  a  Republican, 
and  in  religion  a  Presbvterian. 


S.  RAY  FAIRBANKS— Among  the  attorneys  of 
Frcdonia,  X,  Y.,  may  be  mentioned  S.  Ray  Fairbanks, 
who  occupies  a  prominent  place  in  the  community.  Mr. 
Fairbanks  was  born  in  Cherry  Creek  township,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  X',  Y..  on  his  father's  farm,  Feb.  7,  1876, 
and  is  a  son  of  Monroe  and  Ellen  F.  (James)  Fairbanks. 
The  elder  Mr.  Fairbanks  is  a  farmer  and  is  still  con- 
ducting his  own  farm,  despite  his  seventy  odd  years. 
He  is  one  of  the  sturdy  old  "gentlemen  of  the  old 
school,"  and  is  well  known  In  his  vicinity. 

While  still  a  child,  S.  Ray  Fairbanks  accompanied 
his  parents  to  the  village  of  Cherry  Creek,  and  it  was  in 
this  place  that  he  received  a  portion  of  his  elementary 
education.  The  family  did  not  remain  here  very  long, 
however,  but  returned  to  the  farm,  and  S.  Ray  attended 
the  district  schools,  later  entering  the  Ellington  High 
School,  where  he  was  prepared  for  college,  and  gradu- 
ated from  this  institution  in  1895.  He  then  taught  in 
th':  di-trict  school  for  a  short  period  of  time.  In  the 
fall  of  li"/>.  he  ma'ricuhited  in  Valparaiso  University 
in  Valparaiso,  Ind.,  taking  a  course  in  law,  afterwards 
amending  the  Chicago  Law  Schofil,  where  he  obtained 
thi  degrr-e  of  LL.  B.  in  the  spring  of  iH'jH.  During  the 
Spanish-American   War,   he  and    four   meml^rs  of   his 


class  answered  the  first  call  of  President  McKinley  for 
volunteers,  and  enlisted  in  the  First  Illinois  Cavalry,  in 
which  regiment  he  remained  during  the  period  of  the 
war.  Fie  received  his  honorable  discharge  from  the 
army  in  October,  1S9S.  Mr.  Fairbanks  then  returned  to 
Cherry  Creek,  Chautauqua  county,  N,  Y.,  and  imme- 
diately discovered  that  there  was  very  little  oppor- 
tunity for  a  young  lawyer  to  make  any  headway  in  this 
town,  so  he  therefore  took  the  civil  service  examination 
in  Januar}%  1S99,  and  entered  the  government  employ 
in  connection  with  the  postoffice  district  in  Fredonia. 
After  five  years  in  this  service,  he  began  a  clerkship  in 
the  law  office  of  Sterns  &  Thrasher,  prominent  attor- 
neys of  Fredonia,  and  in  1906  he  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice in  the  courts  of  the  State  of  Xew  York.  For  a 
short  time  he  was  connected  with  the  firm  of  Warner, 
Farnham  &  Fairbanks,  with  offices  in  Dunkirk  and  Fre- 
donia, which  connection  was  severed  in  1908,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  practicing  his  profession  independently. 
Mr.  Fairbanks  is  very  prominent  in  the  social  and  club 
life  of  Fredonia,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Bar  Associa- 
tion of  Northern  Chautauqua,  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows  of  Cherry  Creek,  the  Sons  of  Veterans, 
the  United  Spanish  War  Veterans,  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  of  Dunkirk,  and  the  United 
States  Letter  Carriers'  Association.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Fairbanks  is  a  Republican,  and  has  served  eight  years 
as  justice  of  the  peace.  For  six  years  Mr.  Fairbaks  was 
a  member  of  the  Republican  county  committee  of  Chau- 
tauqua county. 

Mr.  Fairbanks  was  united  in  marriage  in  Fredonia, 
Sept.  I,  1900,  with  Sara  E.  Pringle,  a  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Alice  Pringle,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  Fredonia,  Two  children  have  been  born 
of  this  union,  Dorothy  M,  and  Stuart. 


CHARLES    STILLMAN    CLELAND,    M.    D.— 

.■\mong  the  eminent  physicians  of  Chautauqua  county, 
Dr.  Charles  S.  Cleland,  of  Sinclairville,  occupies  a  lead- 
ing position.  He  descends  from  an  early  Chautauqua 
family,  John  Cleland,  Jr„  coming  in  March,  1810,  and 
Nathan  and  Oliver  Cleland  in  March,  iSii,  their  brother 
Samuel  and  father,  John  Cleland,  Sr„  and  family  com- 
ing in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  and  finding  a  home  in 
the  now  town  of  Charlotte,  The  marriage  of  one  of 
the  family,  Moses  Cleland,  in  the  fall  of  1811,  to  Sally 
.■\nderson,  by  Rev,  John  Spencer,  was  the  first  marriage 
ceremony  performed  in  the  town.  Dr.  Cleland  descends 
through  Nathan,  son  of  John  and  Thankful  (Eaton) 
Cleland,  and  grandson  of  James  Cleland,  the  founder 
of  the  family,  a  Scotchman.  Dr.  Cleland  is  the  fifth 
generation  of  his  family  in  America,  and  of  the  fourth 
in  Chautauqua  county.  Since  1S82  Dr.  Cleland  has  been 
engaged  in  medical  practice,  and  since  1896  in  Sinclair- 
ville. He  has  won  the  true  regard  of  his  brethren  of  the 
profession,  and  in  the  estimation  of  the  public  he  is  the 
learned  and  skillful  physician  and  esteemed  citizen. 

( (  )  James  (2)  Cleland,  the  founder  of  his  family  in 
.America,  was  the  son  of  James  (i)  Cleland,  a  man  of 
wealth  and  education,  who  married  Miss  Bruce,  and  at 
the  time  of  the  birth  of  his  son,  James  (2),  was  living 
in  Kdinliurgh,  Scotland.  James  (2)  Cleland  left  his 
n;itivr  land  in  1750  and  came  to  New  England,  settling 
in    I'.oston,   where   he    later   married   Thankful   Wilder. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


573 


They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children :  Samuel, 
Thomas,  James,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution ;  John,  of 
further  mention ;  Helen,  Molly,  and  Hannah. 

(H)  John  Cleland.  son  of  James  (2)  and  Thankful 
(Wilder)  Cleland.  was  born  in  Eastern  Massachusetts, 
Feb.  16,  1758,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Plainfield,  in 
his  native  State.  When  a  young  man  of  twenty  he  en- 
tered the  Revolutionary  struggle  on  the  side  of  the 
colonies,  and  from  1778  to  1780  he  was  in  the  army, 
serving  in  the  company  commanded  by  Captain  Thomas, 
and  in  the  regiment  led  by  Colonel  Milk.  Part  of  this 
time  he  was  General  Putnam's  personal  orderly,  and 
always  in  active  service.  In  1807,  with  his  wife  and 
eight  children,  he  came  to  New  York  State,  settling  in 
Otsego  county,  there  remaining  until  the  spring  of  181 1, 
when  two  of  the  sons,  attracted  by  the  recent  opening 
up  of  Chautauqua  county  in  Western  New  York,  made 
the  journey  and  settled  in  Charlotte,  then  the  town  of 
Gerry.  Their  reports  being  favorable,  John  Cleland, 
with  the  remaining  members  of  the  family,  made  the 
journey  in  the  fall  of  181 1.  John  Cleland  bought  land 
in  township  4.  range  11,  in  1811,  but  the  others  settled 
on  lot  54.  section  12,  east  of  Charlotte  Center,  the  tract 
containing  330  acres,  which  was  later  largely  brought 
under  cultivation.  John  Cleland,  the  father,  died  at  the 
farm,  Feb.  16,  1827,  aged  sixtj'-nine  years.  His  widow. 
Thankful,  survived  him  until  July  19,  1844,  when  she 
was  laid  by  his  side  in  Charlotte  Center  Cemetery,  her 
age  at  death,  eighty-seven  years. 

John  Cleland  married,  in  East  Windsor,  Conn..  April 
27,  1780,  Thankful  Eaton,  of  an  old  Connecticut  family, 
born  April  12,  1757.  Descendants  of  John  Eaton,  who 
came  to  New  England  in  the  ship  "Elizabeth  Ann," 
April  27,  1635,  settled  in  Watertown,  Mass.,  later  in 
Connecticut,  and  still  later  in  New  York  State.  Thank- 
ful Eaton,  it  is  believed,  was  one  of  the  thirteen  chil- 
dren of  Nathaniel  and  Esther  (Parry)  Eaton,  her  father 
a  son  of  Thomas  Eaton,  son  of  John  (2)  Eaton,  son 
of  John  (i)  Eaton,  the  founder.  John  and  Thankful 
(Eaton)  Cleland  were  the  parents  of:  Beriah,  born 
Nov.  15,  1781 ;  Edna,  born  June  28,  1782;  Samuel,  born 
Sept.  I,  1784,  died  in  infancy;  Samuel  (2),  born  May 
14,  1788;  Thankful,  born  April  22,  1790;  John  and 
James  (2)  (twins),  born  Feb.  19.  1792;  Oliver,  born 
Oct.  25,  1793;  Nathan,  bom  March  5,  1795;  Martin, 
born  April  10.  1797.  The  four  Cleland  brothers,  Samuel, 
John,  Oliver,  and  Nathan,  lived  to  a  great  age,  notwith- 
standing their  severe  pioneer  experiences.  In  the 
"Centennial  History  of  Chautauqua  County,"  published 
in  1904,  was  a  group  engraving  of  the  four  brothers 
showing  them  all  as  old  men. 

(Ill)  Nathan  Cleland,  son  of  John  and  Thankful 
(Eaton)  Cleland,  was  born  in  Plainfield.  Hampshire 
county.  Mass.,  Sept.  10.  1795,  and  died  at  his  farm  in 
the  town  of  Charlotte,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Sept. 
10,  1887.  having  attained  the  great  age  of  ninety-two 
years.  He  was  twelve  years  of  age  when  taken  by 
his  parents  to  New  York  State.  When  sixteen  years  of 
age,  in  the  spring  of  1811,  he  was  sent  with  his  brother 
Oliver  to  investigate  Chautauqua  lands  and  their  report 
being  favorable,  the  entire  family  made  the  journey, 
and  a  tract  of  330  acres  east  of  Charlotte  Center  be- 
came the  homestead  farm.  There  Nathan  and  his 
brothers  and  sisters  grew  to  years  of  maturity,  but  each 


founded  homes  of  their  own,  when  taking  a  wife,  Na- 
than purchasing  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Stockton,  but 
later  moving  again  to  the  town  of  Charlotte,  where  his 
long  and  useful  life  ended  in  1887.  He  was  a  man  of 
great  energy,  strength  and  perseverance,  a  true  type  of 
the  hardy  pioneer  who  caused  the  forest  to  retreat  before 
the  fields,  and  the  wild  things  of  the  forest  to  acknowl- 
edge their  master  and  pass  out  of  existence.  Gleaming 
rails  carry  the  products  of  Chautauqua  to  distant  mar- 
kets, and  thelife  of  the  descendants  of  the  Clelands 
find  their  lines  cast  in  pleasant  places,  this  due  to  the 
old  pioneers,  whose  courage  and  self-sacrifice  knew  no 
bounds. 

Nathan  Cleland  married,  Nov.  g,  1820.  Electa  Batchel- 
dor,  born  April  12,  1797,  died  Aug.  6,  1869,  daughter  of 
Elijah  and  Rebecca  (Dewitt)  Batcheldor.  Mr.  and  Mrs, 
Cleland  were  the  parents  of  eight  children :  Elvina  D., 
born  Sept.  7.  1821,  married  July  6,  1S48,  Mr.  Gorman; 
Milo,  born  July  16,  1824,  married,  Nov.  10,  1871,  Mar- 
garet Thompson ;  Thankful,  born  March  8,  1829,  mar- 
ried, July  21,  1865,  John  Gorman;  Electa  R.,  born  June 
2,  1831,  married,  Dec.  31,  1854,  Samuel  B.  Irw^in;  Na- 
than M.,  of  further  mention ;  Jane  N.  and  John  E. 
(twins),  born  June  12,  1836;  and  Dolly  Ann,  born  May 
26,  1839.  died  young. 

(IV)  Nathan  M.  Cleland,  son  of  Nathan  and  Electa 
(Batcheldor)  Cleland,  was  born  at  the  home  farm  in 
the  town  of  Stockton,  Oct.  20,  1833,  and  died  at  his 
home  in  the  town  of  Charlotte,  Dec.  19.  1913.  He  was 
educated  in  the  district  school,  and  from  youth  was  a 
farm  worker.  He  was  his  father's  able  assistant  in 
farm  management  until  his  father's  passing  in  1887, 
then  became  managing  owner.  His  farm  was  his  home 
and  sole  business  interest  from  youth  until  old  age.  and 
for  twenty-six  years  he  was  its  sole  managing  head, 
although  he  had  many  years  prior  to  the  death  of  Na- 
than Cleland  borne  the  entire  responsibility.  After 
coming  into  ownership  he  made  many  improvements 
and  erected  the  present  modern  farm  residence.  The 
farm  of  208  acres  is  well  improved  and  a  most  desirable 
property.  In  politics  Mr.  Cleland  was  a  Republican  and 
active  in  town  afifairs,  serving  as  justice  of  the  peace, 
road  commissioner  and  coroner.  In  religious  faith  he 
was  a  Baptist. 

Nathan  M.  Cleland  married,  in  the  town  of  Gerry, 
May  16,  1S61.  Catherine  M.  Hooper,  daughter  of  Eze- 
kiel  and  Betsey  (Tompkins)  Hooper,  and  a  grandniece 
of  Governor  Tompkins  of  New  York.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cleland  were  the  parents  of  three  children :  Charles 
Stillman.  of  further  mention  ;  Owen  M..  whose  sketch 
follows ;  Grace,  wife  of  Charles  Sears,  and  a  resident 
of  SinclairviJle,  Chautauqua  county. 

(Y)  Charles  Stillman  Cleland.  eldest  son  of  Nathan 
M.  and  Catherine  M.  (Hooper)  Cleland.  was  born  at 
the  home  farm  in  the  town  of  Charlotte.  Chautauqua 
county.  New  York,  July  3.  1862.  After  completing  pub- 
lic school  courses  of  study,  finishing  in  the  Sin- 
clairville  High  School,  he  taught  school  for  four  years 
in  Charlotte  public  schools  and  for  a  time  in  Tidioute, 
Warren  county,  Pa.,  During  those  years  he  resided  at 
the  home  farm  and  read  medicine  with  Dr.  A.  A.  Ste- 
vens. He  next  entered  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  at  Baltimore,  but  a  year  later  he  withdrew  and 
finished  his  medical  study  at  the  medical  department  of 


574 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


the  University  of  Baltimore,  whence  he  was  graduated 
yi.  D..  class  of  1SS7. 

With  his  newly  acquired  honors,  Dr.  Cleland  began 
practice  in  South  Dayton,  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y., 
and  there  remained  two  years,  gaining  needed  experi- 
ence and  confidence.  From  South  Dayton  he  moved 
in  iSSo  to  Collins.  Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  and  there  he 
continued  in  successful  practice  for  seven  years.  He 
closed  out  his  practice  in  Collins  in  1S96,  and  located  in 
Sinclairville,  his  old  home  district,  succeeding  Dr. 
Frank  A.  Stevens.  For  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century 
Dr.  Cleland  has  practiced  medicine  in  Sinclairville,  his 
standing  as  a  careful  diagnostician  and  skillful  physi- 
cian being  very  high.  During  this  entire  period,  1896- 
1920.  he  has  been  health  officer  of  the  village  and  has 
as  scrupulously  observed  his  public  duties  as  his  private 
practice.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Chautauqua  County 
Medical  Society.  Xew  York  State  Medical  Society,  and 
American  Medical  Association,  keeping  in  close  touch 
with  all  advance  in  medical  science  through  these  so- 
cieties, their  meetings  and  their  literature.  He  has 
practiced  his  healing  art  over  the  district  his  forefathers 
helped  to  subdue  a  century-  ago,  and  has  builded  a  name 
and  fame  as  enduring  as  theirs.  Dr.  Cleland  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Sinclairville  Lodge.  Free  and  Accepted  Masons ; 
president  of  Sinclairville  Free  Public  Library;  and  in 
politics,  a    Democrat  of  the  Cleveland-Wilson  type. 

Dr.  Cleland  married  in  Tidioute.  Warren  county,  Pa., 
Ida  L.  Ir\'in,  born  in  Tidioute.  daughter  of  William  and 
Charity  (McGrath')  Irvin.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Cleland  are  the 
parents  of  a  son.  Elmer  Owen,  of  further  mention. 

(\'I)  Dr.  Elmer  Owen  Cleland,  only  child  of  Dr. 
Charles  S.  and  Ida  L.  (Irvin')  Cleland,  was  born  in 
South  Dayton,  Cattaraugus  county.  N.  Y.,  June  20,  1888, 
and  died  at  the  home  of  his  parents  in  Sinclairville, 
Oct.  19.  1919.  He  was  eight  years  of  age  when  his 
parents  made  Sinclairville  their  permanent  home,  and 
there  he  completed  public  school  study  with  graduation 
from  high  school,  class  of  1909.  Choosing  the  profes- 
sion of  dentistry,  he  entered  the  dental  department  of 
Baltimore  Medical  College,  whence  he  was  graduated 
D.  D.  S..  class  of  1912.  After  receiving  his  degree  he 
located  in  Greenville.  Mercer  county,  Pa.,  continuing  in 
practice  there  until  his  death.  During  the  period  of  war 
between  the  United  States  and  Germany,  1917-1918,  Dr. 
Cleland  was  enrolled  in  the  Medical  Reserve  force  and 
was  assigned  to  Base  Hospital  No.  42,  at  Pittsburgh, 
Pa.,  and  ordered  to  report  for  duty,  Oct.  17.  1918.  On 
that  date  he  was  suffering  from  an  attack  of  influenza, 
from  which  he  never  recovered,  the  immediate  cause 
of  his  death  a  year  later  being  attributed  to  bronchial 
pneumonia.  He  was  very  successful  in  his  profession, 
and  socially  very  popular.  He  was  a  member  of  Sin- 
clairville Lodge,  Free  and  .Accepted  Masons,  Greenville 
L^idgc,  Xo.  140,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  and  of  the  Bessemer  Club.  He  was  stricken  just 
on  life's  threshold  and  with  every  promise  of  a  brilliant 
professional  career  before  him.  He  was  buried  with 
many  others  of  his  familv  in  the  nmetery  at  Sinclair- 
ville. 

Dr.  Charles  S.  Cl<-land.  now  in  the  full  prime  of  his 
physical  powers,  with  mind  enriched  with  the  years  of 
constant  practice  and  study,  and  with  the  calm  and 
sober  judgment  which  the  years  alone  can   give,  occu- 


pies an  enviable  position  in  his  community.  He  is  the 
loved  confidant  and  trusted  adviser  of  young  and  old, 
and  is  no  less  highly  valued  as  friend  and  neighbor  than 
as  a  physician.  His  is  a  genial,  social,  friendly  nature, 
and  as  his  personality  attracts,  so  his  sterling  quality  re- 
tains tlic  friendship  of  all  who  come  within  the  wide 
circle  of  his  influence. 


OWEN  M.  CLELAND  was  born  at  the  home  farm 
in  Cliarlotte.  Cliautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  May  9.  1864, 
son  of  Nathan  M.  and  Catherine  M.  (Hooper)  Cleland 
(q.  v.).  He  received  his  early  education  in  the  district 
schools,  and  later  attended  high  school  at  Ellington, 
N.  Y.  After  laying  aside  his  text  books,  Mr.  Cleland 
assisted  his  father  in  his  stock  and  dairy  farming  until 
the  latter's  retirement  from  active  business,  when  Owen 
M.  assumed  the  entire  management  of  the  farm  and 
continued  extensive  dairy  fanning  and  stock  raising. 
The  pride  of  the  farm  is  its  tine  herd  of  principally 
Holstein  cattle,  and  its  dairy  is  one  of  the  best  equipped 
in  the  town.  Mr.  Cleland  also  conducts  general  farming 
operations,  and  is  the  largest  grower  of  cabbage  in  the 
county.  He  is  a  charter  member  and  past  master  of 
Charlotte  Grange,  No.  669,  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  its  business  and  social  affairs. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  Sylvan  Lodge,  No.  .■?03,  Free 
and  ,\ccepted  Masons,  of  Sinclairville,  and  of  the  Order 
of  the  Eastern  Star.  In  politics.  Mr.  Cleland  is  a  Re- 
publican, but  in  local  aft'airs  supports  the  men  and 
measures  that  he  thinks  are  for  the  best  interests  of  all 
the  people.  He  has  served  Charlotte  as  justice  of  the 
peace,  and  is  one  of  the  substantial,  progressive  men  of 
his  town.  In  religious  affiliation,  Mr.  Cleland  and  his 
family  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
of  Charlotte  Center. 

Mr.  Cleland  married,  Nov.  II,  1890,  Ethlyn  Hollen- 
beck,  born  in  Gerry  township.  Mrs.  Cleland  is  a  popular 
member  of  the  Eastern  Star  and  Grange,  and  is  active 
in  their  social  activities.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cleland  are  the 
parents  of  three  sons:  I.  J.  Clayton,  born  Aug.  26, 
1894;  educated  in  grammar  and  high  school  and  Cor- 
nell University — agricultural  course — now  his  father's 
farm  assistant ;  he  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry; Sylvan  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows ;  New  York  State 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association;  and  politically,  a 
Republican.  2.  Charles  M.,  born  Sept.  26,  1900,  was 
educated  in  the  same  schools  as  his  brother,  and  is  an 
assistant  in  the  management  of  the  home  farm ;  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry.  3.  Stillman,  born 
Sept.  12.  1905,  now  attending  school. 

Thoroughly  devoted  to  his  business,  Mr.  Cleland 
worthily  represents  a  class  of  men  who  cannot  but  be 
regarded  as  the  bulwark  of  our  nation,  and  a  sure  de- 
fense when  the  misrule  of  city  and  commonwealth 
brings  confusion  and  unrest.  The  agriculturist  who  is 
a  landowner  has  too  much  at  stake  to  make  experiments 
in  pr>litical  economy,  and  is  the  rock  upon  which  our 
national  prosperity— nay  our  national  life,  rests.  The 
reputation  of  a  century  of  Clelands  in  the  town  of  Char- 
lotte rests  safely  in  his  keeping,  and  he  has  given  to  the 
town  a  fonrlh  generation  of  sons,  who  are  agriculturists, 
trained   in  college   for  scientific  farming. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


575 


BENJAMIN  TICHNOR   SHELDON— The  Shel- 

dons  of  Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y.,  herein  reviewed, 
descend  from  an  ancient  New  England  family,  the 
founder,  Isaac  Sheldon,  coming  in  1626,  and  locating  at 
Billerica,  Mass.  He  was  buried  at  Kingston.  R.  I.,  as 
was  his  brother  John,  who  had  located  in  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.  Isaac  Sheldon  left  two  sons,  John  and  Isaac  (2), 
the  latter  born  in  1627.  From  Isaac  (2)  Sheldon  sprang 
Tichnor  Sheldon,  who  settled  at  Westfield.  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  on  a  tract  of  150  acres,  which  he 
cleared,  improved,  and  cultivated  for  forty-five  years. 
He  was  the  father  of  Royal  Edgerton  Sheldon,  and 
grandfather  of  Benjamin  Tichnor  Sheldon,  a  general 
merchant  of  Sinclairville,  Charlotte  township,  Chautau- 
qua county.  It  was  a  beautiful  tribute  Obed  Edson, 
Chautauqua's  grand  old  man,  paid  to  his  friend,  Royal 
Edgerton  Slieldon,  which  appeared  in  the  Sinclairville 
"Commercial,"  Feb.  8,  1907 : 

In  the  death  ot  Royal  E.  Sheldon  the  community 
has  not  only  lost  an  excellent  business  man  but  a 
valuable  and  loyal  citizen.  He  was  a  man  of  char- 
acter, nerve,  aggressive,  positive  in  his  opinions,  and 
outspoken  in  expressing  them.  It  ever  he  found 
himself  hasty,  impulsive,  or  in  error,  lie  had  that 
superior  and  rarest  of  virtues — the  courage  to 
promptly  and  franlily  admit  it. 

Such  was  the  confidence  of  the  fellow-citizens  of 
his  ability  that  besides  being  selected  to  fill  other 
important  positions  he  was  often  chosen  to  represent 
them  on  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  village  corpora- 
tion of  which  he  also  served  as  president.  He  was  long 
a  trustee  of  the  old  school  district,  and  when  that  was 
dissolved,  of  the  Union  Free  School,  the  village 
library,  and  of  Evergreen  Cemetery  Association,  of 
which  he  was  for  a  period  the  efBcient  superintendent. 
In  all  these  positions  his  energetic  efforts,  business 
experience  and  practical  suggestions  made  him  an 
influential  and  valuable  member.  He  was  always 
solicitous  foV  tlie  prosperity  and  honor  of  his  town 
and  village  where  he  had  lived  so  long.  He  was  a 
friend  of  progress  and  education,  and  the  first  to  take 
a  positive  position  in  favor  of  a  Union  Free  School  in 
the  village.  He  was  a  sincere  friend,  had  a  warm 
heart,  an  affable  disposition,  and  intellectual  tastes. 
Sometimes  it  happens  that  we  wait  until  the  one  we 
know  is  gone  before  we  fully  recognize  and  realize 
the  merits  of  him  whom  death  has  removed.  Mr. 
Sheldon  will  not  soon  be  forgotten  in  the  community, 
with  others  who  once  were  leading  citizens,  promi- 
nently identified  with  its  business  interests,  for  his 
marked   character,   public  spirit  and   useful   life. 

OBED   EDSON. 

A  full  line  of  the  ancestry  of  Benjamin  T.  Sheldon 
from  Isaac  Sheldon,  the  founder,  follows: 

Isaac  (2)  Sheldon,  son  of  Isaac  (i)  Sheldon,  was 
born  in  1627.  He  married  (first)  Mary  Woodford,  who 
died  in  1684  or  1686.  He  married  (second)  Mehetable 
Ensign,  who  died  in  1720.  He  had  thirteen  children, 
descent  being  traced  through  Jonathan  Sheldon,  his  son, 
born  in  1689.  died  in  1769.  Jonathan  Sheldon  married 
Mary  Southwick,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  including  a  son  Daniel,  born  in  1715.  died  in 
1796,  who  married  Mary  Herman,  they  the  parents  of 
ten  children. 

Seth  Sheldon,  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Herman) 
Sheldon,  was  horn  in  1739,  died  April  24,  1810.  He 
married  Hannah  Hanchett,  who  died  Aug.  20.  1820,  and 
they  were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  including  a  son, 
Seth  (2)  Sheldon,  born  in  1776,  died  in  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  15,  1850.  He  married  Philena  Ed- 
gerton, who  died  in  Chautauqua  county,  Dec.  14.  1853. 
They  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children  :  Xancy,  born 
in  1800.  married  Walter  Strong:  Philena,  married 
James  Pratt ;  Tichnor.  of  further  mention ;  Alta,  born 
in  1807,  married  Levi  Ingalsle ;  Franklin,  born  in  1808; 


Julia,  born  in  1811,  married  Eli  Roberts;  Esther,  born 
in  1813,  married  Alexander  A.  Barker;  Sarah,  born  in 
181 5,  married  ^Milton  Barker;  Seth,  born  in  1818;  David, 
born  in  1821  ;  Charles,  born  in  1824. 

Tichnor  Sheldon,  eldest  son  of  Seth  (2)  and  Philena 
(Edgerton)  Sheldon,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Pawlet, 
Rutland  county,  Vt.,  Nov.  16,  1804,  died  at  his  home 
in  the  village  of  Sherman,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
in  1881.  He  married  in  Pawlet,  Feb.  14.  1827,  Lucinda 
Brown,  born  at  Attleboro,  Bristol  county.  Mass.,  Aug. 
27,  1804.  Soon  after  their  marriage,  Tichnor  Sheldon 
and  his  wife  moved  to  Chautauqua  county,  X'.  Y.,  set- 
tling in  the  town  of  Westfield  on  a  tract  of  150  acres, 
which  was  his  home  for  forty-five  years,  the  farm  be- 
coming under  his  management  most  fertile  and  profita- 
ble. At  the  end  of  forty-five  years'  residence  and  op- 
eration of  the  Westfield  farm,  he  retired  to  a  home  in 
the  village  of  Sherman,  there  residing  until  his  death  in 
18S1.  His  wife.  Lucinda,  survived  him  until  1886,  dying 
at  the  home  of  her  son.  Royal  E.  Both  are  buried  in 
the  village  of  Sherman.  Children:  Milton  Brown,  born 
Nov.  26,  1827;  Herbert  Franklin,  born  Oct.  12,  1831 ; 
Royal    Edgerton,    of    further    mention;    Fanny    Maria, 

born  Feb.  23,  1842;  ,  died  July  21,  1871  ; 

Edwin  Morris,  born  March  18,  1847. 

Royal  Edgerton  Sheldon,  third  son  of  Tichnor  and 
Lucinda  (Brown)  Sheldon,  was  born  Feb.  ig,  1835, 
died  in  Sinclairville,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  I, 
1907,  and  is  buried  in  Evergreen  Cemetery  there.  He 
obtained  a  good  education,  and  in  his  younger  years 
taught  in  the  county  district  schools.  Later  he  was 
clerk  in  a  store  at  .-Vndes,  Delaware  county,  X\  Y.,  also 
in  a  general  store  in  Westfield,  and  finally  went  to 
Boston,  Mass..  where  he  added  to  his  business  educa- 
tion the  city  methods  of  merchandising.  In  1861,  he 
first  came  to  Sinclairville,  becoming  a  clerk  in  the  store 
of  John  M.  Brunson.  When  Mr.  Brunson  sold  his 
business  to  Nelson  Mitchell,  Mr.  Sheldon  continued  with 
the  new  proprietor  as  clerk,  remaining  until  1869,  when 
he  opened  a  general  store  in  association  with  Edwin 
Williams,  they  conducting  business  as  a  firm  until  1S79. 
Mr.  Williams  then  withdrew.  Mr.  Sheldon  built  the 
new  store  in  1883  and  continued  in  business  alone  until 
1889,  when  he  admitted  his  son,  Benjamin  T.  Sheldon, 
to  a  partnership,  who  later  took  over  the  commercial 
interests  of  his  father,  the  latter  then  engaging  in  the 
seed  business.  Mr.  Sheldon  continued  a  successful  busi- 
ness man  of  Sinclairville  until  his  death  at  the  age  of 
seventy-two,  having  been  a  resident  of  Sinclairville  for 
nearly  forty  years.  He  was  well  known  and  deeply 
respected  for  his  sterling  qualities.  He  was  postmaster 
of  Sinclairville  from  1S77  until  1884.  His  public-spirit 
and  progressive  nature  led  him  to  the  support  of  every 
forward  movement,  and  there  was  no  limit  to  his  in- 
terest in  Sinclairville  and  her  people.  He  served  as 
president  of  the  village,  was  a  trustee  of  the  Free 
Public  Library,  one  of  the  organizers  and  a  trustee  of 
Evergreen  Cemetery,  and  a  one  time  superintendent,  a 
trustee  of  the  Baptist  church,  member  of  the  village 
board  of  health,  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  in  all 
things  was  the  tetnperate,  high-minded  gentleman  and 
successful  business  man. 

Royal  E.  Sheldon  married  (first)  Oct.  22,  1863,  Caro- 
line Laurenda  Bridgman,  born  in  Vermont,  daughter  of 
John  and  Laura  (Delano)  Bridgman.    Mrs.  Sheldon  was 


5/-6 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


a  woman  of  education  and  high  character,  a  teacher  by 
profession,  literary  in  her  tastes,  an  ideal  wife  and 
mother.  She  traced  descent  from  historic  Xew  England 
families,  and  in  Sinclairville  took  a  deep  interest  in  the 
village  affairs  which  interested  her  husband.  She 
was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  She  died  Jan.  21, 
iSSo.  and  is  buried  in  Evergreen  Cemetery  w'ith  her 
husband.  Children:  l.  Carrie  Lucinda.  born  Aug.  23. 
1S64.  died  March  8.  1870.  2.  Benjamin  Tichnor,  of 
funher  mention.  3.  Fanny  Laurenda.  born  Sept.  8, 
i860,  was  a  graduate  of  Sinclairville  High  School  in 
188,";  Fredonia  State  Normal  School.  iSoi  ;  Cornell  Uni- 
versity, class  of  1896;  taught  at  Mansfield  Normal 
School.  Mansfield.  Pa.,  1896-1901  ;  married.  July  10, 
looi.  Charles  Henry  Allen,  of  Detroit,  Mich.,  where 
they  now  reside ;  they  are  the  parents  of  two  children, 
Henry  Sheldon,  born  June  18.  1903.  and  Alice  A.,  born 
June  jS.  1904.  4.  Royal  Bridgman.  born  April  25,  1872, 
died  June  13.  1S73.  Mr.  Sheldon  married  (second) 
Oct.  18.  1882.  Sarah  E.  Billings,  who  survives  him,  a 
resident  of  Sinclairville. 

Benjamin  Tichnor  Sheldon,  son  of  Royal  E.  and 
Caroline  L.  (Bridgman")  Sheldon,  was  born  in  Sin- 
clairville. Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  11,  1866. 
After  completing  the  public  school  courses  of  study 
with  high  school  graduation,  he  entered  business  life 
as  an  associate  of  his  honored  father,  and  became  his 
partner,  later  the  firm  trading  as  R.  E.  Sheldon  &  Son. 
Finally,  upon  the  retirement  of  the  senior  partner,  the 
son  succeeded  him  and  continues  sole  owner  of  the 
business.  He  is  a  modern,  energetic  business  man,  like 
his  father  deeply  interested  in  Sinclairville,  its  growth 
and  prosperity.  He  served  the  village  as  president, 
trustee  of  Evergreen  Cemetery,  and  acting  superinten- 
dent, trustee  of  the  Free  Public  Library,  and  since  1889 
a  member  of  the  Congregational  church,  which  he  has 
served  as  trustee  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school,  and  in  his  political  action  is  an  independent 
Republican. 

Mr.  Sheldon  married,  June  2,  1897,  Nettie  Langwor- 
thy  Gape,  daughter  of  Lloyd  Glover  and  Emma  (Lang- 
wrrthy)  Gage,  a  niece  of  Lyman  J.  Gage,  of  Chicago, 
once  secretary  of  the  United  States  Treasury,  under 
President  McKinley.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sheldon  are  the 
parents  of  four  children :  Lloyd  Edgerton,  born  Nov.  29, 
1808;  Carolyn  Gage,  born  July  10,  1900,  died  Oct.  7, 
1916;  Fanny  Cornelia,  born  May  4.  1902;  Sarah  Eliza- 
beth, born  Oct.  27,  190S- 


HERBERT  JOHN  GOUINLOCK— The  valuable 
life  of  Herbert  J.  Gr.iiinlr.ck  was  cut  short  by  what 
seemed  at  the  time  an  injury  of  little  importance,  but 
complications  caused  his  death  about  two  weeks  later. 
He  was  one  of  the  largest  grape  growers  of  the  Chau- 
tauqua Grape  Belt,  and  at  his  home  farm,  west  of  Fre- 
donia. conducted  a  very  prosperous  business.  He  was  a 
son  of  Herbert  J.  and  Helen  M.  (Tremaine)  Gouinlock, 
his  father  h'TT)  in  Toronto,  Canada,  May  4.  184.S,  died  in 
Frrdonia,  N.  Y..  at  the  age  of  twenty-six.  Mr.  Gouin- 
lock, Sr.,  was  an  artist  with  his  pen,  his  skill  in  letter- 
ing only  exceeded  by  his  skill  in  lithographic  engraving, 
his  cxpertncss  at  line  engraving  wonderful.  He  was 
also  possessed  of  strong  imaginative  genius,  and  his 
designs  were  most  artistic  and  beautiful.     His  services 


were  in  demand  by  well  known  firms  as  a  designer,  for 
no  one  could  so  effectively  vignette  a  design  or  portrait 
and  give  it  the  effect  of  a  steel  engraving.  He  was  with 
the  best  known  New  York  hthographing  house,  and 
later,  while  with  a  Buffalo  house,  visited  Fredonia.  N. 
Y.,  and  while  there  died  from  the  effects  of  lithographic 
poisoning. 

He  married  Helen  M.  Tremaine,  of  the  well  known 
Tremaine  family  of  Fredonia  and  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  a  son,  Herbert 
John,  to  whose  memory  this  tribute  of  love  and  re- 
spect  is   dedicated. 

John  Gouinlock,  grandfather  of  Herbert  J.  (2)  Gouin- 
lock, was  born  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland.  He  married 
there,  Isabella  Herbert,  well  educated,  like  her  hus- 
band, and  having  the  advantages  of  special  tutors  in 
Paris,  she  was  accomplished  as  a  musician  and  linguist, 
speaking  several  languages  fluently.  Shortly  after  their 
marriage.  John  and  Isabella  Gouinlock  left  Scotland 
and  came  to  America,  locating  in  Canada,  where  the 
husband  was  a  professor  of  penmanship  in  Toronto 
College,  having  inherited  a  talent  that  was  most  pro- 
nounced in  his  family  for  several  generations,  and  which 
he  transmitted  to  his  third  child  and  only  son,  Herbert 
John  (l)  Gouinlock,  the  artist  and  lithographer.  He 
also  had  two  daughters,  Georgianna  and  Alice. 

From  such  talented  grandparents  and  parents  came 
Herbert  John  (2)  Gouinlock,  born  in  Fredonia,  N.  Y., 
Oct.  13,  1870.  died  at  his  farm  in  the  town  of  Pomfret, 
west  of  Fredonia,  Jan.  22,  1921,  just  in  the  prime  of  his 
splendid  powers.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
Fredonia,  and  after  completing  his  studies  engaged  in 
grape  culture  on  a  farm  of  twenty-five  acres,  situated 
on  the  North  road  in  the  town  of  Pomfret,  three  and 
one-half  miles  west  of  Fredonia.  He  made  special 
study  of  grape  growing  in  all  its  detail  and  proved  the 
value  of  shallow  cultivation,  thus  proving  that  the  grape 
roots  should  be  disturbed  as  little  as  possible.  .\s  tirne 
went  on  he  prospered,  and  as  he  added  to  his  special 
k-nowledge  of  the  grape  and  its  culture,  he  also  added 
to  his  land  holdings,  and  for  thirty  years  the  firm  of 
Freeman  &  Gouinlock  was  one  referred  to  as  an  author- 
ity on  the  grape  and  how  to  grow  it  profitably.  His 
partner  was  his  mother,  and  all  through  those  years 
they  worked  hand  in  hand  for  the  development  of  the 
grape  industry  in  general,  and  their  own  vineyards  in 
particular.  To  his  original  twenty-five  acres  additions 
had  constantly  been  made,  until  Freeman  &  Gouinlock 
had  one  hundred  acres  of  grape  bearing  vineyards,  and 
another  one  hundred  acres  under  cultivation  and  in 
wood  lots.  Their  vineyards  and  farm  were  looked  upon 
as  models  of  skillful  farming,  and  their  products  were 
noted  for  high  quality.  Their  vineyards  of  Concord, 
Niagara  and  Worden  grapes  aggregated  about  250  tons 
annually,  and  of  the  highest  priced  quality.  Mr.  Gouin- 
lock was  a  local  director  of  the  Pomfret  branch  of  the 
Chautauqua  &  Erie  Grape  Union,  a  member  of  Forest 
Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  of  the  Citizens' 
Club  of  Fredonia. 

Mr,  Gouinlock  married.  March  3.  ""»04.  '"  Fredonia, 
Mabel  Goate.  daughter  of  the  late  William  S.  and  Mary 
E.  (Apthorpe)  Goate,  her  parents  coming  separately 
from  England,  their  native  land,  to  Fredonia,  N.  Y., 
where  they  were  married.     Six  children  were  born  to 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


577 


Herbert  J.  and  Mabel  Gouinlock :  Helen  Mary,  born 
March  i,  1905;  Herbert  John  (3),  born  Sept.  30,  1906, 
died  May  16,  1916;  William  George,  born  Sept.  3,  1909, 
died  Sept.  12,  1910;  Marjorie,  born  June  25,  1913;  Dor- 
othy Mabel,  born  Oct.  14,  1917;  Lucy  Tremaine,  bom 
July  21,   1920. 

A  man  of  industry  and  thrift,  Mr.  Gouinlock  held  the 
entire  confidence  of  his  community  who  appreciated  his 
labors  to  promote  the  best  interests  of  the  grape  in- 
dustry, in  which  many  of  them  were  engaged.  He  met 
every  requirement  of  good  citizenship,  and  as  son,  hus- 
band, and  father  gave  himself  unreservedly  to  those 
he  loved  and  cherished.  His  memory  will  long  remain 
green  in  the  town  of  Pomfret. 


ALEXANDER  J.  ROOD,  extensive  cattle  dealer, 
cheese  manufacturer,  and  successful  farmer,  is  one  of 
the  well  known  citizens  of  Sinclairville.  The  Rood 
family  has  been  in  Chautauqua  county  since  1835  and 
previous  to  that  were  residents  of  Wyoming  county, 
N.  Y.,  in  the  town  of  Pike.  Wilson  Rood,  father  of 
Alexander  J.  Rood,  was  born  in  1818,  in  the  family 
homestead  there.  When  he  had  reached  the  age  of 
seventeen  years  he  came  to  Chautauqua  county,  locating 
in  Charlotte  township,  where  he  found  employment  on 
a  farm.  He  was  an  earnest,  steady,  young  man,  and 
within  five  years  was  able  to  purchase  a  farm  in 
that  township.  His  farm,  which  was  situated  in  sec- 
tion 16  of  the  township,  was  known  as  the  Straight 
Farm,  and  was  of  considerable  extent,  300  acres,  most 
of  which,  however,  was  wilderness  when  he  purchased 
it.  With  the  spirit  of  the  pioneer,  Wilson  Rood  reso- 
lutely applied  himself  to  the  clearing  of  the  land.  In 
course  of  time  he  improved  his  property,  and  brought 
the  land  into  productive  cultivation.  He  lived  and 
worked  upon  that  farm  until  his  death,  in  1868,  in  the 
prime  of  life.  He  was  buried  in  Evergreen  Cemetery, 
Sinclairville.  Wilson  Rood  married,  in  Charlotte,  Sally 
Chase,  daughter  of  Stephen  Chase.  She  was  born  near 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  and  died  on  the  family  farm  in  Char- 
lotte township.  Her  remains  were  also  interred  in 
Evergreen  Cemetery,  Sinclairville.  Wilson  and  Sally 
(Chase)  Rood  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  who 
were  all  successful  in  life,  namely:  I.  .'Mexander  J., 
of  whom  further.  2.  Clarissa,  who  is  the  widow  of 
W.  V.  Luce,  and  resides  in  Cassadaga.  3.  George,  who 
is  a  farmer  in  Cherry  Creek  township.  4.  Edgar,  a 
physician  in  Westfield.  5.  Chancy  A.,  a  physician  in 
Brocton.     6.  Mary,  deceased,  who  married  Fortis  Pond. 

Alexander  J.  Rood,  eldest  son  of  Wilson  and  Sally 
(Chase)  Rood,  was  born  in  the  parental  homestead  in 
Charlotte  township.  March  11,  1846.  He  obtained  his 
schooling  in  District  School  No.  8,  of  Charlotte,  and  at 
the  old  academy  at  Fredonia,  N.  Y.,  after  which  he  took 
to  farming  with  resolute  purpose,  finding  ample  oppor- 
tunity for  hard  work  in  the  operation  of  his  father's 
extensive  farm.  So  employed,  he  remained  with  his 
father  until  the  latter's  death,  when  he  inherited  the 
300  acres,  which  he  continued  to  improve.  He  still  owns 
that  property,  and  it  has  been  an  appreciable  factor  in 
his  successful  career.  In  1882  he  entered  the  cheese 
manufacturing  business,  purchasing  the  interests  of  an 
already  established  factory,  which  he  has  conducted  ever 
Chau— 37 


since.  This  has  become  a  good  sized  business  enterprise, 
the  plant  being  capable  of  manufacturing  thirty  forty- 
pound  full  cream  cheeses  per  day,  otherwise  1,200 
pounds.  In  i88q,  Mr.  Rood  decided  to  move  into  Sinclair- 
ville, which  would  be  a  handier  center  for  the  commer- 
cial phase  of  his  agricultural  enterprises.  In  1900,  he  en- 
tered into  partnership  with  Burt  Putnam,  and  since  that 
year  these  two  well  known  men  have  been  busily  and 
extensively  engaged  in  cattle  dealing,  the  partnership 
being  known,  under  its  trade  name  of  Rood  &  Putnam. 
In  1S89,  Mr.  Rood  built  the  house  in  which  he  has 
since  lived,  one  of  the  finest  in  Sinclairville.  and  he  has 
taken  close  interest  in  public  movements  within  the  vil- 
lage since  that  year.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of 
the  Sinclairville  State  Bank,  in  1918,  and  is  a  member  of 
its  directorate.  He  is  a  trustee  of  the  village,  and  an 
active  member  of  the  local  Grange.  In  national  politics, 
he  is  a  Democrat.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  Mason,  a  mem- 
ber of  Sylvan  Lodge.  Free  and  Accepted  ]\Iasons,  Sin- 
clairville, and  the  Blue  Lodge,  and  he  attends  the  Epis- 
copal church  in  Sinclairville. 

Mr.  Rood  married.  Nov.  28,  1872,  Annette  Tozier, 
daughter  of  Orange  L.  and  Harriet  (Humphrey)  To- 
zier. She  was  born  in  Sheldon,  Wyoming  county,  N.  Y., 
and  in  the  maternal  line  is  granddaughter  of  Dustin 
Humphrey,  member  of  an  old  Connecticut  family.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Rood  are  the  parents  of  three  children:  I. 
Flora  R..  educated  in  public  and  high  schools,  and  Fre- 
donia Normal  School ;  married  Ernest  Irvin,  cashier  of 
the  Sinclairville  State  Bank.  2.  Clarissa,  who  was  sim- 
ilarly educated  in  Sinclairville  schools  and  Fredonia 
Normal  School;  married  Samuel  F.  Moran,  a  lawyer  of 
New  York,  to  whom  she  has  borne  six  children,  Ruth, 
Flora  H.,  Frances,  Patricia,  Virginia,  and  William.  3. 
Carl  Alexander,  who  received  his  education  in  the 
public  and  high  schools  of  Sinclairville,  and  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1907, 
with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  and  soon  thereafter  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  and  is  now  practicing  in  New  York. 
He  married  Lillian  Cahill,  and  they  have  two  children, 
Carlton   and  Wilson,  twins. 


THE  STERLING  HARDWARE  AND  ELEC- 
TRICAL CORPORATION  is  a  well  known  James- 
town corporation,  successors  to  the  Bernhard  Hardware 
Company.  Their  store  on  East  Second  street  is  com- 
pletely stocked  with  the  latest  developments  of  itr 
line,  and  had  its  inception  in  the  enterprise  of  three  sub- 
stantial business  men  of  Jamestown,  Adolf  Rosencrantz, 
Charles  Bernhard  and  John  Carlson,  who  established 
the  business,  March  7,  1905,  with  the  stated  object  of 
retailing  general  hardware  and  other  lines.  The  busi- 
ness developed  very  satisfactorily,  but  various  changes 
in  the  constitution  of  the  firm  have  been  made  since 
its  inception.  Shortly  after  its  incorporation,  Martin 
Gunnarson  became  connected  with  it,  and  he  has  been 
its  head  ever  since.  In  1916.  a  reconstruction  occurred 
and  the  officers  then  and  since  have  been :  Martin  Gun- 
narson, president;  Hjalmar  Sandberg,  vice-president 
and  treasurer ;  and  George  O.  Sandberg,  secretary  and 
manager. 

Mr.  Sandberg  is  an  efficient  manager,  and  since  the 
reorganization  in  1916,  the  volume  of  business  has  been 


;-S 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


more  than  doubled,  many  new  line?  being  added.  Three 
of  the  substantial  specialties  of  the  corporation  are 
furnaces,  stoves,  builders'  hardware  and  electrical  sup- 
plies. This  company  does  a  big  volume  of  wholesaling 
and  retailing  each  year. 


GEORGE  O.  SANDBERG,  who  of  recent  years  has 
been  one  of  the  principals  of  a  leading  Jamestown  firm 
of  merchants,  the  Sterling  Hardware  and  Electrical 
Corporation,  of  which  he  is  secretary,  as  well  as  man- 
ager of  its  up-to-date  and  fully  stocked  store  on  Second 
street,  is  a  native  of  Jamestown,  born  Sept.  12,  189;. 

He  was  educated  in  local  schools,  attending  the 
grammar  school  for  the  elementary  grades,  and  later 
becoming  a  student  at  the  Jamestown  High  School,  of 
which  ultimately  he  became  a  graduate,  having  special- 
ized in  the  commercial  course.  Soon  after  graduating, 
he  entered  the  emploj'  of  the  Davidson  Shoe  Company. 
as  clerk,  which  was  not  altogether  a  new  experience 
for  him.  for  he  had  worked  for  the  company,  after 
school  hours  and  on  Saturdays,  for  some  years  before 
he  left  school.  When  the  Bernhard  Hardware  Com- 
pany was  reorganized  in  March,  1916,  under  the  name 
of  the  Sterling  Hardware  and  Electrical  Corporation, 
young  Sandberg  took  a  certain  interest  in  it,  and  a 
year  later  was  appointed  manager  of  the  store,  and 
elected  to  the  executive  office  of  secretary.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Jamestown  Board  of  Commerce,  and 
of  the  Chautauqua  County  Fair  .Association.  Mr. 
Sandberg  regularly  attends  the  Swedish  Mission  Church 
of  Jamestown,  of  which  he  is  a  member. 

Mr.  Sandberg  was  married,  in  Jamestown,  Aug.  21, 
1918.  to  Elsie  M.  Hedman,  daughter  of  August  Hed- 
man,  of  Jamestown.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sandberg  are  the 
parents  of  a  son.  George  O.,  Jr. 


THE    ACTIVE    FURNITURE    COMPANY— In 

June.  1916,  several  of  the  men  of  Jamestown,  who  had 
learned  the  furniture  making  trade,  got  together  and 
established  on  a  working  basis  the  Active  Furniture 
Company.  These  men  were  Nestor  Munson,  who  was 
elected  president  of  the  company;  Oscar  Newgren, 
vice-president;  O.  R.  Johnson,  the  secretary  and  treas- 
urer. The  plant  was  located  on  Steele  street,  and  here, 
with  twelve  men  employed,  they  met  witli  such  suc- 
cess that  in  .\ugust.  1918,  they  bought  the  Jamestown 
Window  Screen  Company's  plant  at  Jones  and  Gifford 
avenues,  and  moved  their  factory  to  the  newly  pur- 
chased location.  The  present  working  force  is  thirty- 
five  men.  and  the  power  used  in  the  plant  is  steam. 
The  product  is  a  high  grade  of  parlor  and  library 
tables,  and  phonograph  cases,  most  of  their  employees 
being  cxr)crt  workmen.  The  company  incorporated  in 
1916  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and 
at  the  last  election  of  officers  the  following  men  were 
chosen:  Carl  Richard  Carlson,  president;  Charles  A. 
Johnson,  first  vice-president;  George  Jacobson.  second 
vice-president;  Oscar  R.  Rard,  secretary,  treasurer  and 
general  manager.  The  Active  Furniture  Company,  Inc., 
is  a  member  of  the  Manufacturers'  .'\ssociation  of 
Jam'stov.n,  and  is  well  regarded  in  commercial  circles. 


CARL  RICHARD  CARLSON— Like  many  other 
men  of  the  Swedish  population  in  Jamestown,  Carl  Rich- 
ard Carlson  is  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  fine 
furniture,  and  like  many  of  them  he  came  from  the  little 
town  of  Smoland,  Sweden,  where  he  was  born  March  11, 
1S85.  the  son  of  C.  J.  and  Emma  (Peterson)  Carlson. 
The  father  was  a  farmer,  and  trained  the  boy  in  the 
work  about  the  place,  sending  him  to  the  public  school 
during  the  time  of  its  sessions.  When  old  enough  the 
lad  obtained  employment  in  a  door  factory,  working 
there  until  he  was  twenty  years  old,  when  he  came  to 
.\merica.  When  Carl  Richard  Carlson  arrived  in  this 
country  he  immediately  went  to  Jamestown.  N.  Y.,  en- 
tering the  employ  of  the  Anchor  Furniture  Company. 
This  was  in  1905,  and  he  remained  in  this  factory  for 
almost  nine  years,  leaving  it  to  accept  a  better  position 
with  the  Superior  Furniture  Company,  working  on  a 
band  saw.  Two  years  later,  in  1916,  he  joined  the  newly 
organized  Active  Furniture  Company  as  a  member  of 
the  firm,  and  in  191S  was  elected  president  of  it  in  addi- 
tion to  being  superintendent  of  the  entire  factory. 

Mr.  Carlson  is  identilicd  with  several  of  the  local  as- 
sociations of  Jamestown,  among  them  being  the  fra- 
ternal society  of  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the 
Lief  Erickson  Association,  and  the  Thule  Order  of 
\'asa.  Unlike  most  of  his  countrymen,  Mr.  Carlson  has 
never  married,  but  he  has  hosts  of  friends  among  the 
Swedish  families  of  Jamestown. 


OSCAR  R.  BARD — During  the  twenty-three  years 
that  Oscar  R.  Bard  has  been  a  resident  in  this  country, 
he  has  acquired  much  and  varied  information  in  con- 
nection with  manufacturing  pursuits,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  he  has  been  engaged  in  several  different  kinds  of 
business. 

He  was  born  in  Smoland.  Sweden,  Jan.  28,  1882,  the 
son  of  John  Bard,  a  non-commissioned  officer  in  the 
Swedish  army,  having  served  for  twenty-five  years  in 
that  capacity. 

Oscar  R.  Bard  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  in  the 
work  of  which  he  was  daily  occupied,  attending  the 
village  school  part  of  the  time,  receiving  a  good  ele- 
mentary education.  When  the  boy  had  reached  the  age 
of  fourteen  years,  he  determined  to  try  his  fortune  in 
the  United  States,  having  relatives  here  who  had  done 
well  in  many  lines.  Oscar  R.  Bard  landed  in  New  York 
City  in  May,  1896,  and  at  once  went  to  Falconer,  N.  Y., 
where  his  brother  resided.  For  the  first  three  months 
the  lad  attended  school  so  that  he  might  gain  an  in- 
sight into  .American  ways,  then  very  sliorlly  after  oI>- 
taincd  work  in  tlie  Jamestown  Mantel  Company,  which 
is  located  in  Falconer.  For  ten  years  he  remained  with 
this  concern,  learning  the  trade  of  caliinetmaker,  and 
then,  having  an  opportunity  to  better  himself,  went  to 
Warren,  Pa.,  and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Bennett 
Piano  Company  in  their  cabinet  making  department. 
Two  years  later  be  returned  to  Falconer  and  entered 
into  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  Charles  S.  Bard, 
making  a  specialty  of  furniture  and  office  fixtures.  For 
several  years  he  continued  in  this  line,  leaving  it  to  go 
into  the  retail  shoe  business  with  Victor  Johnson  on 
Second   street,   the   firm   name   being   Johnson   &   Bard. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


579 


For  seven  years  they  operated  this  store,  then  became 
interested  in  the  monumental  works  of  August  Gustaf- 
son  on  North  Main  street.  He  entered  into  partner- 
ship with  him  as  the  Gustafson  &  Bard  Monumental 
Works  of  Jamestown.  Mr.  Bard  is  still  connected  with 
this  business.  In  1918  he  became  interested  in  the 
Active  Furniture  Company  and  was  made  the  secretary 
and  treasurer  of  that  company,  positions  he  now  holds, 
in  addition  to  that  of  general  manager  of  the  plant. 

Oscar  R.  Bard  married,  in  Jamestown,  June  :!S,  1910, 
Edith  Holm,  daughter  of  John  and  Louise  (Anderson) 
Holm,  residents  of  that  city.  Three  children  were  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bard:  i.  Genevieve,  who  is  attending 
school  in  Jamestown.  2.  Evelyn,  also  at  school ;  and 
Elsie.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bard  are  members  of  Immanuel 
Lutheran  Church,  and  he  is  president  of  the  Sick  Bene- 
fit Society  of  the  church. 


cepted  Masons,  of  Sherman, 


Chapter,  of  May- 


WILLIAM  HOMER  RATER— Among  the  repre- 
sentative men  of  Chautauqua  county  this  good  citizen 
of  Sherman  enjoys  an  undisputed  standing.  As  one  of 
the  most  prosperous  farmers  of  his  township,  and  as 
the  incumbent,  for  a  number  of  years,  of  various  local 
offices  of  trust,  Mr.  Rater  is  much  in  the  public  eye. 

William  Homer  Rater  was  born  Dec.  II,  1862,  on  a 
farm  in  the  town  of  Mina,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
a  son  of  Julius  and  Sarah  (Hitchcock)  Rater.  Mr. 
Rater,  who  is  now  deceased,  was  a  farmer.  The  Rater 
family,  in  honor  of  whom  Rater's  Corner,  a  settlement 
in  Ripley  township,  received  its  name,  is  of  German 
origin,  and  has  been  many  years  resident  in  Mina  town- 
ship. 

The  education  of  William  Homer  Rater  was  re- 
ceived in  the  district  schools  of  Mina  township,  that  is, 
his  earliest  education,  for  when  he  was  but  six  years 
old  his  parents  moved  to  Ripley  township  and  there 
he  attended  the  district  schools.  After  a  time  the 
family  returned  to  Mina  township  and  the  boy  resumed 
his  attendance  at  the  old  schools.  He  was  soon  obliged 
to  leave,  however,  on  account  of  the  death  of  his 
father  which  made  it  necessary  for  him  to  seek  em- 
ployment. At  first  he  worked  on  farms  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, receiving  for  compensation  board  and  cloth- 
ing, but  it  was  not  long  before  he  began  to  render  as- 
sistance valuable  enough  to  command  money  payment. 
In  1889,  Mr.  Rater  rented  his  present  farm  and  in  about 
a  year  bought  100  adjoining  acres.  Some  four  years 
after  he  purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  now  lives, 
which  comprises  161  acres,  thus  becoming  the  owner  of 
261  acres.  He  has  improved  the  estate  to  a  great  ex- 
tent, rebuilding  the  house,  erecting  a  barn  and  con- 
structing a  workshop,  chicken  houses  and  similar  out- 
buildings. He  has  forty  cows,  four  horses  and  250 
chickens.  He  devotes  the  land  to  general  farming, 
also  conducting  a  fine  dairy.  .Among  his  most  valuable 
possessions  are  two  automobiles,  a  large  powerful  tour- 
ing car  and  a  roadster.  Since  1917  Mr.  Rater  has 
been  a  director  of  .the  Chautauqua  County  Farmers' 
Milk  Producers'  Association ;  also  a  director  of  the 
Sherman  Telephone  Company  for  five  years.  In  the 
sphere  of  politics,  Mr.  Rater  adheres  to  the  Republican 
party  and  is  now  serving  as  school  trustee  and  school 
collector,  offices  which  he  has  held  many  times  before. 
He  affiliates  with  Olive  Lodge,  No.  S7S,  Free  and  Ac- 


ville,  and  Dunkirk  Commandery.  He  belongs  to  the 
Grange,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Community  Church, 
both  of  Sherman. 

Mr.  Rater  married,  Nov.  23,  1905,  at  the  Presbyterian 
parsonage,  Sherman,  N.  Y.,  Minnie,  daughter  of  Gar- 
ret and  Hannah  Gabriel,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
two  children:  Ida  May,  now  attending  school,  and  Sarah 
Louise,  an  infant. 

William  Homer  Rater  is,  most  emphatically,  a  man 
who  has  made  his  own  way  in  the  world  and  in  doing 
50  has  made  for  himself  a  record  in  which  his  children, 
in  after  years,  may  justly  take  pride,  for  he  has  achieved 
his  success  by  persistent  industry,  indomitable  energy 
and  methods  strictly  and  invariably  honorable. 


CHARLES  C.  WILSON  occupies  a  position  of 
trust  and  responsibility  in  the  commercial  life  of  James- 
town. He  was  manager  of  the  large  lumber  plant 
which  was  founded  and  successfully  carried  on  by  his 
father,  John  T.  Wilson,  until  its  disposal,  Nov.  I,  1919. 
The  John  T.  Wilson  Estate,  dealers  in  lumber,  rough 
and  dressed,  sashes,  interior  trim  and  doors,  was  one 
of  the  best  known  concerns  in  Jamestown  in  its  time. 
John  T.  Wilson  died  May  10,  1910,  his  wife  having  died 
April  4,  1903.  He  left  three  children:  I.  Anna,  who 
became  the  wife  of  A.  S.  Dunham,  of  Jamestown.  2. 
Jennie,  who  became  the  wife  of  Frank  W.  Cadwell, 
also  of  Jamestown.     3.  Charles  C,  of  further  mention. 

Charles  C.  Wilson  was  born  in  Jamestown,  Oct.  3,  1864. 
He  obtained  a  substantial  education  in  the  public  and  high 
schools  of  his  native  city,  after  which  he  took  a  course 
at  the  Bryant  &  Stratton  Business  College  in  BuflFalo, 
N.  Y.  At  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  entered  his  father's 
plant  as  bookkeeper  and  to  assist  in  the  management 
of  the  ever  increasing  business.  John  T.  Wilson  at 
his  death  had  left  his  business  in  the  form  of  an  estate, 
his  son,  Charles  C,  being  made  executor  and  manager 
of  it,  and  from  1910  until  its  settlement,  Dec.  i,  1920,  he 
personally  conducted  all  its  affairs.  Mr.  Wilson  is  a 
genial  man,  much  interested  in  many  of  the  organiza- 
tions of  Jamestown,  having  a  social  trend.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason ;  Knights  Templar, 
and  belongs  to  the  Shrine;  member  of  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  of  which  he  is  a  past 
trustee.  His  clubs  are  the  Jamestown  and  Sportsmen's. 
He  is  a  vice-president  of  the  Jamestown  Malleable 
Products  Company,  and  a  director  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Jamestown. 

In  January,  i8go,  Charles  C.  Wilson  was  united  in  mar- 
rige  with  Mary  Hall,  daughter  of  Erie  and  Jennie  (Mar- 
vin) Hall,  of  Jamestown.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  one 
child  has  been  born,  Marvin  C,  in  Jamestown,  April  27, 
1S97.  He  was  educated  in  the  grammar  and  high  schools 
of  his  home  city,  and  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  He 
entered  the  service  of  the  government  during  the  late 
war,  being  attached  to  an  officers'  training  school  at 
Camp  Mead,  Maryland,  from  May,  1918,  until  he  was 
honorably  discharged,  Dec.  23.  1918.  He  had  been  com- 
missioned a  second  lieutenant  during  his  service,  but 
was  retained  for  duty  in  this  country.  After  being 
mustered  out  of  service,  he  returned  to  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  where  he  pursued  a  course  of  execu- 
tive training  in  the  Wharton  School  of  Finance,   from 


:;8o 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


which  he  was  graduated  in  June,  iqiQ.  He  is  at  pres- 
ent associated  with  his  father  in  business  in  Jamestown. 
He  married.  May  20.  1020.  Edith  D.,  daughter  of  Frank 
Priest,  01    lamestown. 


JOHN  JAMES  LANDERS,  A.  B.,  LL.  B.,  LL.  D., 

a  retired  minister  of  the  Episcopal  faith,  a  resident  of 
Fredonia.  whose  life  stands  out  prominently  for  God, 
home  and  humanity,  is  a  man  whose  careful  prepara- 
tion, supplemented  by  unfaltering  devotion  to  his 
chosen  profession,  enabled  him  to  pass  beyond  the 
point  of  mediocrity  and  stand  among  the  successful 
few. 

John  James  Landers  was  born  on  Clare  Island,  lo- 
cated off  the  west  coast  of  Ireland,  County  of  Mayo, 
at  the  entrance  of  Clew  Bay,  Aug,  23,  1834,  son  of 
William  and  Mary  (Plunkef)  Landers,  natives  of  Ire- 
land, the  former  named  having  been  engaged  in  the  Eng- 
lish civil  service.  The  elementary  education  of  John  J. 
Landers  was  obtained  from  private  tutors,  and  his  collegi- 
ate and  university  courses  were  obtained  by  attendance  at 
Trinity  College,  Dublin,  Ireland,  from  which  institution 
he  received  the  following  degrees,  A.  B.,  1864;  LL.  B., 
1S65.  and  LL.  D..  1S78.  He  became  an  ordained  min- 
ister of  the  Gospel,  following  the  tenets  of  the  Episcopal 
church,  and  his  work  among  his  parishioners  was  ever 
for  their  spiritual  uplift  and  to  lead  them  to  a  better 
and  holier  conception  of  the  duties  of  mankind  in 
every-day  affairs,  teaching  them  by  example  and  pre- 
cept to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  their  great  Master  in 
all  things.  He  is  an  earnest,  God-fearing,  capable  man, 
who  above  all  things  has  desired  to  do  good  in  his  day 
and  generation,  and  his  life  in  the  midst  of  the  people 
who  have  known  and  revered  him  for  many  years  is 
a  silent  witness  to  the  fact  that  he  has  striven  manfully 
to  lead  those  who  were  under  his  charge  in  the  way  of 
truth,  holiness  and  morality.  He  has  ever  been  an 
earnest  advocate  of  education,  and  keeps  fully  abreast 
with  the  spirit  of  the  times.  He  is  still  a  subject  of 
Great  Britain,  but  he  has  always  taken  a  keen  interest 
in  all  that  concerns  the  communities  in  which  he  has 
made  his  home  in  this  country,  his  actions  an  influence 
for  pood  upon  all  with  whom  he  is  brought  in  contact. 

John  James  Landers  married,  in  Dublin,  Ireland, 
Dec.  16.  1862.  Mary  Amanda  Bass,  born  Nov.  21,  1840, 
in  Evcrton,  Liverpool,  England,  daughter  of  Abel  and 
Frances  C Robinson)  Bass,  .\mong  the  children  bf>rn  to 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Landers  five  are  living  at  the  present  time 
(\{i2i).  as  follows:  William,  born  Oct.  6,  1863;  Charles, 
born  Sept.  it.  1S71  ;  George,  born,  June  8,  1877;  Frank, 
\i'iTn  June  27,  1&S2;  and  Carrie,  born  Nov.  14,  1884. 
The  members  of  the  family  are  all  communicants  of 
the  Episcopal  church,  performing  well  their  part  in 
their  various  walks  of  life,  following  in  tlie  footsteps 
of  their  honored   father. 


ELLIS  WADSWORTH  STORMS— The  death  of 
Dr.  Ellis  Wad-v.r,rth  Storms,  who  for  many  years  was 
one  of  the  leading  physicians  of  the  town  of  Falconer. 
Chaiitaufjua  county,  N.  Y.,  on  Jan.  ').  1910,  removed 
from  this  region  a  figure  which  had  occupied  a  some- 
what unif|uc  positi'.n  in  the  community,  and  who  was 
known  as  one  of  the  most  popular  and  influential  citi- 
z'-ni  o(  the  place.     Dr.  Storms  was  a  son  of  I"rederick 


and  Barbara   (Smith)   Storms,  old  and  highly  respected        1 
residents  of  Eden,  Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  where  the  former 
was  engaged  successfully  in  the  occupation  of  farming. 

Dr.  Storms  was  born  at  Eden,  Feb.  16,  1868,  and  as 
a  child  attended  the  public  schools  of  that  place.  He 
later  entered  the  Fredonia  Normal  School  at  Fredonia, 
N.  Y..  from  wliich  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  \ 
1893  aii<J  where  he  was  prepared  for  college.  Dr. 
Storms,  upon  completing  his  studies  at  the  latter  insti- 
tution, entered  the  profession  of  teaching,  continued 
for  a  time,  and  was  elected  principal  of  the  Ellington 
High  School  at  Ellington,  Chautauqua  county,  and  ' 
reelected  to  that  position  each  year  until  1897.  In  the 
meantime  the  young  man  determined  to  follow  the 
profession  of  medicine  as  a  career  in  life,  and  in  1896 
matriculated  at  the  medical  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Buffalo,  from  which  institution  he  was 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1900,  taking  his  degree  as 
medical  doctor  at,  the  same  time.  Dr.  Storms  then 
removed  to  Cherry  Creek,  where  he  began  the  practice 
of  his  profession  and  was  most  successful  for  a  period 
of  about  eleven  years,  during  which  time  he  estab- 
lished a  wide  reputation  as  one  of  the  leading  physi- 
cians of  the  place.  In  1911  he  removed  to  Falconer, 
where  he  opened  an  office  and  continued  to  practice 
most  successfully  until  1918.  In  addition  to  his  pro- 
fessional activities.  Dr.  Storms  took  a  keen  interest  in 
public  affairs,  and  was  for  many  years  prominently 
identified  witli  the  Republican  party,  being  a  staunch 
supporter  of  its  principles  and  policies  and  being  elected 
to  a  number  of  important  local  offices  on  its  ticket.  He 
was  supervisor  of  Cherry  Creek  in  1909,  and  served  as 
coroner  for  Chautauqua  county  for  two  terms.  In 
Cherry  Creek  he  was  also  a  member  of  the  local 
School  Board  and  served  as  treasurer  of  that  body 
for  a  considerable  period.  Upon  coming  to  Falconer, 
Dr.  Storms  affiliated  himself  with  the  Progressive 
movement  and  continued  as  a  staunch  supporter  of  the 
third  party  until  1916,  when  he  renewed  his  allegiance 
to  the  Republican  party.  Two  years  before  liis  death 
he  was  elected  to  the  Falconer  Board  of  Education, 
and  still  held  that  position  at  the  close  of  his  life.  Dr. 
Storms  was  one  of  those  who  was  instrumental  in 
establishing  the  County  Tuberculosis  Hospital,  and 
served  on  the  first  committee  of  supervisors  which  took 
up  that  important  project.  He  was  a  prominent  figure 
in  the  social  and  fraternal  life  of  the  community,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  Jamestown  Medical  Society,  the 
Chautauqua  County  Medical  Society,  the  New  York 
State  Medical  Society,  and  the  American  Medical  As- 
sociation. He  was  also  affiliated  with  the  .\ncient 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Cherry  Creek,  of  which 
he  was  the  worshipful  master;  and  also  with  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Order  of 
the  Eastern  Star,  of  which  he  was  worthy  patron,  and 
Jamestown  Lodge,  Order  of  Amaranth.  His  club  was 
the  University,  of  Jamestown.  During  the  participation 
of  the  United  States  in  the  great  World  War,  Dr. 
Storms  was  active  in  local  war  work,  and  was  elected 
chairman  of  the  l^'alconcr  branch  of  the  American  Red 
Cross  Society  aufj  held  that  post  at  tlie  time  of  his 
death. 

Dr.  Ellis  Wadsworth  Storms  was  united  in  marriage, 
Oct.  12,  T904,  at  Eden,  Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  with  Pearl 
M.  Zitlel,  a  daughter  of   Peter  and  Louisa  J.    (Zittcl) 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


581 


Zittel,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  one  child,  Robert 
Ellis,  born  Oct.  31,  1914.  At  the  time  of  his  death  the 
local  press  and  many  of  his  personal  friends  united  in 
a  chorus  of  praise  for  his  past  work,  which  had  been 
so  abruptly  terminated,  and  of  regret  for  the  great  loss 
which  the  community  had  suffered  in  his  demise.  It 
will  be  appropriate  to  quote  from  the  Jamestown 
"Journal,"  which,  in  a  long  obituary  article  on  Dr. 
Storms,  included  the  following: 

Those  who  knew  Dr.  Storms  well,  thoroughly  re- 
spected him.  for  his  integrity,  his  independence  in 
thought  and  action,  and  his  sincere  devotion  to  high 
ideals  of  citizenship,  and  professional  character.  The 
rural  physician  has  no  easy  life,  and  for  seventeen 
years  Dr.  Storms  spent  his  vitality  in  that  trying 
work.  Now  that  he  has  gone  from  us  so  suddenly, 
his  friends  will  recall  his  life  as  one  of  constant 
labor  and  high  endeavor,  and  will  keenly  sympathize 
with  his  wife  and  little  son.  The  portals  of  another 
life  opened  quickly  for  him,  but  he  was  ready. 


WILLIAM   ELY   AINGE— Trained   in   his   native 

England  in  the  profession  of  accountancy,  Mr.  Ainge, 
president  of  the  W.  Ely  Ainge  Accounting  Company,  of 
Voungstown,  Ohio.,  has  devoted  his  life  to  that  calling 
and  is  widely  known  in  his  chosen  lield.  His  associa- 
tion with  Chautauqua  county  is  by  residence,  while  his 
business  interests,  since  the  incorporation  of  the  com- 
pany bearing  his  name  in  1916,  have  been  largely  in 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio. 

Mr.  Ainge  is  a  son  of  W.  Ely  Robins  and  Mary 
Ainge,  his  father  a  gentleman  farmer  and  owner  of  an 
estate  of  800  acres  at  Warwick,  England.  Mr.  Ainge 
was  born  in  Bristol,  Gloucestershire.  England,  and  after 
attending  the  .\lcester  Grammar  School,  of  Warwick- 
shire, was  for  several  years  employed  in  the  general 
offices  of  John  Crossley  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  of  England.  Sub- 
sequently he  was  associated  with  the  firm  of  J.  D. 
Taylor  &  Company,  chartered  accountants,  of  Halifax 
and  Bradford,  Yorkshire,  and  in  this  employ  mastered 
his  profession.  In  1883  he  went  to  Toronto,  Ontario, 
Canada,  and  from  that  year  until  1890  practiced  ac- 
countancy in  Canada.  In  the  latter  year  he  came  to  the 
United  States  and  for  a  number  of  years  filled  the 
office  of  auditor  of  the  Ohio  Steel  Company.  Reenter- 
ing the  field  of  public  accounting,  he  has  since  been 
active  in  that  line,  and  since  1916  has  been  president  of 
the  W.  Ely  Ainge  Accounting  Company.  The  officials 
of  the  company  at  the  time  of  formation  were  Mr. 
.'\inge,  president  and  treasurer;  J.  E.  Parker,  vice-presi- 
dent; and  C.  D.  Ainge,  secretary,  and  the  members  of 
the  board  of  directors  were  J.  E.  Parker,  of  the  Brier 
Hill  Steel  Company;  J.  J.  Brant,  of  the  Youngstown 
Sheet  and  Tube  Company;  W.  I.  Davies,  of  the  Ma- 
honing National  Bank:  W.  Ely  .'\inge  and  C.  D.  Ainge. 
The  company  makes  its  headquarters  in  the  Stambaugh 
building,  of  Youngstown,  O.,  its  work  all  forms  of 
public  accounting,  the  installation  of  accounting  sys- 
tems, auditing  and  investigating.  Its  clients  include 
industrial  and  commercial  houses  of  national  reputa- 
tion, and  under  Mr.  Ainge's  capable  direction  its  business 
has  increased  to  an  impressive  size,  employing  a  con- 
siderable  force  of  highly  trained  specialists. 

Mr.  .Ainge  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  having 
been  affiliated  with  lodges  in  England,  Canada,  and  the 
United  States.  In  Liverpool,  England,  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Liverpool  Liberal  Club,  and  is  now  a  mem- 


ber of  the  Youngstown   Club.     He  and  his  family  are 
communicants  of  the  Church  of  England. 

Mr.  Ainge  married,  at  Halifa.x,  Yorkshire,  England, 
Sept.  I,  1871,  Susannah  Taylor,  daughter  of  Jonas 
Darnley  and  Martha  Taylor.  Children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ainge:  Frederick  William,  born  June  11,  1872,  at  Brad- 
ford, England;  Edith  Mary,  born  Sept.  10,  1873,  at 
Bradford,  England;  Jessie  Louise,  born  Nov.  8,  1874, 
at  Brighouse.  England;  Annie  Maud,  born  Nov.  26, 
1876,  at  HaKfa.x,  England ;  Winifred  Ellen,  born  Feb. 
23,  1878,  at  Halifax,  England;  Harold  Darnley,  born 
Jan.  15,  1880,  at  Berkenhead,  Cheshire,  England;  Percy 
Taylor,  born  Feb.  24,  1884,  at  Toronto,  Canada ;  Louis 
Gilbert,  born  Oct.  16,  1885,  at  Parkdale,  Ontario,  Canada; 
Clifford  Douglass,  born  April  14,  1893,  at  Salem,  Va. 


HENRY  ARCHBOLD  CLARK,  for  a  number  of 
years  one  of  the  members  of  the  bar  in  Western  New 
York,  and  a  prominent  figure  in  the  affairs  of  the  flour- 
ishing community  of  Fredonia,  is  a  native  of  that  town, 
born  Oct.  2,  1871,  a  son  of  J.  Henry  and  Mary  (Mor- 
gan )  Clark,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  there. 
The  elder  Mr.  Clark  was  engaged  in  the  dry  goods 
business  at  Fredonia  for  a  time,  but  afterwards  became 
a  nurseryman  and  conducted  a  prosperous  enterprise 
here  until  the  close  of  his  life.  He  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers  at  Fredonia,  and  his  business  interests 
grew  up  with  the  town.  He  came  here  in  early  days 
with  his  parents,  Harmanus  C.  and  Mehitable  Clark, 
who  were  among  the  pioneers  of  Chautauqua  county. 

Henry  Archbold  Clark  attended  as  a  lad  the  local 
public  schools,  and  later  the  Fredonia  State  Normal 
School,  where  his  general  education  was  completed.  He 
was  a  young  man  of  great  ambition,  and  in  youth  de- 
termined upon  a  professional  career,  his  choice  being 
the  law.  Accordingly,  in  1891,  he  entered  the  law  of- 
fice of  Lorenzo  Morris,  one  of  the  leading  attorneys 
of  his  day  in  Fredonia,  and  there  took  up  the  study  of 
his  chosen  subject.  This  he  pursued  to  such  good  pur- 
pose that  in  1896  he  was  admitted  to  the  New  York  bar, 
and  immediately  afterwards  formed  a  co-partnership 
with  Arthur  R.  Moore  and  began  the  practice  of  his 
profession  at  Fredonia.  The  firm  of  Moore  &  Clark 
continued  in  existence  until  Jan.  i.  i8g8,  when  it  was 
dissolved  by  the  mutual  consent  of  the  partners,  and 
Mr.  Clark  has  continued  in  practice  by  himself  ever 
since.  From  the  outset  of  his  active  career,  Mr.  Clark 
has  enjoyed  the  entire  confidence  and  esteem  of  both 
his  fellow  attorneys  and  the  community-at-large  for  his 
legal  ability  and  the  high  standard  of  professional  eth- 
ics he  has  consistently  maintained.  His  character  is 
preeminently  fitted  for  success  at  the  bar,  his  naturally 
alert  and  trenchant  intellect  and  strong  personality  hav- 
ing been  supplemented  by  a  profound  knowledge  of 
jurisprudence  and  a  wide  experience  in  legal  matters. 
Mr.  Clark  has  always  been  keenly  interested  in  outdoor 
pastimes,  and  has  participated  in  them  largely  from 
early  youth,  especially  in  hunting  and  fishing,  having 
spent  much  of  his  leisure  time  in  the  pursuit  of  these 
sports.  He  is  also  a  devoted  automobilist,  and  was 
one  of  the  first  men  in  Fredonia  to  own  a  motor  car. 
He  is  well  known  in  social  circles  at  Fredonia,  and  is 
much  esteemed  by  his  fellow-citizens. 


;sj 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


THOMAS  WALTER  MOSHER— Succeeding  his 
father  as  secretary  of  the  Westfield  Lumber  and  Coal 
Company,  Thomas  W.  Mosher  has  also  followed  him 
in  many  relations  to  the  life  of  his  town,  civic,  fraternal 
and  religious.  The  elder  Mosher  was  Francis  Reed 
Mosher.  who  was  born  near  the  village  of  Ripley,  Feb. 
20.  1S43.  He  attended  the  schools  of  his  birthplace, 
and  in  iSoj  became  a  resident  of  Westfield.  where  his 
after  life  was  spent.  In  iSyS  he  began  the  operation  of 
a  shingle  mill  at  Skinner's  Glen,  afterwards  moving  to 
Chestnut  street,  where  a  planing  mill  was  established. 
In  1S90  the  business  was  incorporated  with  W.  J. 
Madigan.  president:  James  Madigan,  vice-president; 
Dennis  Madigan.  treasurer,  and  Mr.  Mosher,  secretary ; 
and  its  operations  have  been  conducted  successfully  and 
along  expanding  lines  to  the  present  time.  In  1878  Mr. 
Mosher  purchased  some  timber  on  the  west  side  of 
Chautauqua  creek,  and  four  years  later  he  purchased 
the  coal  business  of  R.  L.  .\dams,  his  yards  on  the  Lake 
Shore  &  Michigan  Southern  Railroad,  and  subsequently 
his  coal  and  lumber  interests  were  merged  as  the  West- 
field  Lumber  and  Coal  Company. 

Francis  R.  Mosher  occupied  an  important  place  in 
his  community.  He  was  four  times  elected  to  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  \\'e5tfield,  was  twice  elected  a 
member  of  the  Water  Board,  and  in  1901  was  elected 
president  of  the  village  of  Westfield.  He  was  a  capable, 
dependable  public  officer,  and  discharged  his  official 
duties  efficiently  and  well.  Until  his  death  he  was  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  his  Masonic 
bodies  were  Summit  Lodge,  No.  219.  Free  and  .\ccepted 
Masons,  of  which  he  was  master:  Westfield  Chapter. 
Xo.  239.  Royal  .Arch  Masons ;  and  Dunkirk  Comman- 
dery.  No.  40.  Knights  Templar.  He  was  chief  of  the 
Westfield  Fire  Department  and  one  of  the  oldest  mem- 
bers of  that  body.  He  was  respected  for  the  position 
he  won  for  himself  through  his  own  unaided  efforts, 
and  he  held  the  affectionate  regard  of  a  wide  circle  of 
friends  through  admirable  qualities  of  mind  and  heart. 
His  death  occurred  July  12,  1012. 

Francis  R.  Mosher  married,  Dec.  1 1,  1872,  Grace 
Harper,  of  Westfield.  and  they  were  the  parents  of : 
Elizabeth  R..  died  in  1906,  bookkeeper  in  the  employ  of 
her  father's  firm  and  very  active  in  church  work:  Agnes 
F..  died  in  1915:  and  Thomas  Walter,  of  whom  fur- 
ther mention  is  made. 

Thomas  Walter  Mosher,  son  of  Francis  R.  and  Grace 
C  Harper  I  Mosher,  was  born  in  Westfield,  N.  'S'..  .April 
'3.  '883.  He  attended  the  grammar  and  high  school  of 
Westfield.  and  began  his  active  career  in  his  father's 
employ,  learning  the  details  of  the  business  and  gain- 
ing a  thorough  and  exact  knowledge  of  lumber.  Upon 
the  death  of  Francis  R.  Mosher  he  became  secretary  of 
the  Westfield  Lumber  and  Coal  Company,  an  office  he 
has  since  fdled.  In  1911  the  comfiany  built  a  two-story 
planing  mill,  sixty  feet  square,  with  a  separate  engine 
room.  Steam  power  is  used  in  the  mill,  where  dressed 
lumber  for  all  uses  is  prepared  for  the  trade.  Their 
equipment  includes  a  dry  kiln,  sixty  by  sixteen  feet,  with 
a  capacity  of  one  car  or  twenty  thousand  feet  of  linn- 
ber,  and  the  company  carries  a  full  stock  of  lumber, 
coal,  cement,  lime,  wall  board  and  roofing.  .Mr.  .Mosher, 
a<>  a  Kcpublican.  is  serving  in  his  second  term  (1919) 
as  a  village  trustee.     His  religious  faith  is  Presbyterian. 


He  is  a  member  of  the  local  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
the  Citizens'  Club,  the  Masonic  Club,  and  his  fraternal 
associations  are  with  the  Masonic  order  and  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  is  a  well  known 
citizen  of  Westfield,  interested  and  active  in  all  that 
promises  good  for  the  town. 

Mr.  Mosher  married,  Sept.  i,  1909,  at  Hoosic  Falls, 
Marcia  Jones,  of  that  place,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  Francis  W..  Jeanne  Marea,  .Allen  Reed,  and  Lois 
Elizabeth. 


ROBERT  EBENEZER  JONES,  secretary  of  the 
Elite  Furniture  Company,  was  born  in  Jamestown,  N. 
v..  Jan.  14.  1881.  the  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Harriet 
(Warren)  Jones,  the  former  named  born  in  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.,  May  4,  1837,  died  April  7,  1896,  and  the  latter 
named  born  in  Trenton,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  23,  1848.  died  in 
Jamestown,  Oct.  31,  1889.  Ebenezer  Jones  was  a 
sergeant  in  Company  H,  2nd  Colorado  Cavalry  during 
the  Civil  War,  and  for  several  years  previous  to  his 
death  was  the  president  of  the  Jamestown  Furniture 
Company.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ebenezer  Jones  were  bom 
tliree  children :  Warren  Charles,  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty  years;  Robert  Ebenezer,  of  whom  further; 
Mabel  Rosina,  now  with  the  James  Prendergast  Free 
Public  Library,  Jamestown. 

After  leaving  the  Jamestown  High  School,  Robert 
Ebenezer  Jones  entered  the  Jamestown  National  Bank 
as  messenger,  which  bank  consolidated  with  the  Chau- 
tauqua County  Trust  Company,  now  the  National  Chau- 
tauqua County  Bank.  Here  he  was  advanced  to  paying 
teller,  but  later  was  forced  to  give  up  this  position 
owing  to  his  impaired  health.  In  1910,  after  having 
spent  a  year  and  a  half  in  recuperating,  he  became  as- 
sociated with  the  Elite  Furniture  Company  and  was 
placed  in  charge  of  the  office,  subsequently  being  elected 
secretary  of  the  organization,  wdiich  position  he  still 
holds.  Mr.  Jones  is  affiliated  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  has  been  secretary  of  Mt. 
Tabor  Lodge.  No.  780.  since  1910.  Mr.  Jones  has  con- 
tributed for  this  historical  work  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows  section.  He  is  a  member  of  the  First 
Congregational  Church  of  Jamestown.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Republican. 

On  June  21.  1906.  Mr.  Jones  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Mary  Elizabeth  Giles,  daughter  of  Joseph  H.  and 
Nancy  Irene  Giles,  well  known  residents  of  Elmira, 
N.  Y.,  and  later  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Jones  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Harriet  Irene. 


ALEXANDER  A.  CASTLE— Atriong  the  honored 
citizens  of  Jamestown  must  lie  numbered  Alexander  A. 
Castle,  who  is  now  living  a  retired  life  in  that  city.  He 
is  a  native  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  born  Dec.  19,  1853.  He  is 
the  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Garden)  Castle,  well  known 
residents  of  that  city. 

His  early  education  was  received  in  the  public  and 
higher  schools  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and  after  gradu- 
ation he  entered  into  the  business  world  and  followed 
the  cement  business.  In  this  occupation  he  remained 
until  he  retired.  By  his  ballot  Mr.  Castle  supports  the 
men  and  measures  of  the  Re[)ublican  party,  but  he  has 
never    sought    for    office,    though    he    served    as    street 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


583 


commissioner  for  a  number  of  years.  He  is  financially 
connected  with  the  Farmers  and  Mechanics  Bank  of 
Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and  as  a  public-spirited  citizen  gives 
his  support  to  all  enterprises  for  the  public  good.  The 
family  are  members  of  the  Congregational  church,  and 
are  highly  respected  by  all  who  know  them. 

On  May  16,  1888,  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Castle 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Marie  Godfred,  born 
March  4,  1859,  a  daughter  of  John  H.  Godfrey,  who 
was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  and  Harriet  (Thomas)  God- 
frey, who  was  born  in  Warren,  Warren  county.  Pa. 
To  this  union  has  been  born  one  child,  Don.  W.  Castle, 
born  July  3,  1890.  He  was  superintendent  of  the  Fiber 
Plant  at  Tonawanda  for  a  number  of  years,  but  later 
went  to  the  McKinsey  Chain  Factory  as  superintendent 
and  remained  with  them  seven  years.  However,  he 
resigned  in  order  to  accept  the  position  of  superinten- 
dent of  Spaldings  Fiber  Factory,  which  he  now  holds. 


ROY  W.  KENT— The  W.  L.  Kent  Creamery, 
founded  by  W.  L.  Kent,  who  is  of  extended  mention 
elsewhere  in  this  work,  was  a  family  business,  and  after 
the  death  of  the  founder  was  continued  by  Mrs.  Maude 
E.  Kent,  his  widow,  assisted  by  her  sons  and  daugh- 
ters.    Mrs.  Kent  later  retired  from  the  business. 

Roy  W.  Kent,  son  of  William  L.  and  Maude  E. 
(Policy)  Kent,  was  born  at  Watts  Flats,  town  of  Har- 
mony, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  22,  1886.  He 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  and  since  leaving 
school  has  been  engaged  as  a  farmer  and  milk  dealer. 
For  a  time  he  was  associated  with  his  father  in  the  op- 
eration of  the  W.  L.  Kent  Creamery  in  Jamestown,  and 
in  that  city  he  is  engaged  at  the  present  time  (1920)  as 
a  milk  dealer.  He  has  prospered  in  business  and  has 
acquired  residence  property  in  Jamestown,  the  house 
wherein  he  resides  at  No.  127  Pennsylvania  avenue  and 
another  at  No.  loi  Connecticut  avenue.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  church,  the  Fraternal  Order  of 
Eagles,  and  in  political  affiliations  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Kent  married,  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  July  5,  1905, 
Sadie  Elizabeth  Parsons,  born  in  Jamestown.  May  23, 
1886,  daughter  of  John  A.  and  Sarah  Elizabeth  (Jacobs) 
Parsons,  her  father  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  her 
mother  in  Boston,  Mass.  I\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Kent  are  the 
parents  of  three  children :  Roy  Parsons,  born  .'\ug.  7, 
1907;  Earl  Henry,  born  March  28,  1909;  Pearl  Alice, 
born  Oct.  2.  1917. 


ERNEST  ADDISON  WILLIAMS,  a  respected 
and  prosperous  farmer  of  Ellington,  Chautauqua 
county.  N.  Y..  a  lifelong  resident  in  the  county,  and 
whose  life  is  a  record  of  honest,  industrious  and  suc- 
cessful production,  good  neighborliness  and  unselfish 
community  service,  was  born  in  Gerry,  Oct.  29.  1874, 
the  son  of  Volney  Murray  and  Frances  Marilla 
(Thomas)  Williams.  His  mother  was  a  native  of  the 
State  of  Missouri,  but  his  father  was  born  in  Gerry, 
and  thus  he  comes  of  a  family  which  for  at  least  three 
generations  have  been  resident  in  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y. 

Ernest  Addison  Williams  passed  the  usual  years  of 
elementary  study  in  the  public  schools  and  eventually 
became  a  student  at  the  Ellington  High  School. 


Mr.  Williams  is  not  a  member  of  any  fraternal  or 
benevolent  orders,  neither  does  he  belong  to  any  clubs, 
but  in  politics  he  is  a  loyal  Republican,  and  in  his  quiet 
way  had  done  what  he  could  to  further  the  cause  of  the 
party  in  his  district,  although  he  has  never  held  nor 
sought  political  office.  He  is  an  earnest  churchman, 
member  of  the  Congregational  church,  and  a  substantial 
supporter  of  the  church  he  and  his  family  attend. 

Air.  Williams  married,  March  11,  1897,  at  Ellington, 
N.  Y.,  Hattie  Julia  Davis,  born  Feb.  i,  1878,  daughter 
of  Leroy  W.  Davis,  born  Feb.  27,  1843,  at  Ellington, 
N.  Y.,  and  Julia  A.  (Bush)  Davis,  born  Aug.  29,  1841, 
at  Conewango,  N.  Y.  Her  ancestry,  in  the  maternal 
line,  connects  with  the  Bush  family  of  Colonial  record, 
her  maternal  ancestors  including  Enos  Bush,  a  worthy 
soldier  of  known  record  during  the  War  of  1812.  To 
Ernest  Addison  and  Hattie  Julia  (Davis)  Williams 
have  been  bom  two  children  :  i.  Doris  Ernestine,  born 
Feb.  10,  1904.    2.  Harold  Murray,  born  Nov.  10,  1909. 


CLAUD  D.  HASKIN,  a  successful  contractor  in 
stone  and  brick  works  in  Maple  Springs,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  was  born  in  Ellery  township,  Nov.  4, 
1868,  a  son  of  Warren  and  Rhoda  (Vanderwark)  Has- 
kin,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  that  place, 
where  the  Haskin  family  had  made  its  home  for  some 
time  prior  to  the  birth  of  the  elder  Mr.  Haskin.  War- 
ren Haskin  followed  the  occupation  of  farming  all  his 
life,  and  it  was  in  the  healthful,  rural  environment  of 
the  farm  that  Claud  D.  Haskin  was  reared. 

During  the  winter  months  he  attended  the  local  com- 
mon schools  and  there  gained  his  education.  Upon 
completing  his  studies,  he  was  apprenticed  to  S.  S. 
Haskin.  his  uncle,  a  mason,  and  he  learned  the  trade 
that  he  has  ever  since  followed.  Eventually  he  set  by 
enough  capital  from  his  earnings  to  engage  in  business 
on  his  own  account,  and  since  1892  has  done  a  large  and 
constantly  growing  business  so  that  he  is  now  well 
known,  not  only  in  Maple  Springs,  but  in  the  entire  re- 
gion surrounding  it  and  has  handled  many  building 
jobs.  Mr.  Haskin  is  not  known  only  as  a  contractor, 
but  as  a  man  who  is  always  actively  interested  in  the 
general  aflfairs  of  Maple  Springs.  In  politics  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Democratic  party,  while  his  fraternal 
affiliation  is  with  Bemus  Point  Lodge.  No.  585,  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Chautauqua 
Encampment,  No.  54,  at  Jamestown. 

Claud  D.  Haskin  was  united  in  marriage.  Dec.  9, 
1S91,  in  the  city  of  Jamestown,  with  Helen  Leah  Cul- 
ver, born  Jan.  8,  1871,  at  Ellery,  a  daughter  of  Stephen 
and  Ida  (Romans)  Culver,  of  this  place.  Four  children 
have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Airs.  Haskin.  as  follows:  I. 
Ida,  born  Sept.  8.  1892.  died  May  19.  1915:  married. 
April  30,  1913,  Harry  Rodier,  to  whom  she  bore  one 
child,  Claudia.  2.  Ralph,  mentioned  below.  3.  Fred, 
born  Jan.  18,  1897,  died  Feb.  9,  1897.  4-  Lucille,  born 
Sept.  24.  1907. 

Ralph  Haskin,  born  May  2,  1895,  was  twenty-two 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  this  country's  entrance  into 
the  great  World  War,  and  on  Sept.  26,  1917,  he  joined 
the  307th  Regiment  of  Field  .\rtillery.  and  was  sent  to 
Camp  Dix  for  a  time.  From  there  he  was  sent  to  Camp 
Merritt,  one  of  the  chief  points  of  embarkation,  where 


^^4 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


he  joined  the  jojnd  Regiment,  Engineers,  and  sailed 
with  his  unit  tor  France,  Nov.  Ii.  1017.  There  he  saw 
much  service,  and  remained  a  considerable  time  after 
the  signing  of  the  armistice,  his  eventual  return  oc- 
curring July  J5.  1019.  He  married,  Nov.  30,  191C1, 
Edith  Lindholm,  of  Sheffield,  Pa.;  children:  Ralph,  Jr.. 
and  Gordon  T. 


FRANKLYN  DEAN  WINTER,  successful  and 
enterprising  farmer  of  extensive  properties  in  Dewitt- 
ville.  Chautauqua  county.  N.  Y.,  has  only  lived  in  the 
county  since  1917.  but  has  given  indication  that  he  is 
a  skilled  agriculturist,  and  his  modem  methods  have 
very  appreciably  increased  the  production  upon  the  167 
acres  he  owns,  and  on  the  103  adjoining  acres,  which  he 
manages  for  his  brother-in-law. 

He  was  born  in  W'atseka.  111..  May  15,  1891,  the  son 
of  William  and  Eliza  (Williamson)  Winter.  Both 
parents  are  still  living,  although  the  father  now  lives 
practically  a  retired  life.  He  was  a  farmer  in  Illinois, 
where  he  still  has  extensive  properties ;  and  he  also 
had  some  plantations  in  Mississippi,  which  still  are 
owned  by  the  family,  but  the  operation  of  them  is  now 
in  other  hands. 

Franklyn  D.  Winter  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Illinois,  and  after  leaving  school  took  in- 
dustriously and  intelligently  to  farming.  He  liked  the 
life,  and  was  possessed  of  that  temperament  which  seeks 
to  do  all  that  is  done  in  the  most  efficient  way  possible. 
He  has  been  a  close  student  of  modern  methods  of 
farming,  and  when  he  came  to  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y..  in  August,  191 7,  he  gave  indication  that  he  knew 
his  business.  He  took  over  the  management  of  two 
farms  at  Dewittville.  one  of  167  acres,  and  one  of  103 
acres,  which  belongs  to  his  brother-in-law.  The  prop- 
erty is  a  substantial  holding,  the  stock,  at  last  inventory, 
embracing  seven  horses,  twenty-one  milch  cows,  forty- 
nine  hogs,  with  sundry  other  livestock.  There  are  three 
silos,  with  capacity  for  225  tons  of  ensilage,  and  he  has 
instituted  many  improvements  upon  his  farm.  In  one 
phase  of  his  improvements,  the  raising  of  the  standard 
of  his  herd  of  milch  cows,  it  is  somewhat  early  to  ex- 
pect the  improvement  that  will  ultimately  come,  but  up 
to  the  present  his  modern  methods  of  feeding,  of  se- 
lection, of  housing,  and  of  caring  for  his  stock,  have 
brought  an  increased  milk  yield  of  about  fifty-eight  per 
cent.,  which  is  appreciable  in  so  short  a  time.  He  has 
modern  cow  barns,  gives  due  importance  to  questions 
of  hygiene  and  sanitation,  and  there  is  every  probability 
that  in  due  time  his  stock  will  be  such  as  to  bring  him 
much  credit,  as  an  up-to-date  farmer.  Withal,  he  is  a 
hard  worker,  and  although  he  has  five  hired  men,  he 
probably  works  longer  hours  than  any  of  them.  He  is 
a  Republican  in  politics,  is  a  good  churchman,  and  is  a 
very  hosiiitable  neighbor. 

Mr.  Winter  was  married,  at  Danville,  111..  Sept.  21, 
1915,  to  Genevieve  Patterson,  daughter  of  (jeorge  and 
F.li/alx-th  C  Preston)  Patterson,  late  of  Buffalo,  hut  nr)w 
of  Chautauqua  township,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  W,  and 
owner  of  the  farm  adjoining  that  of  their  son-in-law. 
Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Winter  have  two  children  :  Mary  Eliza- 
beth and  William  George. 

Mr.  Winter  is  of  that  type  of  farmer  which,  by  in- 
crcaiing    the    yield    from    .'\merican    agricultMrnl    land. 


enabled  the  nation  to  so  materially  aid  her  ill-nourished 
allies  during  the  time  of  their  greatest  need,  while  the 
great  war  raged,  and  to  supply  food  not  only  to  aUied 
peoples,  but  to  enemy  countries,  after  the  suspension  of 
hostilities.  Without  the  intelligent,  and  often  back- 
breaking  efforts  put  forth  unceasingly  by  American 
farmers,  the  world  would  have  been  very  much  more 
impoverished  during  that  period. 


FRANK  H.  BARMORE,  a  native  of  Gerry,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  has  lived  in  that  neighborhood 
throughout  practically  the  whole  of  his  life,  and  during 
that  time  has  had  an  honorable  record  of  industrious 
and  useful  enterprises,  which  have  brought  him  material 
means  of  satisfactory  extent,  and  very  many  friends. 
There  are  very  few  of  the  farmers  of  the  Gerry  dis- 
trict of  Chautauqua  county  who  do  not  know  Frank 
H.  Barmore,  and  few  whom  he  has  not  at  some  time 
served  in  his  industrial  capacity.  He  has  honestly  plied 
his  trade,  is  a  fast,  skillful  worker  and  has  always  en- 
deavored to  give  value  for  value.  In  that  way  he  has 
held  the  many  friends  he  has  made,  who  admire  him 
for  his  manly  qualities  and  honest  heart. 

Frank  H.  Barmore  was  born  Sept.  11,  1853.  the  son 
of  Lewis  and  Betsie  (Barker)  Barmore,  and  is  of  an 
old  Chautauqua  county  family,  at  least  three  generations 
of  the  Barmore  family  having  been  resident  in  or  near 
Gerry.  He  was  educated  in  the  Gerry  public  schools 
and  after  leaving  school  helped  his  father  in  the  work- 
ing of  the  home  farm.  Eventually  he  became  a  black- 
smith, which  has  been  his  main  occupation  since  his 
early  manhood.  He  also  possesses  a  farm,  to  which 
he  devoted  much  time,  but  which  lately  has  been  man- 
aged by  his  stepson,  Fred  B.  Bean.  In  political  alle- 
giance. Mr.  Barmore  is  a  Republican,  and  earlier  in  life 
took  a  somewhat  active  part,  especially  in  national 
questions  that  had  bearing  on  local  conditions.  He  has 
for  many  years  been  an  interested,  active  member  of  the 
Gerry  Grange. 

Mr.  Barmore  married  Alice  Bean,  widow  of  Warren 
J.  Bean,  and  daughter  of  Ezra  and  Harriet  T.  (Bone) 
Wright.  She  was  born  Dec.  25,  1855,  in  the  town  of 
Cold  Springs,  and  to  her  first  husband  she  bore  seven 
children,  six  of  whom  were  boys,  as  follows :  William 
J.,  Charles  W.,  Archibald  A.,  Fred  B.,  Frank,  Emily  L., 
and  John.  Fred  B.  Bean,  who  did  not  marry,  lives  with 
his  mother  and  stepfather,  and  manages  Mr.  Barmore's 
farm,  who  is  reaching  an  age  when  he  has  to  take 
things  less  strenuously  than  was  once  his  custom.  Mr. 
Barmore  will  be  best  remembered  as  a  blacksmith,  and 
as  such  lie  has  had  long  and  honored  connection  with 
industrial  activity  in  Chautauqua  county. 


JOSEPH  C.  COX  was  born  in  Kiantone,  N.  Y., 
.April  13,  i.S7'i.  a  son  of  Henry  Cox.  who  was  born  in 
England,  .Aug.  27,  1832,  and  Jane  (Miller)  Cox,  who  was 
born  in  England,  in  March,  1848,  well  known  and  re- 
spected residents  of  Kiantone,  N.  Y.  He  spent  his 
youth  on  his  father's  farm,  attending  school  on  "Pren- 
dergast  Flatts,"  later  coming  to  Frewsburg,  and  there 
learned  tlie  bhu-ksmith  trade  of  J.  P.  Brant,  the  leading 
smith  of  tlie  village.  Mr.  Cox  is  a  member  of  the  In- 
deprndi-nt    Order   of    Odd    I'cllows.    Lodge    No.    789,   at 


r/L     i^.y(—^         €?^  T?^'^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


585 


Frewsburg,  and  takes  an  active  part  in  its  work.  He  is 
a  man  of  excellent  purpose,  prompt,  energetic  and 
reliable.  They  reside  on  the  Myers  homestead.  In 
June,  igoo,  while  William  N.  Myers,  father  of 
Mrs.  Cox,  was  cleaning  out  a  ditch  on  his 
farm,  at  a  depth  of  three  feet,  he  found  the 
molar  or  grinding  tooth  of  the  Elephati  Americanus, 
which  weighed  three  and  a  half  pounds.  It  was  placed 
on  exhibition  in  Jamestown,  thus  enabling  many  people 
the  opportunity  of  seeing  the  relic.  It  is  in  the  pos- 
session of  Mrs.  Cox,  and  eventually,  no  doubt,  will  be 
placed  in  some  county  society  for  preservation. 

In  1903.  at  Frewsburg,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Cox  was  married 
to  Katherine  M.  Myers,  who  was  bom  May  18,  1872, 
daughter  of  William  Nelson  Myers,  who  was  born  May 
16,  1838,  and  Susan  (Boyd)  Myers,  who  was  born  June 
18,  1847.  Mrs.  Co.x  is  granddaughter  of  John  Myers, 
Sr.,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Carroll,  coming  from 
Herkimer  county  in  1814,  also  he  was  a  soldier  of  the 
Revolutionary  War.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cox  has  been 
born  one  child,  Donald  Myers,  born  Dec.  8,  191 2;  he 
is  attending  school  in  Frewsburg,  N.  Y. 


ALBERT  HALLOCK,  who  was  a  representative 
business  man  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  was  born 
in  Steuben  county,  N.  Y.  He  received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  his  native  town,  and  after  finish- 
ing his  studies  took  up  the  butcher's  trade,  in  which  he 
continues  at  the  present  time  in  Los  .\ngeles,  Cal.  Mr. 
Hallock  is  a  man  of  superior  business  qualities,  strict 
integrity  and  sterling  worth,  and  stands  high  in  the 
esteem  of  his  associates. 

Mr.  Hallock  married,  Jan.  11.  1S81,  Emma  Schoon- 
over,  a  daughter  of  Aaron  and  Rhoda  Schoonover. 
To  this  union  were  born  three  children,  as  follows: 
I.  William  A.,  of  Los  Angeles,  engaged  in  the  meat 
business ;  married  Evelyn  Marsh  ;  they  are  the  parents 
of  one  child,  .Annolee.  2.  John  S.,  of  Los  .\ngeles ; 
engaged  in  the  meat  business ;  married  Flora  Fox ; 
they  have  a  child,  J.  Norman.  3.  Pearl  H..  who  became 
the  wife  of  Carl  B.  Skinner;  they  are  the  parents  of 
two  children,  Genevieve  and  Gordon  H. 


HARRY  MILES  YOUNG— Prominent  in  the  pro- 
fession of  law,  well  known  in  agricultural  life,  a 
breeder  of  thoroughbred  cattle,  and  a  leading  citizen, 
is  Harry  Miles  Young,  of  Mayville,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y. 

Harry  Miles  Young,  son  of  John  F.  and  Sarah 
(Miles)  Young,  was  born  in  Garrettsville,  Ohio..  June 
I,  1877.  His  father  and  mother  were  both  natives  of  the 
town  of  Chautauqua  in  this  county,  married  here,  and 
went  to  Garrettsville,  Ohio,  where  Mr.  Young  con- 
ducted a  farm  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1880,  de- 
ciding to  remove  to  Chautauqua  county,  he  came  with 
his  family  and  located  on  the  Amma  Miles  farm,  three 
miles  east  of  Mayville.  Harry  Miles  Young,  his  son, 
was  then  but  three  years  of  age,  and  since  that  time  has 
continuously  lived  in  Chautauqua  county.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  district  schools  and  graduated  from  the 
Mayville  High  School,  in  1894.  For  a  short  time  after 
his  graduation,  he  taught  school,  but  always  having  had 
a  desire  to  study  law,  he  pursued  a  course  of  study  at 


the  Fredonia  Normal  School  and  Allegheny  College  at 
Meadville,  Pa.  In  1904  he  entered  the  law  office  of 
W.  H.  Tennant  of  Mayville,  and  read  law,  being  ad- 
mitted to  the  New  York  bar,  July  24,  1908.  Immedi- 
ately after  this,  he  became  a  junior  member  of  Mr. 
Tennant's  law  firm  and  practiced  with  him  for  a  year 
and  a  half.  Since  that  time  he  has  conducted  his  own 
office  and  now  enjoys  a  large  practice  and  clientele.  INIr. 
Young  has  been  active  in  the  general  life  of  the  com- 
munity, and -is  a  justice  of  the  peace.  He  has  been 
prominent  in  agricultural  affairs,  having  at  one  time 
four  farms,  consisting  of  a  total  of  980  acres,  located 
near  Mayville.  He  made  a  specialty  of  dairy  farming, 
and  breeding  registered  cattle,  and  still  retains  his 
membership  in  the  New  York  State  Holstein-Friesian 
Association;  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry, 
and  the  Chautauqua  County  Farm  Bureau.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Buffalo  Lawyers'  Club;  the  Northern 
Chautauqua  County  Bar  Association ;  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks;  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows ;  Royal  Arcanum ;  and  the  Woodmen  of 
the  World.  Politically  he  is  a  member  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  and  he  and  his  family  are  attendants  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Mayville. 

On  June  21,  191 1,  Harry  Miles  Young  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Kate  L.  Putnam,  of  Fredonia.  N.  Y. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young  were  born  two  children:  I. 
Harry  Miles,  Jr.,  born  Sept.  18,  1915,  and  died  young. 
2.  Sarah  Elizabeth,  born  .A.ug.   10,  1917. 


ZIBA  L.  SQUIRE— .\  Pennsylvanian  by  birth,  Mr. 
Squire  has  been  a  Chautauquan  for  many  years  and  is 
one  of  Celoron's  prosperous  business  men.  He  is  a 
man  of  enterprise  and  worth,  and  has  aided  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  village  in  which  he  resides;  also  the 
surrounding  district.  He  is  a  son  of  Arab  and  Perlina 
(Place)  Squire,  his  father  a  farmer  of  Wyoming 
county.  Pa. 

Ziba  L.  Squire  was  born  in  Nicholson,  Wyoming 
county.  Pa.,  May  5,  1853.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  and  was  variously  employed  until  the 
year  1893,  vifhen  he  located  in  Celoron,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  and  there  engaged  in  the  real  estate 
business.  Shortly  after  coming  to  Celoron,  Mr.  Squire 
purchased  along  the  front  of  Lake  Chautauqua,  be- 
tween Celoron  and  Lakewood,  several  thousand  feet 
of  land  lying  between  the  lake  shore  and  the  Erie 
Railroad  tracks.  This  land  was  practically  a  swamp 
at  that  time,  and  his  venture  seemed  rather  odd  to  many 
people,  but  later  they  clearly  saw  his  object  and  the 
great  development  which  took  place.  He  built  two 
canals  through  the  property,  which  drained  it.  and  the 
dirt  which  was  removed  from  the  canals  was  used  to 
fill  the  swamp,  thus  making  many  suitable  building  lots. 
At  that  time  there  were  no  houses  on  this  strip  of  land, 
but  today  there  are  hundreds  of  well-constructed  cot- 
tages and  houses.  It  can  truly  be  said  that  Mr.  Squire 
is  one  of  the  builders  of  Chautauqua  county.  Mr. 
Squire  has  served  on  various  Chautauqua  county  com- 
mittees for  the  advancement  of  the  county's  welfare, 
and  given  material  and  moral  assistance  to  the  move- 
ments of  civic  interest.  Later  Mr.  Squire  became  in- 
terested in  oil  producing  properties  in  the  oil  fields 
of   Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Wyoming  and   Texas. 


586 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Mr.  Squire  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  the  Kniglits  of  Pytliias.  Knights  of  the 
Maccabees.  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles,  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry. Jamestown  Board  of  Commerce,  and  at  one 
time  was  president  of  the  village  of  Celoron.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Republican,  and  his  religious  faith  is  that 
of  the  Church  of  Christ   (Scientist^. 

Mr.  Squire  married.  Jan.  I.  1879,  in  Nicholson,  Pa., 
Roxa  Phelps,  born  April  14.  iSoo.  daughter  of  Otis  and 
Sarepta  (Harris)  Phelps,  her  father  a  Union  soldier, 
killed  in  battle  during  the  Civil  War.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Squire  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Leah,  born  Jan. 
14.  iSSi.  at  Nicholson,  and  a  son,  Verne,  born  Aug.  20, 
iSoi.  at  Bradford.  Pa.  Verne  Squire  joined  the  United 
States  army  Nov.  12.  1917.  at  Jamestown;  went  over- 
seas Jan.  10,  1018,  served  with  the  Motor  Transport 
Corps,  and  was  honorably  discharged,  June  25,  1919. 


Regiment,  Infantry,  United  States  army,  and  was  hon- 
orably discharged,  March  31,  1919,  after  twenty-one 
months  of  service.  7.  Lillian,  born  Feb.  18,  iSg8,  died 
May  4,  i8gS.  Mr.  Penhollow,  in  1910,  erected  the  house 
on  Dunham  avenue,  Celoron,  in  which  his  widow  yet 
resides,  his  death  occurring  there  the  following  year. 


WINFIELD    SCOTT    PENHOLLOW— Learning 

the  carpenter's  trade  early  in  life,  Winlield  S.  Penhol- 
low became  an  expert  workman,  and  for  many  years  of 
his  life  was  a  well  known  contractor  and  builder  of 
the  Jamestown  district,  his  home  in  the  village  of 
Celoron,  where  he  died  and  where  his  widow.  Patience 
E.  (Silvernail)  Penhollow,  yet  resides,  her  home  on 
Dunham  avenue.  While  he  was  of  Pennsylvania  birth, 
his  parents,  Nathan  and  Adeline  (Button)  Penhollow, 
were  born  in  Chautauqua  county.  N.  Y..  his  father  a 
farmer. 

Winfield  S.  Penhollow  was  born  in  Wayne  township, 
Erie  county.  Pa.,  July  3,  1853,  and  died  in  Celoron.  N. 
Y..  April  22,  191 1.  He  was  educated  in  the  district 
schools,  and  in  early  life  learned  the  trade  of  car- 
penter. Later  he  began  contracting,  and  until  his  death 
continued  in  that  line  of  activity.  He  bore  an  excel- 
lent reputation  as  a  contractor,  and  as  a  citizen  was 
highly  esteemed.  He  was  a  member  of  Lakewood 
Ledge.  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  at- 
tended the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Celoron.  In 
political  affiliation  he  was  a  Republican.  He  was  not 
active  in  village  political  affairs,  but  was  always  helpful 
in   furthering  community  interests. 

Mr.  Penhollow  married,  in  Corry,  Pa.,  Sept.  7,  1873, 
Patience  E.  Silvernail.  born  in  Wayne  township,  .^pril 
12.  1856.  daughter  of  Stephen  V.  and  Jane  A.  (Brigtjs) 
Silvernail,  of  Corry.  Children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pen- 
hrllow:  i.  Elowyn  S.,  born  Dec.  14,  1875;  married 
Emma  Fusselman.  of  Warren.  Ohio,  and  they  have 
four  sons:  Raymond  A.,  Henry  S.,  William  R.,  and 
Clarence.  2.  Lennie  W.,  born  Feb.  12,  1877,  died  Oct. 
18,  ifSA  3.  Ethel  S.,  born  .Aug.  20,  1883;  she  became 
the  wife  of  Worthy  A.  Rolph  of  Celoron,  and  they  have 
four  children:  Eernice  L.,  Lawrence  W.,  Helen  E.,  and 
Lois  J.  4.  Cora  J.,  born  Sept.  3,  1885;  she  became  the 
wife  of  Lynn  Soule,  and  died  Jan.  9,  1908,  leaving  a 
child,  Elowcnc.  5.  Jesse  A.,  born  .^priI  27,  1892;  en- 
tered the  United  Slates  army.  March  4,  19(8,  in  Com- 
pany A.  42nd  Hattalion,  20th  Regiment,  Engineers;  he 
was  taken  sick,  and  upon  his  release  from  the  hospital 
was  transferred  to  the  43rd  Battalion;  he  was  honorably 
dischar(.'fd  at  Fort  Ontario,  Sept.  i,  1919,  his  rating 
a  musician,  his  rank  sergeant.  6.  Maude  E.,  born  March 
I,  if^/i;  b'came  the  wife  of  Morton  A.  Pratt,  of  Celo- 
ron;   he   enlisted.   July   4,    1917,   in    Company    E,    io8th 


CHARLES  L.  MELVIN— Many  years  ago  the 
Melvin  family  came  to  Chautauqua  county  and  in  the 
town  of  Arkwright,  Charles  L.  Melvin,  the  president  of 
the  village  of  Celoron,  and  his  father,  James  Melvin, 
were  born.  James  Melvin  was  a  farmer  of  Arkwright, 
and  a  man  of  industrious  habits.  He  married  Clara 
Gage,  born  in  the  town  of  Hanover,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  thus  Charles  L.  Melvin  is  thoroughly  a  Chautau- 
quan  by  birth,  heredity  and  spirit.  He  has  long  been  a 
resident  of  Celoron,  and  has  been  a  factor  in  the  growth 
and  development  of  that  village. 

Charles  L.  Melvin,  son  of  James  and  Clara  (Gage) 
Melvin,  was  born  Sept.  14,  18(39,  spent  part  of  his  youth 
at  the  home  farm  in  Arkwright  and  at  the  age  of  three 
years  upon  the  death  of  his  last  surviving  parent,  his 
father,  he  was  brought  up  by  Grandfather  Gage,  in  the 
town  of  Hanover,  where  he  gained  a  good  public  school 
education.  He  was  familiar  with  farm  labor  in  his 
early  youth,  and  in  iSgi  he  purchased  property  in 
Celoron  and  for  many  years  has  been  engaged  in  real 
estate  and  other  lines  of  business.  He  is  a  justice  of 
the  peace,  and  has  long  been  interested  in  village  af- 
fairs, having  served  as  president  of  the  village  since 
1920.  He  is  a  successful  business  man,  and  enjoys  the 
warm  regard  of  a  wide  circle  of  friends.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church. 

"Squire"  Melvin  married,  in  Forestville,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  9.  i8go.  Kate  Mary  Budd,  born  Jan. 
17,  1867,  in  Forestville,  daughter  of  Louis  and  Cather- 
ine (Greb)  Budd.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  !\Ielvin  are  the  par- 
ents of  four  children:  AUcne  I.,  born  April  18,  1893; 
Mildred  E.,  born  April  23,  1899;  Malcolm  M.,  born  Dec. 
10,  1901  ;  and  Gertrude  H.,  born  Jan.  24,  1907.  All  the 
children  reside  with  their  parents  at  the  family  resi- 
dence at  No.  46  Melvin  avenue,  which  was  erected  by 
Mr.  Melvin  on  the  avenue  named  in  his  honor. 


CHARLES  C.  SWART— A  native  son  of  Chautau- 
qua county,  where  his  years,  sixty-three,  have  been 
passed,  Mr.  Swart,  although  bavin;.,'  farming  interests 
which  are  committed  to  a  tenant,  has  for  thirty  years 
been  engaged  in  the  baggage  and  express  business  in 
the  village  of  Lakewood,  where  he  also  has  an  oil  and 
gasoline  service  station.  His  farm  lies  in  the  town  of 
Busti,  his  home  in  Lakewood.  It  has  not  been  in  busi- 
ness alone  that  Mr.  Swart  has  gained  prominence,  but 
as  a  citizen  he  has  taken  active  part  in  the  development 
of  the  village  of  Lakewood  and  has  given  much  time  to 
the  public  service.  Charles  C.  Swart  is  a  son  of  Clem- 
ence  Swart,  born  in  Strassburg,  Germany,  and  his  wife, 
Roena  (Sullivan)  Swart,  born  in  Clymer,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y. 

Charles  C.  Swart  was  born  in  the  town  of  Harmony, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  April  9,  1857.  He  attended 
public   school   and   until  attaining  man's  estate   was  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


587 


father's  farm  assistant.  When  starting  business  hfe  on 
his  own  account,  he  continued  in  the  same  occupation, 
and  until  locating  in  Lakewood  cultivated  his  own  farm 
in  Busti  very  successfully.  In  1890  he  began  the  team- 
ing, baggage  and  express  business  in  Lakewood,  to 
which  he  has  now  added  an  automobile  service  station, 
having  the  assistance  of  his  sons  in  conducting  these 
lines  of  business  activity.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Pa- 
trons of  Husbandry,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  the  United  Brethren  church.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Republican,  his  service  to  the  village  comprising 
seven  years  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education, 
and  four  years  as  village  trustee,  part  of  the  time  serv- 
ing as  president  of  the  board. 

Mr.  Swart  married,  in  Harmony,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  Jan.  15.  1879,  Polly  J.  Alexander,  born  in  Har- 
mony, Feb.  22.  1856,  daughter  of  Alpheus  and  Rachel 
(Wellman)  Alexander,  both  parents  born  in  Harmony, 
her  father  a  farmer.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Swart  are  the  par- 
ents of  four  children:  Alfred  C,  born  Oct.  9,  1882, 
married  Rose  Nichols:  C.  Archie,  born  Dec.  10,  1884, 
married  Eva  Duffy;  Lafayette,  born  Jan.  16,  1SS8,  mar- 
ried Myrtle  Maring,  and  they  have  two  sons:  Lafayette. 
Jr.,  and  Charles  A. ;  Ada  R.,  born  July  6,  1895,  now 
(1921)   residing  at  home. 


GEORGE  BURNHAM  MARTIN— Aaron  Martin, 
with  his  sons.  Captain  William  and  Isaac  Martin,  came 
from  Columbia  county,  N.  Y.,  in  181 1,  and  settled  in  the 
town  of  Busti,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  Aaron  Mar- 
tin was  the  founder  of  the  Martin  family  in  Chautauqua 
county,  a  family  that  has  been  prominent  in  the  county 
for  a  century. 

Capt.  William  Martin,  grandfather  of  George  B. 
Martin,  was  born  at  Claverack,  Columbia  county,  N.  Y., 
Nov.  7.  1789,  and  died  Sept.  13.  1875.  at  his  farm  in  the 
town  of  Kiantone,  Chautauqua  county.  He  came  with 
his  father  to  the  town  of  Busti,  in  181 1,  and  with  his 
brother,  Isaac  Martin,  took  up  lot  No.  23,  township  i, 
range  11.  in  what  is  now  Kiantone,  and  there  the  greater 
part  of  his  after  life  was  spent.  In  1828  he  returned  to 
Busti  and  the  old  farm  in  order  to  care  for  his  father's 
family,  and  there  he  remained  until  about  the  year  1847, 
when  he  came  to  his  own  home  in  Kiantone  and  there 
remained  until  his  death.  William  Martin  served  as  ensign 
in  the  War  of  1812  in  the  company  of  Lieut.  William 
Forbes,  and  was  taken  prisoner  on  the  road  between 
Buffalo  and  Black  Rock  the  day  the  British  and  Indi- 
ans destroyed  Buffalo.  He  was  held  a  prisoner  until 
May  14,  1814.  then  was  released  and  later  in  the  same 
year  was  again  in  the  service.  In  1816  he  was  commis- 
sioned a  captain  of  militia.  He  was  a  strict  temperance 
man  and  whiskey  was  prohibited  among  the  farm  work- 
men, although  it  was  almost  the  universal  custom  of  the 
neighborhood  to  serve  it  to  the  farm  laborers.  He 
was  a  L'niversalist  in  religious  faith,  a  man  of  strong 
character  and  upright  life. 

Capt.  William  Martin  married,  in  1815,  Roxy  Pier, 
of  Busti,  N.  Y.,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing named  children :  Isaac.  Adaline,  Abraham,  of 
whom  further :  Lorenzo.  .\.  Dewey,  Sarah  A.,  James  D., 
Lois  A.,  George  L.,  and  Elvira  A.  Mrs.  Roxy  (Pier) 
Martin  died  in  March,  1883,  surviving  her  husband 
eight  years. 


Abraham  Martin,  second  son  of  Captain  William  and 
Roxy  (Pier)  Martin,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Busti, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  12,  1818,  and  died  at  his 
farm  in  Kiantone,  the  same  county,  Nov.  29,  1893.  With 
the  exception  of  the  years,  1828-1840,  which  he  spent  in 
Busti  with  his  father,  Kiantone  was  his  home,  his  farm 
part  of  the  original  lot  No.  23  taken  up  by  his  father. 
He  was  a  prosperous  farmer,  and  active  in  promoting 
general  public  interests.  He  was  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, but  when  the  legal  suppression  of  the  liquor  traffic 
became  a  political  issue  he  became  an  ally  of  the  Pro- 
hibition cause.  He  was  also  in  favor  of  enfranchising 
women,  and  at  various  times  served  as  a  trustee  of 
Universalist  churches  in  Kiantone,  Frewsburg  and 
Jamestown. 

Abraham  Martin  married  Mary  E.  Burnham,  daugh- 
ter of  Eliphalet  Burnham  and  his  second  wife,  Belvidera 
(Carter)  Burnham,  and  a  descendant  of  Thomas  Burn- 
ham, who  settled  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  in  1635.  Eliphalet 
Burnham,  born  in  East  Hartford,  Conn.,  in  1770.  settled 
in  the  town  of  Pomfret  on  lot  6,  towaiship  5,  in  1805,  and 
became  one  of  the  prominent  men  of  that  town.  In  1834 
he  bought  the  paper  mill  at  Laona,  in  Pomfret,  and  was 
the  owner  until  leaving  the  State  for  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  died  Sept.  2',  1S63.  Mr.  Burnham  was  open- 
hearted,  public-spirited  and  generous,  his  house  the 
abode  of  hospitality,  the  early  settlers  and  their  families 
freely  using  it  until  their  own  homes  were  ready  for  oc- 
cupancy. He  was  a  devout  Baptist,  belonging  to  the 
church  in  Fredonia,  then  joined  the  Laona  church  by 
letter.  His  second  wife,  Belvidera  (Carter)  Burnham, 
was  the  daughter  of  Elijah  Carter,  who  settled  in  the 
town  of  Charlotte,  in  1817;  she  was  a  woman  of  fine 
mind  and  character,  described  as  an  "inveterate  worker" 
and  "pattern  of  neatness."  She  died  at  the  home  of 
her  daughter,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Martin,  in  Kiantone,  aged 
nearly  ninety  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  were  the 
parents  of  three  children:  I.  Ellen  A.,  born  Jan.  16, 
1847 ;  she  was  the  first  woman  law  student  in  Chautau- 
qua county:  in  1871  she  began  the  study  of  law  with 
Cook  &  Lockwood,  and  two  years  later  entered  the  law 
school  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  whence  she  was 
graduated  in  1875 1  '"  January,  1876,  she  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  the  same  year 
began  the  practice  of  her  profession  in  Chicago,  where 
she  became  a  successful  lawyer  and  long  continued  in 
practice.  2.  Willis  E.,  born  June  13,  1850.  married 
Edith  Morris :  he  was  treasurer  of  the  H.  K.  Porter 
Locomotive  Works  of  Pittsbur.gh,  Pa.,  where  he  re- 
sided for  a  number  of  years.  3.  George  Burnham.  of 
whom  further. 

George  Burnham  Martin,  youngest  of  the  children  of 
Abraham  and  Mary  E.  (Burnham)  Martin,  was  born  in 
Carroll,  now  Kiantone,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y..  June 
3,  1853,  and  died  at  his  farm  in  Kiantone,  .April  29,  1896. 
He  was  a  graduate  of  Jamestown  High  School  and 
Princeton  College,  receiving  his  degree  of  A.  B.  from 
Princeton  in  1876.  He  did  some  teaching  and  tutoring 
and  about  this  time  of  his  life  pursued  a  course  in  the- 
ology at  the  Union  Theological  Seminary  in  New  York 
City,  later,  however,  following  the  life  of  a  farmer.  He 
was  a  man  of  intellect  and  high  character,  greatly  be- 
loved by  all  who  knew  him.  and  was  highly  regarded  in 
Kiantone. 


588 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Mr.  Martin  married,  in  Kiantone.  July  2.  1878.  Telia 
Evans,  born  in  the  town  of  Carroll,  June  8,  1853,  daugh- 
ter of  Addis  and  Helen  (Traver)  Evans.  Mrs,  Telia 
(Evans")  Martin  survives  her  husband,  and  in  1909 
bought  her  present  farm  consisting  of  twenty-one  acres 
at  Cheney's  Point  in  North  Harmony,  her  postoffice, 
Ashville,  R.  F.  D.  63.  Her  only  son.  Frederick  P. 
Martin,  born  May  8,  i88j,  in  Effingham,  Kan.,  resides 
with  his  mother.  Margaret  Helen,  the  only  daughter, 
bom  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  12,  18S7,  became  the 
wife  of  Maynard  T.  Strickland,  and  resides  at  Cheney's 
Point. 

MARTIN  JOSEPH  PAQUIN— Though  Martin 
Joseph  Paquin  may  be  a  native  of  Canada,  he  is  never- 
theless a  good,  staunch  .\merican,  a  citizen  who  is  a 
credit  to  his  city  and  who  endeavors  to  assist  in  the 
welfare  of  that  municipality.  In  business  he  is  pains- 
taking and  careful,  and  may  be  classed  among  the  re- 
liable jewelers  of  Jamestown. 

Born  in  Hamilton.  Canada.  Nov.  11,  1881.  Martin 
Joseph  Paquin  was  only  six  years  old  when  his  parents, 
Joseph  and  Elizabeth  Paquin.  crossed  the  border  line 
and  took  up  their  residence  in  Jamestow'n.  The  elder 
Paquin  immediately  entered  into  the  grocery  business, 
meeting  with  considerable  success.  He  is  now  deceased, 
as  is  also  his  wife.  Martin  J.  Paquin  attended  the 
parochial  schools  as  a  boy  until  seventeen  years  of  age, 
when  he  entered  the  employ  of  J.  M.  Cushman.  who 
was  in  the  jewelry  business  at  Brooklyn  square,  James- 
town. He  served  an  apprenticeship  for  three  years,  at 
the  expiration  of  which  time  he  went  into  the  store  of 
Joseph  Keiser  on  Third  street  as  a  salesman,  remaining 
with  Mr.  Keiser  for  two  years;  then,  Mr.  Keiser  selling 
out  his  business  to  Frank  Chase,  young  Paquin  remained 
with  the  new  owner  for  one  year.  He  then  had  an 
opportunity  to  better  his  position,  and  he  entered  the 
store  of  S.  P.  Carlson  on  South  Main  street,  but  at 
the  end  of  six  months  he  returned  to  Mr.  Chase,  where 
he  had  formerly  been  employed.  Eventually  Mr.  Chase 
sold  his  business,  and  Mr.  Paquin  accepted  a  position 
with  B.  L.  .\rnson  on  Main  street.  ,'\ftcr  five  years  he 
entered  into  partnership  wMth  his  employer,  the  firm 
name  being  .Arnson  &  Paquin.  This  was  in  1912.  Two 
years  later  the  young  man  sold  his  interest  in  the  busi- 
ness to  Mr.  .•'imson,  and  in  1914  established  the  store 
of  Paquin  &  Company  at  No.  103  West  Third  street, 
dealers  in  jewelry,  silverware,  etc.,  and  is  still  located 
there.  Mr.  Paquin  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Com- 
merce, of  Jamestown,  and  is  actively  interested  in  all 
its  work.  He  also  is  connected  with  the  Knights  of 
Columbus,  taking  a  prominent  part  in  the  association. 
The  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles  and  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks  are  others  of  Mr.  Paquin's 
interests,  being  affiliated  with  the  local  lodges.  He  and 
his  family  attend  the  Roman  Catholic  church. 

Martin  Joseph  Paquin  was  married  in  Jamestown, 
.■\ug.  31,  i'X>4,  to  Catherine  Clair  Cooper,  the  daughter 
of  Jamc5  Cooper,  who  was  for  several  years  prior  to 
his  death  in  the  .\rt  Metal  Company  of  Jamestown. 
Mr,  and  Mrs.  Paquin  have  one  child,  James,  who  is  at 
present  a  pupil  in  the  parochial  school.  The  greatest 
pleasure  of  Mr.  Panquin's  life  is  to  spend  his  little  va- 
cation=,  out  in  the  open.  With  his  gun  or  fishing  rorl  he 
may  be   found   tramping    for  miles   through   the   deep, 


still  woods  or  beside  some  quiet  stream  in  search  of 
the  wary  trout,  enjoying  the  life  of  the  great  out-of- 
doors. 


CHARLES  T.  CHAPMAN,  D.  D.  S.,  is  one  of  the 

well  known  professional  men  of  Mayville  and  Chautau- 
qua county,  as  was  his  father,  the  late  C.  Frank  Chap- 
man, wdio  was  a  prominent  attorney.  C.  Frank  Chap- 
man was  born  at  Woodstock,  Windham  county,  Conn., 
but  came  to  Chautauua  county  with  his  parents,  who 
settled  in  Stockton,  and  when  old  enough,  attended  the 
village  school  of  Mayville.  Later  the  young  man  en- 
tered the  law  office  of  Obed  Edson  at  Sinclairville,  in 
preparation  for  his  future  legal  studies.  He  became  a 
student  at  the  Albany  Law  School,  graduating  from  it 
in  1876.  Following  this,  he  located  in  Sinclairville, 
where  he  practiced  law  for  some  time.  He  later  moved 
to  Stockton  and  eventually,  in  1S96,  located  in  Mayville, 
continuing  the  practice  of  law  there  until  his  death, 
.•\ug.  6.   1914.  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years. 

Mr.  Chapman  was  very  active  in  all  public  affairs  con- 
nected with  Mayville,  serving  on  the  Board  of  Education 
and  the  Village  Board  for  some  years  while  he  lived 
there.  He  also  represented  the  towns  of  Stockton  and 
Charlotte.  C.  Frank  Chapman  was  a  man  highly  respected 
in  the  community  in  which  he  lived,  and  his  death  was 
greatly  lamented.  He  married  Fannie  Morris  Chapman, 
and  to  them  were  born  four  children :  Leo  L.,  a  business 
man  of  Fargo,  N.  D. ;  Lena  M.,  now  residing  at  the  home 
of  her  mother;  Anna  M.,  a  teacher  in  one  of  the  schools 
at  Utica,  N.  Y. ;  and  Dr.  Charles  T.  Chapman,  of  fur- 
ther mention. 

Dr.  Charles  T.  Chapman  received  his  early  education 
in  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of  Mayville,  taking 
the  regular  high  school  course.  After  that  he  went  to 
the  Chamberlain  Military  Institute,  at  Randolph,  N.  Y., 
where  he  received  a  course  of  military  training,  and  at 
which  he  was  commissioned  a  captain.  Following  his 
graduation  from  the  military  school  at  Randolph,  he 
pursued  a  course  in  dentistry  at  the  University  of  Buf- 
falo, from  which  he  graduated  in  1912  with  the  degree 
of  D.  D.  S.  He  passed  the  examination  of  the  State 
Dental  Board,  and  in  the  same  year  went  to  Medina, 
where  he  was  associated  with  Dr.  G.  H.  Simmonds.  He 
remained  there  but  a  short  time,  when  he  came  back 
to  Mayville  and  in  1913  opened  an  office  of  his  own, 
where  he  has  practiced  ever  since. 

Dr.  Chapman  is  a  Republican  and  greatly  interested  in 
the  political  life  of  his  home  town.  He  was  at  one  time 
a  member  of  the  School  Board  and  is  now  a  trustee  of 
the  village.  He  is  a  member  of  the  State  and  National 
Dental   societies. 

In  Mayville.  Nov.  29,  1913,  Dr.  Chapman  married 
May  Granger,  a  resident  of  that  place.  Of  this  union 
two  children  were  born  :  Mary  Anne  and  James  Morris. 
Mrs.  Chapman's  father,  Dr.  James  Granger,  was  a  den- 
tist of  Mayville.  He  was  very  active  in  all  things  con- 
nected with  Freemasonry,  being  a  Mason  of  some  prom- 
inence, a  highly  respected  gentleman,  and  a  successful 
dentist,     lie  died  in   1913. 


WILLIS  H.  WHITE,  a  prosperous  and  representa- 
tive farmer  of  Coiiewango  Valley,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.   v.,  and   for  some  years  an  overseer  of  the  poor  in 


C^^y^d^X^^Wf^ ^.^C/d^^^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


589 


that  district,  is  a  native  of  the  county,  having  been  born 
in  Ellington,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  June  8,  1880, 
the  son  of  Delos  W.  and  Martha  M.  (Main)  White,  the 
former  a  respected  and  successful  farmer  of  that  neigh- 
borhood for  the  greater  part  of  his  life. 

Willis  H.  White  in  his  young  days  attended  the 
graded  school  at  Ellington,  after  passing  through  v^fhich 
he  became  a  student  in  the  Ellington  High  School,  from 
which  he  eventually  graduated,  creditably.  Thereafter, 
until  the  present,  he  has  applied  himself  industriously, 
intelligently  and  successfully  to  farming  occupations, 
and  has  applied  many  modern  scientific  methods  to  the 
working  of  his  farm  at  Conewango  Valley.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  local  Grange,  and  is  a  conscientious 
Christian,  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
at  Conewango  Valley,  of  which  institution  he  is  a  steady 
supporter.  And  during  the  recent  war,  he  contributed 
loyally  and  unstintedly  to  the  various  national  funds 
raised  for  the  proper  prosecution  of  the  war,  in  its 
many  phases.  Also,  during  that  time  of  tension  and 
national  effort,  he,  as  a  loyal,  whole-hearted  American 
agriculturist,  applied  himself  with  even  greater  zest 
to  matters  of  production  upon  his  own  farm,  to  coop- 
erate in  the  supreme  national  effort  to  bring  such  an 
abnormal  yield  of  foodstuffs  that  this  nation  would  be 
able  to  make  up  to  its  allies  what  they,  because  of  the 
close  proximity  of  the  strife,  had  been  unable  to  pro- 
duce. What  was  the  result  of  that  effort  by  American 
farmers  is  now  history,  and  creditable  history,  and  those 
who  had  part  in  the  endeavor  have  reason  to  be  pleased 
with  the  outcome,  and  to  have  such  individual  part  duly 
noted  in  individual  history. 

Willis  H.  White  was  married  at  Ellington,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  March  27,  1907,  to  Rosa  E.  Alverson, 
born  Sept.  3,  1881,  the  daughter  of  James  W.  and  Mary 
A.  (Davis)  Alverson.  Her  father  was  born  in  Leon,  Cat- 
taraugus county,  N.  Y.,  and  lived  there  until  about  twelve 
years  old,  then  moved  to  Ellington,  and  her  mother 
belongs  to  the  Davis  family  of  Ellington,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willis  H.  White  are  the 
parents  of  three  children:  Muriel,  born  Feb.  25,  1909; 
Grace,  born  Feb.  11,  1912;  Mary  Alice,  born  Dec.  28, 
1915- 

Mr.  White  is  representative  of  the  enterprising 
younger  farmers  of  Chautauqua  county,  is  an  indefa- 
tigable worker,  a  good  and  hospitable  neighbor,  and  a 
man  of  good  integrity,  moral  and  material. 


ARTHUR  R.  GORANSON  is  reckoned  to  be  one 
of  the  foremost  musicians  in  Jamestown.  From  his 
boyhood  music  had  a  great  attraction  for  him,  forming 
the  one  great  interest  in  his  life. 

He  was  born  in  Chicago,  111.,  Dec.  i,  1889,  his  par- 
ents being  Nels  R.  and  Julia  (Jacobson)  Goranson. 
They  were  both  natives  of  Sweden,  but  came  to  Amer- 
ica before  the  birth  of  their  son  Arthur  R.,  residing  for 
a  time  in  Chicago.  Nels  R.  Goranson  was  a  teacher  of 
music  and  the  organist  and  choir  director  of  the  Swe- 
dish Zion  Church  in  Jamestown  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  Dec.  8,  1912.  His  wife  is  still 
living. 

Young  Goranson  attended  the  public  schools  of  Chi- 
cago, graduating  from  the  high  school.  After  this  he 
took  a  course  at  North  Park  College,  and  it  was  during 


this  time  that  he  decided  upon  music  as  his  future 
career.  Taking  up  the  serious  study  of  this  art  he 
entered  the  American  Conservatory  of  Music  at  Chi- 
cago, taking  the  academic  and  normal  course,  and 
after  that  the  post-graduate  course.  He  received  a 
certificate  of  efficiency,  having  completed  the  course  of 
study  in  piano  and  harmony,  testifying  as  to  his  ability 
to  be  a  teacher  in  these  branches.  Mr.  Goranson  left 
Chicago  in  1908,  going  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
taught  a  class"  in  piano  training  at  his  home.  In  the 
fall  of  1909  he  returned  to  Chicago  and  completed  his 
post-graduate  course;  he  returned  to  Jamestown  and 
resumed  the  teaching  of  music  in  the  summer  of  1910. 
About  this  time  Mr.  Goranson  became  assistant  organ- 
ist in  the  Swedish  Zion  Church,  and  in  January,  191 1, 
he  became  organist  of  the  Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  which  position  he  held  until  July,  1913,  when 
he  returned  to  the  Swedish  Zion  Church  as  organist 
and  director,  a  position  he  continued  to  hold  until  Sep- 
tember, 1917,  when  he  became  organist  and  musical 
director  at  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in 
Jamestown,  and  at  the  present  time  occupies  this  posi- 
tion. In  the  fall  of  1910  Mr.  Goranson  became  con- 
nected with  the  Jamestown  Conservatory  of  Music,  and 
since  that  time  has  been  the  teacher  of  piano,  organ  and 
cornet  playing  and  the  theory  of  music.  At  one  time 
Mr.  Goranson  was  on  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  repre- 
senting the  Third  ward.  He  also  was  connected  with 
the  Hanvey  Motor  Sales  Company,  being  vice-president 
of  it,  and  at  the  present  time  is  proprietor  of  the 
Goranson  Music  Store,  having  succeeded  J.  A.  Eck- 
man.  May  15,  1920. 

Mr.  Goranson  married,  in  Jamestown,  June  23,  1915, 
Evelyn  Lindberg,  a  resident  of  that  city.  They  have 
one  child,  Phyllis,  born  May  16,  1918. 


ELMER  E.  WILLING,  respected  and  successful 
farmer,  well  known  to  agriculturists  in  the  Westfield 
section  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  prominent  in  the 
functioning  of  Volusia  Grange,  and  a  member  of  the 
Republican  county  committee,  comes  of  one  of  the 
pioneer  families  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  His 
family  has  been  in  the  county  for  a  century,  in  fact, 
his  father,  a  century  ago,  came  to  live  on  the  tract  now 
tilled  by  him,  and  he  was  born  in  the  house  in  which  he 
has  lived  all  his  life,  with  the  exception  of  two  years. 

Elmer  E.  Willing  was  born  Feb.  28,  1861,  the  son  of 
William  J.  and  Sarah  (Parment)  Willing.  In  his  youth 
he  attended  the  district  school  nearest  to  his  home,  and 
long  before  he  finally  closed  his  schooling  he  had  be- 
come skilled  in  many  of  the  minor  tasks  of  farm  life. 
After  leaving  school,  he  applied  himself  busily  to  the 
affairs  of  his  father's  farm,  and  when  his  father  died, 
and  the  property  passed  to  his  brother  and  himself,  in 
equal  shares,  they  became  business  partners,  and  jointly 
cultivated  the  land  until  the  former's  death.  Isaac 
Jenkins  Willing,  brother  of  Elmer  E.  Willing,  never 
married,  and  at  his  death,  which  occurred  Jan.  21,  1916, 
the  farm  became  the  property  of  the  surviving  brother, 
Elmer  E.  It  is  a  well-improved  tract  of  114  acres, 
there  is  an  extensive  vineyard,  and  the  balance  of  the 
acreage  is  well  adapted  for  the  purpose  to  which  it  has 
been  put.  dairying  and  general  farming. 

Mr.  Willing  is  a  Presbyterian   by   descent  and   con- 


590 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


viction.  but  there  being  no  church  of  his  faith  within 
convenient  distance  of  his  farm,  he  and  his  family  at- 
tend the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  to  which  he  con- 
tributes consistently.  He  is  interested  in  all  things 
relating  to  agriculture,  and  for  many  years  has  been 
a  member  of  the  farmers'  fraternal  organization,  the 
Grange :  he  is  a  past  master  of  Volusia  Grange,  and  also 
its  present  overseer.  In  political  movements  he  has 
taken  some  part,  but  he  has  not  concerned  himself 
actively  in  the  majority  of  national  political  campaigns, 
although  he  has  been  a  loyal  member  of  the  Republican 
party.  In  his  district,  however,  he  is  a  factor  of  some 
consequence  in  political  matters,  and  has  held  some 
offices  in  the  local  administration,  including  those  of 
collector  and  constable. 

On  Jan.  20.  1S87,  Mr.  Willing  married  Minnie  Eliza- 
beth Swartz,  of  the  same  township.  They  were  the 
parents  of  three  children,  two  of  whom  they  succeeded 
in  rearing.  The  deceased  child.  Ruth,  whose  fine  na- 
ture caused  them  to  love  her  with  parental  devotion, 
was  a  student  at  the  Westfield  High  School  when  she 
became  sick  and  died,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years, 
just  as  she  appeared  to  be  blossoming  into  a  becom- 
ing womanhood.  It  was  a  sad  blow  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Elmer  E.  Willing,  but  the  keenness  of  the  loss  has  been 
tempered  by  the  realization  that  they  still  have  two 
devoted  daughters,  who  have  both  remained  with  them. 
These  two.  the  surviving  children  of  Elmer  E.  and 
Minnie  Elizabeth  (Swartz)  Willing,  are:  i.  Alice 
Irene,  who  was  educated  in  the  district  and  Westfield 
high  schools,  and  afterwards,  having  decided  to  enter 
the  teaching  profession,  at  the  State  Normal  School  at 
Fredonia,  from  which  she  graduated  and  went  into  pro- 
fessional life  in  due  course.  For  seven  years  she  was 
a  teacher  in  Chautauqua  county  schools,  but  recently 
she  has  remained  home  with  her  parents.  2.  Dorothy 
Esther,  who  was  educated  at  the  district  and  Westfield 
high  schools,  and  has  since  remained  at  home. 

By  reason  of  the  association  of  his  family  with  the 
pioneers  of  Chautauqua  county,  Elmer  E.  Willing  has 
a  right  to  inclusion  in  county  history,  and  also  by  reason 
of  his  own  steadfastness  of  purpose,  many  decades  of 
activity  in  useful  productiveness  and  material  indepen- 
dence, his  interest  in  all  things  pertaining  to  Chautau- 
qua county,  and  the  esteem  and  respect  felt  for  him 
by  other  responsible  Chautau(|ua  county  people  should 
be  sufficient  to  gain  him  note  in  the  wurk.  He  is  much 
esteemed  in  his  own  community,  is  well  known  among 
agriculturists  in  other  sections  of  the  county,  and  he 
appears  to  be  universally  liked. 


HENRY  SHERMAN  STRUNK— The  Strunk  fam- 
ily formed  an  im[)ort,:nt  rlemenf  of  the  community  in 
the  town  of  Ellicott.  .About  the  year  1750,  Henry 
Strunk  and  his  sister,  Katharine  Strunk,  arrived  in 
New  York  from  the  north  of  Germany.  Henry  worked 
for  five  years  and  Katharine  for  three  years  to  pay 
their  passage  money.  Later  Henry  Strunk  settled  at 
Troy.  N.  Y.,  where  he  died  in  old  age,  leaving  ten 
childr'-n.  John  .Strunk,  eighth  son,  and  Jonas  Simmons 
came  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  in  1809.  Jonas  SiTumons, 
who-c  wife  was  Elsie  CStrunk)  .Simmons,  settled  on 
what  has  later  been  known  as  the  Gilbert  Strunk  farm 
at   Fluvanna,  and  John  Strunk  located  on  the  Dwight 


Stnuik  farm  northwest  of  Jamestown.  The  Simmons' 
family  had  fifteen  children,  of  whom  thirteen  came  with 
them,  while  John  Strunk  and  wife  brought  si.x  chil- 
dren with  them  into  the  wilderness.  Jacob  Strunk,  an 
elder  brother  of  John  Strunk,  brought  his  wife  and  ten 
children  from  the  old  homestead  in  Rensselaer  county 
to  Chautauqua  county  in  1816.  From  that  day  to  this 
the  Strunk  family  have  been  prominent  in  this  part  of 
Chautauqua  county,  intermarrying  with  many  of  the  old 
families  of  the  county,  and  developing  a  family  history 
that  every  member  of  the  family  may  well  be  proud 
of.  There  are  few  of  the  old  families  in  the  town  of 
Ellicott  that  are  not  related  in  some  way  to  the 
Strunks. 

Henry  Sherman  Strunk,  whose  career  is  herein 
traced,  is  a  descendant  of  Jacob  Strunk,  aforemen- 
tioned, his  parents,  Charles  R.  Strunk,  born  in  Flu- 
vanna, and  Amy  (Sherman)  Strunk,  born  in  the  town 
of  Ellicott,  being  lifelong  residents  of  that  section. 
Charles  R.  Strunk  was  a  prosperous  farmer,  a  man 
well  liked  and  highly  esteemed. 

Henry  Sherman  Strunk  was  born  at  the  homestead 
in  the  town  of  Ellicott,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Aug. 
3,  1869,  and  is  now  (1921)  an  honored,  substantial 
farmer  of  his  native  town.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  and  Jamestown  Business  College,  his 
years  of  school  life  having  been  well  improved.  His 
entire  business  life  has  been  devoted  to  agriculture  in 
its  varied  forms,  and  he  has  caused  his  acres  to  yield 
him  profitable  returns.  He  is  a  man  of  enterprise  and 
progress,  standing  well  in  the  community  in  which  his 
life  has  been  passed.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of 
Husbandry,  an  official  of  the  local  grange,  and  a  Re- 
publican in  politics. 

Mr.  Strunk  married,  in  Jamestown,  Oct.  21,  1897, 
Aurilla  Sherman,  born  March  3,  1872,  in  Columbus, 
Pa.,  daughter  of  Ira  G.  and  Frances  (Bull)  Sherman, 
and  granddaughter  of  Gideon  Sherman,  a  prosperous 
farmer  and  cattle  buyer  of  the  town  of  Busti,  in  the 
part  that  is  now  Ellicott.  Ira  G.  Sherman  was  born  in 
Ellicott,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.„  and  his  wife  was 
born  in  England.  Mrs.  Strunk  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Strunk 
are  the  parents  of  two  children :  Hazel  AUene,  born 
Sept.  9,  1898,  an  e.xpert  bookkeeper  in  the  employ  of 
the  Pennsylvania  Gas  Company  in  Jamestown;  Charles 
Henry,  born  April  iS,  i()02,  a  clerk  in  the  Bank  of 
Jamestown. 


R.  LISTON  SPENCER,  a  well  known  agriculturist, 
residing  on  lot  13,  Kiantone  township,  N.  Y.,  was  born 
in  Kiantone,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  13,  l86g,  and  is  the  son  of 
Smith  Spencer,  born  in  Kiantone,  Aug.  28,  1820,  and 
Marv  Ann  (King)  Spencer,  born  in  Ashville,  N.  Y., 
Nov^  18,  1838. 

R.  Liston  Spencer  received  his  early  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  Kiantone  and  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and 
Jamestown  Business  College.  After  finishing  his 
studies,  he  spent  several  years  at  office  and  mill  work 
in  Jamestown  and  Frewsburg,  N.  Y.,  and  Hazelhurst, 
Pa.  In  190J,  he  returned  to  the  old  homestead  in  Kian- 
tone, now  known  as  Eastview  Farm,  a  part  of  which 
was  purchased  by  Mr.  Spencer's  grandfather,  Charles 
Spencer,    from    the    Holland    Land    Company,    in    1818, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


591 


the  latter  named  having  come  to  Chautauqua  county  in 
1816.  Mr.  Spencer's  great-grandfather  Smith  came  to 
Chautauqua  county  in  1817.  R.  Liston  Spencer  de- 
voted his  time  to  general  farming,  in  which  occupa- 
tion he  continues  at  the  present  time.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Spencer  votes  independently.  He  is  connected  finan- 
cially with  the  Farmers'  and  Mechanics'  Bank  of 
Jamestown.  He  is  prominent  in  social  circles  as  well 
as  business  circles,  being  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
the  Maccabees;  Dairymen's  League:  Farm  Bureau, 
and   the   Grange. 

On  Sept.  8,  1894,  at  Kantone,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Spencer 
married  Hattie  Bell  Wright,  born  Dec.  I,  1871,  a 
daughter  of  Joel  L.  Wright,  born  at  Knoxborough, 
N.  Y.,  Sept.  23,  1843.  and  Emily  Francisco  Wright, 
born  at  Augusta,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  22,  1846.  To  this  union 
have  been  born  four  children:  Iva  May,  born  Aug.  17, 
1896:  Fern  Isabelle,  born  July  17,  189S:  Mildred  Eliza- 
beth, born  May  30,  1901;  and  Marion  Emily,  born  May 
10,  1906,  died  March  30,  1909. 

In  conclusion  would  say  that  Mr.  Spencer  is  a  man 
of  superior  business  ability,  of  strict  integrity  and 
sterling  worth,  stands  high  in  the  esteem  of  his  asso- 
ciates, and  has  a  host  of  close  friends  throughout  his 
native  township. 


FRANK  WORTHINGTON  SMITH,  owner  of  the 
oldest  grist  mill  in  the  town  of  Chautauqua,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  has  had  a  successful  career  in  merchan- 
dising, milling,  and  farming  enterprises,  and  has  lived 
in  Chautauqua  county  all  his  life. 

The  Smith  family  homestead,  in  which  he  was  born 
July  27,  1874,  was  situated  about  one-quarter  of  a 
mile  from  his  present  home  and  place  of  business, 
Hartfield,  Chautauqua  county.  His  parents,  William 
and  Amanda  (Dibble)  Smith,  had  lived  in  the  neigh- 
borhood for  many  years  prior  to  that;  in  fact,  William 
Smith  was  an  infant  when  his  father,  grandfather  of 
Frank  W.  Smith,  settled  in  Chautauqua  county,  and 
took  part  in  the  early  pioneer  efforts  to  bring  the  wild 
country  into  successful  cultivation. 

In  his  youth,  Frank  W.  Smith  attended  the  old 
Plank  Road  district  school,  and  even  in  his  youngest 
school  days  did  much  work  upon  the  paternal  farm. 
When  he  was  eleven  years  of  age,  he  bound  himself 
to  a  farmer  in  Ripley  township  so  that  he  might  be 
able  to  attend  school  in  that  place,  where  the  facilities 
were  so  much  better  than  those  which  prevailed  in  the 
smaller  school  of  his  own  district.  He  continued  work- 
ing for  the  Ripley  farmer  until  he  was  in  his  second 
year  in  the  Ripley  High  School.  Then  he  closed  his 
school  days  altogether,  and  for  seven  years  thereafter 
found  steady  employment  on  the  state  highway,  taking 
part  in  the  construction  of  a  substantial  brick  and  ce- 
ment highway,  twenty-nine  miles  in  length,  between 
Westfield  and  Jamestown,  X.  Y.  In  March,  1913,  he 
went  into  independent  business  in  Hartfield,  as  a  dealer 
in  grain,  feed  and  coal,  and  in  course  of  time  acquired 
another  mill  and  farm,  within  the  boundaries  of  the 
town  of  Chautauqua,  N.  Y.,  this  later  purchase  giving 
him  the  distinction  of  owning  the  oldest  grist  mill  in 
Chautauqua. 

Mr.  Smith  has  always  been  an  energetic,  resolute 
worker,  and   his   success   has  been  based  mainly  upon 


that  good  quality.  Ability  as  a  man  of  business  has 
had  of  course  consequential  part  in  his  success,  and  other 
good  qualities  have  contributed,  but  in  the  main  deter- 
mined application  to  the  work  that  came  to  his  hand 
has  been  his  main  stepping-stone  to  success.  His  farm- 
ing operations  need  quite  a  lot  of  his  time,  and  his  feed 
business  is  of  such  extent  that  he  has  steady  employ- 
ment for  three  men,  for  besides  the  retailing  of  feed, 
grain,  coal,  and  such  like  commodities,  he  does  quite  a 
lot  of  custom  grinding  for  neighboring  mills. 

The  Smiths  were  originally  from  Herkimer  county, 
N.  Y.,  but  four  generations  have  now  had  residence  in 
Chautauqua  county.  Amanda  (Dibble)  Smith,  mother 
of  Frank  W.  Smith,  is  still  living,  and  is  with  her  son. 
The  family  church  is  the  Methodist  Episcopal,  of 
which  Mr.  Smith  is  a  steady  supporter. 

On  Nov.  28,  1895,  Mr.  Smith  married  Lillian  Shaw, 
of  Mayville,  N.  Y.  They  have  si-x  children:  i.  Clif- 
ford, born  Feb.  10,  1897;  he  graduated  at  the  May- 
ville High  School,  and  is  now  agent  of  the  Jamestown 
&  Northwestern  Railway,  at  Mayville,  N.  Y.;  he  mar- 
ried Eva  Hall.  2.  Clayton,  born  Oct.  9,  1898;  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Mayville,  N.  Y.,  and 
now  assists  his  father  in  the  management  of  the  feed 
and  coal  business.  3.  Leola,  born  June  S,  1905.  4. 
Clair,  born  Aug.  8,  1907.  5.  Cleo,  born  Jan.  6,  1912. 
6.  Linetta,  born  April  29,  1913.  The  four  last  named 
children  all  attend  school. 

Bearing  in  mind  that  his  success  in  life  has  been 
entirely  unaided,  and  despite  many  discouraging  cir- 
cumstances in  his  years  of  schooling,  and  early  business 
effort,  the  rise  of  Frank  Worthington  Smith  from  com- 
parative poverty  to  a  position  of  consequential  substance 
in  his  community  is  a  meritorious  achievement.  He  is 
a  sincere  worker  for  the  advancement  of  his  home  town 
and  in  its  political  life  has  taken  some  part.  He  is  a 
Republican,  and  member  of  the  town  Republican  com- 
mittee. During  the  war,  he  gave  unstinted  support  to 
the  various  patriotic  funds  raised  for  the  furtherance  of 
the  great  cause. 


GEORGE  W.  SMILEY,  one  of  the  best  known  and 
most  highly  esteemed  residents  of  Ellicott  township, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  was  born  March  13,  1843, 
in  the  town  of  Fluvanna,  N.  Y.,  and  has  resided  all 
his  life  in  this  locality.  He  is  a  member  of  an  old 
American  family,  the  members  of  which  have  estab- 
lished a  remarkable  record  of  patriotism  in  the  various 
wars  of  the  Nation.  Mr.  Smiley's  great-grandfather, 
William  Smiley,  served  in  the  American  War  for  In- 
dependence which  gave  birth  to  the  Republic,  and  his 
grandfather,  Joseph  Smiley,  was  a  soldier  in  the  War 
of  1812,  in  which  war  also  a  great-uncle,  William 
Smiley,  served  and  lost  his  life.  Mr.  Smiley  him- 
self completed  this  record  by  taking  part  in  the  Civil 
War,  serving  through  the  last  four  years  of  that  mo- 
mentous struggle.  His  parents  were  Asel  and  Char- 
lotte (Johnston)  Smiley,  respected  residents  of  Flu- 
vanna, where  the  former  was  engaged  in  the  wagon- 
maker's  trade  for  many  years. 

The  childhood  of  George  W.  Smiley  was  passed  on 
his  father's  farm  at  Fluvanna,  and  he  there  learned  the 
trade  followed  by  his  father,  and  gained  a  general 
knowledge   of  agriculture,   while   at   the   same   time   he 


592 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


attended  the  local  district  schools.  Upon  completing 
his  studies  at  these  institutions,  he  took  up  both  farm- 
ing and  wagon  making  as  an  occupation,  and  has  fol- 
lowed them  ever  since  with  a  high  degree  of  success. 
During  this  time  he  served  continuously  for  over 
twenty-five  years  as  one  of  the  four  justices  of  the  peace 
for  the  town  of  Ellicott.  In  course  of  time  he  inherited 
a  part  of  his  father's  property,  and  today  resides  on 
the  same  old  family  homestead  where  his  birth  oc- 
curred seventy-seven  years  ago.  Mr.  Smiley  is  a  man 
of  strong  character  and  rugged  physical  health,  the 
latter,  at  least,  a  heritage  of  the  wholesome  outdoor  oc- 
cupation that  he  has  pursued  so  consistently  throughout 
his  life.  His  success  has  been  entirely  due  to  his  own 
indefatigable  industry  and  intelligent  use  of  his  oppor- 
tunities, and  he  well  deserves  the  high  regard  in  which 
he  is  held  by  his  fellow-townsmen.  Mr.  Smiley  was 
nineteen  years  of  age  when,  in  1S62,  he  enlisted  in  the 
"th  Company  of  the  First  Battalion  of  Sharpshooters, 
and  as  a  member  of  that  military  unit  he  served  to  the 
end  of  the  Civil  War,  participating  in  many  major  and 
minor  engagements,  and  finally  being  mustered  out  of 
service,  June  27.  1865.  He  has  always  kept  alive  his 
associations  formed  at  that  period,  and  is  a  greatly 
honored  member  of  James  M.  Brown  Post,  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  also  of 
Union  Veteran  Legion,  No.  95,  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y. 

George  W.  Smiley  was  united  in  marriage,  June  8, 
1875,  at  Jamestown,  with  Estella  Brockway,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Newell  and  Abby  (Lee)  Brockway,  the  former 
a  farmer  of  Chautauqua  count\-  and  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  War.  Two  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Smiley,  as  follows:  Bertha  E.  and  Asel  N.  Smilev. 


OTTO  KRAUSE — Among  the  prosperous  and  in- 
fluential farmers  of  Maj^ille,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  none  holds  a  higher  place  in  the  regard  and  affec- 
tion of  his  fellowmen  that  Otto  Krause,  with  whose 
career  we  are  here  especially  concerned,  who  is  one  of 
the  influential  citizens  in  these  parts,  and  takes  a  very 
prominent  part  in  the  activities  undertaken  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  social  weal.  Otto  Krause  is  3  native 
of  Germany,  born  Sept.  29,  1870,  a  son  of  Louis  and 
Louise  (Gabel)  Krause,  who  were  old  and  highly  re- 
spected residents  there. 

Otto  Krause  received  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Germany,  and  after  completing  the  neces- 
sary courses  in  these  institutions  set  out  to  learn  the 
trade  of  carpenter.  He  was  engaged  at  this  trade  in 
many  different  cities  of  Germany,  with  great  success, 
and  it  was  not  until  1892  that  he  had  decided  to  try  his 
fortune  in  the  new  world,  which  he  did,  coming  to 
America  in  that  year,  and  upon  arriving  settled  at  Buf- 
falo, N.  Y.,  engaging  in  business  there  as  a  carpenter. 
Although  Mr.  Krause  had  made  a  considerable  success 
in  this  line,  he  was  compelled  to  leave  Buffalo  on  ac- 
count of  failing  health,  but  later  came  to  Mayvillc, 
where  he  obtained  a  position  on  a  farm.  f)esi)ite  the 
fact  that  the  compensation  at  this  place  was  very 
meagre,  Mr.  Krause,  through  very  frugal  living,  man- 
aged to  "iave  up  a  moderate  amount  of  money,  and  in 
1904  wa-  enabled  to  purchase  a  farm,  consisting  of  104 
acres.  .Since  taking  possession  of  this  place,  Mr. 
Krause  has  remodeled  the  barn  and  has  made  an  un- 


derground stable,  as  well  as  installed  all  modern  im- 
provements in  his  residence.  He  added  somewhat  to 
the  original  structure,  and  the  place  is  regarded  here 
as  a  comfortable  home.  Mr.  Krause  is  without  doubt  a 
"sell-made  man"  in  every  sense  of  the  term.  He  is  a 
Methodist  in  his  religious  belief  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Summerdale,  supporting 
the  charitable  and  philanthropic  undertakings  of  the 
congregation  ardently.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 
Otto  Krause  was  united  in  marriage,  Oct.  2,  1899, 
with  Margaret  Beck,  a  native  of  Buffalo,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Fred  and  Pauline  (Maurer)  Beck,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  here.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Krause  are  the 
parents  of  the  following  children;  Otto  Fred,  who  is 
employed  by  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company; 
Louise,  a  student  in  the  schools  of  Mayville;  Freda, 
a  student  in  the  schools  of  Mayville;  Clara,  Louis  and 
George. 


ISAAC  A.  SHEARMAN— At  the  first  town  meet- 
ing of  the  town  of  Busti,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
which  was  held  at  the  house  of  Heman  Bush,  March 
2,  1824,  Daniel  Shearman  was  elected  the  first  super- 
visor of  the  town  and  commissioner  of  schools.  He  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  town,  and  a  brother  of 
Isaac  and  Nicholas  Shearman.  All  of  these  brothers 
bought  land  in  Busti,  but  Daniel,  son  of  Nicholas  Shear- 
man, was  the  only  Shearman  of  that  old  stock  living  in 
the  town.  The  descendants  of  Isaac  and  Daniel  Shear- 
man settled  in  other  towns,  Isaac  A.  Shearman,  to 
whose  memory  this  review  is  inscribed,  being  born  in 
Ellicott,  where  he  spent  his  life  and  died  at  the  age  of 
seventy-two,  a  man  of  strong  character  and  sterling 
worth.  This  branch  of  the  Shearman  family  is  of  New 
England  ancestry,  Gideon  A.  Shearman,  father  of 
Isaac  A.  Shearman,  being  born  in  Vermont.  He  mar- 
ried Aurilla  A.  Reade,  and  they  came  to  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  where  their  son  Isaac  A.,  was  born. 
Through  marriage  this  family  traces  to  the  Mayflower 
colony. 

Isaac  A.  Shearman  was  born  in  the  town  of  Ellicott, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  8,  1842,  and  died  at  his 
home  in  his  native  town,  March  10,  1914.  He  attended 
the  district  school,  and  spent  his  youth  as  his  father's 
farm  assistant.  On  Aug.  5,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the 
Union  army,  served  with  honor,  and  was  honorably 
discharged  at  Washington,  D.  C,  Aug.  28,  1865.  After 
his  return  from  the  army,  Mr.  Shearman  learned  the  car- 
penter's trade,  and  after  his  marriage  in  1870  he  began 
contracting  for  the  erection  of  buildings,  making  that 
his  business  until  the  close  of  his  life.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Free  Methodist  church,  and  a  Republican. 
His  life  was  one  of  industry  and  he  prospered  through 
his  own  energy  and  ability. 

Mr.  Shearman  married,  in  Mayville,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  July  4,  1870,  Lilla  Nutt,  born  Aug.  S, 
1852,  daughter  of  Guy  Irving  Nutt,  born  in  Busti, 
Chautauqua  county,  \.  Y.,  and  his  wife,  Adeline  R. 
(Dawley)  Nutt,  born  in  Busti.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shear- 
man were  the  parents  of  five  children,  as  follows:  Ar- 
della  A.,  deceased;  Charles  A.,  deceased;  Roy  N.,  mar- 
ried Bessie  I.  Frey,  and  has  a  daughter,  Ruth  Frances; 
Ruth  C,  married  Mark  fiarker,  and  has  a  daughter, 
Irene  Ruhamah;  Grace  P.,  deceased. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


593 


WORTHY  A.  ROLPH,  painter  and  decorator  of 
Celeron,  came  from  a  Stockton  family  long  seated  in 
that,  the  leading  dairy  town  of  Chautauqua  county.  He 
is  a  son  of  Worthy  J.  and  Jane  Elizabeth  (Crandall) 
Rolph,  his  father  born  in  Stockton,  a  farmer,  and  his 
mother  born  at  Beech  Hill,  near  Hartfield,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.  The  family  moved  to  Celoron  prior  to 
1894,  and  there  built  a  residence  on  Dunham  avenue  and 
Lin  wood  street.  Mrs.  Rolph  made  her  home  there 
until  her  death,  May  4,  191 1,  she  bequeathing  the  prop- 
erty to  her  son.  Worthy  A.  Rolph,  who  there  yet  re- 
sides. 

Worthy  A.  Rolph  was  born  in  the  town  of  Stockton, 
Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y.,  Dec.  25,  1879,  and  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools.  After  the  removal  of  the 
family  to  Celoron,  he  learned  the  trade  of  painter  and 
has  followed  it  to  the  present  time  (1920).  He  is  a 
member  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
in  politics  is  a  Socialist.  Mr.  Rolph  married,  Dec.  4, 
1906,  in  Celoron,  Ethel  Star  Penhollow,  born  .^ug.  20, 
1883,  in  the  town  of  Clymer,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  Win- 
field  Scott  and  Patience  E.  (Silvernail)  Penhollow. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rolph  are  the  parents  of  four  children: 
Bernice  L.,  born  Dec.  14,  1907;  Lawrence  Worthy, 
born  Oct.  2,  1909:  Helen  Elizabeth,  born  March  14, 
1912;  and  Lois  Jane,  born  Feb.  8,  1914. 


FRANKLIN  CHARLES  RATER,  a  native  of 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  the  possessor  of  an 
extensive  farm  in  the  Ripley  township  of  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  even  though  his  official  postal  address 
is  listed  in  a  rural  free  delivery  route  from  North  East, 
Erie  county.  Pa.,  has  proved  by  his  development  of 
his  present  valuable  farm,  which  fifteen  years  ago  was 
very  much  impoverished  in  condition,  that  he  is  a 
skillful  farmer,  one  possessed  of  enterprise  as  well  as 
energy. 

He  was  born  in  Mina  township.  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  July  10,  1866,  the  son  of  Charles  and  Jane  (Gil- 
born)  Rater.  He  comes  of  an  old  Chautauqua  county 
family,  and  his  father,  who  is  still  living  and  still 
actively  directs  a  farm,  has  owned  a  farm  in  the  Ripley 
township  for  more  than  fifty  years,  and  is  generally 
esteemed  in  the  neighborhood.  The  parental  farm  is 
about  five  miles  from  that  of  the  son,  who  was  only 
two  years  old  when  he  was  brought  by  his  parents 
from  Mina  township  to  Ripley  township,  and  with  one 
exception,  when  in  his  early  manhood,  he  returned  to 
the  township  of  his  nativity  for  a  few  years  to  operate 
a  saw  mill  in  that  place,  he  has  lived  all  his  life  since 
his  second  j'ear  in  Ripley  township.  His  schooling 
was  obtained  in  Ripley  district  schools,  and  practically 
all  his  life  associations  have  been  with  people  of  that 
neighborhood. 

The  farm  he  now  owns  he  bought  in  1902:  it  was  a 
big  farm,  more  than  150  acres,  but  in  very  poor  con- 
dition. Mr.  Rater  has  brought  about  a  remarkable 
improvement  in  the  soil,  has  remodeled  the  house  and 
barns,  has  built  a  silo,  and  in  many  other  ways  has 
improved  the  property  with  thoroughness  and  fore- 
thought. He  set  out  a  grape  vineyard,  twenty-two 
acres  in  extent,  and  has  twenty-eight  acres  in  other 
fruit;    has    rich   pasture   land   and    raises    much    wheat 


and  corn.  He  has  some  fine  horses  and  twenty  cattle. 
Altogether  he  has  a  valuable  property,  for  which  pos- 
session he  may  thank  himself,  for  it  was  only  by  his 
own  energetic  labor  and  management,  and  his  compre- 
hensive understanding  of  farming,  that  he  was  able  to 
bring  the  land  into  its  present  high  state  of  cultivation. 
He  has  not  been  able  to  get  all  the  farm  help  that  he 
would  like  and  could  find  employment  for,  yet  his 
average  outgoing  in  wages  for  farm  help  is  about  $1,000 
yearly.  It  will  therefore  be  appreciated  that  his  farm- 
ing operations  "are  consequential.  He  is  a  member  of 
Ripley  Grange,  and  is  much  interested  in  all  things 
that  have  any  relation  to  farming.  He  is  particularly 
interested  in  dairy  farming  and  fruit  growing.  He  and 
his  wife  attend  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  fraternally 
he  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
North  East,  Pa.,  and  the  Encampment,  Erie,  Pa.  In 
national  politics  he  is  a  Democrat;  in  local  affairs  has 
taken  a  somewhat  active  part  and  he  might  have  been 
elected  to  many  local  offices,  but  he  has  been  too  busy 
in  his  fanning  enterprises  to  give  the  time  necessary  in 
such  offices;  he  has,  however,  accepted  the  responsibili- 
ties and  labors  of  the  offices  of  school  trustee  and  tax 
collector. 

On  Dec.  8,  1891,  Mr.  Rater  married  Minne  Mar- 
shall, of  North  East.  To  them  was  born  one  child, 
Harry,  who.  however,  died  when  only  two  years  old. 

Mr.  Rater  is  well  representative  of  the  energetic, 
enterprising,  and  successful  argriculturists  of  Chautau- 
qua county,  of  this  generation,  and  by  reason  of  the 
association  of  his  family  with  the  county  for  so  long 
it  is  gratifying  that  record  of  his  family  can  be  made  in 
the  present  work. 


FRANK  O.  REMINGTON— The  Remingtons  came 
to  Chautauqua  county  from  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y., 
William  W.  Remington  being  a  farmer  of  the  town  of 
Dayton,  where  he  married  Emma  Markhara,  also  of 
Dayton,  removing  about  the  year  1800  to  the  town  of 
Red  House,  N.  Y.  They  were  the  parents  of  Frank 
O..  of  whom  further. 

Frank  O.  Remington  was  born  in  the  town  of  Day- 
ton, Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.,  July  24,  1867.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  the  district,  removing 
with  his  parents  to  the  town  of  Red  House,  Cattarau- 
gus county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  grew  to  manhood.  He 
married,  in  Salamanca,  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y., 
April  20,  189.^,  Jessie  E.  Vickery,  born  in  the  town  of 
Salamanca,  May  27,  1874,  daughter  of  John  T.  and 
Clotilda  E.  Vickerj-;  her  father  was  born  in  Baldwins- 
ville,  N.  Y.,  her  mother  born  in  Randolph,  N.  Y.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Remington  are  the  parents  of  six  children: 
I.  Carey  V.,  born  Jan.  25,  1894.  2.  Corolyn  A.,  born 
Sept.  5,  1895.  who  became  the  wife  of  E.  H.  Le  Bar- 
ron, who  joined  the  L^nited  States  army  in  .August, 
1918,  and  was  honorably  discharged  in  New  York  City, 
without  seeing  foreign  service.  3.  Arthur  B.,  born 
June  12,  1897;  he  joined  the  L^nited  States  army  Sept. 
18,  1918,  saw  serx-ice  in  a  replacement  camp  (Wheeler) 
in  Macon,  Ga.,  receiving  an  honorable  discharge  be- 
fore going  overseas:  he  was  married  Oct.  ,10,  1915.  to 
Minnie  Troutman,  of  Gowanda,  and  has  three  chil- 
dren.    4.  M.  Jay,  born  Feb.  8,   1902.     5.  Carl  A.,  born 


394 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


May  21.  1004,  died  Sept.  J5.  1004.  6.  Richard  F.,  born 
Sept.  21.  IQII.  Mr.  Remington  purchased  his  present 
farm  Sept.  15,  1004:  it  lies  in  section  12.  South  Dnyton, 
Xo.  o3.  town  of  \"illenova. 

Frank  O.  Remington  had  relatives  who  were  the 
early  pioneers  of  Chautauqua  county,  his  great-grand- 
father. Mayo,  being  killed  by  the  fall  of  a  tree  as  he 
was  helping  clear  what  now  is  Main  street,  Jamestown, 
Chautauqua  countj-,  N.  Y. 


CHARLES    RAYMOND    PUTNAM,   one    of    the 

prominent  citizens  of  Kennedy,  is  a  native  of  Lavant, 
Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y.,  where  his  birth  occurred 
Sept.  14,  1SS6.  Mr.  Putnam  is  a  son  of  Frank  and 
Caroline  (Alorley)  Putnam,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  this  region,  where  the  former  was  a  promi- 
nent newspaper  man  for  a  number  of  years. 

Charles  Raymond  Putnam  attended  as  a  lad  the  local 
pubHc  schools.  Upon  completing  his  studies  at  an 
early  age,  Mr.  Putnam  secured  a  position  with  the 
local  telephone  company  and  was  rapidly  advanced 
until  he  reached  the  position  of  wire  chief.  Prior  to 
entering  the  service  of  the  United  States,  he  was  em- 
ployed as  automobile  salesman  for  the  Eagle  Garage 
Company,  Jamestown,  X'.  Y.  Mr.  Putnam,  at  the  time 
of  the  entrance  of  the  United  States  into  the  great 
World  Conflict,  became  a  candidate  for  a  commission 
in  the  Second  Reserve  OiTicers'  Training  Camp,  .Aug. 
27.  1917,  and  was  given  the  rank  of  second  lieutenant 
three  months  later.  He  was  sent  to  France  with  the 
90th  Division,  .American  Expeditionary  Forces,  and  on 
Feb.  28,  1919,  was  commissioned  first  lieutenant  for 
meritorious  services  in  that  country.  He  was  wounded 
in  the  great  battle  of  the  Argonne  Forest,  Xov.  8,  1918, 
three  days  before  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  while 
serving  with  the  179th  Brigade  Headquarters  as 
liaison  officer.  Mr.  Putnam  also  acted  as  intelligence 
officer  with  the  179th  Brigade,  and  as  aide-de-camp  to 
Brigadier-General  J.  P.  O'Neil,  from  Nov.  I,  1918, 
until  April  17,  1919,  being  honorably  discharged  from 
the  service  on  the  latter  date  at  Camp  Di.x,  N.  J.  Mr. 
Putnam  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  is  a  well 
known  figure  in  social  and  fraternal  circles  here.  In 
his  religious  belief  he  is  a  Protestant. 

Charles  Raymond  Putnam  was  united  in  marriage, 
April  17,  1909,  at  Kennedy,  X'.  Y.,  with  Fern  Campbell, 
a  dau.ghter  of  Levi  and  Sophronia  (De  Jean)  Campbell. 
Two  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Putnam, 
as  follows:  Charles  Campbell,  Jan.  29.  1910,  and  Evelyn 
May,  Dec.  24,  1912. 


JASON  EDWARD  PRATT,  well-to-do  farmer  of 
the  Mayvillc-  district  of  Chautau'jua  cnunfy,  X.  Y.,  has 
lived  his  entire  life  of  fifty-six  years  in  the  county,  a 
life  which  for  about  forty  years,  in  fact,  ever  since  he 
left  school,  has  been  passed  in  .steady,  productive  labor. 
.And  in  return  for  that  consistent  labor  he  has  accu- 
mulated a  monetary  competence  to  make  his  remaining 
days  comfortable,  and  when  he  feels  so  disposed,  leisur- 
ablc.  .And  he  comfs  of  one  of  the  oldest  families  of  the 
county.  His  grandfather,  Rufus  Pratt,  comes  into  the 
early  history  of  Mayvill'-,  for  he  was  a  Methodist  h'pis- 


copal  minister  in  different  places  in  Chautauqua  county 
for  many  years. 

Jason  Edward  Pratt  was  born  in  Mayville,  Chautau- 
qua county.  X.  Y.,  Feb.  21,  1864,  the  son  of  John  Gal- 
loway and  Sarah  Cordelia  (Franklin)  Pratt.  His 
mother,  who  was  born  in  1838,  is  still  living,  and  is  re- 
vered by  a  very  large  circle  of  friends.  His  father, 
however,  died  in  1914,  but  during  the  youth  and  early 
manhood  of  Jason  E.,  was  a  building  contractor,  under- 
taking important  contracts  in  the  vicinity  of  Mayville. 
Many  of  the  finest  residences  in  the  Mayville  district 
were  built  by  John  Galloway  Pratt. 

Jason  E.  Pratt  was  educated  in  the  Mayville  schools, 
and  eventually  became  apprenticed  to  carpentry,  and 
for  fifteen  years  thereafter  worked  at  that  trade,  mainly 
upon  contracts  undertaken  by  his  father.  In  igoo,  he 
acquired  the  farm  upon  which  he  has  since  lived,  and 
in  its  cultivation  and  management  has  since  passed 
his  days  industriously,  profitably  and  happily.  ?Iis 
farming  property,  which  is  80  acres  in  extent,  is  a 
good  one,  suitable  for  dairy  and  general  farming,  and 
for  years  it  has  yielded  hay,  corn,  cattle,  dairy  prod- 
ucts and  hogs  satisfactorily.  He  has  also  raised  many 
horses  upon  the  farm. 

Mr.  Pratt  is  enthusiastic  in  matters  pertaining  to 
farming,  and  is  an  interested  member  of  the  Chautauqua 
County  Farm  Bureau,  the  X'ew  York  State  Dairymen's 
League,  and  the  local  Grange.  Politically,  he  is  a  Re- 
publican, but  of  independent  mind.  He  has  very  defi- 
nite opinions  upon  certain  political  issues.  Mr.  Pratt 
is  an  earnest  member  of  the  Mayville  Episcopal 
Church,  and  a  substantial  supporter  thereof.  And  dur- 
ing the  war,  he  generously  supported  the  various  war 
funds  raised  for  the  needs  of  the  nation.  And  in  an- 
other way,  he  substantially  aided  the  cause  by  applying 
his  entire  efforts  during  the  time  of  stress  to  gain,  if 
possible,  an  increased  yield  in  food  stuffs  from  his  farm- 
ing property.  The  part  the  American  farmer,  of  ear- 
nest, loyal  heart,  played  in  the  war  is  now  national 
history  of  distinct  credit  to  the  nation,  and  every  farmer 
who  had  part  in  the  abnormal  yield  is  entitled  to  receive 
a  written  record  of  that  success. 

Jason  E.  Pratt  was  married.  May  7,  1885,  to  Mary 
Eftiedene  Bond,  daughter  of  Ferando  and  Ellen  (I\hu- 
bottom)  Bond.  She  comes  of  a  very  old  Chautauqua 
county  family,  one  of  her  great-grandfathers  having 
been  Solomon  Potter,  who  with  a  team  of  oxen  came 
alon.g  what  now  is  the  Lake  road  and  got  as  far  as 
what  is  called  Hunts  Hill  at  Potter  Cemetery,  and 
found  a  large  tree  across  the  road  and  could  go  no 
farther,  but  with  the  philosophical  placidity  of  a 
typical  pioneer,  Solomon  Potter  pitched  his  tent  near 
the  wagon  and  settled  permanently  in  Chautauqua 
county.  He  was  a  man  of  stalwart  type,  and  many 
were  his  achievements  that  were  unusual.  Once  he 
walked  to  Vermont  and  back  and  in  those  days  such 
travel  would  not  consist  merely  of  walking,  the  gun 
having  to  be  constantly  handy. 

The  material  success  Mr.  Pratt  has  gained  is  all  the 
more  conunendable  seeing  that  it  was  entirely  as  the 
result  of  his  own  initiative  and  industry.  Mr.  Pratt 
.still  attends  closely  to  agrictUtural  affairs,  and  when  he 
needs  recru;ition  he  finds  pleasure  in  ;uitomol)iling. 


AL1'>LRT  NELSON  AND  I'AMILY 


''l^^JS^'  ^4Hr'     ..M'^ 


M»r   _  ■;     t>  .  '    -^ 


THE  ALBERT  NELSON  STOCK  FARM  NEAR  JAMESTOWN,  N.  Y. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


595 


CLAYTON  LECLAIR  POLLEY— Panama,  once 
the  leading  village  and  business  center  of  the  town  of 
Harmony,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  was  the  ancient 
home  of  the  Polley  family,  and  there  Clayton  L.  Polley, 
his  father,  Eugene  Polley,  and  his  mother,  Ella  (Tan- 
ner) Polley,  were  born. 

Clayton  L.  Polley  was  born  Jan.  30,  1880,  and  at  the 
age  of  seven  moved  to  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
attended  the  public  schools.  At  the  outbreak  of  the 
war  with  Spain  he  enlisted  in  Company  E,  65th  Regi- 
ment, New  York  Volunteer  Infantry,  his  term  of  en- 
listment beginning  June  15,  1898,  and  terminating  the 
same  year.  On  Sept.  9,  1899,  he  again  enlisted,  this 
time  in  the  46th  United  States  Volunteers,  and  was  sent 
to  the  Philippines:  he  served  with  his  regiment  until 
they  left  for  the  United  States  to  be  mustered  out,  when 
he  took  his  discharge,  later  joining  the  Military  Police 
of  Manila,  Philippine  Islands,  where  he  spent  several 
years,  si-x  of  them  in  the  police  department  of  the  city 
of  Manila.  He  returned  to  the  United  States  in 
1907,  and  was  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  War  for 
a  year.  He  was  then  appointed  deputy  United  States 
marshal  for  Washington,  D.  C,  and  served  several 
years,  finally  resigning  and  returning  to  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.  In  1912  he  bought  the  farm  in  the  town 
of  Busti  upon  which  he  now  resides.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics. 

Mr.  Polley  was  married  in  North  Clarendon,  Pa., 
Dec.  15,  1910,  to  Mae  E.  Glidden,  born  in  Panama, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  May  7,  1885,  daughter  of 
Frank  M.  and  Ella  Jane  (Osborn)  Glidden,  her  father 
also  born  in  Panama.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Polley  are  the 
parents  of  two  children:  Luella  Glidden,  born  Oct.  9, 
191 1 :  Alberta  Glidden.  born  Nov.  4,  1914. 


ALBERT  NELSON,  one  of  the  most  successful  of 
the  dairy  farmers  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  has  been  actively  engaged  in  this  occupation  for  a 
number  of  years,  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  and  a  prominent 
member  of  the  large  group  of  men  of  Swedish  birth  or 
parentage  who  have  settled  in  this  region  and  done  so 
mucli  to  advance  the  material  interests  of  the  com- 
munity. Mr.  Nelson  is  a  son  of  Charles  and  Char- 
lotta  (Johnson)  Nelson,  and  was  born  at  his  parents' 
home  in  Sweden,  March  31,  1872.  His  father  came  to 
the  United  States  with  his  family  in  the  year  1884,  and 
they  became  respected  and  esteemed  residents  of  Cat- 
taraugus county,  N.  Y.,  Mrs.  Nelson  passing  away 
July  29,   1920. 

Albert  Nelson  was  but  twelve  years  of  age  when  he 
made  the  trip  to  this  country,  and  for  the  short  period 
of  seventeen  days  attended  the  public  schools  of  his 
adopted  home,  and  although  his  school  days  were  short, 
he  educated  himself  by  study  and  reading.  His  family 
had  been  for  many  years  engaged  in  farming  operations, 
and  the  lad  gained  his  first  knowledge  and  experience 
in  his  future  work  while  yet  a  boy.  Thereafter  he 
engaged  in  the  same  line  on  his  own  account,  and  has 
ever  since  continued  therein  with  a  notable  degree  of 
success.  It  was  in  the  year  191 1  that  he  became  the 
owner  of  his  present  fine  property  in  Ellery  township, 
and  in  1915  he  moved  to  it;  he  at  once  proceeded  to 
bring  it  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  has  made 
it  one  of  the  model  farms  of  the  locality.     He  has  im- 


proved the  place  and  erected  a  number  of  buildings  in 
order  to  more  adequately  equip  it  for  the  uses  of  dairy- 
ing. In  1914,  he  built  a  large  and  modern  barn  for  the 
housing  of  his  herds,  and  his  dairy  buildings  contain 
all  the  latest  devices  and  implements  for  the  sanitary 
handling  of  the  milk  and  other  products.  His  success 
has  been  uninterrupted,  and  in  1915  he  erected  a  very 
handsome  brick  residence  on  his  property.  Mr.  Nel- 
son has  also  taken  a  public-spirited  interest  in  the  gen- 
eral life  of  Ellery  township,  and  is  well  known  socially 
and  fraternally  in  the  region.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
local  lodge  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  is  a  Methodist  in  religious  belief,  attending  the 
church  of  that  denomination  at  Ellery. 

.■\lbert  Nelson  was  united  in  marriage.  May  21,  iSq8, 
at  Salamanca,  with  Mary  Olive  Carlson,  like  himself  a 
native  of  Sweden,  where  her  birth  occurred  Jan.  2"}, 
1877.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Olaf  and  Matilda  (Mag- 
nusson)  Carlson,  of  Sweden,  and  was  but  three  years 
of  age  when  she  accompanied  her  parents  to  America. 
In  18S1,  the  Carlson  family  settled  at  Falconer,  N.  Y., 
and  there  Mr.  Carlson  continued  in  the  occupation  of 
farming,  which  he  had  followed  in  his  native  land. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carlson  only  lived  in  Falconer  si.x  years 
after  coming  to  the  United  States,  and  at  the  present 
time  (1920)  Mr.  Carlson  lives  in  the  town  of  Ellington. 
Mrs.  Carlson  died  July  30,  1920.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson 
are  the  parents  of  two  children,  as  follows:  Clarence  A., 
born  in  Busti,  May  3,  1900,  and  Olive  Marie,  born  in 
Jamestown.  June  22,  1914. 


ALLEN  RATER— As  an  all  but  lifelong  resident  of 
Ripley,  Mr.  Rater  is  numbered  among  the  representa- 
tive men  of  his  township.  Successful  as  an  agricultur- 
ist and  active  as  a  citizen,  he  holds  a  prominent  place 
in  his  community  and  stands  high  in  the  esteem  of  his 
neighbors  of  three  generations. 

Allen  Rater  was  born  Jan.  17,  1852,  in  Mina  town- 
ship, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry 
and  Henrietta  Rater.  When  the  boy  was  three  or 
four  years  old  his  parents  moved  to  Ripley  township, 
and  there  he  received  his  education  at  district  school 
No.  10.  Having  been  born  and  reared  on  a  farm  it 
was  natural  that,  on  reaching  manhood,  Mr.  Rater 
should  choose  agriculture  for  his  life  work.  The  farm 
of  106  acres  on  which  he  now  lives  is  the  Rater  home- 
stead, every  one  of  its  numerous  improvements  having 
been  made  by  Mr.  Rater  or  his  father.  It  is  situated 
at  Rater's  Corner  and  there  Mr.  Rater  carries  on  a  fine 
dairy  in  conjunction  with  general  farming.  Eighty-six 
acres  are  under  cultivation,  and  the  estate  includes 
the  best  timber  land.  The  livestock  comprises  nineteen 
cows,  three  horses,  four  hogs  and  one  hundred  chick- 
ens. In  politics  Mr.  Rater  has  always  been  faithful  to 
the  principles  of  the  Republican  party,  and  at  various 
times  has  served  as  trustee  of  school  No.  10,  his  tenure 
of  office  comprising  in  all  ten  years.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  church. 

Mr.  Rater  married,  Jan.  7,  1880,  Mary  Meader,  of 
Westfield,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  living 
children:  i.  Edward  Allen,  educated  in  district  school 
No.  10;  married  Winnie  Russell;  they  live  in  Ripley 
village,  and  have  four  children:  Howard,  Luella,  Gladys 
and    Clara   Belle.     2.  Frederick    Herbert,    educated   in 


596 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


the  same  manner  as  his  brother:  married  Mary  Booth; 
they  live  on  the  homestead  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rater, 
and  have  two  children:  Doris  Mildred  and  Ethel  \'ir- 
^nia.  3.  Bertha  Lillian,  educated  at  the  same  school  as 
her  brothers:  married  Louis  J.  Curtis,  Nov.  12,  igio: 
they  reside  in  Xorth  East.  Two  of  the  children  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rater  are  deceased:  Louis  Murray,  who 
died  at  five  years  old,  and  Maud,  who  was  educated  at 
district  school  Xo.  10,  married  E.  \\'.  Watson  and  be- 
came the  mother  of  one  child,  Harold.  Mrs.  Watson 
passed  away  in  June,  1017. 

The  veteran  farmers  of  an  agricultural  community 
are  the  men  who  have  laid  the  foundations  of  its  prog- 
ress and  prosperit>\  Allen  Rater,  by  aggressive,  per- 
sistent and  honorable  industry,  has  helped  to  make 
Chautauqua  county  what  it  is  today. 


PHILIP  B.  PICKUP,  prosperous  and  respected 
farmer  of  Conewango  \'alley,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
v..  and  a  man  of  admirable  characteristics,  was  born 
Feb.  JO.  1876,  at  New  .\lbion,  Cattaraugus  county, 
\.  v.,  the  son  of  Chancy  W.  and  Kate  Juda  ( Rich) 
Pickup,  the  former  a  retired  farmer,  well  known  in 
Chautauqua  county. 

Philip  B.  Pickup  was  well  educated,  passing  from 
the  graded  to  the  high  school,  and  successfully  gradu- 
ating therefrom.  In  due  course,  he  became  a  farmer, 
his  early  years  as  such  being  with  his  father.  Eventu- 
ally, however,  he  took  the  responsibility  of  the  farm 
management,  and  proved  himself  to  be  a  capable  farmer. 
He  has  always  been  energetic,  and  he  has  given  modern 
methods  of  farming  close  study  and  has  profited 
thereby.  He  is  a  member  of  the  local  Grange,  and  is 
active  in  his  co-operation  therewith.  And  in  all  mat- 
ters pertaining  to  farming,  he  takes  marked  interest. 
.•Mso  in  community  affairs  he  has  taken  much  part. 
During  the  \N'orld  War  he  was  particularly  active:  he 
would  have  liked  to  have  entered  the  military  forces, 
and  when  the  time  came  for  those  over  thirty-six  years 
of  age  to  register  for  such  service  he  did  not  hesitate 
to  comply,  notwithstanding  that  he  was  the  father  of  a 
large  family.  His  greatest  value  to  the  country,  how- 
ever, was  as  a  farmer,  and  he  probably  would  not  have 
been  taken  for  military  service.  But,  as  a  whole-souled 
patriot,  he  had  felt  keenly  upon  matters  relating  to  the 
w.ir  since  the  natir.n  first  entered  the  struggle,  and  had 
been  one  of  those  zealous  ones  among  American  farm- 
ers who  had  applied  themselves  more  closely  to  the 
cultivation  of  their  own  holdings  as  soon  as  it  was  an- 
nounced by  the  Government  that  the  allies  of  the 
nation  looked  to  America  for  food.  The  supreme  efifort 
made  by  the  .American  farmer  is  well  known,  in  the 
aggregate,  and  the  effect  it  had  upon  the  war  is  also 
well  known,  and  is  a  creditable  page  of  national  history 
of  that  trying  period,  but  the  individual  part  taken 
in  the  national  war  efTort  by  the  individual  American 
farmer  could  not  be  noted  excepting  in  local  histories 
?uch  as  this.  And  not  only  in  personal  services  did 
Philip  B.  Pickup  help  in  the  national  war  work;  he 
subscribed  to  the  limit  of  his  means  to  the  several  funds 
raised  for  the  purpo'-es  of  the  war  and  his  home  was 
ever  open  to  welcome  returning  soldiers.  Had  he  been 
younger,  and  less  encumbered,  he  would  undoubtedly 
have  joined  the  military  or  naval  forces,  for  his  heart 


was  in  the  cause,  from  the  beginning  until  the  final, 
victorious  end.  Mr.  Pickup  is  an  earnest  churchman, 
a  Methodist,  and  a  member  of  the  local  church,  to 
which  he  contributes,  and  in  the  work  of  which  he 
has  taken  an  active  part.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Pickup  is 
an  Odd  Fellow,  member  of  the  local  branch  of  that 
order. 

Mr.  Pickup  married.  Dec.  15,  1895,  at  Lavant,  N.  Y., 
Jessie  May  Potter,  daughter  of  Allen  and  Amanda 
(Hodges)  Potter.  She  was  born  in  Dayton,  N.  Y., 
Jan.  5,  1877,  and  is  the  mother  of  si.x  children:  Arthur 
Gerald,  born  June  20,  1897 ;  Leigh  D.,  born  Dec.  13, 
1899:  Marguerite  Mabel,  born  Nov.  29,  1901;  Everitt 
P.,  born  April  24,  1905 ;  Sidney  Paul,  born  May  13, 
1908:  Catherine  Phyllis,  born  Feb.  25,  1918. 

Mr.  Pickup  is  yet  in  the  prime  of  manhood,  but  has 
prospered  well  in  his  farming,  and  has  earned  a  good 
reputation,  being  straightforward  in  all  his  dealings, 
which  characteristic  has  made  him  a  good  neighbor  and 
a  valuable  citizen.  As  a  farmer,  he  comes  well  into 
the  responsible  class  of  representative  Chautauqua 
countv  agriculturists. 


CHARLES  HENRY  NUNDY,  esteemed  and  well- 
to-do  farmer  of  the  Westfield  section  of  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  is  a  native  of  the  county,  born  in  West- 
field,  March  29.  1871,  Although  he  learned  the  print- 
ing trade,  and  spent  about  six  years  at  it,  he  has  lived 
in  the  vicinity  of  Westfield  throughout  his  life,  and  for 
more  than  forty  years  has  lived  on  a  farm.  He  has 
been  a  responsible  farmer  for  almost  thirty  years,  and 
has  always  been  very  keenly  interested  in  all  that  per- 
tains to  farming.  He  has  had  prominent  connection 
with  the  local  Grange,  is  past  master  of  the  lodge,  was 
treasurer  and  also  purchasing  agent  for  it,  and  is  one 
of  its  best  workers.  He  has  held  office  in  the  local  dis- 
trict administration  and  his  church  record  is  com- 
mendable, indicating  that  he  is  a  man  of  strong  char- 
acter and  conscientious  Christian  spirit:  he  is  steward, 
trustee  and  deacon  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
at  Volusia. 

Charles  Henry  Mundy  married,  Dec.  30,  1903,  Bertha 
M.  Fowler,  of  Owosso,  Shiawassee  county,  Mich.  They 
have  two  children:  i.  Janet,  who  is  now  (1920)  six- 
teen years  old,  and  is  a  student  at  the  Westfield  High 
School.  2.  Lloyd,  now  thirteen  years  of  age,  and  in 
the  seventh  grade  of  the  public  school. 


PETER  ALFRED  NELSON— The  farming  and 
stockraising  interests  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  have 
a  worthy  representative  in  Peter  Alfred  Nelson,  who  is 
the  owner  of  a  fine  farm.  It  is  a  well  improved  place, 
its  neat  and  thrifty  appearance  indicating  the  supervi- 
sion of  a  careful  and  painstaking  owner,  as  well  as  a 
man  of  good  business  ability,  who  thoroughly  under- 
stands the  vocation  which  he  follows.  A  native  of 
,Swc<len,  Mr.  Nelson  was  born  March  23,  1862,  a  son 
of   August  and   Christine   (Safey)    Nelson. 

Peter  A.  Nelson  received  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  Sweden.  Soon  after  leaving  school,  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  locating  in  Chautau(|ua  county,  N.  Y., 
and  immediately  took  up  the  tailoring  trade,  at  which 
occupation  he  worked   for  a  number  of  years.     How- 


?AO(. 


APHTCAL 


597 


ever,  believing  that  farm  life  was  better  and  more  suited 
to  his  tastes,  he  purchased  some  land  and  turned  his 
attention  to  the  development  of  a  good  farm.  There 
he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits,  and  since  that  time 
success  has  attended  his  efforts,  he  now  owning  about 
150  acres  of  the  best  farm  land  in  the  county.  Mr. 
Nelson  has  lived  in  Chautauqua  county  the  greater  part 
of  his  life,  and  is  numbered  among  its  active  and  influ- 
ential farmers.  Deeply  interested  in  all  the  affairs  of 
his  county,  he  takes  an  active  part  in  all  measures  for 
the  general  good.  He  is  regarded  throughout  his  town- 
ship as  an  honest  man,  enterprising,  energetic  and  reli- 
able, who  is  willing  to  give  a  helping  hand  to  all  in 
need. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  Republican,  but  in  local 
affairs  votes  for  the  men  and  measures  that  he  thinks 
are  for  the  best  interests  of  all  the  people.  He  is  also 
prominent  in  social  circles,  as  well  as  business,  being  a 
respected  member  of  the  Grange.  Mr.  Nelson  is  finan- 
cially connected  with  the  Farmers'  and  Mechanics'  Bank 
of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.  He  and  his  family  are  prominent 
members  of  the  Swedish  Mission  Church  of  James- 
town, and  are  interested  in  all  its  affairs,  whether  social 
or  business. 

On  Feb.  3,  1903,  Mr.  Nelson  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Anna  Mary  Johnson,  who  was  born  in  1874,  in 
Sweden,  a  daughter  of  Nels  and  Ellen  Johnson.  To 
this  union  has  been  born  one  child,  Elmer. 

In  conclusion  will  say  that  his  life  has  been  one  of 
hard,  resolute  and  persevering  industry,  illustrative  of 
the  essentials  of  true  life,  and  one  that  will  insure  him 
immeasurable  success. 


CHARLES  H.  TAYLOR,  one  of  the  most  enter- 
prising and  progressive  farmers  of  Kennedy,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  has  for  many  years  been 
successfully  engaged  in  general  farming,  is  a  native  of 
Esse.x  county,  N.  Y.,  where  his  birth  occurred  April  14, 
1847.  He  is  a  son  of  Eli  and  Lucinda  (Jenks)  Taylor, 
who  came  West  in  1852  from  Chester,  Essex  county, 
N.  Y.,  where  the  former  followed  the  occupation  of 
milling. 

In  1864  Charles  H.  Taylor  and  three  brothers  pur- 
chased the  property  on  which  he  now  lives.  This  prop- 
erty, which  has  always  possessed  natural  fertility,  but 
which  under  his  most  capable  operation  has  been 
brought  to  the  very  highest  state  of  cultivation  possible, 
is  now  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  finest  farms  here- 
abouts. Mr.  Taylor  has  always  been  keenly  interested 
in  public  issues,  both  local  and  national,  and  through- 
out his  life  has  been  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  prin- 
ciples and  policies  of  the  Republican  party.  Although 
he  has  always  discharged  his  duties  as  a  citizen  to  the 
fullest  extent,  Mr.  Taylor  has  never  been  a  politician  in 
any  sense  of  the  word,  nor  has  he  sought  political  pre- 
ferment or  public  office  of  any  kind.  During  the  great 
crisis  in  the  Nation's  history,  which  culminated  in  the 
Civil  War  between  the  North  and  South,  Mr.  Taylor 
responded  readily  to  the  necessities  of  the  Union  and 
enlisted,  Aug.  20,  1864,  in  Company  C,  9th  Regiment, 
New  York  Volunteer  Cavalry.  He  served  for  nine 
months  and  twenty  days  in  the  great  struggle,  and  was 
then  honorably  discharged,  June  i,   1865.     Mr.  Taylor 


has  always  kept  up  the  associations  formed  by  him  at 
that  time,  and  is  now  a  prominent  member  of  Sturde- 
vant  Post,  No.  282,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  of 
Kennedy.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  local  grange  at 
Kennedy,  and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  promoting  the 
agricultural  interests  of  the  community.  He  is  a  Meth- 
odist in  his  religious  belief,  and  is  a  prominent  member 
of  the  church  of  that  denomination  at  Kennedy.  He  is 
a  liberal  supporter  of  the  work  of  the  congregation, 
especially  that  connected  with  the  philanthropic  and 
benevolent  undertakings  of  the  church. 

Charles  H.  Taylor  married.  May  17,  1871,  Flora  V. 
Jobes,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  where  her  birth  oc- 
curred, June  9,  1850,  and  a  daughter  of  John  J.  and 
Mary  (Morton)  Jobes,  old  and  highly  respected  resi- 
dents there.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Taylor  are  the  parents  of  a 
son,  Lynn  H.,  born  Nov.  28,  1873,  who  married  Fanny 
Wheelock,  of  Kennedy,  where  her  birth  occurred  July 
24,  1S88,  and  by  whom  he  has  had  two  children :  Hu- 
bert L.,  born  March  2,  1912,  and  Frances  A.,  born  Oct. 
22,  1913. 


JOHN  NEGUS— The  farm  in  section  58,  town  of 
Busti.  now  owned  and  managed  by  Miss  Mary  E.  Negus, 
was  bought  from  the  Holland  Land  Company,  in  1831, 
by  Elijah  Bacon  Carpenter,  the  maternal  great-grand- 
father of  Miss  Negus.  Elijah  B.  Carpenter,  born  on  the 
Island  of  Nantiicket,  Mass.,  married  Catherine  Tanner, 
in  Saratoga,  N.  Y.,  and  later  arrived  in  Chautauqua 
county,  having  made  the  journey  with  an  ox-team. 
Joshua  Negus,  grandfather  of  Miss  Mary  E.  Negus, 
was   a   Pennsylvania   farmer,   residing  at  Union   City. 

John  Negus  was  born  in  Union  City,  Pa.,  Aug.  9.  1826, 
and  died  at  his  home  in  the  town  of  Spartansburg,  Pa., 
Sept.  7,  1890.  He  was  a  farmer  all  his  active  years, 
and  a  man  of  strong  character  and  upright  life.  In  reli- 
gious faith  he  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
and  in  political  belief  a  Republican.  John  Negus  mar- 
ried, in  Busti,  Emmeline  C.  Smith,  born  in  Busti,  May 
22,  1837.  daughter  of  William  and  Emmeline  (Carpen- 
ter) Smith,  her  father  born  in  Cattaraugus  county,  her 
mother  in  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.  John  and  Emmeline 
C.  ( Smith)  Negus  were  the  parents  of  eight  children : 
I.  John  R.,  born  Nov.  8,  1858,  died  in  infancy.  2. 
Clayton  W.,  born  Aug.  19,  i860;  married  Mary  L.  Cole- 
man, of  Youngsville,  Pa.,  and  their  son,  Marion,  was  a 
soldier  of  the  World  War,  but  was  not  sent  overseas, 
his  service  being  at  Camp  Sherman,  Ohio.  3.  Mary  E., 
born  in  Union  City,  Pa.,  Sept.  24,  1862,  now  owning  and 
residing  on  the  old  Carpenter  farm  in  Busti.  4.  Elwood, 
born  May  23,  1865.  5.  Nellie  M.,  born  April  2,  1870.  6. 
Mercy  A.,  born  Nov.  25,  1872.  7.  Ray,  born  May  29, 
1876.    8.  Susie,  born  Feb.  6,  1878,  deceased. 


ARTHUR  CLARK  MESSINGER,  prosperous  and 
respected  farmer  of  Summerdale,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  is  the  present  head  of  the  Chautauqua  county 
family  of  that  name,  and  for  fifty-two  years  has  lived 
on  the  farming  property  of  the  family  at  Summerdale. 

Arthur  C.  Messinger  was  born  in  Sherman,  May  16, 
1859.  the  son  of  Calvin  and  Emeline  (Dorman)  Messin- 
ger. His  father  first  bought  234  acres  of  land,  and  until 
he  was  ten  years   old  Arthur  C.   attended   the  district 


^oS 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


school  situated  at  the  town  line,  but  his  father  having 
found  that  so  large  a  farm  was  more  than  he  could 
satisfactorily  handle,  he  sold  that  farm,  and  bought  one 
of  100  acres  which  now  belongs  to  the  son,  and  there- 
after Arthur  C.  attended  the  district  school  of  Summer- 
dale.  Since  his  school  days,  he  has  applied  himself  in- 
dustriously and  successfully  to  the  cultivation  of  the 
home  farm,  which  now  is  a  valuable  dairy  farm.  He 
has  been  very  enterprising  in  his  farming,  and  has  mani- 
fested a  resolute  spirit  in  adversity.  In  iSSo  a  spacious 
bam  belonging  to  him  was  burned  to  the  ground,  and 
the  one  thai  he  built  to  replace  it  was  eighteen  years 
later  also  razed  by  hre,  notwithstanding  which  his  farm 
to-day  is  equipped  with  as  fine  buildings  as  one  would 
wish  for  on  a  property  of  that  size.  Included  in  his 
equipment  is  a  modern  butter  making  plant,  which  has 
been  very  satisfactory  in  operation.  Politically,  Mr. 
Messinger  is  a  Republican,  and  being  a  man  well  re- 
spected in  the  district,  and  as  capable  as  he  is  honor- 
able, he  has  more  than  once  been  approached  by  the 
party  leaders  to  stand  for  office.  But  he  has  always 
refused,  preferring  to  give  what  service  he  can  to  the 
party  without  return. 

On  Nov.  25.  1885,  ^Ir.  Messinger  married  Cordelia 
Xorthway,  of  Summerdale,  N.  Y.  They  are  the  parents 
of  one  child,  Cora  Sophia,  born  Tan.  23,  1891.  and 
eventually  married  Elmer  Griswold,  a  substantial  farmer 
of  Summerdale.  N.  Y.  They  have  three  children :  Mil- 
dred. Ralph,  and  Clark. 

As  a  family,  the  Messingers  were  by  religious  con- 
viction Presbyterians,  and  although  Mr.  Messinger  has 
not  been  a  regular  attendant  at  church  services,  he  is 
an  earnest,  conscientious  Christian,  and  by  the  general 
acts  of  his  life  has  manifested  an  adherence  to  the  true 
principles  of  Christ's  teaching.  He  has  had  his  due 
part  in  community  activities,  and  during  the  World 
\Var  gave  unstintedly  of  his  means  to  the  several  patri- 
otic funds  promoted  to  further  the  cause  of  the  country 
and  its  allies.  Especially  was  his  effort  appreciable  in 
the  national  cause  by  his  whole-hearted  cooperation 
with  the  government  to  bring  about  increased  yield  of 
foodstuffs  from  American  agricultural  lands  during  the 
years  of  struggle  and  the  consequent  impoverishment  of 
European  lands.  The  part  played  by  the  farmers  of 
America  in  the  sustenance  of  the  world  during  the 
\\'orld  War  is  now  national  history,  of  meritorious  rec- 
ord, in  the  reading  of  which  every  loyal  and  patrioti'- 
farmer  who  did  his  share  must  find  pleasure. 


IVA  FRANK  MOORE,  wli.,  for  years  was  in  pos- 
sesiron  01  a  substantial  barbering  Ini'^iness  in  Kennedy, 
X.  Y.,  and  now  devotes  his  entire  time  to  farming  upon 
the  property  he  acquired  at  Conewango  Valley,  is  a 
hroadminded  man  who  is  generally  esteemed  by  those 
who  know  him;  that  is  to  say,  by  the  majority  of  the 
p':opIe  of  the  neighborhood,  for  he  is  known  to  most  of 
the  people  who  have  been  accustomed  to  come  to  Ken- 
nedy. Mr.  Moore  is  very  popular,  is  an  engaging  con- 
versationalist, and  has  had  an  interesting  career. 

ha  Frank  Moore  was  born  May  26,  1861,  at  Leon, 
Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.,  the  son  of  James  M.  and 
Xancy  f  Graves^  Moore,  the  former  a  successful  farmer 
of  that   place.      He   attended   the  elementary   school   of 


his  native  place.  When  he  was  twenty-si.x  years  of 
age.  lie  enlisted  in  Company  H,  i8th  Infantry,  and 
served  in  the  regular  military  forces  for  three  years  and 
three  months.  Coming  into  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
ho  became  a  barber  at  Kennedy,  N.  Y.,  and  there  for 
many  years  had  a  very  lucrative  business  in  that  line, 
so  much  so  that  he  was  eventually  able  to  acquire  a 
farming  property  of  appreciable  extent,  to  which  estate 
he  eventually  retired  from  the  barbering  business  alto- 
gether. He  has  been  a  Republican  in  politics  for  very 
many  years,  and  has  followed  national  politics  closely, 
and  has  at  various  periods  of  high  political  controversy 
shown  that  he  is  a  close  student  of  politics,  and  also  a 
man  of  broad  mind.  He  has  been  of  appreciable  serv- 
ice to  the  Republican  cause  in  his  locality  through 
many  presidential  campaigns,  but  he  has  never  sought 
nor  accepted  political  office.  Of  late  years,  he  has 
taken  an  increasing  interest  in  the  activities  of  the 
farmers'  organization,  the  Grange,  of  which  he  has  been 
a  member  for  many  years.  He  is  a  popular  member  of 
Kennedy  Lodge,  No.  522,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows.  His  genial  disposition  and  sincere  interest  in 
liis  fellows  bring  him  in  return  genuine  friendship  from 
a  very  wide  circle  of  representative  Chatauqua  county 
people. 

On  April  17,  1892,  at  Cassadaga,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Moore 
was  married  to  Myrtie  Ray  Kapple,  who  was  bom  in 
Sheridan,  Oct.  6,  1871,  daughter  of  Ray  and  Emma 
(Rundellj  Kapple.  To  them  have  been  born  five  chil- 
dren: I.  Eunice,  born  March  4,  1894.  2.  Florence, 
born  April  15,  1895;  married  Leo  B.  McKoon,  and  now 
has  two  children,  3.  Charles  W.,  born  June  11,  1897; 
married  Mabel  Willis.  4.  Ruth,  born  March  27,  1902. 
5.  Emmett  H..  born  Jan.  30.  1908.  His  son.  Charles 
\V.,  is  a  veteran  of  the  late  war,  having  served  for  fif- 
teen months  in  the  military  forces.  He  entered  the 
army.  Oct.  15,  1917,  and  was  sent  to  Camp  Wheeler, 
Georgia,  for  training.  From  that  camp  he  was  honor- 
ably discliarged,  Dec.  20,  1918,  the  signing  of  the  armi- 
stice making  the  holding  of  the  home  troops  for  a 
further   period   unnecessary. 


CLARK  HARRISON  SHUFELT,  honored  and 
prosperous  farmer  of  Chautau(|ua  township,  Chautau- 
qua county.  X.  Y..  a  man  who  has  reached  substantial 
success  in  life  entirely  by  his  own  efforts,  is  a  native  of 
tlie  county,  and  was  born  within  half  a  mile  of  his  pres- 
ent home,  in  Cliautauqua  township.  For  more  than 
fifty  years  he  has  farmed  in  Chautauqua  county,  and  for 
the  last  fifteen  years  or  more  has  owned  the  rich  farm 
of  175  acres  he  now  cultivates,  and  each  year  he  pays 
out  in  wages  to  hired  lielp.  quite  an  appreciable  sum 
of  money. 

He  comes  of  a  family  long  known  in  the  Westfield- 
Mayville  section  of  Chautauqua  county.  He  was  born 
on  Aug.  29,  1852,  the  son  of  Jeremiah  and  Charlotta 
(Smart)  Sliufelt,  tlie  former  a  man  widely  known  and 
much  respected  in  liis  day.  Jeremiah  Shufelt  was  one 
of  the  oldest  lilacksmiths  on  the  main  May ville- West- 
field  road,  and  establi^birl  himsch  as  a  blacksmith  in 
that  location  in   1845. 

His  son,  Clark  H.  Shufelt,  was  educated  in  nearby 
district  schools  and  later  became  a  student  at  the  May- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


599 


ville  High  School.  Since  leaving  school  he  has  farmed, 
following  agricultural  pursuits  for  wages  in  his  early 
manhood,  and  later  becoming  an  independent  farmer, 
possessed  of  a  good  property  and  prosperous.  He  has 
always  been  a  hard  worker,  and  has  always  shown  him- 
self lo  be  a  good  farmer,  observant  and  enterprising. 
He  enters  extensively  into  dairy  farming,  having  a  fine 
herd  of  forty  cattle.  Including  pasturage,  about  125 
of  the  175  acres  which  constitute  his  farm  are  in  culti- 
vation, and  he  has  considerably  improved  the  property 
since  he  acquired  it:  tlie  improvements  are  substantial; 
he  has  remodeled  the  residence,  which  is  a  fine  ex- 
ample of  the  earlier  country  house,  and  among  other 
improvements  executed  by  him  are  a  capacious  silo  and 
a  commodious  barn.  In  his  farming,  Mr.  Shufelt  has 
kept  himself  quite  up-to-date  in  the  developments  of 
agriculture,  and  has  adopted  many  of  the  modern 
methods  of  scientific  farming,  especially  in  the  dairy. 
He  has  been  very  successful  in  the  raising  of  cattle 
for  milk  production,  and  has  a  very  comprehensive  un- 
derstanding of  food  values. 

By  political  allegiance,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  al- 
though he  has  not  entered  very  actively  into  national 
political  movements,  he  has  for  many  years  taken  a 
whole-hearted  interest  in  local  affairs,  and  to  some 
extent  he  has  identified  with  the  local  administration, 
having  been  collector  of  taxes  for  his  district  and  school 
trustee.  He  is  a  man  of  good  moral  standing,  and  has 
always  endeavored  to  treat  others  as  he  would  like  to 
be  treated  by  them.  He  and  his  family  attend  the  local 
Baptist  church  and  he  has  been  always  ready  to  support 
any  worthy  local  project. 

On  Jan.  16,  1875,  Mr.  Shufelt  was  married,  in  Chau- 
tauqua township,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  to  Mary 
Shaw,  who  was  from  Canada.  They  have  had  nine 
children,  but  only  three  survive.  They  are:  I.  Nellie 
Maud,  who  was  educated  in  the  district  school  and  at 
the  Mayville  High  School;  she  is  the  wife  of  Stephen 
Penny,  and  they  have  three  children,  who  in  order  of 
birth  are:  Gerald,  Beatrice  and  Irene.  2.  Callie  May, 
who  received  educational  facilities  similar  to  those  af- 
forded her  elder  sister,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  Harry 
Smart.  3.  Lee  Harrison,  educated  in  the  district 
schools  and  the  husband  of  Nellie  Henry;  he  is  the  only 
one  of  their  nine  children  to  carry  forward  the  family 
name,  and  has  done  so,  to  the  next  generation,  having 
two  children,  Clara  and  Robert  Lee.  The  six  deceased 
children,  who  all  died  in  infancy,  were:  Henry,  Clara, 
Genevieve,   Clara.   Henry   and   Walter. 

The  life  of  Clark  Harrison  Shufelt  has  been  one  of 
worthy  and  manly  effort;  he  has  gone  forward  to  sub- 
stantial affairs  unaided,  by  self-reliant  industriousness, 
and  has  always  held  to  the  honorable  code  in  his  deal- 
ings. During  the  years  he  has  found  labor  at  good 
wages  for  many  other  Chautauqua  countj'  men  less  for- 
tunately situated  than  himself,  and  has  well  earned  the 
respect  in  which  he  is  held  in  the  neighborhood. 


lifelong  residents  of  this  region,  where  the  former  was 
engaged  in  farming  during  the  past  generation. 

Clarence  N.  Taylor  spent  his  childhood  and  early 
youth  on  his  father's  farm,  assisting  with  the  work  upon 
the  place  as  soon  as  he  had  come  of  an  age  to  do  so, 
and  attending  the  local  public  schools.  He  later  en- 
tered the  Jamestown  Institute  and  established  an  excel- 
lent record  for  industry  and  general  good  character. 
Upon  completing  his  studies,  the  young  man  continued 
to  work  as  his  father's  assistant  for  some  time,  and  in 
the  year  1883  became  the  owner  of  his  present  farm, 
which  is  a  valuable  piece  of  property  of  great  natural 
fertility  near  Kennedy.  Here  he  has  engaged  in  the 
raising  of  general  farm  products,  has  made  a  notable 
success  in  this  line,  and  markets  his  produce  throughout 
this  district.  In  politics  Mr.  Taylor  is  a  staunch  Re- 
publican, and  has  taken  his  part  in  local  public  affairs, 
having  served  two  terms  as  supervisor  of  the  town  of 
Poland.  He  is  president  of  the  local  branch  of  the 
Dairymen's  League  at  Frewsburg,  and  county  presi- 
dent of  the  league.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Union 
Grange,  Jamestown,  and  of  the  Carroll  Farmers'  Club. 
Mr.  Taylor  attends  St.  Luke's  Episcopal  Church  at 
Jamestown. 

Clarence  N.  Taylor  was  united  in  marriage,  Oct.  6, 
1886,  near  Frewsburg,  with  A.  Coralyn  Thayer,  a 
daughter  of  I.  Warren  and  Lucy  A.  (Cowan)  Thayer, 
old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  Carroll,  where 
Mrs.  Taylor  was  born,  Dec.  10,  1863.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Taylor   one    child   has  been   born,    Lynn    B.,    Oct.    13, 


CLARENCE  N.  TAYLOR,  who  has  for  many  years 
been  a  prominent  citizen  of  Poland,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  has  followed  the  occupation  of  farming 
with  a  high  degree  of  success,  is  a  native  of  this  county, 
and  was  born  in  Jamestown,  Sept.  9,  1856.  Mr.  Taylor 
is  a  son  of  Bravity  and  Alvina  D.    (Emery)    Taylor, 


FLOYD  F.  YOUNG— Among  the  most  successful 
and  prosperous  farmers  of  Poland  township,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  where  for  a  number  of  years  he  has 
been  prominent  in  the  general  life  of  the  community, 
should  be  mentioned  Floyd  F.  Young,  a  member  of  a 
well  known  county  family,  and  a  son  of  Ira  and  Susan 
(Belote)  Young.  The  elder  Mr.  Young  was  also  prom- 
inent in  this  region  and  was  engaged  successfully  in 
business  as  a  millwright  and  sawyer. 

Floyd  F.  Young  was  born  at  Newtontown,  Pa.,  April 
28.  1873,  and  as  a  child  resided  on  his  father's  farm, 
where  he  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  the  wholesome 
rural  life  which  has  been  the  early  environment  of  so 
many  of  the  greatest  citizens  of  the  country  in  times 
past.  His  education  was  obtained  at  the  local  public 
schools,  where  he  showed  himself  to  be  an  intelligent 
and  industrious  pupil  and  gave  early  signs  of  the  qual- 
ities that  have  since  given  him  the  success  he  has 
achieved.  LTpon  completing  his  studies  at  these  insti- 
tutions, Mr.  Young  turned  his  attention  to  the  serious 
business  of  life,  and  after  working  for  a  time  for  his 
father  became  the  owner  of  a  farm,  which  he  began 
to  operate  on  his  own  account.  He  has  continued  to 
cultivate  this  place  with  a  high  degree  of  success  ever 
since,  and  is  to-day  regarded  justly  as  one  of  the  most 
capable  agriculturists  of  the  district,  while  his  property 
is  shown  as  one  of  the  model  farms  hereabouts.  In  ad- 
dition to  his  farming  activities,  Mr.  Young  has  also 
extended  his  interests  to  other  forms  of  enterprise. 

Floyd  F.  Young  was  united  in  marriage.  Fell.  22,  1890, 
at  Falconer,  N.  Y.,  with  Rose  M.  Helmick,  a  native  of 
Randolph,  N.  Y.,  born  March  24,  1873,  a  daughter  of 


6oo 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Owen  Jasper  and  Lucinda  (Lane)  Helmick,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  that  place.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Young  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  as  follows,  Clarence 
Helmick.  bom  Feb.  :r2,  uxx). 


WARREN  M.  MARKHAM— The  ^farkham  home- 
stead in  \"iIlcnova.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  now- 
owned  by  Warren  M.  Markham,  was  first  owned  in  the 
family  by  Mark  Markham.  who  came  to  Chautauqua 
county  from  Broome  county,  N.  Y. 

Mark  Markham  was  the  father  of  .'Kdelbert  Mark- 
ham. who  owned  the  homestead,  and  married  Nellie 
Scort,  of  the  town  of  .\rkwright,  Chautauqua  county. 
They  were  the  parents  of  Warren  M.  Markham,  who 
for  a  long  term  of  years  abandoned  farming,  but  later 
bought  the  homestead  and  settled  down  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  its  fertile  acres. 

Warren  M.  Markham  was  bom  in  the  town  of  Ville- 
nova.  Chautauqua  county.  N.  Y..  Jan.  21,  1881.  He 
began  his  education  in  the  district  school,  completed 
his  studies  in  Forestville  High  School,  and  for  eight 
years  after  graduation  taught  in  the  public  schools.  He 
then  successfully  passed  an  examination  for  admission 
to  the  United  States  railway  mail  service,  secured  an 
appointment  as  railway  postal  clerk,  and  continued  in 
that  service  for  twelve  years.  He  then  bought  the  old 
homestead,  resigned  from  the  service,  and  has  since 
lived  the  quiet,  contented  life  of  a  prosperous  land- 
owning famer.  The  homestead  is  a  fine  property,  well 
improved,  with  a  modern  residence  and  barns,  and  a 
source  of  pride  to  its  owner.  Mr.  Markham  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  the  Independent  Or- 
der of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Daughters  of  Rebekah,  and  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican. 

He  married,  July  27,  1904,  Grace  L.  Maxson,  born  in 
\'illenova,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  2,  1S84, 
daughter  of  James  and  Minetta  (Crowell)  Maxson,  both 
her  parents  born  in  \'illenova.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mark- 
ham are  the  parents  of  a  son,  Robert,  born  March  13, 
1911. 


JAMES  ALEXANDER  McDOWELL,  of  Slier- 
man,  Chautauqua  county,  K.  Y..  who  was  born  in  the 
homestead  in  which  he  still  lives,  and  whose  father  was 
one  of  the  pioneer  settlers,  purchasing  the  present  well- 
cultivated  estate  when  it  was  only  forest  and  wilder- 
ness, is  one  of  the  representative  agriculturists  of  that 
section  of  the  State,  and  has  worthily  followed  in  the 
pioneer  cfTorts  of  his  father,  so  that  to-day  he  owns  an 
improved  valuable  agricultural  property,  161  acres  in 
extent,  127  acres  of  which  are  within  the  boundaries  of 
Chautauqua  township,  and  the  remainder  in  the  town- 
ship of  Wcstfiel'l.  And  in  local  affairs,  he  has  been 
honored  by  election  to  more  than  one  office. 

James  .Alexander  McDowell  was  born  Dec.  20,  1858, 
the  son  of  James  and  Jane  CGalloway)  McDowell.  His 
father  purchased  the  present  property  of  the  family  in 
1845,  and  the  boy  James  A.  in  his  youth  had  to  journey 
daily  to  the  Summer  Dale  District  School,  which  was 
the  nearest  to  their  farm,  which  is  pleasantly  located, 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  little  village  of 
Summer  Dale,  in  a  northerly   direction.     After  leaving 


school,  he  resolutely  applied  himself  to  the  task  of  aid- 
ing his  father  in  the  winning  of  all  their  land  from  the 
forest.  He  has  steadfastly  followed  agriculture  through- 
out his  life,  and  has  farmed  well,  giving  due  heed  to  all 
that  was  practicable  in  the  findings  of  scientific  farmers. 
He  is  much  interested  in  stock  raising,  and  may  be  con- 
sidered an  authority  upon  the  subject,  for  he  makes  his 
living  mainly  by  stock  raising  and  dairy  farming. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  local  grange  and  has  been 
for  the  last  ten  years.  And  he  is  a  Republican  who  has 
taken  some  part  in  the  bearing  of  national  politics  upon 
local  conditions.  He  has  held  many  public  offices,  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Chautauqua  township  school 
board,  has  been  collector  for  same  township,  and  now 
is  Republican  committeeman  representing  his  district 
upon  the  Chautauqua  county  committee  of  the  Republi- 
can party. 

Mr.  McDowell  married,  Sept.  10,  189S,  Pearl  Greeley, 
of  Summer  Dale.  They  liave  two  children:  I.  De 
Emma,  born  April  18,  1899,  and  eventually  married 
Khlar  Hildum,  of  Titusville.  Pa.;  her  husband,  who  is 
twenty-four  years  old,  and  fomerly  was  a  railroad  offi- 
cial, saw  thirteen  months  of  military  service  in  France 
with  the  312th  Regiment,  Headquarters  Company,  of  the 
78th  Division.  2.  Amber,  daughter,  born  Aug.  4,  1902. 
Both  children  were  educated  in  the  Sherman  High 
School.  The  family  attended  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  of  which  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McDowell  are  earnest 
members,  as  are  also  their  children. 

During  the  World  War,  Mr.  McDowell  worthily  sup- 
ported all  the  projects  which  had  for  their  object  the 
prosecution  of  the  war;  he  gave  of  liis  substance  un- 
stintingly  to  the  various  funds,  and  he  gave  assiduously, 
in  increased  labor,  to  the  national  effort  to  increase  the 
yield  from  the  soil  of  America,  so  that  the  impoverished 
nations  of  Europe,  or  rather  those  which  were  our 
allies,  might  be  sustained  and  held  strong  in  the  fight 
until  the  victory  came.  His  eflfort,  and  that  of  every 
earnest,  patriotic  fanner,  during  the  years  of  struggle, 
is  worthy  of  good  place  in  the  national  record,  as  the 
victory  was  not  accomplished  only  upon  the  fields  of 
France. 


CARL  O.  LUNDGREN,  who  resides  in  Kiantone 
t(5wnship,  is  a  progressive,  practical  and  enterprising 
farmer  and  stock  raiser,  owning  and  operating  eleven 
and  three-quarters  acres  of  land  near  Jamestown.  He 
was  born  March  27,  1S73,  in  Sweden,  and  is  the  son  of 
James  and  Marie  Lundgren,  both  born  in  Sweden. 
James  Lundgren,  a  carpenter  by  trade,  was  reared  and 
educated  in  Sweden,  and  married  there. 

Carl  O.  Lundgren's  early  life  was  spent  on  his  fa- 
ther's farm  and  his  early  education  was  received  in  the 
l)ublic  schools  of  Sweden.  In  early  life  he  was  a  car- 
Ijcnter.  LIpon  coming  to  America  he  took  up  farming 
.md  continues  this  occupation  at  the  present  time.  He 
i'l  today  regarded  as  one  of  the  successful  farmers  of 
Ills  township,  having  so  cajiably  directed  his  affairs  that 
as  the  years  have  iiassed  his  labors  have  been  rewarded 
with  a  very  gratifying  degree  of  prosperity. 

Politically,  Mr.  Lnndgren  is  a  staunch  Republican 
and  has  always  kept  well-informed  on  the  questions 
aiifl  issues  of  the  day,  and  gives  to  his  jjarty  a  stalwart 
support,  but  has  never  sought  nor  desired  public  office. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


6oi 


He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  United  Breth- 
ren church,  and  all  are  well  known  and  respected.  Mr. 
Lundgren  is  a  public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen  and 
gives  his  loyal  support  to  all  men  and  measures  that 
have  for  their  object  the  general  good  of  all  the  people. 
Mr.  Lundgren  married,  in  Kiantone,  N.  Y.,  June  30, 
1897.  Bertha  Crick,  born  in  1874,  a  daughter  of  Adel- 
bert  and  Margaret  (Seekings)  Crick,  well  known  resi- 
dents of  that  place.  To  this  union  have  been  born  si.x: 
children,  as  follows:  Mildred  G.,  born  March  25,  1900: 
Beulah  M.,  born  Oct.  31.  1903;  Clifford  O.,  born  March 
22,  1906:  Doris  E.,  born  Jan.  31,  1908;  Helen  M.,  born 
March  19,  1910;  and  Vera  G.,  born  Jan.  9,  igi2.  All 
the  above  mentioned  are  attending  school. 


ALBRO  LAWRENCE,  who  for  many  years  has 
been  prominent  in  the  life  of  the  community  where  he 
resides,  Ellington,  N.  Y.,  is  a  native  of  Ellington,  born 
May  28,  1856,  son  of  Simon  and  Mary  (Potwin)  Law- 
rence, old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  Ellington, 
the  former  named  having  been  the  first  white  child  born 
in  the  town  of  Ellington,  and  there  was  engaged  in 
farming  for  many  years.  Simon  Lawrence  was  a  son  of 
Simon  and  Hannah  (VVilco.x)  Lawrence,  who  came  to 
this  region  of  New  York  State  from  Mt.  Holly,  Vt.,  in 
the  year  1816,  making  the  trip  through  what  was  then 
well  nigh  a  wilderness,  in  an  o.x  cart. 

Albro  Lawrence  attended  as  a  lad  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  town  of  Ellington,  and  proved  him- 
self an  industrious  and  painstaking  student.  He  as- 
sisted his  father  in  the  management  of  the  farm,  be- 
coming familiar  with  the  agricultural  methods  of  that 
day,  mowing  out  the  corners  of  rail  fences  and  swampy 
places  with  a  scythe,  following  after  the  load  of  hay 
with  a  hand  rake,  and  thrashing  out  grain  with  a  flail, 
this  being  the  way  work  was  done  prior  to  the  intro- 
duction of  machines.  Mr.  Lawrence  is  a  stockholder 
in  the  Farmers'  &  Mechanics'  Bank  of  Jamestown,  has 
always  maintained  a  keen  and  active  interest  in  public 
affairs  and  is  well  known  and  influential  in  the  local 
councils  of  the  Prohibition  party,  with  which  he  has 
been  affiliated  since  1884.  In  religious  belief.  Mr.  Law- 
rence is  a  Free  Methodist  and  attends  the  church  of 
that  denomination  in  Ellington. 

Mr.  Lawrence  married,  July  4,  1880,  in  Sugargrove, 
Pa..  .Alida  Phelps,  who  was  born  in  West  Turin,  Lewis 
county,  X.  Y.,  May  19,  1857,  came  to  Ellington  when 
a  child  with  her  parents,  William  and  Catherine  (Ja- 
cobie)  Phelps,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
Ellington. 


MELVIN  FRANKLIN  JOHNSON,  who  has  lived 
in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  for  forty-two  years,  and 
for  thirty-seven  years  has  lived  on  the  good  farm  he 
owns  on  Lake  Road,  in  the  township  of  Westfield,  is  an 
enterprising,  progressive  farmer,  and  has  good  place 
among  the  leading  residents  of  that  section  of  the 
county,  being  generally  respected  for  his  industry,  his 
high  moral  character  and  public  interest.  He  has 
reached  a  satisfactory  competence  in  material  wealth 
entirely  by  his  own  efforts,  and  has  gained  a  wealth  of 
respect  by  his  upright,  honorable  standard  of  life  and 
business  dealings. 


Melvin  F.  Johnson  was  born  in  L-nion  City,  Erie 
county.  Pa.,  Aug.  10,  1859,  the  son  of  Titus  and  Mary 
(White)  Johnson.  His  great-grandfather,  Obadiah 
Johnson,  fought  in  the  Revolutionary  War  and  attained 
the  rank  of  colonel.  His  father  was  a  prosperous 
farmer  of  that  section  of  Pennsylvania,  and  as  a  boy 
Melvin  F.  attended  the  district  school  nearest  to  his 
home,  later  attending  the  village  schools  of  Union  City. 
He  was  reared  in  the  wholesome  environment  of  farm 
life  and  a  good  Christian  home,  and  long  before  he 
had  closed  his  schooling  and  taken  to  the  serious  af- 
fairs of  life,  he  had  become  familiar  with  most  of  the 
operations  of  farming,  so  that  it  was  natural  that  he 
should  take  to  farming  pursuits  eventually  and  seek  to 
emulate  his  father.  He  has  farmed  steadily  throughout 
his  life  since  leaving  school  and  for  almost  the  whole 
of  the  time  in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  He  left  his 
native  State  when  he  was  eighteen  years  old,  and  set- 
tled on  a  farm  in  Clymer,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 
He  now  lives  on  his  own  farm  in  Westfield.  Some 
years  ago  he  purchased  additional  acreage,  adjoining 
his  own.  In  the  two  farms,  which  Lake  Road  divides, 
he  has  more  than  one  hundred  acres,  all  well  improved 
and  productive  land.  The  improvements  consist  of  two 
complete  sets  of  buildings,  and  he  has  an  extensive 
vineyard  of  thirty-seven  acres,  which  yields  him  a 
considerable  quantity  of  grapes  yearly.  Both  farms  are 
managed  by  Mr.  Johnson,  and  in  addition  to  dairy 
farming,  he  keeps  a  large  number  of  chickens.  Alto- 
gether Mr.  Johnson  has  prospered  well  since  he  came 
to  Chautauqua  county  and  may  be  considered  to  be 
representative  of  the  substantia!  agriculturists  of  the 
county. 

Mr.  Johnson  has  not  taken  a  very  active  interest  in 
national  politics,  but  has  closely  followed  local  affairs, 
and  during  his  life  has  taken  a  share  in  the  administra- 
tion of  the  public  afTairs  of  his  township;  by  political 
allegiance  he  is  a  Republican,  and  has  been  a  school 
trustee  of  No.  10  school  for  several  terms,  and  at  pres- 
ent is  collector  for  that  school.  Religiously  he  is  a 
Methodist,  a  member  of  the  local  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  a  steady  supporter  of  same.  Mr.  John- 
son is  a  member  of  the  local  Grange,  and  throughout 
his  life  has  shown  keen  interest  in  agricultural  mat- 
ters, and  his  methods  of  farming  indicate  that  he  has 
given  close  study  to  modern  ideas  of  scientific  farm- 
ing. He  has  always  been  most  progressive,  and  ready 
to  adopt  any  method  that  would  be  likely  to  bring 
greater  productiveness  from  his  farms.  The  home  life 
of  the  Johnsons  has  been  estimable,  they  have  many 
friends,  are  very  hospitable,  and  well  liked. 

The  marriage  of  Melvin  F.  Johnson  to  Addie  Bourne, 
of  Westfield,  was  solemnized  on  Feb.  20,  1885.  Mrs. 
Johnson's  parents  were  among  the  early  settlers  of 
Westfield.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  three  children 
have  been  born,  one,  a  daughter,  Mary  Anna,  who  died 
in  infancy.  The  surviving  children  are:  Hattie  May, 
who  was  educated  in  the  district  school  of  Westfield 
township,  and  eventually  attended  the  Westfield  High 
School;  she  is  the  wife  of  Earl  Saigeon,  and  they  have 
three  children:  Earl  Webster,  Melvin  Franklin  John- 
son, and  Lovina  Ann ;  and  Frances,  who  also  was  edu- 
cated in  the  district  and  high  schools  of  Westfield,  and 
has  taught  in  Westfield  public  school. 


6cj 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


TOWNSEND  JACKSON— On  Section  2.  of  the 
town  of  Ellicott,  stood  a  building  erected  for  a  tavern 
and  used  as  such  for  one  year.  In  1S55  Townsend  Jack- 
son bought  the  farm  and  tavern,  and  there  resided  until 
his  death,  when  it  became  the  property  of  his  surviving 
children,  Edward  M.  Jackson,  of  Youngsville,  Pa., 
Louise  A.  (Jackson')  Garfield,  and  Olive  B.  Jackson. 
The  farm  has  been  shorn  of  many  of  its  acres,  as  the 
demand  for  lots  and  small  tracts  became  insistent,  until 
now  the  homestead  is  surrounded  by  but  twenty  of  its 
original  acres. 

Townsend  Jackson,  son  of  Obadiah  Jackson,  of  Eng- 
lish descent,  and  his  wife,  Sarah  (Boreman)  Jackson, 
of  Holland  descent,  was  born  in  the  village  of  Roslyn, 
Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  16,  1824,  died  at  his  home  in 
the  town  of  Ellicott,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Nov. 
24.  looi.  He  spent  his  early  life  in  his  native  section 
of  the  State,  then  came  to  Chautauqua  county,  locating 
in  the  town  of  Ellicott,  where  he  bought  the  farm  pre- 
viously referred  to  and  now  the  present  home  of  his 
daughters.  Louise  A.  (Jackson  1  Garfield,  and  Olive  B. 
Jackson.  In  addition  to  his  farming  operations,  he  dealt 
in  fine  horses,  not  more  for  a  desire  for  profit  than  for 
a  genuine  love  for  a  good  horse.  He  owned  several 
during  his  lifetime,  to  which  he  became  greatly  at- 
tached, and  the  sale  of  them  was  often  postponed.  He 
was  a  man  of  strong  and  upright  character,  devoted  to 
his  family,  and  universally  liked.  He  was  successful 
in  his  undertakings,  and  an  excellent  business  man.  In 
politics  he  was  a  Republican ;  in  religion  a  Quaker  or 
Friend. 

Townsend  Jackson  married,  in  Greenvail,  Long 
Island,  March  14,  1843,  Margaret  A.  Nostrand,  born 
Nov.  2,  1825,  in  Jericho,  L.  I.,  died  March  25,  1903,  at 
the  farm  in  Ellicott,  Chautauqua  county,  daughter  of 
Epenetus  and  Eliza  (Burt)  Nostrand,  of  Holland  de- 
scent. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jackson  were  the  parents  of  six 
children,  as  follows:  Sanford,  deceased;  Jones,  de- 
ceased; Louise  A.,  married  Albert  P.  Garfield,  of  Busti; 
Epenetus  N.,  deceased;  Edward  M.,  of  Youngsville, 
Pa.,  and  Olive  B. 


EMMIT  DAVID  HOUSE,  a  successful  farmer  of 
Westfield.  N.  Y.,  descends  from  an  English  family  who 
came  from  England  prior  to  the  Revolution  and  set- 
tled in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 

David  House,  father  of  Emmit  D.  House,  of  this  re- 
view, was  born  June  27,  1832,  and  was  reared  on  the 
farm  in  Chautauqua  county  which  his  Grandfather 
House,  who  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  pur- 
chased, improved  and  cultivated  until  his  death  in  1838. 
The  boy  David  early  commenced  work  on  the  farm,  and 
spent  his  entire  life  sowing  and  reaping  the  harvest  of 
his  fields,  together  with  the  conducting  of  a  fine  grape 
vineyard,  which  he  had  cultivated.  He  was  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  but  being  of  a  modest  and  retiring 
nature,  he  cared  not  for  political  honors,  although  he 
was  ever  willing  to  advance  the  interests  of  his  party 
by  honest  and  legitimate  means.  He  marrietl,  in  18C0, 
Mary  Anne  Cadwell,  daughter  of  Samuel  Cadwcll,  of 
f'ortlari'I,  and  th'-y  became  the  parents  of  nine  chil- 
dr'.T) :     Edwin  M.,  James  S.,  Xabby   S.,  Nancy,  Emmit 


D.,  of  further  mention;  Almedia  A.,  Clara,  Arthur  J., 
Lydia  A. 

Emmit  David  House  was  born  in  Westfield,  N.  Y., 
Nov.  24,  1868.  the  son  of  David  and  Mary  Anne  (Cad- 
well) House.  After  receiving  his  education  in  the  local 
schools,  he  became  a  farmer.  In  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  as  a  true  citizen  he  gives  his  influence  and 
support  to  the  furtherance  of  all  good  measures  that 
conserve  the  interest  of  good  government. 

Emmit  David  House  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Lizzie  A.  Noxon,  who  was  born  Dec.  21,  1868,  the 
daughter  of  Matthew  S.  and  Ermina  (Weaver)  Noxon. 
Matthew  S.  Noxon  was  born  in  Delaware  county,  N.  Y., 
the  son  of  Claudius  and  Loduma  (Farrington)  Noxon, 
and  when  the  boy  Matthew  S.  was  nine  years  of  age  he 
was  sent  to  live  with  his  uncle,  Daniel  M.  Farrington, 
in  Westfield.  It  was  here  that  he  was  educated  and 
later  learned  farming.  He  was  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, and  was  noted  for  his  honesty  and  fair  dealings. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  House  have  no  children. 


FRANK  WILLIAM  GIESLER,  a  family  name 
known  in  Chautauqua  county  agricultural  records  since 
1863,  when  his  father  purchased  the  farm  he  now  oc- 
cupies, has  shown  himself  to  be  a  man  of  commendable 
characteristics  and  likeable  nature.  He  has  conse- 
quently many  friends  among  his  neighbors,  and  has  had 
good  success  in  his  farming  enterprises. 

He  was  born  in  Brant  township,  Erie  county,  village 
of  Farnham,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  14,  1856,  the  son  of  Adolph 
and  Frederica  (Hindenburg)  Giesler.  His  father, 
Adolph  Giesler,  was  a  man  of  strong  character  and 
democratic  tendencies ;  in  fact,  because  of  his  dem- 
ocratic leaning  he  thought  it  advisable  to  leave  Ger- 
many soon  after  the  unsuccessful  revolution  in  Ger- 
many, in  1848.  He  brought  his  wife  to  the  United 
States,  and  in  1852  rented  the  farm  in  Farnham,  Brant 
township,  Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  upon  which  their  son, 
Frank  W.,  was  born.  In  1863  Adolph  Giesler  acquired 
the  first  forty-five  acres  of  the  farm  in  Chautauqua 
county,  now  owned  and  occupied  by  his  son,  Frank  W., 
the  family  home  in  Erie  county  being  retained,  while  he 
gradually  cleared  his  Chautauqua  county  tract  and 
brought  it  into  satisfactory  cultivation.  Eventually, 
the  family  moved  into  Chautauqua  county,  and  in 
course  of  time  Adolph  Giesler  added  another  fifteen 
acres  to  his  holding. 

Frank  William  Giesler  received  a  district  school  edu- 
cation, and  since  has  given  his  time  mainly  to  agricul- 
tural occupations.  At  the  outset  he  assisted  his  father 
in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm,  and  did  some  car- 
pentering. During  the  years  1873-74,  he  worked  as  such 
in  Sheridan,  returning  to  the  farm  in  1875,  and 
remaining  with  his  father  until  he  married  in  1881,  soon 
after  which  he  went  to  work  in  the  shops  at  Dunkirk, 
Chautauqua  county.  However,  in  1888,  he  returned  to 
the  farm,  and  since  that  time  has  steadily  worked  it, 
a  period  of  thirty-two  years  of  productive,  profitable 
labor.  After  the  death  of  his  father,  he  purchased  an 
additional  fifteen  acres,  so  that  his  holding  is  now 
sevenly-fivc  acres  in  extent,  a  well-improved  property, 
embracing  vineyard,  stock,  and  chicken  farm.     Mr.  Gies- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


6o.'3 


ler  maintains  sixty  acres  in  cultivation,  and  the  re- 
mainder is  in  pasture,  with  some  timber.  He  has 
erected  some  modern  conveniences,  including  a  thirty- 
ton  silo,  and  has  some  fine  cattle  and  horses.  His  grape 
cultivation  is  also  quite  extensive. 

In  political  allegiance  he  is  a  Republican,  but  has  not 
followed  actively  national  politics,  but  in  local  affairs 
he  has  always  taken  much  interest,  especially  in  educa- 
tional matters.  He  is  at  present  clerk  of  school  dis- 
trict No.  II.  He  and  his  wife  have  taken  good  part 
in  community  life,  and  they  have  many  friends.  Mr. 
Giesler  has  also  taken  active  interest  in  the  local  Grange, 
of  which  he  has  for  very  many  years  been  a  member. 
Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
church,  and  attends  St.  Peter's  Church,  at  Westfield, 
contributing  loyally  to  its  support. 

On  Feb.  24,  1881,  Mr.  Giesler  married  Frederica 
Nieman,  of  Ripley,  N.  Y.,  and  to  them  have  been  born 
three  children:  i.  Emma,  who  was  educated  at  the 
district  school,  and  at  Westfield  High  School;  later 
married  William  Keopka,  of  Summer  Dale,  Chautauqua 
count}',  and  they  are  the  parents  of  four  children : 
Fredia,  Frances,  Herman,  and  Edna.  2.  Rosa,  who  was 
educated  in  the  district  and  Westfield  high  schools,  and 
has  since  lived  at  home.  3.  John,  who  received  educa- 
tional advantages  similar  to  those  afforded  his  sisters ; 
eventually  married  Hattie  Neill ;  they  both  live  with  his 
parents,  and  he  ably  assists  his  father  in  the  operation 
of  the  family  agricultural  estate. 

Altogether,  Frank  William  Giesler  has  had  a  satis- 
factory and  successful  career,  made  so  mainly  by  his 
own  energy  and  steadfastness  of  purpose.  He  has 
always  worked  hard,  but  it  has  been  intelligent,  well- 
directed  labor,  and  he  has  consequently  had  good  return 
materially  for  the  labor  expended.  And  he  has  had  a 
certain  and  gratifying  return  in  the  respect  in  which 
he  is  held  by  his  neighbors  and  many  friends  through- 
out the  county. 


GEORGE  W.  FULLER,  esteemed  and  prosperous 
farmer,  with  a  good  agricultural  property  in  Kiantone 
township  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  had  the  honor 
of  seeing  two  sons  leave  home  for  national  service  in 
the  military  forces  during  the  recent  war,  and  had  the 
supreme  gratification  of  welcoming  them  both  home 
again,  after  the  termination  of  the  war. 

George  W.  Fuller  was  born  in  Ellery,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  May  7,  1851,  the  son  of  John  W.  and 
Sarah  M.  (Buell)  Fuller.  His  father  was  a  farmer, 
and  as  a  boy  George  W.  attended  the  graded  school  of 
his  native  place.  Thereafter  he  spent  his  years  of  in- 
dustrial effort  mostly  in  farming  operations,  for  a 
while  assisting  his  father  in  the  management  and  opera- 
tion of  the  family  property,  but  eventually  branching 
out  for  himself  and  taking  upon  his  own  shoulders  the 
responsibility  of  a  farm,  and  also  a  family.  He  gave 
indication  of  the  possession  of  commendable,  reliable 
traits,  and  was  business-like  as  well  as  energetic  in  his 
farming,  and  so  he  gradually  prospered.  He  has  for 
very  many  years  been  a  staunch  Democrat  in  national 
politics,  although  he  did  not  enter  actively  into  national 
political  work ;  in  local  affairs  he  was  not  necessarily  a 
Democrat;  he  followed  the  dictates  of  common  sense 
and  voted  for  the  man  whom  he  thought  was  best  fitted 


for  the  responsibilities  of  the  oflSce.  He  sought  no  office 
for  himself,  although  had  he  done  so  he  would  in  all 
probability  have  secured  one  or  more,  for  he  has  always 
been  well  respected  and  popular  in  his  own  community. 
And  he  was  ever  ready  to  aid  in  any  way  he  thought 
possible  any  local  project  which  he  considered  might 
prove  advantageous  for  the  community.  For  very  many 
years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  local  grange.  He  is  a 
conscientious  Christian,  and  has  given  matters  of  reli- 
gion and  theology  deep  study. 

Mr.  Fuller  was  married,  Dec.  22,  1881,  in  Kiantone, 
to  Mary  L.  Perry,  daughter  of  Clinton  and  Satira 
(Sherman)  Perry,  also  of  Kiantone.  She  was  born  in 
Kiantone  township,  Nov.  20,  1858.  Her  father  was  a 
whole-souled  patriot,  for  when  she  was  only  three  years 
old  he  left  home  to  join  the  Union  forces  and  did  not 
return  home  again  until  the  Civil  War  had  been  won, 
passing  through  three  years  and  nine  months  of  severe 
campaigning.  To  George  W.  and  Mary  L.  (Perry) 
Fuller  have  been  born  six  children:  I.  Perry,  born  June 
16,  1884;  married  Grace  Grou,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Louise.  2.  Carl  J.,  born  June  27,  1886.  He  married 
Ethel  Hale,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Elmira  A.  3. 
Phoebe  A.,  born  Dec.  5,  1888;  she  married  Frank 
Thayer,  and  became  the  mother  of  his  three  children : 
Margaret,  Kenneth,  and  Priscilla.  4.  Ezra,  born  May 
18,  1800;  saw  nine  months'  of  military  service  in  Amer- 
ican stations  during  the  European  War.  5.  John  W., 
born  Feb.  10,  1896;  a  veteran  of  the  Great  War;  he 
entered  the  United  States  army,  Nov.  21,  1917,  and  was 
assigned  to  the  battery  of  Heavy  Artillery,  which 
eventually  became  part  of  the  First  Division;  with  that 
unit  he  served  in  France  and  Germany,  and  returned 
home  safely  in  August,  1919,  being  honorably  discharged 
on  the  22nd  of  that  month  from  an  American  demobili- 
zation center.    6.  Henry  B.,  born  Sept.  13,  1901. 

Mr.  Fuller  naturally  was  very  closely  interested  in 
the  progress  of  the  war ;  he  would  have  been  so  whether 
his  sons  were  with  the  military  forces  or  not,  for  he  is 
essentially  a  patriot.  And  while  his  sons  were  with  the 
forces,  he  did  his  best  to  cooperate  in  the  national  effort 
to  the  limit  of  his  means  by  subscribing  to  the  various 
funds  raised  for  the  purposes  of  the  government  in  its 
comprehensive  prosecution  of  the  war,  and  in  many 
other  ways  Mr.  Fuller  managed  to  do  what  he  consid- 
ered to  be  his  part  in  the  struggle.  He  has  lived  an  esti- 
mable life,  has  proved  himself  upon  more  than  one  occa- 
sion to  be  a  man  of  high,  moral  character,  and  a  citizen 
of  worthy  type,  and  he  has  the  sincere  friendship  of 
all  of  his  neighbors. 


WILLIAM  P.  FRISSELI^One  of  the  most  pros- 
perous and  successful  farmers  of  Chautauqua  county  is 
the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch.  He  owns 
and  operates  a  fine  farm  and  is  engaged  in  general 
farming.  He  is  a  man  of  good  business  and  executive 
ability,  as  well  as  a  practical  and  progressive  agricul- 
turist. He  has  met  with  gratifying  success  and  today 
ranks  among  the  substantial  men  of  his  community. 
Mr.  Frissell  was  born  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  July  10, 
1861,  a  son  of  George  C.  and  Marie  (Perry)  Frissell. 

William  P.  Frissell  received  his  early  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and  after  grad- 
uating from  the  high  school  accepted  a  position  as  a 


6oj. 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


school  readier  and  taught  in  the  country  schools  for 
nearly  seven  years.  Some  time  later  he  bought  a  strip 
O!  land  and  began  the  occupation  of  general  farming,  in 
which  he  continues  at  the  present  time. 

Since  casting  his  tirst  presidential  vote,  Mr.  Fris- 
seil  has  never  wavered  in  his  allegiance  to  the  Repub- 
lican party.  Though  he  has  never  sought  public  office, 
when  it  was  offered  him  he  accepted  and  gave  to  his 
county.  State  and  nation,  long  and  faithful  service.  He 
was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  and  was  also  trustee 
for  a  number  of  years.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Frissell  is  a 
member  of  the  Grange,  and  he  is  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent and  respected  members.  He  and  his  family  are 
also  members  of  the  Congregational  church,  and  con- 
tribute liberally  to  its  support. 

Mr.  Frissell  married,  .Aug.  28.  1889,  at  Kiantone, 
Jennie  \V.  Creal,  who  was  born  in  Kiantone,  N.  Y., 
Sept.  23.  1869,  a  daughter  of  John  and  .Adelaide 
(Cowan)  Creal,  natives  of  that  town.  To  this  union 
have  been  bom  the  following  children :  Kathleen,  born 
Aug.  18,  1890,  the  wife  of  Ralph  Robeson,  of  James- 
town. N.  Y. ;  and  Helen  A.,  born  Sept.  i,  1890,  the  wife 
of  Rudolph  Xordland.  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  Frissell  is  well  known  throughout  the  township 
where  he  has  made  his  home,  and  by  the  possession  of 
those  o,ualities  which  in  every  land  and  clime  command 
respect  he  has  won  many  friends.  His  career  has  been 
one  of  unfaltering  industry,  and  through  strong  purpose 
and  diligence  he  has  worked  his  way  upward  to  a  plane 
of  affluence. 


ALVAH  I.  DRAYTON— It  has  been  recorded  by 
the  pioneers  of  Chautauqua  county  that  when  that  sec- 
tion of  Western  Xcw  York  State  was  first  explored 
and  settled,  there  were  found  covering  it  one  of  the 
most  magnificent  forests  that  the  New  World  had  to 
offer,  providing  in  those  days  splendid  hunting  grounds 
for  the  aboriginal  Indians  and  since  then  unsurpassed 
opportunities  for  the  lumberman.  Its  fertile  soil  and 
favorable  climate  seemed  especially  fitted  for  this  lux- 
uriant growth  and  produced  groves  of  pine  equal  in 
quality  and  quantity  to  anything  to  be  found.  .Although 
today  large  portions  of  the  magnificent  primeval  forest 
have  been  cleared  away  to  make  room  for  the  broad  cul- 
tivated acres  that  are  now  one  of  the  chief  glories  of  the 
region,  and  the  cultivation  of  which  have  made  the 
county  one  of  the  most  agriculturally  flourishing  in  the 
country,  there  still  remain  great  tracts  of  fine  timber 
which  are  a  vast  source  of  wealth  and  provide  occupa- 
tion for  the  hardy  lumbermen  there  and  enormous 
supplies  of  lumber  for  the  world  markets.  Among  those 
who  have  been  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  should 
be  mentioned  .AK-ah  I.  Drayton,  a  iirospcrous  and  re- 
spected citizen  of  Bemus  Point.  Mr.  Drayton  is  a 
son  of  Evert  E.  and  Elizabeth  fSmilcy)  Drayton,  and 
on  the  maternal  side  is  descended  from  an  old  P.emus 
Point  family,  his  mother  having  been  born  at  that 
place  His  maternal  great-grandfather,  Israel  Rush, 
settled  at  Bemus  Point  in  tSuj.  The  elder  Mr.  Dray- 
ton is  a  native  of  Randolph,  X.  Y.,  and  for  twenty- 
seven  years  conducted  a  successful  livery  business  at 
Jamestown,  although  he  also  resided  for  a  time  at  Be- 
mus   Point.      He  added   farming  to  his  other  business. 

.Alvah  I.  Drayton  was  born  Se|)t.  22,  18S5,  at  Bemus 


Point,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y..  but  most  of  his  child- 
hood was  passed  at  Jamestown,  where  he  attended  the 
local  public  schools.  During  his  youth  he  gained  a  con- 
siderable knowledge  of  argiculture  on  his  father's 
farm,  but  early  in  life  his  attention  was  called  to  great 
opportunities  in  the  lumber  trade,  and  upon  reaching 
manhood  he  became  actively  interested  therein,  working 
for  twelve  years  for  two  firms  in  Jamestown.  He  has 
never,  however,  given  up  agriculture  entirely.  He 
owns  a  portion  of  the  farm  which  has  been  in  the  pos- 
session of  his  family  for  four  generations,  and  for  sev- 
eral years  has  devoted  his  attention  to  farming  and 
gardening.  Mr.  Drayton  has  always  been  interested  in 
local  atfairs  and  is  a  strong  supporter  of  the  same,  al- 
though up  to  the  present  he  has  never  taken  an  active 
part  in  politics  nor  sought  public  office  for  himself.  In 
his  religious  belief  he  is  a  Lfniversalist  and  attends  the 
church  of  that  denomination  at  Bemus  Point,  making 
his  home  also  in  this  charming  town. 

Mr.  Drayton  was  united  in  marriage,  April  10,  1913, 
at  Jamestown,  with  Martenette  P.  Dunham,  a  native  of 
Corry,  Pa.,  born  March  12,  1890,  a  daughter  of  Laverne 
and  S.  Pauline  (Phillips)   Dunham. 


ERNEST  R.  DIBBLE,  progressive  and  enterprising 

farm  owner  of  Westfield,  and  prominently  identified 
with  important  agricultural  organizations  of  the  county, 
is  a  representative  Chautauqua  county  farmer  of  the 
yotmger  generation.  He  has  been  active  in  the  work 
of  the  Chautauqua  County  Farm  Bureau  since  its  es- 
tablishment, and  is  one  of  the  county's  representatives 
upon  the  directorate  of  the  Dairymen's  League.  He  is 
still  in  the  early  prime  of  manhood,  but  he  has  lived  a 
verj'  active  and  useful  life,  and  has  come  into  prom- 
inence among  agriculturists. 

He  was  born  in  Portland,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
March  22.  1878,  the  son  of  George  E.  and  Miriam 
(Quilliam)  Dibble.  His  father,  who  is  still  living,  has 
lived  his  entire  life  in  the  county,  and  is  a  successful 
farmer.  Ernest  R.  Dibble  is  one  of  nine  children  born 
to  George  E.  and  Miriam  (Quilliam)  Dibble,  his  broth- 
ers and  sisters,  in  order  of  birth  being:  i.  Oliver  H., 
who  owned  and  edited  a  newspaper  at  Sinclairville,  N. 
Y.,  for  several  years,  later  moving  to  St.  Elmo,  III., 
where  he  purchased  the  St.  Elmo  "Banner,"  which  he 
edited  until  his  death,  which  occurred  at  the  age  of 
thirty-three.  2.  Lena,  who  eventually  became  Mrs. 
Scriven.  3.  Newton,  who  is  now  a  well  known  farmer 
at  Chautauqua.  4.  Clarence,  who  entered  the  United 
Brethren  ministry,  and  has  charge  of  a  Pennsylvania 
church.  5.  Mabel,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven  years. 
6.  Alton,  also  a  farmer  in  Chautauqua  county.  7.  Ray- 
mond, who  graduated  from  Westfield  High  School  and 
the  Jamestown  Business  College,  and  held  a  responsi- 
ble position  in  Buffalo  when  taken  with  sickness  which 
caused  his  death  at  the  age  of  twenty-six.  8.  Roy  F., 
who  took  to  academic  life,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the 
teaching  staff  at  Cohnnbia  L'niversity,  New  York  City. 

Ernest  R.  Dibble,  as  a  boy  attended  the  district 
school  of  his  native  place,  Portland,  and  after  passing 
through  that  school  attended  the  high  school  at  West- 
field.  He  then  went  westward,  for  one  year  working 
at  the  printing  trnde  in  Illinois.  Returning  to  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  he  bought  a  farm  of  forty-seven 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


605 


acres,  which  property  he  later  sold  to  advantage. 
Later,  for  two  years,  he  rented  a  property  at  Portland, 
giving  up  that  place  when  he  acquired  an  extensive 
farm  of  Jason  Bigelow,  a  place  of  more  than  120  acres, 
included  in  which  was  a  five-acre  grape  vineyard.  Ulti- 
mately, Mr.  Dibble  purchased  the  Weaver  estate  at 
Westfield,  thereby  acquiring  a  very  good  dairy  and 
fruit  farm,  eighty-three  acres  in  extent.  He  has  proved 
himself  to  be  an  energetic,  skillful  farmer,  and  one  who 
is  ever  alert  to  adopt  into  his  farming  modern  meth- 
ods that  have  been  proved  successful  in  practice  as  well 
as  in  theory.  And  he  has  given  much  of  his  time  to 
organization  work  among  the  agriculturists  of  the 
county.  He  is  a  man  of  intellectual  mind,  and  has  the 
confidence  of  his  fellow  agriculturists;  he  is  a  director 
of  the  Dairymen's  League,  and  has  been  an  active 
Granger  for  many  years.  In  the  work  of  the  Farm 
Bureau  he  has  taken  close  interest,  especially  during 
the  time  of  the  war,  and  has  done  much  to  make  its 
sphere  of  work  effective  in  his  district.  He  is  on  the 
committee  of  that  organization  and  during  the  war, 
when  it  endeavored  to  further  the  object  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  and  the  Federal  Government  by  en- 
couraging the  farmers  of  the  county  to  look  closely  into 
matters  of  production,  so  as  to  bring  every  possible 
acre  into  cultivation,  Mr.  Dibble  was  very  active. 
Chautauqua  county  farmers  as  a  whole  did  well  in  the 
matter  of  prevention  of  waste  and  in  increased  produc- 
tion during  the  years  of  national  stress,  and  by  such 
efforts  had  due  part  in  the  national  result  which  en- 
abled the  government  to  send  abnormal  supplies  of 
foodstuffs  overseas  to  help  nations  allied  to  our  own 
through  the  trying  time  of  famine  and  devastating  war. 
And  such  results  are  due  in  great  measure  to  such 
public-spirited  and  patriotic  men  as  Mr.  Dibble,  who 
unselfishly  gave  of  their  own  time  to  effect  an  improve- 
ment in  the  well  being  of  their  fellows.  Mr.  Dibble  is  a 
good  organizer:  that  may  be  inferred  by  his  election  by 
his  fellow  agriculturists  to  a  seat  on  the  board  of  di- 
rectors of  the  Dairymen's  League,  which  has  effected 
great  improvement  in  the  condition  of  Chautauqua 
county  dairy  farmers. 

Fraternally.  Mr.  Dibble  is  an  Odd  Fellow.  By  re- 
ligious conviction,  the  Dibble  family  belong  to  the 
L^nited  Brethren  denomination,  and  a  brother  of  Mr. 
Ernest  R.  Dibble  is  in  the  ministry. 

During  the  great  World  War,  Mr.  Dibble  keenly 
followed  its  progress,  and  more  than  once  keenly  felt 
the  desire  to  set  aside  his  useful  but  somewhat  prosaic 
home  work  and  take  up  arms  for  the  great  cause.  That, 
however,  was  not  possible  because  of  the  selective  draft, 
which  could  not  consider  for  military  service  men  of 
his  age;  however,  in  the  dark  days  of  1918.  when  the 
administration  decided  to  extend  the  scope  of  the  selec- 
tive draft.  Mr.  Dibble  readily  registered  with  the 
authorities  of  the  federal  body.  He  also  registered  for 
war  service  in  1917,  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of 
New  York.  However,  there  was  fortunately  no  need 
of  calling  into  military  service  men  of  his  age.  but  in 
many  other  ways  he  showed  whole-hearted  patriotism, 
and  loyally  subscribed  to  the  various  funds  raised  by 
the  government  and  other  organizations  for  the  pur- 
poses of  the  war.  It  is  of  interest  to  note,  in  connec- 
tion   with    national    service,    that    James    Quilliam,    an 


uncle  of  Ernest  R.  Dibble,  was  one  of  the  patriots  of 
the  Civil  War.  and  met  his  death  on  the  field  of  battle. 

On  March  8.  1905.  Mr.  Dibble  married  Stella,  daugh- 
ter of  Charles  J.  and  Jennie  (Smith)  Merriam,  of  Port- 
land, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  To  them  have  been 
born  two  children:  E.  Carlton,  a  high  school  student; 
Edith  N.,  who  also  attends  the  Westfield  school. 

Ernest  R.  Dibble  has,  during  the  last  two  decades, 
lived  a  useful,  public-spirited  and  productixe  life  within 
the  county,  and.  has  made  very  many  friends  throughout 
the  county,  and  especially  in  his  home  district. 


ELLIS  STEWART  BUTTON— This  branch  of  the 
Button  family  in  Chautau(jua  county  came  from  Gas- 
port.  Niagara  county.  X.  Y.,  but  since  1912  Ellis  S. 
Button  has  resided  on  his  farm  on  Shady  Side  road,  and 
at  his  cottage  and  summer  store  at  the  lake  side  at 
Beechwood.  He  has  been  successful  both  as  a  farmer 
and  as  a  merchant,  his  standing  in  his  community  being 
of  the  highest.  Ellis  S.  Button  is  a  son  of  Arnold  But- 
ton, born  in  Clinton  county.  N.  Y..  and  his  wife,  Sabra 
(Root)  Button,  born  in  Utica,  N.  Y. 

Ellis  S.  Button  was  born  in  Gasport,  Niagara  county, 
N.  Y.,  Sept.  25,  1874,  and  there  attended  public  school. 
After  coming  to  Chautauqua  county  he  engaged  in 
farming,  and  in  November.  191 1.  bought  a  farm  of  113 
acres  on  Shady  Side  road  in  the  town  of  Busti  from 
Daniel  Sherman.  On  March  i,  1912.  he  moved  to  his 
purchase,  but  through  the  sale  of  building  lots  the 
acreage  of  his  farm  has  been  reduced.  He  also  has  a 
home  on  the  lake  at  Beechwood.  keeping  a  store  open 
there  during  the  summer  months.  He  is  a  Republican 
in  politics,  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Button  married.  .April  14.  1898.  in  Gasport.  N. 
Y.,  Mary  Ida  Silsby.  born  May  16.  1869.  daughter  of 
John  D.  and  Alice  (Kelton)  Silsby.  her  father  a  min- 
ister of  the  Orangeport  Christian  Church.  John  D. 
Silsby  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War.  enlisting  at  the 
age  of  sixteen.  He  was  shot  throug'n  the  left  lung 
in  battle  and  left  for  dead.  The  Confederates  carried 
him  off  the  field  and  left  him  in  a  barn,  and  there  he 
laid  for  a  week  with  little  food  and  no  medical  atten- 
tion. His  father,  who  had  been  notified  that  his  son 
had  been  killed,  came  in  search  of  the  body,  and  when 
about  to  give  up  in  despair  entered  the  barn  and  there 
found  the  boy  nearly  ready  to  succumb.  He  was  taken 
home  and  nursed  back  to  a  life  of  usefulness  and  health, 
becoming  a  farmer.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Button  are  the 
parents  of  three  children:  Frances,  born  Feb.  24.  1899; 
Melicent  Alice,  born  June  9.  1904:  and  John  .\rnold, 
born  May  24,  1909. 


ALBERT  M.  BURNETT,  one  of  the  leading  farm- 
ers of  Chautauqua  township,  and  one  of  the  most  re- 
spected, comes  of  an  old  Vermont  family  which,  through 
his  father,  has  had  connection  with  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y..  for  almost  three-quarters  of  a  century,  and  his 
own  personal  record,  in  industry  and  public-spirited- 
ness.  has  been  commendable.  For  more  than  thirty 
years  he  has  been  one  of  the  school  trustees  of  his 
township;  and  he  has  farmed  extensive  acreages  of 
Chautauqua  county  land  for  a  longer  period. 


6o6 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


He  was  horn  in  the  Burnett  homestead,  which  is 
within  easy  distance  of  his  present  home,  in  Chautauqua 
township,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  March  20,  1851, 
the  son  of  Martin  D.  Burnett,  who  had  come  into  Chau- 
tauqua county  six  years  previously,  and  who  was  des- 
tined to  remain  in  the  county  for  sixty-two  of  his  ninety- 
years  01  life.  Martin  D.  Burnett  was  born  in  Vermont, 
in  1S19.  and  died  in  Chautauqua  township,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y..  Xov.  22.  1907.  He  established  the  Bur- 
nett homestead  farm  in  Chautauqua  county,  in  1845, 
when  he  came  with  his  wife  and  four  children  and 
settled  in  Chautauqua  township.  Altogether  there  were 
eight  children  of  the  generation  of  the  Burnett  family 
to  which  Albert  M.  belongs,  six  of  whom  still  survive. 
The  children  of  Martin  D.  Burnett  were:  i.  Lucy 
Maria,  born  in  Shaftsbury,  Vt.,  April  10,  1840.  2. 
Helen  Sophia,  born  in  Shaftsbury.  \^t.,  Feb.  8,  1841.  3. 
Andrew-,  born  in  Shaftsbury.  \'t.,  Dec.  8.  1842,  died 
March  18,  1S43.  aged  three  months.  4.  Catherine,  born 
in  Shaftsbury.  \'t..  Aug.  27,  1844.  5.  Edward,  born  in 
Chautauqua  township,  N.  Y.,  June  s,  1849,  died  Jan.  i, 
1870.  6.  Albert  M.,  regarding  whose  career  more  will 
be  written  later.  7.  Rosamer.  born  in  Chautauqua 
township,  X.  Y.,  April  25,  1856.  8.  John,  born  in 
Chautauqua  township,  N.  Y.,  May  21,  1864.  The  Bur- 
nett homestead  farm,  which  is  a  w-ell-improved  farm  of 
1S3  acres,  has  not  yet  been  divided  among  the  heirs  of 
Martin  D.  Burnett,  but  that  fact  does  not  very  ma- 
terially affect  Albert  M.  Burnett  who,  early  in  man- 
hood, became  an  independent  farmer,  and  now  owns  an 
agricultural  property  much  larger  than  that  owned  by 
his  father. 

Albert  M.  Burnett  was  educated  in  the  district 
school  of  Chautauqua  township,  later  proceeding  to 
Mayville,  and  taking  the  high  school  course  in  that 
place.  After  leaving  school  he  assisted  his  father  in 
the  cultivation  of  the  home  farm  until  he  was  thirty 
years  old,  by  which  time  he  had  married,  and  desired 
to  establish  himself  independently.  He  therefore,  in 
1881.  purchased  a  farm  of  seventy-five  acres  near  that 
of  his  father,  and  that  farm  has  been  the  nucleus  of 
his  present  large  holding,  for  as  he  has  prospered,  and 
as  opportunity  came,  during  the  succeeding  years,  Al- 
bert M.  has  added  to  his  farming  possessions  until 
he  now  has  275  acres,  mostly  rich  land,  in  splendid 
condition.  Every  improvement  upon  tlie  farm  has  been 
erected  by  or  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Burnett,  and 
as  his  property  now  is.  it  is  adequately  supplied  Vvith 
outbuildings  and  conveniences. 

Albert  M.  Burnett  has  demonstrated  definite  capabil- 
ity as  a  farmer  and  in  his  general  life  has  shown  com- 
mcndably  strong  characteristics.  He  has  succeeded  in 
life  by  his  own  praiseworthy  industry,  steadiness  and 
well-directed  enterprise.  He  is  interested  in  all  things 
relating  to  farming,  and  has  adopted  upon  his  farm 
many  of  the  modern  methods.  He  is  an  active  member 
of  the  local  Grange,  and  politically  is  a  Republican. 
He  has  not,  however,  felt  able  to  give  much  of  his  time 
to  political  matters,  of  national  scope,  though  he  has 
always  been  interested  in  matters  pertaining  to  his 
county  and  community.  In  educational  matters,  he  has 
long  been  active,  and  has  held  the  position  of  schon] 
trustee  in  his  district  for  more  than  thirty  years. 

On  Feb.  8,    1H78,   Mr.   Burnett  married,  in   Chautau- 


qua township.  Chautauqua  county,  N,  Y.,  Sarah  Slay- 
ton,  of  Ashville,  N.  Y.  They  have  three  children:  i. 
Edward  Clyde,  born  May  7.  1883,  was  educated  in  the 
district  and  Mayville  High  School,  and  has  since  taken 
manfully  to  tasks  upon  his  father's  farm.  2.  Leonard 
Bird,  born  Nov.  30.  18S5,  educated  in  district  and  high 
schools,  as  was  his  elder  brother,  and  eventually  the 
husband  of  Mary  Van  Cise:  they  have  two  children, 
Albert  Perry  and  Alice.  3.  Albert  Sprague,  born  April 
8,  i8Sg,  received  a  high  school  education,  and  eventually 
married  Daisy  Quilliam;  they  have  two  children.  Ar- 
lene  and  Marion. 

Albert  M.  Burnett  has  had  a  good  career  of  useful- 
ness, and  is  well  representative  of  the  best  standards 
of  Chautauqua  county  agriculturists.  And  his  long 
residence  in  Chautauqua  township  has  brought  him 
many  friends,  who  have  admired  his  stable  qualities.  He 
has  been  a  man  of  responsibility  and  worthy  life  since 
his  early  manhood. 


JOHN  ALFORD  LARSON— Later  than  the  year 
iQoo.  John  A.  Larson,  now  a  prosperous  farmer  of  the 
town  of  Busti,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  came  to  the 
United  States  with  his  wife  Margaret  and  four  chil- 
dren, the  eldest,  Oscar  Adolph,  then  about  eleven  years 
of  age.  That  son,  twelve  years  later,  enlisted  in  the 
United  States  navy  during  the  war  with  Germany,  and 
for  more  than  two  years  served  under  the  flag  of  his 
adopted  country.  The  second  son,  Henry  John,  enlisted 
and  saw  a  year's  service  in  the  marines,  he  too  con- 
tributing "his  bit"  to  his  adopted  country's  defense. 

John  A.  Larson  was  born  in  Sweden,  June  i,  1866, 
was  educated  in  good  schools,  and  there  spent  nearly 
forty  years  of  his  life  engaged  in  farming.  Upon  arriv- 
ing at  the  proper  age  he  was  called  to  the  colors  and 
passed  four  years  in  the  Swedish  army.  After  coming 
to  the  United  States,  he  became  a  land  owner  of  the 
town  of  Busti,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  there 
now  resides.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
Church,  and  in  politics  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Larson  married,  in  Sweden,  Dec.  30,  i8gi,  Mar- 
garet Wesslen,  born  Oct.  26.  1871,  daughter  of  Carl  A. 
and  Catherine  Helen  (Olson)  Wesslen.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Larson  are  the  parents  of  eight  children,  the  first  four 
born  in  Sweden,  the  last  four  in  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y. :  I.  Oscar  Adolph,  born  Oct.  26,  1894,  enlisted 
in  the  United  Slates  navy,  June  2,  1917,  was  in  the  serv- 
ice at  the  United  States  Naval  Station  at  Key  West, 
Fla.,  and  elsewhere,  until  honorably  discharged  and 
mustered  out  at  Norfolk,  Va..  Sept.  2.  1919.  2.  Eva 
Dorothy,  horn  Sept.  16.  1806.  3.  Henry  John,  bom 
April  30,  1898,  entered  the  United  States  service,  June 
13,  1918,  was  sent  to  Camp  Custer  for  training,  served 
with  the  marines  and  was  honorably  discharged  in  Bos- 
ton, April,  1919.  4.  Karin  Charlotte,  born  May  9,  kkx). 
5.  .Alford  Roland,  born  Jan.  14,  1904.  6.  Lillian  Alvira, 
born  July  i,  1906.  7.  Ella  Violet,  born  Aug.  18,  1908.  8. 
Margaret  Jane,  born  June  22,  191 1. 


JOHN  WILLIAM  GREENWOOD— Among  those 
who  devote  their  time  and  energies  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits anrl  are  meeting  with  success  in  their  chosen  occu- 
pation   is    numbered    John    William    Greenwood,    who 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


607 


owns  a  large  farm  in  Kiantone  township,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.  He  was  born  in  Great  Horton,  England, 
Nov.  8,  1865,  a  son  of  T.  Holder  and  Sarah  (Stanis- 
torp)   Greenwood,  both  natives  of  England. 

John  William  Greenwood  came  to  this  country,  July 
10,  1886,  and  settled  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.  His  educa- 
tion was  received  in  England,  and  after  laying  aside  his 
text  books  he  accepted  a  position  in  a  worsted  mill. 
Later  he  purchased  land  and  engaged  in  farming,  in 
which  occupation  he  still  continues.  Mr.  Greenwood 
affiliates  with  the  Republican  party,  having  been  a 
staunch  supporter  of  its  principles  since  he  cast  his  first 
presidential  vote.  He  is  also  popular  in  social  circles, 
being  a  prominent  and  representative  citizen  as  well  as 
a  genial,  pleasant  companion. 

On  Dec.  24,  1888,  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y..  Mr.  Green- 
wood was  united  in  marriage  with  Annie  Withers,  born 
Oct.  27,  1867,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Sarah  (Watson) 
Withers.  Mrs.  Greenwood's  father  and  mother  were 
both  natives  of  England,  her  father  having  been  born 
Feb.  19,  1842,  and  her  mother,  Jan.  3,  1844.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Greenwood  have  four  children,  as  follows :  Henry 
P.,  born  May  i,  1890;  Fred,  July  10,  1891  ;  William, 
Aug.  I,  1894;   Margaret  Elizabeth,  Sept.  17,  IQ08. 


GEORGE  S.  COWLES— "Hill  Crest  Farm,"  owned 
since  the  year  1900  by  George  S.  Cowles,  is  a  well 
located  tract  of  149  acres  in  Section  18,  town  of  Har- 
mony, Chautauqua  county.  Mr.  Cowles  is  developing 
"Hill  Crest"  as  a  high  grade  dairy  farm,  his  herd  of 
twenty-five  fine  Holstein  cattle  all  being  registered,  and  at 
the  farm  several  pure  blooded  calves  are  giving  promise 
for  the  future.  Mr.  Cowles  is  a  farmer  bred  and  born, 
and  from  youth  has  been  familiar  with  the  care  and 
handling  of  live  stock.  He  is  a  son  of  Archibald  W. 
Cowles,  born  Oct.  g,  1840,  a  farmer  of  North  Har- 
mony, and  his  wife,  Martha  Jane  (Taylor)  Cowles, 
born  Aug.  6,  1846,  in  Harmony,  also  the  birthplace  of 
her  husband. 

George  S.  Cowles  was  born  at  Open  Meadows,  town 
of  Harmony,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  July  21,  1870. 
After  completing  public  school  study,  he  supplemented 
the  knowledge  thus  gained  by  a  short  course  of  study 
at  Cornell  University,  then  began  the  business  in  which 
he  has  since  been  engaged,  dairy  farming.  In  1900  he 
purchased  his  present  farm,  "Hill  Crest,"  and  devoted 
the  acres  thereof  to  general  farming  and  the  upkeep  of 
his  herd  of  Holsteins,  one  of  the  best  in  the  county. 
For  ten  years  Mr.  Cowles  conducted  a  creamery  very 
successfully,  but  since  1903  has  devoted  himself  entirely 
to  the  management  of  his  own  dairy  farm.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  has  served  his  town  as  asses- 
sor. He  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry, 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  of  Ebenezer 
Methodist  Church. 

Mr.  Cowles  married,  Oct.  7,  1897,  in  Harmony,  Emma 
G.  Blanchard,  born  in  Harmony,  daughter  of  Charles 
and  Helen  (Flanders)  Blanchard,  her  parents  born  in 
Harmony.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cowles  are  the  parents  of  six 
children:  Mary  E.,  born  Sept.  28,  1898;  George  H., 
born  Aug.  30,  1902;  Ivagene,  born  Dec.  30,  1903;  Mil- 
dred, born  March  16,  1906;  Dorothy  H.,  born  May  30, 
1908;    Ruth  L.,  born  June  30,  191 1. 


FRANK  C.  MYERS — Among  the  prominent  citizens 
of  Kennedy,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  has 
been  engaged  in  agricultural  operations  for  a  number 
of  years,  and  taken  an  active  part  in  public  life,  should 
be  mentioned  Frank  C.  Myers,  a  native  of  the  town  of 
Randolph,  N.  Y.,  born  April  12,  1871,  a  son  of  William 
C.  and  Mary  (Carter)  Myers,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  this  place. 

Frank  C.  Myers  attended  as  a  lad  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  place  and  later  the  Chamberlain  Institute, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1891. 
Mr.  Myers  had  already  considerable  training  in  general 
farming  methods  under  his  father,  who  was  a  well 
known  agriculturist  in  the  region,  and  in  the  year  1895 
he  became  the  possessor  of  a  valuable  farm  property  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Waterboro,  which  he  has  ever  since 
continued  to  operate  with  a  high  degree  of  success. 
Here  Mr.  Myers  raises  various  farm  products  and  spe- 
cializes in  dairying,  disposing  of  his  produce  in  the 
neighboring  markets.  In  this  way  he  has  built  up  a 
lucrative  business,  and  is  well  known  as  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  hereabouts  at  the  present  time.  Mr. 
Myers  has  also  participated  most  actively  in  the  general 
life  of  the  community,  and  has  always  been  especially 
interested  in  educational  matters.  He  is  a  Republican 
in  politics,  and  has  always  staunchly  supported  his 
party.  He  served  as  a  member  of  the  School  Board  at 
Kennedy  for  fourteen  years,  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Election  Board,  has  also  been  a  justice  of  the  peace  for 
a  number  of  years,  and  has  won  a  well  deserved  repu- 
tation for  the  impartiality  of  his  decisions.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Grange,  and  he  attends  the  Methodist 
church  at  Kennedy. 

Frank  C.  Myers  was  united  in  marriage,  Nov.  27, 
1895,  at  Kennedy,  N.  Y.,  with  Maud  Cummings,  a 
daughter  of  Orrin  A.  and  Mary  J.  (Taylor)  Cummings. 
Mr.  Cummings  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  in  which 
great  conflict  he  served  from  the  beginning  to  the  end 
with  the  9th  New  York  Cavalry,  which  participated  in 
many  battles  which  made  the  company  famous.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Myers  are  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren :  I.  Stuart,  born  Sept  5,  1896;  attended  the  local 
school  of  Kennedy,  and  Jamestown  High  School;  dur- 
ing the  World  War  he  was  selected  to  go  to  the  heavy 
artillery  camps  at  Columbia,  S.  C,  where  he  was  trained 
for  service  abroad;  while  in  the  service  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  first  sergeant,  was  retained  by  his 
superior  officers  and  assigned  to  commissary  duty  at 
Camp  Jackson,  so  continuing  until  July  25,  igiQ.  when 
he  was  honorably  discharged  from  the  service  of  the 
government;  he  is  now  (1921)  connected  with  the  for- 
eign sales  department  of  the  Art  Metal  Company  of 
Jamestown.  2.  Frances  Elizabeth,  born  Dec.  19,  1901, 
educated  in  the  local  school  of  Kennedy  and  James- 
town High  School. 


JOHN  EDGAR  PIERPONT,  a  successful  farmer 
of  Cassadaga,  N.  Y.,  was  born  at  Rowe,  Franklin 
county,  Mass.,  March  ,^,  1850,  the  son  of  Chauncy  and 
Sarah  (Burton)  Pierpont.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pierpont 
were  born  five  children:  Joseph  Watson,  Georgina 
Cato,  Martha  Ann,  JMary  Ann,  and  John  Edgar,  of  fur- 
ther mention. 


6oS 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


John  Edgar  Pierviont  was  brought  by  his  parents  to 
Charlotte  when  a  baby.  They  traveled  by  boat  on  the 
Erie  canal,  and  were  eight  days  making  the  journey 
from  Troy  to  Buffalo,  then  to  Dunkirk,  from  which 
latter  place  they  drove  to  Charlotte.  Here  John  E.  re- 
ceived his  education,  attending  the  district  school,  after 
which  he  worked  on  his  father's  farm  for  several  years, 
and  has  always  been  engaged  in  this  particular  line  of 
industry.  For  the  past  twenty-five  years  he  has  been 
actively  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  refined  cider, 
boiled  cider,  apple  jelly  and  vinegar.  His  factory  is 
situated  in  Cassadaga,  on  Railroad  avenue,  near  tlie 
lake.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in  the  affairs  of  Cas- 
sadaga. where  he  has  resided  for  many  years,  is  a 
trustee  and  steward  of  the  Grange,  and  has  held  the 
offices  of  town  collector  and  assessor.  Politically  he  is 
a  Republican:  also  president  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion for  several  years. 

Mr.  Pierpont  married  Florence  Todd,  who  died  July 
30.  1015.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  children:  Flor- 
ence M..  a  teacher:  Jessie  M.,  at  home.  The  family  at- 
tend the  Baptist  church  of  Cassadr'.ga. 


WILLIAM  FREDERICK  KEOPKA— It  was 
after  a  somewhat  varied  career  that  Mr.  Keopka  be- 
came a  resident  of  Sherman,  but  the  years  which  have 
since  elapsed,  though  comparatively  few  in  number,  have 
brought  him  a  fair  measure  of  success  in  his  chosen 
calling.  He  has  long  been  known  as  one  of  the  pros- 
perous farmers  of  his  community  and  as  a  citizen  who 
stands  higli  in  public  esteem.  William  Frederick  Ke- 
opka was  born  -Aug.  15,  1872.  in  the  village  of  West- 
field,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  V.,  and  is  a  son  of  Fred- 
erick and  Friederike  (Riefstahl)  Keopka.  Mr.  Keopka 
was  a  laborer  and  truck  farmer;  he  is  still  living  at  the 
old  home,  but  his  wife  is  now  deceased. 

William  Frederick  Keopka  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Westfield,  and  entered  early  upon  the  in- 
depcnf!cnt  work  of  life.  For  four  years  he  served  as 
stationary  engineer  in  a  sawmill  at  Westfield,  then  be- 
came switchman  on  the  New  York  Central  Railroad  at 
Westfield.  .After  retaining  this  position  for  nine 
years,  he  changed  his  work,  engaging  in  the  meat 
business  at  Westfield.  X.  Y.,  for  eight  years.  Through- 
out these  changes  he  was  prudent  and  economical,  sav- 
ing his  earnings,  and  as  the  years  went  on  accumulat- 
ing sufficient  capital  to  purchase  his  present  farm.  This 
was  in  1902.  The  estate  comprises  165  acres  and  since 
becoming  possessor  of  it  Mr.  Keopka  l)uilt  a  beau- 
tiful residence  on  the  side  of  the  road  opposite  the  old 
one.  which  he  now  lives  in,  a  tenant  occupying  the  old 
house.  He  has  built  large  and  commodious  outhouses, 
including  chicken  houses  and  workshops,  and  his  live- 
stock consists  r.f  five  horses,  twenty-five  cattle,  ten  hogs 
and  twen;y-five  sheep.  He  has  improved  125  acres  t.f 
his  farm  and  has  the  best  timljcr  land.  In  politics.  Mr. 
Keopka  is  a  Democrat,  but  has  never  desired  puhlir 
office,  finding  his  time  fully  occupied  with  the  care  of 
his  estate.     I!c  is  a  member  of  tin-  Grange. 

Mr.  Keojjka  married.  N'ov.  20,  tool,  Emma  fiie^ler, 
Haut^hter  of  Frank  W.  and  Frederica  CNicman)  Gies- 
ler.  Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Keopka  are  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Freida.  attended  the  district  mIiooI 
and   the    Sherman    High    School,    graduating   from    the 


high  school  in  June.  1920,  and  is  now  attending 
Sherman  training  class;  Frances,  educated  in  the  same 
manner;  Herman,  attending  the  district  school,  and  ren- 
dering much  assistance  to  his  father,  and  Edna,  also  a 
student  in  the  district  school. 

With  his  fine  estate,  constantly  increasing  in  value, 
and  his  promising  family,  not  to  speak  of  his  assured 
position  in  the  community,  Mr.  Keopka  certainly  has  a 
bright  outlook  upon  life. 


ALONZO  J.  MARTIN,  respected  farm  owner  in 
Kiantone  township,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y,  has  lived 
the  greater  part  of  his  life  within  the  county,  and  has 
had  prominent  part  in  public  affairs.  He  has  been  su- 
pervisor for  many  years,  and  for  twenty-three  years  has 
been  entrusted  with  the  administration  of  justice  in 
Kiantone  township.  Therefore  it  will  be  appreciated 
that  he  is  a  man  highly  regarded  by  his  neighbors.  He 
was  born  April  ,-^,  1849,  in  th  city  of  Milwaukee,  Wis., 
the  son  of  Alonzo  D.  and  Clarissa  (Jones)  Martin. 

Alonzo  J.  Martin  received  a  public  school  education, 
and  was  early  in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
occupied  himself  mainly  by  farming.  By  political  al- 
legiance he  is  a  Republican,  and  for  many  years  was 
particularly  active  in  national  political  affairs:  and  he 
exercised  much  influence  in  his  own  district,  where  his 
word  was  respected  and  his  judgment  recognized.  In 
local  affairs  he  was  especially  interested,  and  for  many 
years  served  as  supervisor.  In  the  administration  of 
justice  his  record  is  estiinable,  and  he  has  continued 
to  hold  the  confidence  of  the  people  of  the  community 
for  twenty-three  years,  for  during  that  period  he  has 
continuously  been  a  justice  of  the  peace  of  Kiantone 
township.  He  must  therefore  be  a  man  of  fundamen- 
tally sound  judgment,  and  also  a  man  of  honorable, 
impartial  practice.  He  belongs  to  the  local  Grange, 
and  in  all  things  pertaining  to  the  community,  or  the 
well-being  of  the  community,  he  has  always  been  inter- 
ested and  willing  to  aid  in  any  way  that  was  possible 
in  furthering  any  local  cause. 

Mr.  Martin  married  (first)  Dec.  19,  1S66,  at  .South 
Argyle,  N.  Y..  Eliza  Mary,  daughter  of  Philip  J.  Bain. 
She  died  March  i,  1906,  after  a  married  life  of  almost 
forty  years.  On  June  26,  1007.  Mr.  Martin  married 
(second)   Alice  Spencer. 

The  commendable  industry  and  worthy  public  serv- 
ice of  Alonzo  J.  Martin  have  been  such  as  to  warrant 
record  in  tin's  current  history  of  Chautauqua  county. 
He  has  lived  a  good  life  of  useful  service,  honorably 
and  impartially  meting  out  justice.  While  the  war  was 
in  progress,  he  loyally  subscribed  as  much  as  he  was 
able  to  the  government  loans  and  the  various  other 
public  suliscri[)tions  of  war  classification,  and  in  many 
other  ways  showed  that  he  was  whole-hearted  in  his 
ji.itriotisni.  He  has  ever  been  of  unselfish  disposition, 
and  during  his  association  with  the  people  of  Chautau- 
qua county,  and  particidarly  with  those  in  Kiantone 
township,  manifested  a  spirit  id  generous  community 
interest. 


JAMES  B.  LOWE— I'or  thirty-four  years,  1886- 
i')..'o,  Mr,  I. owe  h.is  n  sided  ujion  the  f;irin  in  section  42, 
town  of   liusli.  which  in  the  year   \(y>n  lier:ime  his  prop- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


6og 


erty  by  purchase.  He  is  a  successful  dairy  farmer,  al- 
though his  farm  of  seventy-six  acres,  lying  near  the 
village  of  Lakewood,  has  been  reduced  in  size  through 
the  sale  of  building  lots,  the  property  being  very  de- 
sirable for  that  purpose.  Mr.  Lowe  is  a  native  son  of 
Pennsylvania,  his  parents,  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Mar- 
tin) Lowe,  being  residents  of  Lottsville,  Pa.,  at  the 
time  of  the  birth  of  their  son,  James  B.  Daniel  Lowe 
was  born  in  Lottsville,  Sept.  8.  1836,  and  died  Aug.  10, 
1912.  Elizabeth  (Martin)  Lowe  was  born  in  Sugar 
Grove,  Pa.,  March  10,  1837,  is  yet  living  (1921),  and 
makes  her  home  in  Busti  with  her  son. 

James  B.  Lowe  was  born  in  Lottsville,  Pa.,  July  9, 
1862.  and  was  there  educated  in  the  public  schools.  He 
adopted  farming  as  his  occupation  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three  came  to  his  present  farm  in  Busti,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.  Fifteen  years  later,  in  1900,  he 
purchased  the  farm,  and  there  has  passed  the  last 
thirty-four  years  of  his  life,  a  dairy  farmer. 

Mr.  Lowe  married,  in  the  town  of  Harmony,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  21,  1886,  Carrie  Green,  born 
in  that  town,  Jan.  21,  1859,  daughter  of  Alfred  and 
Adeline  (Moore)  Green,  both  of  Chautauqua  county 
birth.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lowe  are  the  parents  of  three 
children:  Alfred  G.,  born  Feb.  5,  1887;  Elizabeth,  born 
July  5,  1890;  and  Walter,  born  April  10,  1906. 


HERBERT  ELISHA  PUTNAM— One  of  the  rep- 
resentative citizens  of  Cassadaga,  N.  Y.,  is  Herbert 
Elisha  Putnam,  a  member  of  an  old  Massachusetts 
family.  His  father  was  Allan  Putnam,  a  farmer  and 
teacher.  His  mother  was  Marilla  (Smith)  Putnam. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Putnam  were  born  four  children: 
Estelle,  wife  of  Oscar  Skinner,  of  Dunkirk;  Clayton  S., 
of  Dunkirk;  Clesson  A.,  and  Herbert  Elisha,  men- 
tioned below. 

Herbert  Elisha  Putnam  was  born  in  Cassadaga,  N. 
Y.,  Aug.  II,  1866.  His  education  was  obtained  in  the 
district  schools  of  his  native  place  and  Fredonia  Nor- 
mal School.  He  has  always  made  his  home  at  Cassa- 
daga, where  he  owns  156  acres  of  land,  much  of  which 
is  under  cultivation,  and  together  with  this  he  conducts 
a  large  dairy.  Politically,  Mr.  Putnam  is  a  Republican, 
giving  to  public  affairs  the  interest  and  attention  de- 
manded of  every  good  citizen.  He  has  held  the  offices 
of  school  trustee  and  assessor  of  the  town.  He  is  a 
member  of  the   Grange. 

On  Dec.  17,  1891,  Mr.  Putnam  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Susannah  Johnson,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  four  children:  Ellen  Marilla,  a  graduate  of  the  Me- 
chanics Institute  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  as  a  dietitian,  in 
which  capacity  she  served  eight  months  in  France,  dur- 
ing the  late  war ;  Ann  Meadmore,  a  student  at  Syracuse 
University;  Margaret  Haynes;  Lorimer  Allen,  asso- 
ciated with  his  father. 

Herbert  Elisha  Putnam  is  a  quiet  but  potent  factor 
in  the  many  movements  which  promote  the  welfare  of 
the  community  in  which  he  resides.  His  devotion  to  his 
friends  and  his  strict  probity  in  all  his  business  rela- 
tions, so  well  known  to  all  his  associates,  have  met 
with  that  return  of  warm  personal  regard  and  financial 
success  such  distinguishing  qualities  merit. 


PEARL  C.  TICKNER— "Meadow  View  Farm," 
the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pearl  C.  Tickner,  is  a  beau- 
tiful property  of  212  acres  at  Open  Meadow,  Chautau- 
qua county.  N.  Y.,  inherited  by  Mrs.  Tickner  from  her 
father,  William  Henry  Casselman.  The  farm  is  of 
highly  fertile  land,  devoted  to  general  farming,  small 
fruits  and  standard  fruits.  Mr.  Tickner  is  a  capable, 
energetic  farmer,  and  has  devoted  his  life  to  the  busi- 
ness he  follows.  "Meadow  View  Farm"  is  modernly 
furnished  and  equipped  with  machinery  and  conveni- 
ences, the  house  filled  with  electric  devices  of  many 
kinds,  the  work  of  the  son  of  the  house,  Leo  A.  Tick- 
ner, who  has  a  genius  for  electricity  and  machinery. 
Pearl  C.  Tickner  is  a  son  of  Hiram  and  Lucy  D.  (Con- 
ant)  Tickner,  his  father,  born  Sept.  5,  1818,  in  the  town 
of  Lock,  Cayuga  county,  N.  Y.,  died  Feb.  24,  1901 ;  his 
mother,  born  July  II,  1828,  in  the  town  of  Ripley,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  died  May  26,  1897.  Hiram  Tick- 
ner was  a  mason,  and  a  farmer  of  the  town  of  Har- 
mony, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 

Pearl  C.  Tickner  was  born  in  Ashville,  town  of  Har- 
mony, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  June  19,  1862.  He 
attended  the  public  schools  of  the  district,  and  early  in 
life  began  farming,  a  business  he  has  since  followed 
with  good  success.  "Meadow  View  Farm"  is  a  well 
kept  and  intelligently  cultivated  farm,  its  crops  of 
wheat  and  hay  always  heavy,  while  the  orchards  and 
small  fruits  show  the  hand  of  a  skilled  grower.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  in  politics  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Tickner  married,  Sept.  24,  1889,  Kate  M.  Cassel- 
man, born  at  "Meadow  View  Farm"  (which  has  been 
her  life-time  home)  in  the  town  of  Harmony,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  William  Henry  and 
Susan  (Roof)  Casselman.  her  father  born  in  Tomp- 
kins county,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  2,  1818,  died  Sept.  22,  1895;  her 
mother,  born  in  Canajoharie,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  14,  1818,  died 
Nov.  29,  1889.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tickner  are  the  parents 
of  a  son,  Leo  A.,  born  April  8,  1900.  He  is  his  father's 
farm  assistant,  thoroughly  capable  and  reliable,  has  an 
unusual  record  in  running  a  threshing  machine  without  a 
helper,  and  has  filled  up  the  farm  house  with  many  elec- 
trical conveniences. 


CHARLES  A.  ADAMS— If  a  man  whose  age  is 
almost  identical  with  that  of  his  estate  is,  by  that  fact, 
entitled  to  be  ranked  as  one  of  the  agricultural  pioneers 
of  the  county,  then  the  worthy  citizen  of  Ripley  whose 
name  we  have  just  written  can  undoubtedly  claim  the 
honor.  While  Mr.  Adams  has  never  taken  any  part  in 
political  affairs,  he  has  always  been  a  man  who  could 
be  counted  on  to  do  his  share  in  any  movement  having 
for  its  object  betterment  of  community  conditions. 

Charles  A.  Adams  was  born  May  20,  1857,  nfiar  Buf- 
falo, N.  Y.,  a  son  of  John  and  Lena  (Nale)  Adams. 
When  the  boy  was  two  years  old  his  parents  moved  to 
the  farm  on  which  he  himself  now  lives  and  which  was 
then  wild  land.  Charles  A.  Adams  attended  the  district 
schools  of  Ripley,  and  has  always  lived  on  the  old  farm, 
succeeding  in  the  course  of  time  to  its  ownership.  On 
coming  into  possession  of  the  land  which  his  fatlier  had 
redeemed   from   the  wilderness,   Mr.  Adams  continued 


6io 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


the  good  work  by  introducins;  a  number  of  modern 
improvements.  The  farm  comprises  115  acres  devoted 
to  general  farming  according  to  the  most  enlightened 
methods  and  having  orchards  planted  by  Mr.  Adams 
and  his  father. 

Mr.  .\dams  married,  Nov.  10,  1807,  at  Ripley.  Jessie, 
daughter  of  \V.  S.  Durlin,  of  Pittsfield,  Pa.,  and  they 
are  the  parents  of  two  daughters  and  one  son :  Loren 
A.,  married  Kay  Row  Scott,  and  has  one  child,  Mil- 
dred: Ivan  Durlin,  now  adding  to  the  revenue  of  his 
father's  farm  by  carrying  on  the  rabbit  business  on  a 
large  scale:  and  Gertrude  Irene.  The  only  son  and 
the  youngest  daughter  are  at  home  with  their  parents. 

While  Mr.  .\dams  has  few  interests  apart  from  his 
work  as  an  agriculturist  he  has,  by  the  results  secured 
by  his  enlightened  energy,  helped  to  maintained  high 
standards  of  farming  and  thus  to  benefit  the  entire 
community.  He  represents  the  second  of  the  two  gen- 
erations which  have  made  the  farm  what  it  is,  and  it  is 
to  be  hoped  that  it  will  still  more  richly  repay  the 
labors  of  a  third. 


a  native  of  that  place,  born  March  3,  1886,  a  daughter 
of  John  Godfrey  and  Mary  E.  (Clark)  Jacobes.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Anderson  are  the  parents  of  three  children,  as 
follows:  Daris  Marion,  born  March  19,  1904;  Bessie 
Marie,  born  .Aug.  7,  IQ06;  and  Clifford  Ranson,  born 
Oct.  10,  icxiS. 


MARION  ANDERSON— Western  New  York,  and 
particularly  Chautauqua  county,  is  famous  for  its  agri- 
cultural development  and  for  the  intelligent  and  effi- 
cient men  who  have  made  it  one  of  the  greatest  wealth 
producing  regions  in  the  United  States.  Among  the 
capable  and  progressive  farmers  of  this  region,  where 
he  has  been  engaged  in  the  occupation  of  farming  for 
a  number  of  years,  is  Marion  .Anderson,  a  native  of 
Carroll.  X.  Y.,  where  his  birth  occurred  May  ti,  1883,  a 
son  of  William  and  Lena  (  Vandenack)  Anderson,  old 
and  highly  respected  residents  of  this  region.  The 
elder  Mr.  .Anderson,  like  his  son,  was  a  successful 
farmer  hereabouts  and  it  was  on  his  father's  farm  that 
Marion  .Anderson  learned  the  modern  methods  in  agri- 
culture which  he  has  so  successfully  put  in  application 
on  his  own  place. 

.As  a  child  Mr.  .Anderson  worked  as  an  assistant  to 
his  father,  and  during  the  winter  months  attended  the 
local  public  schools,  completing  his  education  at  the 
Frtwsburg  High  School  of  Frcwsburg,  N.  Y.  Upon 
completing  his  studies  at  the  last  named  institution,  Mr. 
.Anderson  devoted  his  attention  entirely  to  farming,  and 
in  the  year  191;  became  the  owner  of  a  fine  property, 
near  Poland,  possessed  of  great  natural  fertility,  and 
has  since  that  time  been  engaged  in  the  raising  of  poul- 
try and  fine  cattle.  This  produce  he  disposes  of  in  the 
nearby  market  and  has  developed  a  large  and  highly 
remunerative  trade  in  this  line.  In  politics,  Mr.  Ander- 
son is  a  staunch  Republican  and  is  well  known  in  the 
councils  of  his  party,  though  he  is  quite  unambitious 
for  political  preferment  and  has  always  consistently 
avoided  public  office  of  any  kind.  He  is  also  a  well 
kn'iwn  figure  in  the  social  life  of  the  community  and  is 
afr.liated  with  the  local  lodge,  Independent  Ord<r  of  Odd 
Fellows,  of  Kennedy.  In  his  religion,  Mr.  Anderson  is 
a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  church,  and  has 
always  taken  an  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  congre- 
Kation,  lacing  a  lib<ral  supporter  of  all  philanthropic  and 
Ij'^cvolrnt  undertakings. 

Marion  .Anderson  was  united  in  marriage.  June  10, 
I'/j3,  at   Poland  Center,  X.  Y.,  with  F.diia  May  Jacobes, 


HIRAM  WARREN  ANDRUS,  who  has  been  one 
of  the  successful  tarmers  of  Ellington,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Gerry,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  17,  1852.  He  is  a  son  of  Cyrus 
and  Clarissa  (Thorn)  Andrus,  and  a  grandson  of  Jere- 
miah Andrus,  who  came  to  New  York  State  from  Ver- 
mont in  tlic  year  i8,?i,  he  being  a  member  of  an  old 
\'ermont  family.  Cyrus  Andrus  was  born  in  Middle- 
town,  Rutland  county,  Vt.,  July  13,  1813.  His  wife, 
Clarissa  (Thorn)  Andrus,  was  born  Sept.  14,  1824,  died 
March  24,  1914,  a  daughter  of  John  Thorn,  one  of  the 
early  school  teachers  of  Chautauqua  county. 

Hiram  W.  Andrus  obtained  his  education  at  the  old 
Ellington  .Academy,  and  later  at  the  high  school.  Since 
coiTipleting  his  studies,  he  has  given  his  attention  to 
agricultural  pursuits.  Mr.  Andrus  is  a  Republican  in 
politics,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
First  Congregational  Church  of  Ellington.  He  was 
united  in  marriage,  Sept.  16,  1875.  with  Nellie  Waith, 
a  native  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  born  April  15, 
1854,  the  youngest  daughter  of  the  late  George  and 
Helen  (Bates^  Waith,  both  of  whom  were  members  of 
English  families,  being  descended  on  the  paternal  side 
from  the  Rev.  William  Waith,  a  native  of  London, 
England,  and  who  came  to  the  United  States  at  an 
early  period,  and  on  the  maternal  side  from  Joseph 
Bates,  whose  descendants  came  from  England.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrus  the  following  children  have  been 
born:  Herman  B.,  born  Feb.  2y,  1877,  died  July  9,  1877; 
Clair  Waith,  born  Feb.  20,  1881 ;  Mamie  E.,  born  Aug. 
8,  1883:  Cyrus,  bom  Feb.  29,  1885,  died  Dec.  5,  1886; 
Helen  B.,  born  M,iy  15,  1889,  died  June  15,  1907. 


MARVIN  BISHOP  ADAMS— Few  regions  are  so 
peculiarly  blessed  by  nature  with  a  fruitful  soil  and 
favorable  climate  as  that  region  of  Western  New  York 
State  comprised  within  the  borders  of  Chautauqua 
county,  and  these  advantages  have  been  fully  appre- 
ciated and  grasi>ed  by  the  enterprising  inhabitants  who 
have  turned  what  was  originally  a  part  of  the  vast 
wilderness  which  the  white  settlers  found  covering  the 
New  World  into  one  of  its  chief  garden  spots,  pro- 
ducing every  kind  of  fruit  and  vegetable  appropriate  to 
its  temperate  clime.  Although  there  has  grown  up  here 
in  recent  years  many  great  industrial  and  commercial 
enterprises,  its  agriculture  still  remains  the  most  char- 
acteristic feature  and  its  fruit  growers  and  farmers  are 
today  probably  its  most  important  class  of  citizens. 
.Among  the  successful  agriculturists  of  the  present  day 
should  be  mentioned  Marvin  Bishop  Adams,  of  Fre- 
donia,  whose  fine  f;irin  in  the  ncighliorhood  of  that 
flourishing  town  is  vmII  known  for  its  high  state  of  cul- 
tivalioii  anri  the  splendid  quality  of  its  many  products. 
Mr.  Adams  is  a  meniber  of  a  family  that  has  long 
been  iiromineut  in  the  Pomfrel  region,  and  his  farm  is 
one  of  the  fjMest  hereabouts.     The  family  was  founded 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


6ii 


in  Western  New  York  by  Bishop  Adams,  the  paternal 
grandfather  of  the  present  representative  of  the  name, 
who  came  from  Massachusetts  at  an  early  date  and 
settled  at  Van  Buren  Point,  Chautauqua  county,  taking 
up  about  i6o  acres  of  land.  At  that  time  the  whole 
region  was  practically  uncleared  and  was  infested  with 
wild  animals  and  Indians  so  that  the  life  of  the  pioneer 
and  his  family  was  chiefly  composed  of  hard  work  and 
peril  but,  with  the  sturdy  industry  that  marked  the 
men  of  those  days,  he  persevered  and  eventually  cleared 
and  cultivated  his  property.  With  the  true  pioneering 
spirit,  however,  he  did  not  long  remain  to  enjoy  the 
results  of  his  labor,  but,  perceiving  what  he  believed  to 
be  a  better  neighborhood,  he  removed  to  Pomfret  and 
there  toook  up  some  321  acres  in  partnership  with  a  son. 
This  was  of  course  uncleared  forest  land  and  the  two 
at  once  set  about  clearing  it  and  bringing  it  under  cul- 
tivation, a  great  task  which  they  eventually  accom- 
plished. This  farm  is  yet  to  a  large  extent  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  Adams  family,  and  represents  some  of  the 
finest  agricultural  property  in  the  section.  One  of  the 
sons  of  Bishop  Adams  was  David  Adams,  the  father 
of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  was  but  twelve  years 
of  age  when  his  father  removed  to  Pomfret,  now  Fre- 
donia,  N.  Y.,  and  made  his  home  there  during  his  en- 
tire life.  He  served  in  the  Civil  War  and  married 
Mary  E.  Woodcock,  one  of  their  children  being  Marvin 
Bishop  Adams. 

Marvin  Bishop  Adams  was  born  on  the  old  Adams 
homestead,  June  7,  1852.  He  received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Fredonia  and  the  celebrated  Fre- 
donia  State  Normal  School.  From  early  youth  he  has 
been  interested  in  agriculture  and,  following  in  the 
steps  of  his  forebears,  has  devoted  himself  to  the  culti- 
vation of  the  family  acres.  He  is  now  the  possessor  of 
one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  neighborhood,  where  he 
raises  on  a  large  scale  many  kinds  of  grapes  and  other 
fruits,  as  well  as  various  vegetables.  In  this  he  has 
been  attended  with  notable  success,  the  result  of  his 
indefatigable  industry  and  his  wide  knowledge  of  his 
subject,  as  well  as  an  intelligent  use  of  the  opportuni- 
ties of  his  farm.  He  finds  a  large  market  for  his  various 
products  in  the  neighboring  ciimmunities.  In  politics 
Mr.  Adams  is  a  Republican  and  has  taken  a  consider- 
able part  in  local  affairs,  serving  for  one  year  as  ta.x 
collector  for  Fredonia. 

Marvin  Bishop  Adams  married,  Oct.  31,  1871,  Mar- 
tha Anne  Fry,  a  native  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  from 
which  place  she  removed  to  Fredonia  when  but  three 
years  of  age.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Alfred  and  Martlia 
(Taylor)  Fry,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
Fredonia.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams  are  the  parents  of  I  wo 
children,  as  follows:  i.  Ernest  Percival,  born  June  13, 
1874,  and  educated  in  the  local  public  schools  ,''.nd  the 
Fredonia  State  Normal  School;  he  married  (first) 
Sadra  Carr,  by  whom  he  had  one  child,  Rexford,  and 
who  died  March  14,  1900;  he  married  (second)  Lulu 
Carr,  a  sister  of  his  first  wife,  and  a  daughter  of  Mary 
Carr,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  children-  Edna 
Muriel  and  Leah  Maye.  2.  Leah  Bessie,  born  Nov.  5, 
1883,  educated  at  the  local  public  schools  and  the  Fre- 
donia State  Normal  School,  and  who  became  the  wife  of 
Clement  S.  Gillson,  to  whom  she  has  borne  two  chil- 
dren: Wallace  Clement  and  Russell  Earle. 


DAVID  L.  ARNOLD— Among  the  active  and 
prominent  citizens  of  Bemus  Point,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  who  have  taken  part  in  the  public  and  agricul- 
tural life  of  the  community,  should  be  mentioned  David 
L.  .Arnold,  a  lifelong  resident  of  the  town,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  a  family  which  has  long  been  highly  esteemed 
there.  Mr.  Arnold  is  a  son  of  Edward  B.  and  Eliza 
Jane  (Russell)  Arnold,  the  former  for  many  years  a 
prosperous  farmer  of  the  region,  and  from  whom  the 
present  representative  of  the  name  inherited  his  strong 
character  and  high  Christian  principles. 

The  birth  of  David  L.  Arnold  occurred  Oct.  8,  1870, 
in  the  old  family  home  at  Bemus  Point,  in  which  he 
resides  to  the  present  day,  and  as  a  lad  he  assisted 
his  father  on  the  latter's  farm  and  attended  the  local 
district  schools.  He  thus  gained  a  wide  knowledge  of 
general  farming  methods,  and  when  he  had  completed 
his  schooling  he  devoted  himself  to  that  occupation  as 
his  business  in  life.  In  course  of  time  he  inherited 
from  his  father  the  old  homestead,  and  since  that  time 
has  conducted  it  as  a  very  successful  farm,  keeping  it 
in  the  highest  state  of  cultivation  so  that  it  has  be- 
come one  of  the  most  productive  properties  of  its  kind 
in  the  neighborhood.  Mr.  Arnold  has  displayed  as 
much  ability  in  disposing  of  his  products  as  in  raising 
them,  and  finds  today  a  large  and  growing  market  for 
them  in  Bemus  Point  itself  and  the  surrounding  com- 
munities. While  he  has  been  thus  active  in  his  private 
enterprise,  Mr.  Arnold  has  also  taken  a  public-spirited 
part  in  the  public  life  of  the  community,  holding  for  si.x 
years  the  office  of  trustee  of  the  town,  during  which 
time  he  administered  the  affairs  thereof  in  a  highly  dis- 
interested and  conscientious  manner  and  won  the  ap- 
proval of  all  classes  and  parties  there.  He  is  a  member 
of  Bemus  Point  Lodge,  No.  585.  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  and  is  a  well  known  figure  in  the  social 
and  fraternal  circles  of  the  place.  The  Arnold  family 
attended  the  old  LTniversalist  church  at  Bemus. 

David  L.  Arnold  was  united  in  marriage.  .April  29. 
1S96,  with  Alice  Cheney,  like  himself  a  native  of  Bemus 
Point,  born  Dec.  9,  1878,  a  daughter  of  Mark  H.  and 
Mary  (Bennett)  Cheney.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arnold 
four  children  have  been  born,  as  follows:  Richard  E., 
born  Nov.  16,  1897;  Catherine  E..  born  June  27,  1900, 
died  Nov.  27.  1903;  Esther,  born  .April  3,  1904:  and 
Ruth,  born  Aug.   14,   1900. 


RALPH  RAY  BABCOCK— .\  man  of  enterprise. 
Mr.  Babcock  has,  as  a  farmer,  planted  good  seed  and 
has  seen  a  valuable  harvest  spring  forth  and  ripen, 
through  his  activities  in  sowing.  Mr.  Babcock  is  a  son 
of  Samuel  Russell  Babcock,  a  farmer,  and  his  wife, 
Ella  (Carpenter)  Babcock,  of  Matthews  Run,  Warren 
county.  Pa. 

Ralph  Ray  Babcock  was  born  at  Matthews  Run,  Pa., 
May  20,  1881,  and  is  now  a  farmer  of  the  town  of  Har- 
mony, residing  in  the  village  of  Ashville.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church,  and  of  Watts  Flats  Lodge.  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry. 

Mr.  Babcock  married,  Jan.  31,  1906.  Frances  Hildum, 
born  in  the  town  of  Ellery.  Chautauqua  county.  N.  Y., 
Nov.  10,  1875,  daughter  of  Chester  A.  and  Loretta  Jane 


6l2 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


(.Barney"!  Hildum.  her  lather  born  in  Cherry  Creek, 
her  n;other  in  Ellen.-.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Babcock  are  the 
parents  of  a  son,  Ronald  Russell,  born  Feb.  4.  lOio. 

Mrs.  Frances  (.Hildum"!  Babcock  through  her  mother, 
Mrs.  Loretta  Jane  (.Barney)  Hildum,  is  a  descendant  of 
the  Revolutionary  soldier,  Luther  Barney,  who  is  buried 
in  Ellery.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  Luther  Barney, 
horn  in  Norwich.  Conn..  175;,  died  in  Ellery,  N.  Y., 
1S44;  enlisted  in  1776  as  a  private  in  the  Connecticut 
militia  raised  to  reinforce  General  ^^'ashington  in  New 
York.  Later  he  enlisted  in  the  na\y,  and  in  an  en- 
gagement with  the  enemy  was  taken  prisoner  and  con- 
fined on  a  prison  ship.  He  was  released  at  the  solicita- 
tion of  General  Lafayette,  but  his  brother,  Edward 
Barney,  was  retained  on  the  prison  ship  and  died  of 
small-pox  while  yet  a  prisoner.  Mrs.  Babcock  is  a 
teacher,  having  taught  in  several  rural  schools  of  the 
county  and  four  years  in  Lakewood  High  School.  She 
was  grraduated  from  \'alparaiso  College,  \'alparaiso, 
Ind..  in  1003.  with  the  B.  S.  degree.  During  the  war, 
when  a  call  came  to  do  her  bit,  she  again  took  up  the 
profession  to  help  the  rural  schools  and  is  still  serving 
in  the  capacity  of  teacher. 


MARION  L.  BAGG,  a  farmer  of  Ellington,  re- 
spected in  that  section  of  Chautauqua  county  because 
of  his  steady,  industrious  qualities  and  skillful  farming, 
and  because  of  his  upright,  manly  life  in  general,  was 
bom  in  Ellington,  where  the  family  name  of  Bagg  has 
been  for  many  decades  a  familiar  and  respected  one. 

His  birth  date  was  June  6,  1885,  and  his  parents,  C.  T. 
and  Nellie  (Terry)  Bagg,  had  for  long  prior  to  that 
time  been  residents  in  Ellington.  His  father  was  well 
known  in  many  other  parts  of  the  county,  and  in  adjoin- 
ing counties,  for  he  was  a  salesman,  active,  successful, 
and  well  liked. 

Marion  L.  Bagg  grew  to  manhood  in  the  place  of  his 
nativity,  and  was  given  a  good  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Ellington,  eventually  graduating  from  the 
high  school.  Thereafter,  he  took  resolutely  to  farming 
occupations,  appreciably  improved  his  property,  and  now 
has  a  holding  which  brings  him  a  very  satisfactory 
return.  He  is  interested  in  all  questions  pertaining  to 
agriculture,  and  is  a  regular  attendant  at  the  county 
fairs.  He  also  belongs  to  the  local  Grange,  taking  part 
in  its  affairs.  By  political  allegiance,  he  is  a 
Republican.  He  loyally  followed  President  Wilson 
upon  national  questions  that  had  bearing  upon  the  recent 
war,  realizing  that  he  needed  the  whole-souled  coopera- 
tion of  all  true  patriots.  And  he  contributed,  to  the 
limit  of  his  means,  to  the  funds  promoted  successively 
during  the  progress  of  the  war  to  meet  the  needs  of  the 
country,  in  'omc  phase  of  the  military  operations. 

On  iJi-c.  I,  191.^,  Marion  L.  Bagg  was  marrii-d, 
in  the  town  of  Poland,  to  Bessie  Scars,  daughter  of 
Rufus  J.  and  Nellie  fWelch)  Scars.  Mrs.  Bessie 
fSoars^  Bagg  was  bom  in  Poland,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  v.,  AuK-  >''>,  18^3.  Mr.  anfl  Mrs.  Bagg  arc  the  par- 
ents of  tw'>  children:  Helen  Lucilc,  born  Dec.  30, 
KyiO,  and  Catherine  .Mlcne,  born  Aug.  9,  1918.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  F'agg  lake  good  part  in  community  affairs,  having 
a  kindly  f';'Iing  for  their  neighbors,  and  a  happy  out- 
kyik  upon  life  in  general,  so  that  they  are  much  liked 
in  the  community. 


EDWARD  BEERS,  one  of  the  prominent  and  pro- 
gressive farmers  01  Chautauqua  county,  N,  Y.,  where 
lie  has  pursued  tliis  occupation  for  a  number  of  years, 
was  born  at  Blooming  Valley,  Meadville,  Pa.,  Dec.  4, 
1863.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Emmeline  (Smith) 
Beers,  old  and  liighly  respected  residents  of  that  place. 

As  a  lad,  Edward  Beers  attended  the  local  district 
schools.  During  his  spare  hours  he  assisted  his  father 
in  the  work  on  the  latter's  farm  and  also  worked  for 
other  farmers  and  lumbermen  in  that  region.  Upon 
reaching  man's  estate  lie  came  to  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  and  secured  a  position  with  G.  D.  Bates,  a 
prominent  lumberman  of  this  region,  with  whom  he 
remained  for  some  ten  years.  Eventually  Mr.  Beers 
rented  a  farm  made  up  of  the  properties  of  two  dif- 
ferent farmers  in  this  region,  which  he  operated  for  a 
time,  and  in  1918  he  bought  the  old  Swartz  property  of 
ninety  acres,  containing  a  modern  dwelling  house  and 
a  fine  barn.  Here  he  engaged  in  general  farming  and 
dairying,  disposing  of  his  produce  in  the  local  markets 
of  the  surrounding  communities.  Mr.  Beers  is  a  well 
known  figure  in  the  general  life  of  this  place,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  local  lodge  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  and  the  Volusia  Grange.  Mr.  Beers  has 
always  been  an  independent  in  politics,  but  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  he  is  not  affiliated  with  any  party  he  was 
appointed  postmaster  at  Selkirk,  Pa.,  near  Warren  City, 
as  a  young  man,  and  continued  to  hold  that  responsible 
office  from  1S99  to  1903.  He  is  keenly  interested  in 
the  agricultural  development  of  the  community  and  his 
own  farm  may  well  serve  as  a  model  here. 

Edward  Beers  was  united  in  marriage,  Dec,  20,  1886, 
at  Spring  Creek,  Pa.,  with  Rosa  Christine  Lillie,  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Clandine  (Havens)  Lillie,  of 
that  place,  and  Crawford  county.  Pa.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Beers  are  the  parents  of  the  following  children :  P.  A., 
who  married  Mary  Nichols,  by  whom  he  has  had  one 
child,  Eleanor:  Bryan,  a  graduate  of  the  agricultural 
course  at  the  Westfield  High  School,  from  which  he 
holds  two  certificates,  and  now  engaged  in  farming 
near  here;  Robert,  who  was  selected  to  attend  the  cat- 
tle judging  contest  at  Alfred  University  in  1918,  and 
received  the  first  prize,  the  highest  award  in  the  State. 


ROLLIN  CLAUDE  BENNETT,  who  has  been 
for  a  number  of  years  one  of  the  figures  in  the  agri- 
cultural interests  of  Portland  township,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  is  a  native  of  Clymer,  where  his  birth 
occurred  March  11,  1871.  Mr.  Bennett  is  a  son  of  Rol- 
lin  and  Dora  (Ross)  Bennett,  and  is  related  on  both 
sides  of  the  house  to  families  which  have  taken  part  in 
the  history  of  tliis  community.  Both  the  Bennetts  and 
the  Rosses  are  old  settlers  at  Clymer,  where  Mr.  Ben- 
nett's paternal  grandfather  was  born.  On  the  maternal 
side  the  Ross  family  is  descended  from  Joseph  W. 
Ross,  who  came  to  Clymer  early  in  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury and  was  the  owner  of  lot  No,  5.=;  and  a  part  of  lot 
No.  56,  purchased  by  him  from  the  Holland  Land  Com- 
pany in  August,  182.S.  The  remainder  of  lot  No.  56 
was  also  purchased  by  him  in  the  following  April. 

Rollin  Claude  Bennett  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Clymer  and  attended  the  high  school  there. 
During  his  spare  time  he  assisted  his  father  in  the 
work  on  the  latter's  farm  and  became  practically  famil- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


613 


iar  with  agricultural  methods.  He  has  ever  since  con- 
tinued in  this  line  of  work.  In  the  spring  of  1887  Mr. 
Bennett  came  to  Portland  township,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed on  a  number  of  local  farms.  About  this  time  he 
was  engaged  in  the  study  of  grape  culture,  which  is 
one  of  the  largest  industries  in  Chautauqua  county.  Mr. 
Bennett  became  manager  of  the  famous  Lake  View 
Vineyard,  which  he  conducted  for  a  term  of  years,  and 
in  December,  1909,  purchased  his  present  farm  of  eighty- 
four  acres.  He  moved  on  to  this  place  early  in  1910  and 
since  that  time  has  devoted  himself  to  bringing  it  to 
its  present  state  of  cultivation.  At  the  present  time 
he  has  about  thirty  acres  of  fine  vineyard.  He  also 
set  out  a  fine  orchard,  consisting  of  about  400  trees.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 

Rollin  Claude  Bennett  was  united  in  marriage,  July 
22,  1890,  with  Jane  Case,  a  native  of  Hartfield,  Chau- 
tauqua township,  and  a  member  of  an  exceedingly  old 
family  there.  Her  parents  were  Harrison  and  Jeanette 
(Locke)  Case.  Five  children  have  been  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bennett,  as  follows:  i.  Winnifred,  the  wife 
of  Thomas  Reynolds,  of  Westfield.  2.  Guy  Ross,  born 
June  I,  1893;  he  married  Grace  McCoy,  and  they  are 
the  parents  of  one  child,  Byrum  Guy  Bennett.  3.  Clyde 
Locke,  born  Jan.  I,  1896,  who  is  now  serving  as  a 
member  of  the  United  States  Marine  Corps,  located 
anywhere  in  the  world.  4.  Glenn.  5.  Dorothy  Jean- 
ette, who  died  when  not  yet  two  days  old. 


CLARK  EUGENE  BENTLEY— Although  the 
owner  of  a  good  farm  in  section  43  of  the  town  of 
Cherry  Creek,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  which  he 
bought  in  191 1  and  upon  which  he  resides,  Mr,  Bentley 
has  long  been  a  United  States  rural  mail  carrier,  driv- 
ing a  route  from  the  Forestville  postoffice  for  ten  years 
and  from  Cherry  Creek  postoffice  for  nine  years.  He  is 
a  son  of  Eugene  and  Alice  (Bloss)  Bentley,  his  father 
a  farmer  of  the  town  of  Hanover,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  at  the  time  of  the  birth  of  his  son,  Clark  E.  He 
is  a  grandson  of  Truman  Bloss,  one  of  the  pioneer  set- 
tlers of  Chautauqua  county.  He  was  born  in  Wethers- 
field  Springs,  Wyoming  county,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  ".  1815, 
came  to  Chautauqua  county  about  1836,  died  Jan.  6, 
1915. 

Clark  E.  Bentley  was  born  Sept.  8,  1875,  and  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools,  attending  high  school  at 
Silver  Creek  and  Forestville.  His  early  life  was  spent 
upon  the  home  farm  in  Hanover,  but  later  he  entered 
the  United  States  postal  service  as  rural  free  delivery 
carrier  and  has  since  been  in  the  service  continuously.  In 
191 1  he  became  the  owner  of  his  present  farm  in  the 
town  of  Cherry  Creek,  and  since  then  has  driven  a  route 
in  that  town.     He  is  an  independent  in  politics. 

Mr.  Bentley  married  in  Corry,  Pa.,  Jan.  16,  1901, 
Neva  Bowen,  born  Dec.  14,  1875,  daughter  of  Clark  G. 
and  Ida  (Griffin)  Bowen,  her  father  born  in  Morrow 
county,  Ohio;  her  mother  a  Pennsylvanian.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bentley  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  both  born 
in  Forestville,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. :  Ralph  Don- 
ald, born  Oct.  3,  1901 ;  and  Ruth  Fern,  born  Sept.  22, 
1903.  

HARLOW  HENRY  BREADS,  a  responsible 
farmer  of  the  Westfield  section  of  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  is  a  native  of  that  county,  born  on  his  father's 


farm,  which  was  near  to  that  upon  which  he  has  lived 
for  the  last  twenty-two  years,  near  Volusia.  And  he 
has  spent  his  whole  life  within  the  county. 

He  was  born  Aug.  4,  1866,  the  son  of  Isaac  and  Mary 
(Case)  Breads.  His  father,  Isaac  Breads,  and  his  uncles, 
John  and  William  Breads,  were  formerly  of  Herkimer 
county,  N.  Y.,  but  came  with  their  families  into  Chau- 
tauqua county  in  1862,  and  settled  on  uncultivated  land, 
or  mostly  uncultivated,  near  Volusia,  and  thus  took  part 
in  pioneer  efforts  within  the  county.  When  the  Breads 
brothers  first  came  into  the  Volusia  section,  it  was 
sparsely  populated,  and  there  is  now  only  one  farmer 
living  in  the  vicinity  who  was  there  when  they  came. 
Isaac  Breads,  father  of  Harlow  Henry  Breads,  has 
been  dead  for  many  years,  but  his  widow,  Mary  (Case) 
Breads,  is  still  in  good  health,  bearing  in  mind  her  age, 
and  iiveo  .,  Ii.i  n-  ■ 

Harlow  Henry  Breads  was  educated  in  the  district 
school  nearest  to  his  father's  farm,  and  in  due  course 
took  to  agricultural  occupations,  at  the  outset  assist- 
ing his  father  in  the  operation  of  the  home  property. 
Eventually  he  married,  and  settled  upon  a  farm  of  137 
acres,  which  formerly  had  belonged  to  the  Eddy  family, 
one  of  the  oldest  of  the  pioneer  families  of  Chautauqua 
county,  and  certainly  of  that  section  of  the  county. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Breads  have  lived  on  the  farm  for  twenty- 
two  years,  and  she  has  lived  on  it  longer,  for  she  was 
of  the  Eddy  family,  and  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  to 
Harlow  H.  Breads  it  was  owned  by  her  mother,  her 
father  being  dead.  Mr.  Breads  has  much  improved  the 
property,  which  is  now  a  valuable  dairy,  stock  and  gen- 
eral farming  estate.  He  is  an  active  member  of  Lom- 
bard Grange,  of  which  organization  he  has  been  past 
master:  and  he  has  been  honored  by  more  than  one 
election  to  public  office:  he  has  been  a  trustee  of  the 
local  schools  for  seventeen  years,  and  at  one  time  un- 
dertook the  responsibilities  of  the  office  of  constable 
for  the  district. 

His  marriage  to  Lizzie  Eddy  was  on  July  15,  1896. 
Mrs.  Breads  has  for  many  years  been  particularly  ac- 
tive in  community  affairs,  and  coming  as  she  does  from 
an  historic  family,  she  is  naturally  much  interested  in 
matters  that  pertain  to  the  history  of  Chautauqua 
county.  She  has  identified  herself  with  the  proceedings 
of  the  Chautauqua  County  Historical  Society,  and  in 
her  possession  is  a  large  collection  of  interesting  his- 
torical relics,  bequeathed  to  her  by  her  father  and 
other  members  of  the  Eddy  family.  Harlow  H.  and 
Lizzie  (Eddy)  Breads  have  one  child,  Ralph  Herbert, 
who  has  grown  to  manhood  and  now  is  a  veteran  of 
the  Great  War:  he  was  educated  in  the  district  schools, 
graduated  from  Westfield  High  School,  and  had  taken 
earnestly  to  agricultural  occupations  upon  his  father's 
farm  when  the  nation  was  declared  to  be  in  a  state  of 
war  with  Germany:  as  a  whole-souled  young  patriot  he 
enlisted  when  20  years  old:  he  saw  war  service  in 
France,  and  later  with  the  Army  of  Occupation  in  Ger- 
many, as  a  corporal;  his  return  to  the  LInited  States 
and  to  civilian  life  was  quite  recent. 

While  he  was  away,  his  parents  did  all  they  could 
to  further  the  national  cause,  both  by  financial  con- 
tributions to  the  various  funds,  and  by  personal  service, 
to  the  Red  Cross  in  the  case  of  Mrs.  Breads,  and  by 
closer  application  to  farming  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Breads. 
The   work   accomplished   by  the   American   farmer   is 


6i4 


CHAUTALiQUA  COUNTY 


bringing  increased  \  icld  of  foodstuffs  to  bolster  up  tlic 
ill-nourished  allied  countries  while  the  struggle  was 
proceeding  had  an  inconsequential  part  in  the  linal 
\-ictory  won.  and  the  earnest  American  farmer  who 
participated  might  well  be  satisfied  with  his  share  in 
the   national   accomplishment. 


WILL  F.  BROWN,  a  well  known  farmer  of  Kian- 
tone  towr.ship.  Ins  home  being  on  section  ii.  was  born 
Sept.  ~.  iSoj.  in  Carroll  township,  a  son  of  Eliphalet 
and  Lydia  Eveline  (.Martin")  Brown,  well  known  resi- 
dents Cf\  Kiantone  township,  and  grandson  of  Charles 
Brown,  who  came  to  Chautauqua  county  from  Massa- 
chusetts in  iSiS.  He  married  Betsey  Smith,  daughter 
of  Moses  and  Margaret  Smith,  and  settled  in  C?^-?;; 
township,    near   Conewang'^  ..nd   tn^y   wei'e    the 

parents  of  six  chib'. ,..•:  Eliphalet.  of  whom  further; 
Charles.  EJm'.ia.  Elvira.  Warren  and  Harriet. 

Eli'^'-.aiet  Brown,  son  of  Charles  and  Betsey  (Smith) 
r.iO\vn.  married  Lydia  Eveline  Martin,  and  to  them 
three  children  were  born:  Martin.  ^L^nley  and  Will  I-".. 
the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Will  F.  Brown  received  his  early  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  Jamestown.  X.  Y..  and  after  graduat- 
ing from  the  Jamestown  High  School,  took  up  the  study 
of  engineering,  later  accepting  a  position  with  the 
American  Axe  and  Tool  Company.  In  1897  he  resigned 
his  position  and  took  up  agricultural  pursuits,  in  which 
occupation  he  continues  at  the  present  time.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Brown  is  a  staunch  Democrat,  and  he  and 
his  family  are  members  of  the  Congregational  church. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  the  Grange. 

In  Jamestown.  X.  Y.,  May  19,  189J.  Mr.  Brown  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Effie  C.  Lukins.  born  Feb.  9, 
1866.  a  daughter  of  Philip  H.  and  Lurilla  (Du  Bois) 
Lukins.  Two  children  were  born  of  this  union,  as 
follows:  Lurilla  Eveline,  born  Oct.  23.  189.3,  and  Phil- 
lip Eliphalet.  born  March  2,  1895. 

Success  has  come  to  Mr.  Brown  as  the  result  of 
strong  purpose,  unfaltering  energy  and  earnest  and 
hone>t  endeavor,  and  his  life  is  indeed  exemplary  in 
many  re'^pects. 


ARTHUR  JAY  BUSH— Among  all  the  farmers 
wh>j-e  activities  have  played  so  important  a  part  in  the 
development  of  Falconer,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.. 
none  is  better  known  or  more  successful  than  Artliur 
Jay  Bush,  who  has  been  engaged  actively  in  the  rais- 
ing of  stock  and  farm  jjroducc  in  this  region  for  many 
years.  Mr,  Bush  was  born  in  Conewango,  Jan.  2,3. 
1878,  the  son  of  Adelbart  and  Alta  (Jay)  Bush,  old  and 
highly  respected  citizens  of  that  place,  where  the  elder 
Bush,  like  hi>  son,  was  engaged  in  farming  operations. 

.Arthur  Jay  Bush  was  reared  in  the  wholesome  en- 
vironment of  the  farm,  for  he  spent  his  summer  months 
in  aiding  his  lather  v.ith  his  work  on  his  place,  and 
there  learned  the  methods  and  gained  the  experience 
whirh  later  were  the  foundati'in  of  his  own  surreys  as 
a  farmer.  II<-  atlctiderl  the  local  public  schools  in  tin- 
winter  and  tli'-re  he  received  his  early  education,  but  as 
he  was  an  ambitioir,  and  progressive  youth  h'-  w.is  nol 
satisfied    with   this,   and   so   later   he  became   a   stndeiit 


in  the  Chamberlain  Institute  at  Randolph.  N.  Y.  After 
completing  his  studies  at  this  institution,  Mr.  Bush 
de\oted  himself  to  helping"  his  father  for  a  time  that 
he  might  round  out  his  knowledge  of  agricultural  meth- 
ods, and  in  the  year  1900  he  came  into  possession  of 
his  present  property  where  he  now  applies  his  farming 
experience  with  great  success  upon  his  own  account, 
so  nnich  so  that  his  indefatigable  industry  has  developed 
it  into  one  of  the  model  farms  in  this  part  of  the  coun- 
try, to  so  high  a  state  of  cultivation  has  he  brought  it. 
Mr.  Bush  has  not,  however,  confined  his  activities  to 
agricultural  pursuits,  but  has  taken  a  prominent  part 
in  local  public  affairs  and  has  served  the  community  as 
justice  of  the  peace  for  several  years  with  great  faith- 
fiiiness,  and  has  shown  marked  ability  in  his  conduct 
of  this  difficult  and  important  office.  He  has  been  a 
conspicuous  figure  in  social  and  club  circles  here,  and 
is  affiliated  with  a  number  of  important  organizations. 
Mr.  Bush  is  connected  prominently  with  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Falconer,  and  in  all  business  matters  has 
shown  a  wide  grasp  of  practical  affairs.  In  his  re- 
ligious belief  he  is  a  Methodist  and  attends  the  Wes- 
leyan  church  of  that  denomination  at  Falconer. 

.Arthur  Jay  Bush  was  united  in  marriage,  Sept.  20, 
1900,  at  Levant.  N.  Y.,  with  Hattie  Irene  Clark,  a 
native  of  Gerry,  N.  Y.,  where  her  birth  occurred  Nov. 
21,  1878,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Jane  (Chapman) 
Clark,  both  old  and  respected  citizens  of  Levant,  N. 
Y.  To  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Bush  have  been  born  two  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Elton  Clark,  born  April  27,  1903,  and 
Lucile  May.  born  July  31,  1905. 


HAROLD  CAMP — ,\mong  the  younger  progressive 
farmers  of  Ellery  township,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
there  is  none  better  deserving  of  mention,  both  on  ac- 
count of  his  success  in  his  chosen  occupation  and  his 
public-spirited  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  community, 
than  Harold  Camp,  whose  life  and  career  have  always 
been  associated  with  that  place.  Mr.  Camp  w-as  born 
.Aug.  II,  1897,  in  Ellery  township,  a  son  of  Merrit  and 
Lavina  (Sherman)  Camp.  His  mother  died  -Aug.  23, 
1897.  when  only  twenty-four  years  of  age.  and  the  child, 
then  only  a  few  days  old,  together  with  his  sister,  Mary, 
born  Jan.  24,  1896,  was  adopted  by  his  grandfather,  Wil- 
son Camp. 

It  was  at  the  home  of  this  grandfather  that  Harold 
Camp  grew  to  manhood,  and  there  he  learned  the 
rmliments  of  farming  during  the  same  period  in  which 
he  attended  school.  Upon  completing  his  education  he 
took  up  agriculture  as  a  permanent  occupation,  and 
continued  to  assist  his  grandfather  in  the  work  on  the 
home  farm  until  the  death  of  the  latter.  May  24,  1919. 
His  sister,  Mary  Camp,  had  in  the  meantime  married 
Ilorton  Kisley,  and  gone  to  live  with  him  in  the  Far 
West,  so  the  elder  Mr.  Camp  left  his  grandson  the  entire 
valuable  property  in  Ellery  township  in  his  will.  The 
young  man  has  since  that  time  conducted  the  farm  on 
his  own  account  .and  has  met  with  notable  success,  dis- 
posing of  his  plentiful  crops  in  the  neighboring  markets. 
Mr.  Camp  has  always  interested  hitnself  in  local  affairs 
aufl  has  inade  himself  highly  respected  among  his  fel- 
low-townsmen for  his  intelligent  participation  therein, 
lie  is  a  Republican  In  politics,  and  .although  he  has 
t.'ikeii   110  aiiivc  jjarl   therein  or  sought  for  public  olTice 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


615 


in  any  way,  his  opinion  on  the  issues  of  the  day  are 
recognized  as  of  a  progressive  conservatism  which  ren- 
ders them  of  vahie.  He  is  a  member  of  Union  Grange, 
of  Jamestown. 


residents  of  this  place.  They  are  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  Ellen,  who  resides  with  her  par- 
ents ;  Lloyd,  now  a  student  at  District  No.  8  School ; 
and  Donna,  also  a  student  at  the  same  school. 


ARTHUR  BENNETT  CARRIS  should  be  included 
in  any  list  of  the  successful  farmers  of  Chautauqua 
county,  X.  Y.,  his  farm  at  Ripley  being  one  of  the  most 
modern  and  efificently  conducted  among  the  many  splen- 
did farms  of  this  region.  Born  in  the  town  of  Ripley, 
Sept.  24,  1872,  the  son  of  Alonzo  D.  and  Ellen  (Hough- 
ton) Carris.  he  is  a  member  of  a  family  that  has  long 
been  prominent  in  the  county.  His  grandfather,  Dewitt 
Carris,  was  the  owner  of  a  farm  of  214  acres  in  this 
neighborhood,  which  was  purchased  by  him  at  an  early 
date.  Eighty  acres  of  the  old  homestead  were  dis- 
posed of  by  his  wife  after  his  death,  but  the  major 
part  of  it  is  still  in  the  possession  of  the  family.  The 
children  of  Dewitt  Carris  and  his  wife  were  as  fol- 
lows: Alonzo  D.:  Frank,  who  resides  at  Rochester; 
Charles,  who  removed  to  Connecticut:  and  Electa  J., 
who  became  the  wife  of  W.  S.  Clark,  of  Hornell,  and  is 
now  deceased. 

Alonzo  D.  Carris,  father  of  Arther  Bennett  Carris, 
resided  on  the  family  homestead,  was  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  all  his  life,  and  his  death  occurred 
there.  He  married  Ellen  Houghton,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  five  children,  as  follows:  Arthur  Ben- 
nett: May,  who  became  the  wife  of  Len.  Piatt,  of 
North  East,  Pa.;  Emma,  who  became  the  wife  of  Cal. 
Smith,  of  Ripley:  Edgar,  who  is  now  engaged  in  farm- 
ing at  Ripley,  and  Rena,  now  Mrs.  Harry  Brooks,  of 
Erie,  Pa. 

Arthur  Bennett  Carris  received  his  education  at  the 
local  public  school,  and  upon  completing  his  studies  at  this 
institution  assisted  his  father  in  working  the  latter's 
farm.  At  the  time  of  the  death  of  the  elder  Mr.  Carris, 
he  inherited  134  acres  of  the  old  family  homestead  which 
he  has  continued  to  cultivate  and  operate  as  a  farm  ever 
since.  Mr.  Carris  has  been  eminently  successful  in 
his  farming  activities,  and  conducts  his  property  as  a 
general  farm  and  dairy,  maintaining  fifteen  head  of  the 
finest  Holstein  cattle,  the  product  of  which  he  disposes 
of  in  the  local  markets.  Besides  this  he  devotes  about 
nine  acres  to  the  cultivation  of  grapes  and  another  four 
acres  to  fruit  trees  of  different  varieties.  Upon  his 
place  there  is  a  handsome  modern  dwelling  house,  as 
well  as  all  the  necessary  farm  buildings,  including  a 
large  barn  and  garage.  He  occupies  a  position  of 
prominence  in  the  neighborhood,  and  is  highly  esteemed 
by  his  fellow-citizens  generally.  In  politics  Mr.  Carris 
is  a  Democrat,  and  in  religious  belief  a  Methodist.  He 
is  affiliated  with  a  number  of  important  organizations 
in  the  region,  and  takes  a  keen  interest  in  the  affairs 
of  the  community,  especially  in  connection  with  its  ag- 
ricultural development.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of 
the  South  Ripley  Grange,  in  which  at  one  time  he  held 
the  office  of  master.  He  is  also  affiliated  with  the 
Farm  Bureau  of  the  Dairymen's  League,  and  at  present 
serves  in  the  capacity  of  fire  director  in  the  Relief 
Association. 

Arthur  Bennett  Carris  was  united  in  marriage,  Jan. 
5,  1898,  with  Eunice  McDonald,  of  Ripley,  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Mary  McDonald,  old  and  highly  respected 


GEORGE  WILLIAM  CHACE,  well-to-do  farmer 
of  Xurth  East,  Pa.,  with  residence  in  Ripley  township, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  is  a  native  of  Corry,  Pa., 
born  Oct.  31,  1S70,  son  of  Edwin  and  Emma  'Pitl) 
Chace. 

The  parents  of  George  W.  Chace  removed  to  Mina 
township,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  when  their  son 
was  three  years  old,  and  he  gained  a  practical  educa- 
tion by  attending  the  Mina  and  Ripley  district  schools. 
At  an  early  age  he  began  his  active  business  career, 
working  as  machinist  and  at  other  odd  jobs  in  the 
vicinity  of  his  home,  finally  serving  an  apprenticeship 
at  the  trade  of  carpenter,  which  he  followed  for  a  long 
period  of  time,  his  efforts  meeting  with  a  certain  degree 
of  success.  In  1899,  having  accumulated  sufficient  cap- 
ital, he  purchased  his  present  farm,  consisting  of  145 
acres,  and  during  the  intervening  years  he  has  improved 
his  property  to  a  great  extent,  and  ranks  among  the 
progressive  farmers  of  that  section  of  the  State.  His 
residence,  well,  garage,  and  out-buildings  are  modem 
in  every  respect,  and  he  has  erected  a  large  silo  capa- 
ble of  holding  sixty-five  tons.  He  has  set  out  two 
vineyards  (grapes)  which  yield  abundantly.  His  farm 
is  an  experimental  farm  for  the  Chautau(|ua  County 
Farm  Bureau,  in  which  he  holds  membership,  and 
it  is  well  adapted  for  that  use.  His  stock  consists  of 
four  horses,  twenty-two  cows,  two  hogs  (sufficient  for 
home  use),  fifty  chickens,  etc.  Mr.  Chace  is  a  great 
believer  in  the  use  of  power  for  lightening  farm  labor, 
and  is  the  owner  of  three  gas  engines,  using  them  for 
water,  irrigation,  in  the  cattle  barn,  and  for  other  minor 
uses.  Mr.  Chace  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  of  Ripley,  and  of  the  local  Grange,  Pa- 
trons of  Husbandry. 

Mr.  Chace  married,  Feb.  22,  1899,  Grace  Roberts,  of 
Ripley,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  children:  I. 
Ernest,  a  student  in  the  high  school  o'  Ripley:  he  lost 
two  school  years  by  leaving  his  studies  in  order  to 
learn  a  trade,  but  eventually  decided  to  return  to  school 
and  prepare  for  a  university  course,  hence  the  seeming 
incongruity  of  a  younger  brother  preceding  him  to 
college.  2.  Clyde,  a  graduate  of  the  Sherman  High 
School,  now  a  student  in  the  L'niversity  of  Pennsyl- 
vania.    3.  Ruth,  a  student  in  the  district  school. 


MORRIS  P.  CHENEY— Prominent  among  the  suc- 
cessful and  prosperous  farmers  of  Bamus  I'oint,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in  ex- 
tensive agricultural  operations  for  a  considerable  period 
of  years,  is  Morris  P.  Cheney,  who  tod.iy  is  one  of  the 
respected  and  influential  members  of  his  community. 
Mr.  Cheney  is  a  member  of  a  family  that  has  resided 
for  a  number  of  generations  in  this  neighborhood,  a;id 
a  son  of  Asa  and  Catherine  (Griffith)  Cheney,  both  of 
whom  were  born  in  Ellery  township.  The  elder  Mr. 
Cheney  was  a  farmer  by  occupation. 

It  was  upon  the  old  homestead  that  Morris  P.  Cheney 
was  born    March    14,    1858.     There   also  his   childhood 


6i6 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


was  spent  in  the  wholesome  occupations  of  assisting  with 
the  lighter  farm  labors  and  simple  sports  of  country 
lads,  with  intervals  during  the  winter  months  of  at- 
tending the  district  schools.  Upon  the  completion  of 
his  studies.  Mr.  Cheney  took  up  farming  more  con- 
sistently, at  first  as  an  aid  to  his  father  and  late:  on  his 
own  account.  Eventually  he  became  the  owner  of  a 
fine  farm  at  Bemus  Point,  which  remains  in  his  pos- 
session up  to  the  present  time  and  which  he  has  ever 
since  operated  with  a  high  degree  of  success,  his  hard 
work  and  progressive  methods  having  rewarded  him 
with  the  finest  type  of  farm  products.  Mr.  Cheney  is 
a  Republican  in  politics  and  has  always  taken  a  keen 
interest  in  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day,  local  and 
general,  although  the  amount  of  time  and  energy  he 
has  necessarily  spent  upon  his  farm  has  made  it  im- 
possible for  him  to  take  much  part  in  public  affairs.  He 
is  a  member  of  Union  Grange  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y. 

^lorris  P.  Cheney  was  united  in  marriage,  Oct.  26, 
1887,  in  Ellery  township,  with  .Anna  Weaver,  like  him- 
self a  native  of  that  place,  her  birth  occurring  Sept.  25, 
1S61,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Eveline  (La^ell) 
Weaver.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cheney  are  the  parents  o'  three 
children,  as  follows:  i.  Gerald  G..  born  May  3.  i8q.?; 
enlisted  in  the  National  army,  July  24,  1917,  and  after 
seeing  nearly  two  years  of  service  was  discharged 
March  31,  1919;  married  Berenice  Hoyt,  July  24,  1020. 
2.  Ruth  L.,  born  Julv  20,  1895,  married,  Sept.  i'>.  1019. 
F.  W.  Skillman.  of  Ellerv.  3.  Hazel  E.,  born  May  2, 
1898. 


ALEXANDER  HUDSON  BROWN— The  Browns 
of  this  review  have  long  b^-en  settled  in  the  village  of 
Fluvanna,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Alexander  H.,  and 
b.is  father.  .-Mexander  Sherman  Brown,  both  being  born 
tliere.  Farming  was  his  family  occupation,  and  there 
was  little  of  excitement  or  novelty  in  his  life  until  the 
great  World  War  claimed  Clifford  R.,  son  of  .Alexander 
H.  Brown,  and  landed  him  on  foreign  soil  with  the 
77th  Division,  .\mcrican  Expeditionary  Forces.  The 
world  has  read  of  how  Col.  Charles  W.  Whittlesey  and 
his  "Lost  Battalion"  fought  for  five  days  in  the  forest 
of  Benarville  northwest  of  Verdun  while  the  Germans 
were  all  about  them.  The  talc  of  the  deliverance  of  this 
battalion  after  it  had  lost  half  of  its  seven  hundred  men 
and  had  suffered  tortures  from  hunger  and  thirst,  is  one 
of  the  thrilling  stories  of  the  war.  It  is  mentioned  here 
because  Clifford  R,  Brown,  the  Chautauqua  soldier,  was 
one  of  the  two  men  who  got  through  tlie  German  line 
and  brought  news  to  the  .Nmericans  of  their  beleaguered 
c/mrades. 

.-Mexander  Hudson  Brown,  son  of  Alexander  Sher- 
man and  Sarah  Melvina  (Hudson)  Brown,  was  born  in 
Fluvanna,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  5,  1871.  He 
attf-ndcd  the  public  schools  of  the  district  and  of  James- 
town. iKfginning  his  active  life  as  a  farmer  while  yet 
a  school  boy.  He  has  followed  that  occupation  all  his 
life,  but  is  now  living  at  his  home  in  the  town  of  Har- 
mony. Mr,  Brown  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  a  member 
of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church. 

.\fr.  Brown  marri'd,  in  Jamestown,  l)ec.  27,  18^)3, 
Eva  A.  Rhodes,  fjorn  in  the  town  of  [■".llery,  March  28, 
1874,     daughter     of     .'Xmbrosc     anti     Jennie     (Robins; 


Rhodes,  her  father  born  in  Saratoga  county,  her  mother 
in  Steuben  county,  N.  Y.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  are 
the  parents  of  five  children:  i.  Alexander  M.,  bom 
July  6,  1S94.  2.  Clifford  R.,  born  Jan.  9,  1896;  entered 
the  army  under  the  selective  tests,  Feb.  20,  1918,  was 
assigned  to  Company  C,  308th  Regiment  of  Infantry, 
reported  at  New  York,  April  6,  was  sent  overseas,  was 
in  the  trenches  June  20,  and  later  distinguished  him- 
self by  bringing  messages  of  the  "Lost  Battalion" 
through  the  German  line ;  he  returned  to  his  home 
safely,  3,  Willis  E.,  born  March  17,  1897.  4-  Mabel  E., 
born  May  28.  1002.     5.  Inland  E.,  born  Dec.  30,  1907. 


AZRO  C.  BUSH,  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  the 
Conewango  \alley  district  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
and  a  man  of  commendable  record  in  both  private  and 
business  life,  is  a  native  of  the  county,  and  has  farmed 
within  a  short  distance  of  his  birthplace  throughout 
practically  the  whole  of  his  years  of  manhood.  And  he 
has  risen  to  substantial  means  mainly  by  his  own  con- 
sistent and  persistent  efforts. 

He  was  born  in  Ellington,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
in  November.  1S53.  the  son  of  Lyman  and  Eliza  A. 
(Crofoot)  Bush,  and  in  the  public  schools  of  that  place 
he  passed  his  early  years  of  schooling.  When  his 
school  days  ended,  indeed  in  all  probability  much  before 
then,  he  applied  himself  energetically  to  farm  work 
upon  his  father's  farm.  Ultimately,  he  took  a  farm  for 
himself,  married,  and  steadily  prospered.  Politically  a 
Republican,  he  has  not  taken  much  part  in  political 
movements,  that  is,  those  that  had  no  direct  bearing 
upon  local  conditions,  but  he  has  always  taken  a  keen 
interest  in  the  public  movements  in  his  own  district,  and 
in  those  at  limes  took  active  part.  Had  he  wished,  he 
might  have  held  public  office  in  the  local  administration. 
Such,  however,  was  not  his  inclination,  although  he  was 
ever  ready  to  give  aid,  personal  or  financial,  to  any 
worthy  local  project.  He  and  his  wife  in  their  younger 
days  took  appreciable  part  in  the  church  and  social 
functions  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Bush  is  a  member  of  the  local  Grange,  and  by 
religious  conviction  is  a  Methodist,  as  such,  during  the 
long  period  of  his  membership,  he  has  been  of  appre- 
ciable aid  in  its  functioning  and  maintenance.  And 
during  the  recent  war,  he  proved  himself  to  be  a  whole- 
hearted patriot  in  more  ways  than  one;  he  was  a  sub- 
stantial subscriber  to  the  several  funds  raised  for  the 
prosecution  of  the  war,  and  in  matters  of  production 
upon  his  own  farm  he  aided  the  government  to  the  limit 
of  his  strength  in  its  endeavor  to  bring  all  land  into 
profitable  bearing,  if  that  were  possible,  and  so  create 
a  substantial  surplus  of  foodstuffs  over  our  needs  to 
aid  in  the  sustenance  of  the  famishing  peoples  of  Eu- 
rope, whose  lands  had  been  impoverished  and  whose 
man-power  had  been  depleted  by  the  years  of  devastat- 
ing strife.  In  preventing  waste,  and  seeking  to  increase 
yields  upon  their  own  individual  farms,  the  American 
farmers  accomplished  much ;  in  fact,  the  aggregate 
American  harvests  of  1917  and  1918  had  much  to  do 
with  the  final  victorious  outcome  of  the  war,  and  al- 
though the  part  of  the  individual  farmer  might  to  him 
have  appeared  insignificant  in  so  great  a  struggle,  he 
was   f(irced  to  change  bis  mind   when  he  saw  what,  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


617 


the  aggregate,  the  agricultural  effort  of  America  ac- 
complished. 

Mr.  Bush  followed  the  progress  of  the  war  from 
day  to  day  with  the  whole-hearted  interest  of  a  true 
patriot,  and  was  glad  to  have  had  some,  even  if  only  a 
minor  part  in  the  great  national  effort.  Had  he  been 
younger,  his  part  would  necessarily  have  been  a  more 
prominent  one,  but  not  so  far  as  interest  and  desire 
went. 

Mr.  Bush  married,  Sept.  19,  1878,  in  Ellington,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  V.,  Ida,  daughter  of  Lorenzo  M.  and 
Caroline  M.  (Hoag)  Day.  She  was  born  in  Ellington, 
April  19,  1859,  and  came  of  an  old  Chautauqua  county 
family.  To  Azro  C.  and  Ida  (Day)  Bush  were  born 
two  children:  Carrie  E.,  bom  Nov.  23.  1884;  Bert  D., 
born  April  14,  1892.  Their  daughter,  Carrie  E.,  mar- 
ried Irvin  Cross,  and  became  the  mother  of  Ida  C. 
Cross,  born  Sept.  2,   1905. 

In  stability  of  character  and  resolute  application  to 
honest  labor,  which  in  his  younger  days  was  harder  and 
accompanied  by  the  discouragements  of  money  scarcity, 
Mr.  Bush  has  an  estimable  record ;  in  Christian  endeavor 
and  neighborly  interest,  his  years  have  been  well  spent, 
and  have  brought  good  return  in  Christian  strength 
and  strong  friendships ;  and  in  wholesomeness  of  pri- 
vate life  his  record  is  enviable. 


CHARLES  D.  CLEMENT— Fifty-three  years  ago 
George  \V.  Clement,  father  of  Charles  D.  Clement, 
bought  a  farm  of  132  acres  on  lot  8,  town  of  Villenova, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  upon  which  his  son  resides, 
although  its  acres  have  now  increased  to  164.  Mr. 
Clement  is  of  Scotch  ancestry,  son  of  George  W.  and 
Alceste  (Day)  Clement,  and  maternal  grandson  of 
Horace  Day,  born  in  West  Springfield,  Mass. 

Charles  D.  Clement  was  born  in  the  town  of  Stockton, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  29,  i860,  but  in  1867 
his  father  bought  a  farm  of  132  acres  in  Villenova,  and 
there  the  life  of  Charles  D.  Clement  has  been  largely 
passed.  His  father  died  when  he  was  thirteen  years 
old  and  until  he  was  twenty-one  he  assisted  his  mother 
on  the  farm  and  then  bought  it.  He  has  largely  added 
to  its  area  and  greatly  improved  it.  Mr.  Clement  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  a  member  of  Hanover  Lodge, 
No.  152,  Free  and  .Accepted  Masons.  In  1912-13-14-15- 
16-17.  Mr.  Clement  represented  Villenova  on  the  Chau- 
tauqua County  Board  of  Supervisors.  In  1918-19  he  was 
out  of  office,  but  is  now  (1920)  serving  the  fourth  term, 
a  record  length  of  service  for  Villenova. 

Mr.  Clement  married  in  Hamlet,  town  of  Villenova, 
Nov.  20,  1892,  Frantcelia  Wood,  born  Oct.  28,  1871,  in 
Leon.  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  Joseph  F. 
Wood,  born  in  Collins,  Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  and  his  wife, 
Margaret  (Warner)  Wood,  born  in  East  Bern,  Albany 
county.  N.  Y.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clement  are  the  parents  of 
four  children:  Lilan  M.,  born  Dec.  11,  1894;  George  W., 
born  Jan.  19,  1896;  Lucy,  born  Oct.  i,  1898;  and  Gif- 
ford  D.,  born  Sept.  24,  1903. 


county,  N.  Y.,  is  a  native  of  the  county,  and  has  set- 
tled down  early  in  life  to  the  resolute  task  of  strong, 
independent,  self-reliant  manhood.  He  has  manifested 
much  of  the  stalwart  traits  of  his  forbears;  he  has  taken 
to  agricultural  occupations  not  of  necessity  but  from 
choice;  he  was  the  head  of  a  family  when  only  twenty- 
three  years  old;  and  thus  early  in  life  he  took  upon 
himself  the  responsibilities  of  independent  farming. 
-And  the  consistent  steadiness  and  energj'  with  which  he 
has  applied,  himself  to  farming  operations  since  his 
marriage  have  stamped  him  as  a  man  who  will  gain 
a  worthy  reputation  for  integrity,  material  and  moral, 
and  who  will  in  due  time  take  his  place  among  the 
representative  and  successful  farm  owners  of  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y. 

Erie  Ray  Crandall  was  born  in  Kennedy,  Chautau- 
qua county,  X.  Y.,  April  27,  1892,  the  son  of  Ray  G. 
and  Bertha  R.  (Cornall)  Crandall.  His  father  is  well 
known  among  agriculturists,  being  an  extensive  cattle 
buyer,  and  also  a  man  of  some  prominence  in  the  public 
affairs  of  the  Kennedy  district  of  Chautauqua  county. 
As  a  boy  Erie  R.  Crandall  attended  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  place,  and  afterwards  entered  the  James- 
town High  School,  from  which  he  creditably  graduated 
with  the  class  of  191 1.  After  leaving  school,  he  took  to 
agricultural  tasks  with  energetic  intelligence,  and  has 
become  well  versed  in  modern  methods,  some  of  which 
he  has  introduced  into  his  own  farm  management.  He 
is  an  active  member  of  the  Grange,  but  up  to  the  pres- 
ent has  not  manifested  a  definite  inclination  to  enter 
keenly  into  political  activities.  By  religious  conviction 
he  is  a  Methodist,  and  has  given  indication  that  he  pos- 
sesses a  consistent  earnestness  in  matters  pertaining 
to  the  church. 

Mr.  Crandall  married,  Jan.  22,  1914,  Mildred  Rea 
Williams,  who  was  born  in  Kennedy,  May  20,  1894,  and 
comes  of  a  family  long  resident  in  Chautauqua  county; 
in  fact,  both  of  her  parents,  Stanley  A.  and  Gertrude 
(Harris)  Williams,  were  also  born  in  Kennedy.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Crandall  are  the  parents  of  two  children: 
Robert  S.,  born  Dec.  31,  1915;  Philip  Stanley,  born  Aug. 
31,  1918.  Both  were  born  in  Kennedy,  with  which  place 
the  family  has  so  many  associations.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Crandall  enter  heartily  into  the  activities,  social  and 
religious,  of  the  community,  and  are  generally  popular, 
being  useful,  substantial,  and  entertaining  members  of 
the  community,  hospitably  inclined. 


ERIE  RAY  CRANDALL,  who  gives  promise  of 
becoming  a  successful  agriculturist,  and  has  done  well 
during  the  last  five  or  six  years  in  the  cultivation  of  a 
farming    property    he    owns    in    Kennedy,    Chautauqua 


BENJAMIN  BREADS— The  farmers  of  Chautau- 
qua county  have  played  a  very  important  part  in  the 
development  of  this  region,  and  this  is  especially  true 
in  the  case  of  Benjamin  Breads,  who  holds  a  high  place 
in  the  esteem  of  his  fellowmen  hereabouts.  Benjamin 
Breads  was  born  in  the  town  of  Marcy,  Oneida  county, 
N.  Y.,  Aug.  19,  1845,  a  son  of  William  and  Sarah 
(Simms)   Breads. 

He  received  his  education  in  the  district  schools  of 
his  native  place,  and  assisted  his  father  during  his 
spare  time  with  the  work  upon  the  farm.  The  elder  man 
was  the  owner  of  200  acres  of  excellent  farm  property 
and  in  addition  to  the  cultivation  of  this  place  Mr. 
Breads  was  also  engaged  in  the  cutting  and  selling  of 
timber.     He   remained   with   his   father   for  some   little 


6i8 


CH AUTAUOUA  COUNTY 


time,  and  in  iSoo.  in  partnership  with  his  brothers,  Wil- 
liam and  Joseph  Breads,  buik  a  saw  mill  which  they 
operated  until  187S  with  considerable  success.  In  tlic 
latter  year  they  sold  the  saw  mill  and  Mr.  Breads  en- 
gaged on  his  own  account  in  business  as  a  blacksmith 
and  wagon  builder,  being  successful  from  the  outset  in 
this  enterprise.  Mr.  Breads,  up  to  the  present,  still 
retains  a  fond  affection  for  farming  and  is  the  owner 
of  a  splendid  farm,  consisting  of  thirty  acres,  and  has 
bui'.t  a  charming  residence  on  this  property,  where  he 
now  resides. 

Benjamin  Breads  is  very  prominent  in  the  social  and 
club  life  of  Westrield.  and  is  a  member  of  Sherman 
Lodge,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  of  the 
local  Grange,  of  which  he  is  past  master.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Republican  and  ardently  supports  the  principles 
and  policies  of  this  party.  Mr.  Breads  has  served  as  a 
justice  of  the  peace  here  since  1SS3,  a  period  of  more 
than  twenty-five  years.  He  has  one  brother  living,  Jo- 
seph, who  is  a  twin  brother  of  Mr.  Breads,  and  is  men- 
tic>ned  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Benjamin  Breads  married  (tirst^  Dec.  14,  iS;i,  at 
Rouseville,  Pa..  .\da  Madden,  a  resident  of  Cleveland. 
and  to  them  one  child  was  born.  Bert  Breads,  who  is 
now  a  farmer  at  Ripley,  .\fter  the  death  of  his  first 
wife.  Mr.  Breads  married  (second)  -■^ug.  iS,  1886.  Polly 
Fo.x.  a  native  of  W'estfield.  She  was  a  daughter  of 
Francis  and  Eleanor  (Payne)  Fox.  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  this  place.  Of  this  second  mar- 
riage one  son  was  born.  Fred,  who  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ine  at  Mavville.  and  married  Grace  Pasker. 


WILLIAM  WARD  CRICK— In  the  town  of  Kian- 
tone.  in  the  southern  part  of  Chautauqua  county.  N.  V., 
the  Crick  family  lirst  made  their  home  on  coming  to 
the  county,  and  there  .Adelbert  Crick  was  born  and  spent 
his  life,  a  farmer.  He  married  Margaret  Seekings, 
born  in  England,  and  among  their  children  was  a  son, 
William  W.  Crick,  luirn  in  Kiantone,  May  9,  1884,  and 
there  educated  in  the  public  schools.  He  was  reared 
on  the  farm,  but  later  moved  to  Jamestown,  where  he 
holds  a  good  position,  his  home  in  Busti,  where  he  owns 
a  good  property,  well  improved  with  buildings  and 
orchards.  He  is  a  member  of  the  school  board  of  his 
district,  and  takes  a  lively  interest  in  community  affairs. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the 
Protestant   Episcopal   church. 

Mr,  Crick  married,  in  Jamestown.  July  i,  i(X)8,  .A-ia 
Crosslcy.  Ix-irn  in  Bradford.  England,  daugliter  of  Wil- 
liam and  Margaret  (Robinson)  Crossley.  Mr.  .md  Mrs. 
Crick  are  the  parents  of  three  children  :  Luther  William. 
U)rn  Feb.  7.  1910;  Ruth  Alice,  born  Oct.  22,  1912;  Clyde 
.\dell)crt,  born  March  31,  1915,  died  Dec.  8,  l';2o. 


ERNEST  PALMER  CROSS,  who  resides  on  his 
farm  I'K-ai'-d  about  threc-'iuarters  of  a  mile  fr')tu  tlic 
village  of  Niohe.  and  who  is  one  of  the  substantial  men 
of  his  section  of  Chautaufjua  county,  is  a  son  of  .Am- 
brose Cross,  who  has  been  a  justice  of  the  peace  for 
nearly  thirty  years,  and  who  is  living  in  Panama.  Chau- 
tauf|tia  rounty.  X.  V..  at  the  present  time   (\<)20). 

Ernest  Palmer  Cross  was  born  on  the  home  farm  in 
the  town  of  Harmony,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  \ .,  .\\)r\\ 


10.  1S68.  He  was  educated  in  the  district  school,  and 
early  became  his  father's  farm  assistant.  After  coming' 
to  man's  estate,  he  adopted  agriculture  as  his  life  work 
and  is  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm  near  the  village  of 
Xiobe,  upon  which,  in  1915,  he  built  his  present  residence 
and  the  same  year  erected  a  barn,  these  improvements 
greatly  enhancing  the  appearance  and  value  of  the 
property.  Mr.  Cross  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  at 
the  present  time  is  serving  in  the  capacity  of  superin- 
tendent of  roads.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of 
Husbandry  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 
Mr.  Cross  married,  at  Niobe,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  14,  1891, 
Lena  Gertrude  Daniels,  born  Feb.  10,  1871,  daughter  of 
John  M.  and  Martha  Lucinda   (Ayling)   Daniels. 


FRANK  A.  CHASE,  who  follows  general  farming 
on  section  23,  Charlotte  township,  has  a  rich  and  arable 
tract  of  land  of  131)  acres,  which  is  well  improved  and 
valuable,  and  is  engaged  thereon  in  stock  raising  and 
dairying.  He  thoroughly  understands  his  work  in  every 
department,  and  so  directs  his  energies  by  sound  judg- 
ment that  his  efforts  are  being  attended  with  very  credi- 
table success,  Jlr,  Chase  was  born  in  Cherry  Creek 
township.  May  8,  1867,  a  son  of  Charles  P.  and  Ellen 
(Barnum)  Chase. 

Stephen  Chase,  great-grandfather  of  Frank  A.  Chase, 
was  the  first  of  the  name  in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 
He  married  Bertha  Mathewson,  and  they  had  issue. 

George  Chase,  son  of  Stephen  and  Bertha  (Mathew- 
son) Chase,  was  born  .Aug.  9,  1799.  He  was  a  farmer 
in  \'illenova  township,  and  spent  his  entire  life  here. 
He  married  -Abigail  Smith  and  they  had  issue. 

Charles  P.  Chase,  son  of  George  and  Abigail  (Smith) 
Chase,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Villenova,  Jan.  31, 
1832,  and  there  grew  to  manhood.  He  assisted  his  father 
upon  the  fanu  until  he  moved  to  Cherry  Creek  township, 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  on  his  farm. 
He  died  July  24.  1879,  and  is  buried  in  the  Villenova 
Cemetery,  at  Villenova,  Chautauqua  county.  Politically 
he  was  a  Republican,  and  was  a  member  of  that  party 
since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote.  He  married, 
Dec.  25,  i860,  at  Cherry  Creek,  Ellen  Barnum,  born  July 
5,  1845,  flii-"''  Feb.  6,  1892,  a  daughter  of  Azor  and 
Abagail  (Warner)  Barnum.  To  this  union  were  born 
six  children,  as  follows:  i.  George  E.,  born  Oct.  31, 
1862,  who  is  a  musician  and  makes  violins;  he  resides  at 
Celoron,  N.  Y. ;  he  married  Laura  Culver.  2.  Martha 
-A.,  born  June  28,  1865,  married  .Aaron  Essex;  she  is 
now  a  widow  residing  at  Hanover.  3.  Frank  .A.,  see 
forward.  4.  Lillie  E.,  born  July  29,  1869,  died  Feb.  9, 
1871.  5.  Charles  A.,  born  April  29,  1872;  married  Maud 
Town  ;  resides  in  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.  6.  Rose  E.,  born  Sept. 
12,  1876.  died  April  17.  lOiO;  married  (first)  Charles 
Brown,  (second)   George  Hill. 

[•"rank  .A.  Chase,  whose  name  is  the  caption  of  this 
article,  received  his  early  education  in  the  district 
.schools  of  Cherry  Creek  township,  where  he  grew  to 
manhood.  After  completing  his  course  of  study,  he  as- 
sisted his  father  in  his  agricultural  business  until  he 
remo'.ed  tr)  Charlotte  township  and  engaged  in  business 
for  himself.  He  purchased  the  old  (Barrett  Wheeler 
farm  of  about  ninety-five  acres,  where  he  now  resides, 
and  sotiK-  tinur  later  purchased  the  adjoining  farm  of 
about    forty-four  acres,   which   makes   about    [39   acres, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


6lQ 


which  represents  one  of  the  best  farms  of  Charlotte 
township,  and  which  is  operated  by  Mr.  Chase. 

Mr.  Chase  married,  Feb.  24,  1800,  Gertrude  F.  Chase, 
daughter  of  Frank  ^[.  and  Mary  R.  (Harvey)  Chase, 
and  the  niece  of  .Albert  X.  Chase,  whose  biography  ap- 
pears upon  other  pages  of  these  volumes.  To  this  union 
have  been  born  two  children:  i.  Berle  H.,  born  May 
4,  i8gi,  married  .\da  L.  Christie.  2.  Child,  born  May  ig, 
1899.  died  at  birth.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chase  are  members 
of  the  Charlotte  Center  Grange,  No.  669.  Politically 
Mr.  Chase  is  a  staunch  Democrat,  and  is  an  ardent  up- 
holder of  that  party's  principles. 

Mr.  Chase  has  long  been  a  resident  of  Charlotte  town- 
ship, witnessing  much  of  its  growth  and  progress  as  the 
years  have  gone  by,  and  he  belongs  to  that  class  of  sub- 
stantial citizens  who  are  active  in  promoting  material 
progress  and  upholding  the  intellectual  and  moral  status 
of  the  community. 


and   Mrs.   Culver  two  children  have  been  born,  as  fol- 
lows:    Clayburn  J.,  born  April  6,  1893;    and  Clara  H., 

born  .\ug.  5,  1898. 


JAMES  CULVER,  tor  many  years  one  of  the  prom- 
inent figures  in  the  general  life  of  Bemus  Point.  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  is  engaged  in  business 
as  a  blacksmith  and  dealer  in  farming  implements,  is  a 
native  of  the  township  of  Ellery,  where  his  birth  oc- 
curred Oct.  23,  1865.  He  is  a  son  of  James  Culver,  Sr., 
a  native  of  Warren  county,  N.  Y.,  and  of  Hannah  (Win- 
chester) Culver,  who  was  born  in  Ellery  township. 
James  Culver,  Sr.,  was  for  many  years  a  blacksmith 
here  and  did  a  large  trade  in  the  neighborhood,  making 
himself  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  place.  Mr. 
Culver's  paternal  grandfather  was  also  a  resident  of 
the  region,  and  was  well  known  in  his  day. 

James  Culver  passed  his  childhood  at  his  father's 
home  in  Ellery  township,  and  attended  the  common 
schools  there  for  his  education.  Upon  completing  his 
studies  the  young  man,  following  in  his  father's  foot- 
steps, took  up  the  trade  of  blacksmith,  and  eventually 
succeeded  to  the  place  held  by  the  latter  for  so  many 
years.  As  time  went  on,  Mr.  Culver  began  the  sale  of 
agricultural  implements,  at  first  on  a  small  scale,  but 
later,  as  his  reputation  became  larger  and  the  com- 
munity grew  in  size,  he  devoted  much  of  his  time  and 
attention  to  this  side  of  the  business.  He  has  been  e.x- 
ceedingly  successful  in  this  enterprise  and  his  success 
has  been  due  entirely  to  his  own  indefatigable  and  intel- 
ligent industry  and  to  the  knowledge,  shared  by  all  his 
fellow  townsmen,  of  his  absolute  integrity  and  fair 
dealing.  Mr.  Culver  is  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  social 
and  fraternal  life  of  the  town,  and  is  a  member  of 
Peacock  Lodge,  No.  696.  .\ncient  Free  and  .Accepted 
Masons,  of  Mayville,  which  he  joined  in  the  year  1911. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat  and  strongly  supports  his 
party  in  this  region,  although  his  business  activities  have 
prevented  him  from  taking  so  active  a  part  in  public 
affairs  as  his  talents  and  grasp  of  practical  affairs  well 
fit  him  for.  He  is  a  Methodist  in  his  religious  belief 
and  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Bemus 
Point. 

James  Culver  was  united  in  marriage,  Dec.  9.  1891,  at 
Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  with  Grace  A.  Hays,  a  native  of  El- 
lery township,  born  .\ug.  22,  1871,  a  daughter  of  John 
B.  and  Laura  A.  (Hull)  Hays,  the  former  a  native  of 
Connecticut  and  the  latter  of  New  York  City.     To  Mr. 


LUTHER  LAKE  CROSS,  JR.— The  farming  and 
dairying  interests  of  Charlotte  township  have  a  worthy 
representative  in  Luther  Lake  Cross,  Jr.,  who  is  the 
owner  of  a  fine  farm  on  section  45.  It  is  a  well  im- 
proved place.  Luther  Lake  Cross,  Jr.,  was  born  on  the 
homestead  farm  where  he  now  resides,  July  9,  1881,  a 
son  of  Luther  Lake  Cross,  Sr.,  and  Fanna  .Amelia  (Tar- 
lo.x )    Cross. 

.Alonzo  Cross  (grandfather),  the  pioneer  in  Char- 
lotte township,  came  from  Hamilton  county,  N.  Y.,  to 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  settled  in  Charlotte 
township.  Here  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  on  section 
45  and  engaged  in  the  farming  and  stock  raising  busi- 
ness. He  continued  in  this  occupation  for  some  time 
and  then  accepted  a  position  as  mail  carrier  from  Char- 
lotte Center  to  Sinclairville,  in  which  position  he  re- 
mained until  his  demise.  Alonzo  Cross  married  Amelia 
Lake,  who  was  born  in  Charlotte  township,  a  daughter 
of  Luther  Lake,  pioneer  settler  of  Chautauqua  county. 
To  this   union  were  born   five  children :    Luther   Lake, 

of    whom    further :    Delvina,    married   Walkins, 

and  resided  in  Michigan ;  Helen,  married  William 
Moore,  and  resided  in  Michigan ;  Sylvester,  who  resided 
in  Sinclairville ;  Emma,  who  married  Homer  Tarbox, 
and  resided  in  Rochester,  N.  Y. ;  Corwin,  who  resided 
in  Sinclairville  and  Philadelphia,  and  now  lives  in 
Jamestown,  N.  Y. 

Luther  Lake  Cross  (father),  a  son  of  .Alonzo  and 
.Amelia  (Lake)  Cross,  was  born  on  the  homestead  farm 
in  Charlotte  township,  .April  24,  1837.  He  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  village,  and  after 
laying  aside  his  text  books  took  up  the  occupation  of 
farming  and  dairying  on  his  father's  farm.  He  soon 
made  many  improvements  on  the  old  homestead,  and 
Mr.  Cross  built  the  present  house.  Mr.  Cross,  Sr.,  was 
also  very  prominent  in  social  circles  as  well  as  business 
circles,  being  a  member  of  the  Grange.  On  March  9, 
i860,  Mr.  Cross,  Sr.,  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Fanna  .Amelia  Tarlox,  born  in  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  a  daughter  of  Win  and  Sarah  (Wood)  Tarlox, 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cross  were  born  four  children,  as  fol- 
lows:  I.  Ruby,  born  March  14,  1868;  she  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  Charlotte  township,  and  after 
taking  a  course  in  the  Fredonia  Normal  School  accepted 
a  position  as  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  her  native 
village;  she  married  Clarence  Bushnell.  2.  .Anna  Belle, 
born  Oct.  20,  1876;  married  F.  D.  Bumpus,  of  Sinclair- 
ville. 3.  .Agnes  S.,  born  .Aug.  16.  1879;  married  Burt 
Chase.     4.  Luther  Lake,  Jr.,  of  whom  further. 

Luther  Lake  Cross,  Jr.,  whose  name  heads  this  review, 
received  his  early  education  in  the  district  schools  of  his 
township.  He  completed  the  work  of  the  high  school 
and  then  finished  with  a  course  at  the  Normal  School. 
He  afterwards  engaged  in  teaching,  which  profession  he 
followed  for  fourteen  years  in  Charlotte  township,  El- 
lery and  Stockton.  In  1909  he  discontinued  his  teaching 
in  order  to  help  manage  his  father's  farm.  This  occu- 
pation he  continued  until  the  death  of  his  father,  when 
he    assumed    full    charge    of    his    agricultural    business, 


630 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


continuing  in  same  to  the  present  time.  Mr.  Cross,  Jr., 
supports  the  Republican  party  in  politics,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Grange  No.  660,  of  which  he  was  master  for 
the  term  of  two  years.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Farm  Bureau  and  Dairymen's  League  of  Chautauqua 
county. 

On  Aug.  5.  1014.  Mr.  Cross.  Jr.,  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Maria  S.  Young,  a  daughter  of  Milo  Young. 
She  was  bom  in  Steamburg,  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y. 
To  this  union  has  been  born  one  daughter.  Katherine 
Lake,  bom  Jan.  jq,  ioi". 

Mr.  Cross  is  a  valuable  addition  to  the  township,  be- 
cause he  is  a  man  of  energy,  who  is  always  found  on 
the  side  of  right  and  progress,  and  who  cooperates  in 
all  measures  for  the  general  good  and  benefit  of  his 
community. 


JAMES  E.  DARROW— Cornelius  Darrow.  father 
of  James  E.  Darrow,  was  born  in  Herkimer  county, 
X.  Y  He  came  to  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  set- 
tled in  the  town  of  Harmony,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming,  and  followed  his  trade  of  shoemaker,  being  an 
expert  in  that  line.  He  married  Lucinda  Tillotson,  and 
among  their  children  was  a  son,  James  E.,  now  (1920) 
a  carpenter  and  farmer  of  the  village  of  Lakewood, 
Chautauqua  county. 

James  E.  Darrow  was  born  in  the  town  of  Harmony, 
Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y..  July  16,  1S47.  and  there  at- 
tended public  school  and  learned  the  carpenter's  trade. 
He  married,  in  the  village  of  Panama.  Chautauqua 
county,  X.  Y..  March  11,  1874,  Julia  Bugbee,  born  in 
Harmony,  Feb.  6,  1S57,  daughter  of  Joseph  Bugbee, 
born  in  Panama,  and  his  wife  Lucy  (Edwards)  Bug- 
bee. born  in  Skaneateles,  N.  Y.  In  1894  Mr.  Darrow 
built  the  house  in  Lakewood  in  which  he  now  lives. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Darrow  are  the  parents  of  si.x  children. 
I.  Wilton  J.,  born  March  14,  1876,  a  civil  engineer.  2. 
L>-nn  Stephen,  born  Dec.  19,  1877,  an  agriculturist.  3. 
Floyd  L.,  bom  June  2,  1880,  teacher  in  Brooklyn  Poly- 
technic School,  and  author,  his  best  known  work  "The 
Boys'  Own  Book  of  Great  Inventions."  4.  John  A., 
bom  May  20.  1882,  a  physician.  5.  Lucy  M.,  born  June 
27,  1888;  a  librarian.  6.  Wayne  H.,  born  April  12,  1894; 
engaged  in  eovcrnmcnt  agricultural  extension  work. 


FRED  CLINTON  DAVIS— Davis  is  a  name  found 
in  Chautauqua  county  from  the  earliest  years,  Ebcnezer 
Davis  being  the  first  clerk  of  the  town  of  Ellicott  and 
the  first  person  of  the  Baptist  faith  baptized  in  Still- 
water creek  at  .\kcn's  bridge  in  the  town  of  KUicott, 
now  Kiantone.  He  came  to  the  county  in  i3i2,  and  v/as 
baptized  in  1818.  This  branch  settled  in  the  town  of 
Bu'.li,  where  Clinton  Davis,  a  stock  dealer  and  livery- 
man, was  l>orn.  He  married  Cynthia  .^nn  Davis,  and 
at  the  time  of  the  birth  of  their  son,  Fred  Clinton  Davis, 
were  living  in  Tidioute,  Pa.  I'red  C.  Davis  reverted  to 
the  occupation  of  his  forefathers,  and  since  Kx/)  has 
been  a  prosperous  landowner  and  dairy  farmer  of  the 
town  of  Busti,  his  farm  of  140  acres  being  a  part  of 
section  .^4. 

Fred  Clinton  Davis  was  b<^irn  in  Tidioute,  I'a.,  Aug 
I'j.  1880.  }{<;  obtained  a  gr,o(I  rdiication  in  the  public 
tchrtfAi.     He  early  began   farming,  and  liy  indi  .try  and 


thrift  was  enabled  in  1906  to  purchase  the  farm  in 
Busti  upon  which  he  now  (1920)  lives.  He  maintains 
a  herd  of  twenty-five  cows,  from  which  he  derives  a 
goodly  income,  this  in  addition  to  his  general  farming 
operations.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  a  Republican  in  politics. 

Mr.  Davis  married,  in  Lakewood,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  27, 
i(X)4,  Effie  May  Winch,  born  May  17,  1S81,  in  Lakewood, 
daughter  of  Joel  H.  and  Eliza  A.  (Faichney)  Winch,  her 
father  born  in  \'ermont,  her  mother  in  Sugar  Grove,  Pa. 


ARDEN  KIRKLAND  DENN— Lorenzo  Hollis 
Denn,  born  in  Walworth,  Wayne  county,  N.  Y.,  was 
brought  to  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  by  his  parents, 
and  settled  on  a  farm.  He  bought  a  farm  of  his  own 
and  Arden  K.  Denn  has  tlie  farm  that  was  passed  to 
liim  by  his  grandfather,  Elias  Becker. 

.\rden  K.  Denn.  son  of  Lorenzo  H.  and  Helma  Es- 
tella  (Becker)  Denn,  was  born  at  the  homestead  in 
Busti,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  May  23,  1887.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools,  including  a  two  years' 
course  in  the  Jamestown  High  School.  He  then  began 
farming  on  his  own  account.  He  owns  and  cultivates 
the  farm  in  Busti  bought  by  his  grandfather,  and  there 
conducts  general  farming  operations,  but  maintains  a 
dairy  herd  of  cattle.  He  is  a  luember  of  Mt.  Tabor 
Lodge,  No.  780,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of 
Jamestown,  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  in 
politics  is  an  independent.  He  belongs  to  the  Patrons 
of  Husbandry  and  is  much  interested  in  Grange  affairs. 

Mr.  Denn  married,  Feb.  11.  lOio,  in  Busti,  Florence 
Esther  Andrews,  born  July  11,  1S81,  daughter  of  Earl 
D.  and  Blanche  (Reed)  Andrews,  all  born  in  Busti. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Denn  are  the  parents  of  three  children: 
Eleanor  Blanche,  born  March  17,  1912;  Lloyd  Loren, 
born  .Aug.  19,  1913;  Marguerite  Helena,  born  March  27, 
1915- 


ERNEST  BARKER  DYE— The  earliest  recollec- 
tion Mr.  Dye  has  of  life  pertains  to  a  Chautauqua  county 
farm,  and  now  in  the  full  prime  of  life  he  is  head  of  an 
agricultural  business,  conducted  on  his  own  splendid 
farm  in  the  town  and  county  of  his  birth.  He  has,  how- 
ever, added  stock  breeding  to  his  general  farming  op- 
erations and  is  one  of  the  well  known  breeders  of  Hol- 
stein  cattle.  He  is  a  son  of  Elisha  and  Ann  Eliza  Dye, 
his  father  a  farmer. 

Ernest  B.  Dye  was  born  in  the  town  of  Villenova, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  V.,  Sept.  11,  1867,  and  is  yet 
(1920)  an  honored  resident  of  that  town.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools,  his  courses  including  high 
and  normal  school.  He  choose  agriculture  as  his  busi- 
ness and  has  been  very  successful,  and  he  is  one  of  the 
substantial  farmers  and  stock  breeders  of  his  town.  He 
specializes  in  Holstein  cattle  and  has  in  his  herd  the 
best  butter-producing  cow  in  the  county.  His  farm, 
located  in  section  34,  is  well  improved  and  bespeaks  the 
modern  farmer  of  enterprise  and  thrift.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  order  and  the  Patrons  of  Husban- 
dry, and  is  higlily  regarded  by  his  brethren  of  both 
orders. 

Mr.  Dye  married,  Oct.  9,  1894,  in  tlic  town  of  Cherry 
Creek,  ("hautaiu|ua  cnunty,  N.  V.,  Alta  Rood,  daughter 
of   George    Wilson    and    Rose    (Farrington)     Rood,   her 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


621 


father  a  successful  farmer  and  landowner  of  Cherry 
Creek.  Mr.  and  JNIrs.  Dye  are  the  parents  of  a  son, 
Harold  R.  Dye,  born  June  7,  1898,  and  a  daughter, 
Pauline  R.,  born  June  19,  1904. 


FREDERICK  A.  FARGO— One  of  the  prominent 
farmers  of  Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y.,  and  a  well  known 
citizen  of  Kennedy,  where  he  has  made  his  home  for 
many  years,  is  Frederick  A.  Fargo,  a  native  of  the  town 
of  Poland,  N.  Y.,  born  July  31,  1852.  Mr.  Fargo  is  a 
son  of  O.  A.  and  Louisa  (Tucker)  Fargo,  the  former 
for  many  years  a  successful  farmer  of  this  region. 

Frederick  A.  Fargo  received  his  education  at  the 
public  schools  of  Poland,  and  later  attended  the  James- 
town High  School,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
the  year  1870.  Upon  completing  his  studies  at  the  last 
named  institution,  he  engaged  for  a  time  in  the  pro- 
fession of  teaching,  and  for  nine  years  followed  this 
calling  in  the  Chautauqua  county  schools.  Since  that 
time  he  has  followed  the  occupation  of  farming  w-ith  a 
notable  degree  of  success,  and  his  place  now  is  regarded 
as  one  of  the  model  farms  of  the  region.  In  addition 
to  his  agricultural  activities,  Mr.  Fargo  occupies  a  prom- 
inent place  in  the  general  life  of  the  community,  and  is 
well  known  as  a  leading  member  of  the  Republican  party 
hereabouts.  He  is  a  member  of  the  lodge,  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  which  he  joined  in  the  year  1905, 
and  of  Kennedy  Grange,  and  also  belongs  to  Chautau- 
qua County  Pomona  Grange,  and  New  York  State 
Grange.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Fargo  is  a  Metho- 
dist and  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Ken- 
nedy. 

Frederick  A.  Fargo  was  united  in  marriage,  Sept.  26, 
1877,  at  Jamestown,  with  Martinette  Youker,  a  daugh- 
ter of  George  W.  and  Maria  (Warren)  Youker,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  the  following  children :  Roy  L. 
and  Florence  M.,  now  deceased,  and  Ray  W.,  living  at 
home. 


GEORGE  WILLIAM  FRANCIS,  prosperous 
farmer  of  the  Mayville  section  of  the  county,  and  rep- 
resentative of  the  successful  agriculturists  of  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  was  born  in  the  county,  and  has 
lived  within  its  borders  during  his  entire  lifetime. 

He  was  born  Oct.  15,  1855,  on  a  farm  within  six 
miles  of  the  one  upon  which  he  has  lived  for  the  last 
thirty  years,  and  his  parents.  Joseph  and  Mary  (Brown) 
Francis,  had  both  long  been  residents  in  the  county. 
He  was  educated  in  the  district  school  nearest  to  his 
native  place,  and  when  his  school  days  were  over,  he 
took  resolutely  to  farming  occupations,  working  on  his 
father's  farm  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty- 
seven  years,  when,  in  1889,  he  acquired  the  agricultural 
property  upon  which  he  has  since  lived.  It  is  a  rich 
farm  of  ninety-five  acres,  adapted  to  general  farming 
and  dairying.  It  is  equipped  w-ith  fine  buildings,  and 
Mr.  Francis  has  considerable  stock.  Altogether,  it  is  a 
holding  that  yields  good  return  for  labor  invested.  Mr. 
Francis  belongs  to  the  Grange  at  Mayville,  and  polit- 
ically is  a  Republican,  although  he  has  not  taken  much 
part  in  political  affairs.  He  has  preferred  the  steadiness 
of  return  from  honest  farm  labor  to  the  emoluments 
of  public  office. 


On  April  14,  1892,  George  William  Francis  was  mar- 
ried to  Lois  E.  Ralph,  of  Hartsfield,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.  They  have  three  children:  i.  Florence,  who  re- 
ceived her  academic  education  in  the  Mayville  schools, 
later  taking  a  course  of  commercial  study  in  the  James- 
town Business  College,  having  purposed  embarking  upon 
a  business   career ;   she,   however,   married   Lee   Barrett. 

2.  Mildred,  who  was  educated  in  Mayville  schools,  and 
married  Harold  Hamilton ;   they  have  one  child,  Roger. 

3.  Pauline,  also  educated  at  Mayville  schools ;  married 
George  Sheller ;  they  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Ar- 
line. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Francis  are  earnest,  sincere  Christians, 
interested  community  workers,  and  hospitable  neighbors. 
During  the  war  Mr.  Francis  gave  of  his  substance  loy- 
ally to  the  various  funds  raised  to  promote  the  war  pur- 
poses. And  by  personal  labor  upon  his  farm  he  did  still 
more  to  aid  in  the  final  triumph  which  came.  The  vital 
necessity  for  increased  yield  of  foodstuffs  from  Amer- 
ican agricultural  lands,  to  offset  the  ravages  of  war  in 
the  countries  of  the  allies  of  this  nation,  was  heeded  by 
earnest  American  agriculturists,  and  the  resulting  ab- 
normal yields  during  the  years  of  European  famine  had 
an  appreciable  part  in  the  decisive  victory  won,  and  that 
part  has  been  adequately  noted  in  proper  place  in  the  na- 
tional historical  records.  But  the  individual  part  played 
by  the  American  farmer  should  also  be  noted,  for  his- 
torical record,  of  the  days  when  whole  nations,  not  only 
armies,  fought,  and  those  who  lived  and  loyally  worked 
through  those  days  should  treasure  their  individual 
records. 


MILTON  ALFRED  HALE— Mrs.  Ellen  Y.  Grif- 
fith, now  a  second  time  widowed,  and  a  resident  of  the 
town  of  Ellery,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  is  a  daughter 
of  Milton  Alfred  and  Ariett  (Arnold)  Hale,  and  grand- 
daughter of  Elijah  Ensign  Hale,  an  early  blacksmith  of 
the  county,  and  his  wife,  Eliza  Ann  Hale,  both  born  in 
Massachusetts.  The  Hale  family  of  Ellcry  date  back  to 
early  Colonial  days  in  New  England,  they  tracing  descent 
from  Robert  Hale,  who  arrived  in  Cambridge,  Alass.,  in 
1632. 

Mihon  Alfred  Hale,  son  of  Elijah  E.  Hale,  the  black- 
smith, was  born  April  21,  1831,  and  spent  the  active 
years  of  his  life  engaged  in  farming,  and  working  at  his 
trade,  blacksmithing,  which  he  learned  from  his  father, 
and  at  w-hich  he  was  an  expert.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church,  and  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry. 
Milton  A.  Hale  married,  in  the  town  of  Ellery,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  9,  1858,  Ariett  Arnold,  born  in 
Ellery,  Oct.  20,  1836,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Harriet 
(Griffith)  Arnold,  the  former  born  in  Ellery,  the  latter 
in  Busti,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hale 
were  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Ellen  Y.,  and  a  son, 
William,  mentioned  below. 

Ellen  Y.  Hale,  born  Dec.  24.  1858,  married  (first)  An- 
ton Yorker,  who  died  Jan.  15,  1904.  She  married  (sec- 
ond)  Sackett  Griffith,  who  died  Feb.  14,  1914. 

William  Hale,  born  April  29.  1861,  married,  March  10, 
1886,  Chestina  Bedient,  and  they  have  four  rhddren, 
three  daughters,  Kate,  Gertrude  and  Ruth,  all  born  Oct. 
16,  but  in  different  years,  and  .'Mfred,  the  only  son,  born 
Jan.  10,  1896,  enlisted  Nov.  2,  1917,  went  overseas.  May 


622 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


^.  igiS,  and  served  with  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces  until  the  return  of  his  division  to  the  United 
States,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged,  May  2J,  1Q19; 
he  is  now  engraged  in  farming. 


CARL  S.  HARVEY— The  occupation  01  farming 
has  received  a  new  impetus  during  the  last  decade 
through  the  great  addition  of  theoretical  knowledge 
gained  by  modern  science  in  regard  to  the  special  adapta- 
bility of  soils  to  certain  products  and  the  rotation  of 
crops,  and  many  of  the  younger  agriculturists  in  this 
country  have  secured  splendid  results  by  a  judicious  use 
of  this  knowledge  combined  with  the  practical  experi- 
ence of  their  predecessors.  Nowhere  has  this  movement 
been  more  apparent  nor  is  success  more  complete  than  in 
the  farming  sections  of  Western  New  York,  and  espe- 
cially in  Chautauqua  county,  where  the  intelligent  and 
enterprising  character  of  the  men  engaged  in  this  line 
of  work  has  given  it  a  strong  impetus.  Among  the  most 
progressive  and  successful  of  the  younger  men  a  con- 
spicuous figure  is  that  of  Carl  S.  Harvey,  of  Bemus 
Point.  Ellery  township,  whose  achievement  in  general 
farming  has  merited  attention.  Mr.  Harvey  comes  of 
good  old  farming  stock,  being  a  son  of  Oscar  and  Ada 
(Spalding)  Harvey,  the  former  a  native  of  Crawford 
county.  Pa.,  and  the  latter  of  Cattaraugus  county.  N.  Y. 

Carl  S.  Harvey  was  born  in  the  town  of  Randolph, 
K.  Y.,  Nov.  12,  1880.  and  it  was  there  that  his  childhood 
was  passed  in  attending  the  local  common  schools  and 
assisting  his  father  on  the  latter's  place.  He  thus  gained 
a  wide  practical  knowledge  of  farming  methods  at  an 
early  age,  and  upon  completing  his  studies  he  at  once 
took  up  agriculture  as  his  permanent  work.  In  this  he 
has  met  with  notable  success  and  has  now  established  a 
reputation  as  one  of  the  successful  men  of  the  region. 
He  is  also  well  known  in  the  fraternal  circles  of  the 
community,  and  is  a  member  of  Maccabee  Tent.  No.  9. 
In  religious  belief  he  is  affiliated  with  the  United  Breth- 
ren church. 

Carl  S.  Harvey  was  united  in  marriage,  Nov.  2.  1902, 
at  Falconer,  N.  Y.,  with  Anna  Simmons,  a  native  of 
Ellery  township,  born  .Aug.  4,  1884.  a  daughter  of  Orvin 
and  Sabra  (Tracy)  Simmons,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  that  place.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harvey  arc  the 
parents  of  two  children,  as  follows  :  Kenneth,  born  July 
2f>,  H/j:,  and  Mildred.  Iiorn  Nov.  12.  1007. 


EDGAR  MONTGOMERY  HAYNER,  progressive 
and  pro.'-pcrous  farmer  of  Ripley,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  v..  comes  of  an  old  Chautauqua  county  family,  long 
resident  in  Mina.  where  his  father,  Phillip  P.  Hayner, 
had  a  farming  property,  and  also  was  in  business  as  a 
painter  and  decorator. 

F.'k'ar  .\I.  Hayner  was  born  in  Mina,  son  of  Phillip 
P.  and  Jane  (Gill>  Hayner,  the  former,  ho\.'(\er,  living 
only  for  two  years  after  th'-  birth  of  his  son.  In  the 
di-.frict  school  nearest  to  his  home  P^dgar  M.  and  his 
sister,  who  is  now  .Mrs.  Liza  I  Jane,  of  Mina,  were  edu- 
cate'l  and  in  that  neighUirhood  the  young  man  first  took 
to  the  serious  tasks  of  life.  .Since  he  left  school,  In- 
has  farmed  practically  all  his  years,  and  eventually 
\i'i\yj\\\.  the  farm  of  fifty  acres  he  now  occupies  in  l^ip- 
Iry  township,  from  George  Scott.     He  has  conducted  it 


as  a  general  and  dairy  farm,  and  lias  made  many  im- 
provements :  in  fact,  the  farm,  as  it  now  is,  is  in  first 
rate  condition,  with  all  modern  improvements,  having 
a  substantial  commodious  house  and  a  new  barn.  Mr. 
Hayner  is  an  industrious  and  intelligent  farmer,  and  has 
had  good  success.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat,  but 
has  never  taken  verj'  active  part  in  politics,  that  is  in 
national  politics.  He  has  taken  good  part  in  local  public 
affairs,  but  has  never  sought  office.  He  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Ripley  Grange  for  many  years,  and  has  always 
been  interested  in  everything  that  pertains  to  agriculture, 
and  has  been  ever  ready  to  help  on  any  community 
project  that  promised  well.  He  has  been  a  good  citizen, 
a  hospitable  neighbor,  and  a  substantial,  steady  pro- 
ducer, and  as  such  has  contributed  to  the  progress  of 
the  county.  He  is  ver\-  well  known  and  highly  respected 
in  the  Ripley  district. 

On  Oct.  II,  1S82,  Mr.  Hayner  married  Lizzie  Fuller, 
daughter  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Linden)  duller,  of 
Ripley.  To  them  have  been  born  three  children:  i. 
Herman   Daniel,  a  sketch  of  whom   follows,     2.  Jessie, 

who    married   Bowen.    a    substantial    farmer    of 

Ripley.  3.  Morris  Philip,  who  now  lives  at  North 
East,  Pa. 

During  the  recent  World  War,  when  all  patriotic  citi- 
zens were  able  to  do  something  for  the  cause,  Mr.  Hay- 
ner manifested  his  patriotism  in  a  practical  way,  by  at- 
tending closely  to  his  farming,  by  endeavoring  to  pre- 
vent waste  and  to  bring  into  cultivation  every  possible 
acre  upon  his  farm,  so  as  to  advance  the  object  of  the 
government,  which  was  to  bring  such  a  yield  of  food- 
stuffs from  American  soil  that  the  threatened  exhaustion 
of  the  nations  allied  to  our  own  in  the  world  struggle 
w'ould  be  circumvented  by  the  shipment  of  abnormal 
quantities  of  foodstuffs  from  this  country.  Tj  what  ex- 
tent American  foodstuffs  contributed  to  the  successful 
termination  of  the  war  is  now-  generally  known ;  and 
thanks  have  collectively  been  given  by  the  national  ad- 
ministration to  American  farmers,  as  a  class.  And  each 
farmer  who  contributed  to  that  result  is  entitled  to  in- 
dividual record  of  his  participation.  Mr.  Hayner  also, 
to  the  limit  of  his  means,  contributed  to  the  enormous 
funds  raised  by  the  government  and  national  agencies 
for  the  purposes  of  the  war.  He  has  always  been  a 
liberal  supporter  of  church  and  charitable  work  within 
his  community,  and  in  other  parts  of  the  county,  and  his 
long  life  in  the  county  has  been  one  of  commendable 
steadiness  and  productive  effort. 


HERMAN   DANIEL   HAYNER— Here  is   a  man 

who  answers  completely  to  the  description  conveyed  so 
graphically  in  the  words,  "a  hustling  young  farmer."  In 
a  community  in  which  many  tnen  of  the  latter  genera- 
tion deserve  to  lie  so  designated,  Mr.  Hayner  must  be 
numbered  among  those  most  richly  meriting  the  title  in 
Ki|>ley. 

Ilerni:iii  Daniel  Hayner  was  horn  May  2,  1885,  in  Rip- 
ley, and  is  a  son  of  Edgar  M.  and  Lizzie  (Fuller)  Hayner, 
both  of  whom  arc  living,  Mr.  Hayner  being  still  engaged 
in  farming.  Herman  Daniel  Hayner  was  educated  in 
Rijiley  village  and  district  schools,  and  from  early 
youth  has  devoted  himself  to  agricultural  pursuits.  In 
1008  he  purchnsi'd  the  farm  on  which  he  is  now  living, 
and   which  ron  ists  of   seventy   acres.     Mr.   Hayner  has 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


623 


improved  the  farm  to  a  considerable  extent,  having  re- 
built the  barn  on  a  larger  scale,  and  also  constructed 
spacious  and  commodious  chicken  houses  and  other 
similar  buildings.  He  has  a  fine  orchard.  About  thirty- 
five  acres  of  the  estate  consist  of  ploughed  land  and  he 
has  good  pasture  and  woodland  as  well  as  much  of  the 
original  timber.  In  national  politics  Mr.  Hayner  is  a 
Prohibitionist,  and  in  local  matters  votes  with  the  Re- 
publicans. He  affiliates  with  no  lodges,  being  thoroughly 
a  home  man. 

Mr.  Hayner  married,  Sept.  2,  1908,  Anna,  daughter  of 
Robert  and  Sarah  (Russell)  Reid,  of  Westfield,  and  soon 
after  moved  to  his  present  farm.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hayner 
are  the  parents  of  five  children  :  Bernice,  Robert,  Beulah, 
Blanche  and  Ross ;  three  are  in  school.  Mrs.  Hayner  is 
a  member  of  the  Grange. 

Among  the  many  noteworthy  features  of  Mr.  Hayner's 
farm  is  the  live  stock,  which  includes  three  horses,  seven 
cows,  seven  hogs  and  175  chickens.  On  the  possession 
of  these,  as  well  as  on  the  numerous  improvements  which 
he  has  made  on  his  estate,  inasmuch  as  they  are  the 
results  of  the  sagacity  and  enterprise  of  a  self-made  man 
who  has  already  accomplished  much  and  who  will,  un- 
doubtedly, achieve  more  in  the  years  to  come,  Mr.  Hay- 
ner is  most  sincerely  to  be  congratulated. 


FREDERIC  CHARLES  HAYWARD  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Harmony,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Sept. 
13,  1866,  and  there  attended  the  district  public  school. 

In  1896  Mr.  Hayward  began  working  the  fifty-acre 
farm  in  the  town  of  Harmony,  on  which  he  has  since 
resided,  and  which  became  his  by  purchase  in  1900.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry ;  is  a  Prohi- 
bitionist, and  his  occupation  has  always  been  that  of 
farming.  Mr.  Hayward  is  now  fifty-four  years  old,  and 
is  the  son  of  Levi  Marcus  Hayward,  born  in  Rensselaer 
county,  N.  Y.,  and  Emily  (Weir)  Hayward,  born  in 
Washington  county,  N.  Y.,  both  deceased.  Levi  M.  Hay- 
ward was  a  Union  veteran,  his  military  service  extend- 
ing over  three  years  of  the  Civil  War  period,  who,  with 
his  bride,  came  to  Westfield,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
on  their  wedding  journey  and  in  the  fall  of  1865  settled 
on  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Harmony. 

Frederic  C.  Hayward  married,  in  Westfield,  N.  Y., 
Jan.  15,  1890,  Sarah  Jane  Seawright,  born  July  15,  1867, 
in  the  town  of  Portland,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  Mrs. 
Hayward  is  the  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Susan  (Finley) 
Seawright,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Ireland  and  came 
to  Westfield,  N.  Y.,  before  the  Civil  War.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hayward  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Hazel  M.,  born 
in  Harmony,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  16,  1894. 


JOHN  D.  HERRICK,  prosperous  farmer,  who  re- 
sides in  the  Gerry  section  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
was  a  son  of  William  M.  and  Mary  (Arnold)  Herrick, 
the   father  a   farmer  by  occupation. 

Alter  attaining  a  practical  education  in  the  common 
schools,  John  D.  Herrick  turned  his  attention  to  farming, 
his  present  pursuit.  He  has  prospered  in  his  undertak- 
ing, conducting  his  operations  on  property  owned  by  him, 
and  he  is  highly  regarded  by  his  fellow-townsmen. 

Mr.  Herrick  married  Rebecca  Wolcott,  daughter  of 
Theodore  and  Sarah   (Briggs)   Wolcott.     Mr.  and  Mrs. 


Herrick  lived  together  for  more  than  forty-six  years,  con- 
stant companions  in  all  phases  of  their  lives,  and  at  her 
death  the  expressions  of  sympathy  he  received  from  far 
and  wide  showed  how  many  sincere  friends  she  had,  and 
how  truly  her  nature  had  brought  her  into  general  es- 
teem in  the  vicinity  of  their  home.  To  them  were  born 
two  children:  i.  Alva  M.,  married  Maud  Cobb.  2.  Alma, 
became  the  wife  of  Morrow  Hoague,  to  whom  she  bore 
one  child,  Geraldine. 


HOWARD  CASE  HOLDREDGE  was  born  in 
Busti,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  25,  1861.  He  is  the  youngest  child  of 
Hilton  and  Amy  (Case)  Holdredge.  His  father,  Hilton 
Holdredge,  was  born  in  Schoharie  county,  N.  Y.,  1804, 
and  came  to  Chautauqua  county  when  he  was  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  and  found  the  conditions  there  so  favorable 
that  he  lived  in  the  county  until  his  death,  Aug.  i,  1879. 

In  1834,  Hilton  Holdredge  was  married  to  Amy  Case, 
born  1813,  at  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  the  daughter  of  another 
early  and  respected  pioneer.  To  them  were  born  nine 
children,  seven  of  them  having  grown  to  manhood  and 
womanhood.  For  several  years  after  his  marriage,  Hil- 
ton Holdredge  lived  in  the  town  of  Kiantone  and  made 
brick ;  many  of  the  early  brick  buildings  in  and  around 
Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  for  which  he  furnished  the  material, 
are  still  standing,  among  them  the  W.  C.  A.  Hospital 
of  Jamestown.  In  his  later  years  he  moved  to  Busti, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  bought  a  farm,  where  three  generations 
of  the  family  were  born  and  where  Howard  C.  Hold- 
redge was  engaged  in  farming  until  1917,  when  he  moved 
to  a  farm  which  he  had  purchased  in  Kiantone  and 
where  he  is  now  engaged  in  agriculture.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Holdredge  votes  with  the  Republican  party,  but  has 
never  taken  an  active  part  in  politics,  not  desiring  office. 

Howard  C.  Holdredge  has  never  married  and  his  niece, 
Miss  E.  Mabel  Holdredge,  keeps  house  for  him.  She 
was  born  Feb.  28,  1868,  at  Busti,  X.  Y.,  and  is  the  sec- 
ond of  three  children  born  to  J.  Warren  and  Melissa 
(Corkins)  Holdredge.  J.  Warren  Holdredge  was  the 
oldest  of  the  children  born  to  Hilton  and  Amy  (Case) 
Holdredge.  He  was  born  Jan.  9,  1S35,  married  Melissa 
Corkins,  in  1863,  and  died,  Jan.  10,  1905;  his  wife 
passed  away  May  14,  1895,  on  the  thirty-second  anniver- 
sary of   their  marriage. 

The  Holdredge  family  has  been  identified  with  the 
Universalist  church  since  their  settlement  in  Chautau- 
qua county.  In  conclusion,  would  say,  Mr.  Holdredge 
represents  one  of  the  best  families  in  the  county,  a 
family  that  has  always  been  active  in  the  support  of 
everything  pertaining  to  the  general  good. 


BYRON  J.  HOPKINS,  one  of  the  well  known 
farmers  of  Westfield,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  was  born  Sept.  19,  1859,  is  a  member  of  a  family 
which  has  resided  in  this  region  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  a  son  of  Ezra  and  Catherine  (Johnson)  Hopkins. 
The  elder  Mr.  Hopkins  also  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming  all  his  life.  He  and  his  wife  were  the  parents 
of  six  other  children :  Grant,  a  graduate  of  the 
Silver  Creek  High  School  and  Cornell  University,  and 
is  now  a  teacher  of  veterinary  science  at  the  latter  in- 
stitution ;  Edwin  R.,  a  prominent  physician  at  Silver 
Creek;    Katherine   M.,  now   a   teacher   at   the  Westfield 


624 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


High  School :  Josephine,  who  resides  with  her  brother, 
Mr.  Hopkins,  at  \\'estfield ;  Emily,  who  resides  with 
her  brother.  Dr.  Hopkins,  at  Silver  Creek;  and  Ida  A., 
who  became  the  wife  of  Lester  Walcott,  of  Sherman, 
N.  Y. 

Byron  T.  Hopkins  received  his  education  at  the  local 
schcxils.  of  Westtield,  and  later  at  Eastman's  Business 
College,  at  Poughkeepsie,  X.  V.  After  completing  his 
studies  he  was  employed  by  his  father  on  the  old  Hopkins 
homestead,  a  farm  of  400  acres,  where  he  remained  for 
a  time.  He  then  went  to  the  oil  district  of  Pennsylvania 
and  worked  for  the  Hazelwood  Oil  Company  of  Brad- 
ford, Pa.,  and  the  Carter  Oil  Company  of  Sistersville, 
\V.  \"a.  After  about  three  years  with  these  concerns,  he 
returned  home,  and  upon  the  death  of  his  father  re- 
ceived 13S  acres  of  the  old"  homestead  farm,  which  he 
has  conducted  as  a  dairy  ever  since.  He  has  met  with 
a  high  degree  of  success  in  this  enterprise  and  now  main- 
tains twentj'-two  head  of  the  finest  pure-bred  Holstein 
cattle.  Upon  this  propertj-  Mr.  Hopkins  has  built  a 
substantial  dwelling  house  and  has  remodeled  the  old 
barn  and  basement  stable. 

Byron  J.  Hopkins  was  united  in  marriage,  Nov.  20. 
l88g.  with  Ella  Adele  Culver,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Austin  B.  Culver. 


EZRA  HORTON— Xo  compendium  such  as  the 
province  of  this  work  defines  in  its  essential  limitations 
will  serve  to  otter  fit  memorial  to  the  life  and  accom- 
plishments of  the  honored  subject  of  this  sketch,  a  man 
who  was  remarkable  in  the  breadth  of  his  wisdom  on 
agricultural  matters,  his  indomitable  perseverance,  his 
strong  individuality,  and  yet  one  whose  entire  life  had  not 
one  esoteric  phase,  being  an  open  scroll,  inviting  the 
closest  scrutiny.  There  was  in  Mr.  Horton  a  weight  of 
character,  a  native  sagacity,  a  far-seeing  judgment  and  a 
fidelit>-  of  purpose  that  commanded  the  respect  of  all 
who  knew  him.  .\  man  of  indefatigable  enterprise  and 
fertility  of  resource,  he  carved  his  name  in  the  agricul- 
tural historj-  of  Chautauqua  county,  which  owes  much 
of  its  advancement  to  his  untiring  efforts. 

Ezra  Horton  was  born  March  22,  1794,  in  Orange, 
N.  y.,  a  son  of  Ezra  and  Hannah  Horton.  He  received 
his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  period, 
and  after  laying  aside  his  te-xt  books  he  took  up  the  ag- 
ricultural work  in  which  he  continued  until  the  time  of 
his  demise,  which  occurred  June  20,  1874,  at  Ellery, 
X.  Y.  When  the  War  of  181 2  was  declared,  Ezra  Hor- 
ton was  one  of  the  first  to  offer  his  services  to  his  coun- 
try, and  he  was  discharged,  with  an  honorable  mention 
from  Washington,  D.  C,  for  his  distinguished  service 
while  under  fire.  In  politics,  Mr.  Horton  was  a  staunch 
iJcm'jcrat,  but  though  he  was  urged  to  accept  offices  he 
never  cared  for  them,  preferring  fo  devote  his  time  to 
his  home  and  business.  In  religious  affiliations,  Mr. 
Horton  was  a  Baptist  and  lioth  he  and  his  family  were 
m'-mU;rs  of  the  church  of  that  denomination  at  Ellery, 
and  were  prominent  in  all  its  sfK:iaI  and  business  af- 
fairs. 

Mr.  Horton  married  f first),  Jan  20,  1820,  Sally  Rey- 
nolds, who  died  .May  }'j,  18.31.  Mr.  Horton  married 
(vconii),  April  20.  18.33,  Xaomi  Turner.  By  his  first 
marriatte  two  children  were  born :  Charles  Ross  and 
iJavid ;  \iy  hi*  second  marriage  four  children  were  born, 


Mary  Jane,  born  Jan.  12,  1S35,  died  June  21,  1909;  Mel- 
vina  J.,  born  May  22.  1837,  died  June  I,  1910;  Emily  A., 
born  June  23,  1839;  and  Ezra  A.,  born  March  7,  1842. 
Emily  A.  Horton,  third  child  of  Ezra  and  Naomi  (Tur- 
ner) Horton,  is  now  residing  at  Bemus  Point,  and  she  is 
noted  throughout  Chautauqua  county  for  her  fine  col- 
lection of  badges,  which  represents  the  insignias  of  nearly 
125  societies. 

In  concluding  this  review,  will  say  that  Mr.  Horton 
was  a  man  of  most  generous  nature,  always  giving  to 
charitable  interests  and  to  measures  that  had  for  their 
object  the  public  benefit.  A  self-made  man,  he  was 
eminently  practical  in  all  that  he  did,  possessing  a  good 
fund  of  that  necessary  quality,  common  sense,  which  is 
too  often  lacking  in  the  business  world.  He  laid  his 
plans  carefully  and  was  then  determined  in  their  execu- 
tion. In  business  transactions  his  judgment  was  seldom, 
if  ever,  at  fault,  and  his  integrity  was  proverbial.  If  Mr. 
Horton  had  left  nothing  else  than  the  record  of  his  hon- 
orable life  he  would  yet  deserve  to  be  called  one  of  the 
honorable  residents  of  Chautauqua  county,  for  his  in- 
fluence was  ever  upon  the  side  of  the  good  and  beautiful. 
He  was  never  known  to  take  advantage  of  his  fellowmen 
in  any  trade  transaction,  and  at  all  times  he  managed 
his  career  according  to  the  highest  principles,  and  when 
he  died  he  left  to  his  children  and  their  children  the 
priceless  heritage  of  an  untarnished  name. 


CHARLES  AUGUSTUS  KESSEL,  who  for  twenty 
years  has  owned  and  operated  a  farm  near  ^Mayville, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  to  which  farm  he  retired  from 
an  active  commercial  business,  has  followed  certain 
phases  of  farming  with  zest  and  enthusiasm,  and  has 
gained  many  friends  since  he  came  into  the  county. 

He  was  born  in  Girard,  Erie  county,  Pa.,  April  6,  1865, 
the  son  of  John  and  Philapena  (Epley)  Kessel.  His 
parents  were  of  German  birth,  and  in  that  country  his 
father  was  a  professional  man,  but  in  1840,  when  he  de- 
cided to  emigrate,  he  forsook  his  profession,  and  soon 
after  landing  in  the  United  States  settled  in  Girard,  Pa., 
where  he  became  established  as  a  grocer  and  barber.  In 
later  life  he  acquired  a  farm,  to  which  he  retired. 

His  son,  Charles  .-\ugustus  Kessel,  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Girard,  Pa.,  and  took  up  the  same  line 
of  business  effort  as  that  followed  by  his  father,  per- 
haps with  a  little  more  enterprise.  He  continued  in  busi- 
ness as  a  barber  for  twenty-two  years,  and  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  also  had  a  news  stand,  and  at 
the  end  of  that  time  found  himself,  being  of  thrifty, 
steady  habits,  possessed  of  some  money.  He  gave  up  his 
merchandizing  business  in  Girard,  Pa.,  and  came  into 
New  York  State,  establishing  a  barber  business,  and  he 
continued  in  the  barber  business  for  twenty  years.  He 
then  Iwught  a  farm  in  Chautauqua  county,  in  fact,  the 
farm  he  still  owns.  That  was  twenty  years  ago,  and  in 
the  interim  he  has  very  much  improved  the  farm,  planting 
new  orchards,  and  erecting  some  substantial  and  com- 
modious new  buildings.  He  devotes  his  farm  especially 
to  fruit  growing,  set  out  his  own  vineyard,  and  to  a  large 
extent  is  a  poultry  farmer.  He  also  has  a  small  dairy, 
but  mainly  his  enterprise,  or  what  perhaps  might  more 
truthfully  be  called  his  hobby,  is  fruit  growing  and 
jioultry.  Hi-  has  had  good  health  since  he  took  the  farm, 
anci  enjoys  the  fine  open-air  life.     He  is   fond  of  cows 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


625 


and  horses  also,  and  generally  he  has  succeeded  well  in 
his  farming.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the  Grange  at 
Mayville  and  shows  that  he  is  interested  in  most  things 
pertaining  to  farming. 

The  Kessel  family  belong  to  the  Lutheran  faith,  and 
fraternally,  Mr.  Kessel  is  a  member  of  the  Mayville 
branch  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the 
Indpendent  Order  of  Rebekah ;  also  Royal  Arcanum,  and 
Exempt  Firemen's  Association.  In  politics,  he  is  an  in- 
dependent, having  an  open  mind  upon  many  subjects, 
and  definite  convictions  upon  other  subjects.  Invariably, 
however,  he  is  outspoken  in  his  opinions,  and  is  generally 
logical  and  well  versed  in  his  subjects  of  discussion. 

On  Oct.  24.  1888,  in  the  same  township  of  Chautauqua 
county,  he  married  Margaret  Hemeline.  They  have  four 
children:  i.  Leroy  Charles,  who  was  educated  in  May- 
ville High  School;  married  Lyla  Coon,  and  they  have 
twin  boys,  Edward  and  Everett.  2.  Alice,  was  educated 
in  the  same  school  as  her  brother ;  married  Rod  Rowland, 
to  whom  she  has  borne  one  child,  Charles.  3.  Harry, 
now  deceased,  was  similarly  educated ;  he  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  L.  S.  &  M.  S.  Railway ;  was  unmarried ; 
he  was  a  young  man  of  irreproachable  character,  con- 
sistent in  word  and  deed,  a  loving  and  dutiful  son,  hon- 
ored and  esteemed  by  all  who  were  fortunate  enough  to 
be  called  his  friend ;  his  life  was  an  example  well  worthy 
of  emulation.  4.  Donald,  attending  school  at  the  present 
time. 

Mr.  Kessel  is  well  regarded  in  the  neighborhood  in 
which  he  has  lived  for  twenty  years,  during  which  time 
his  neighbors  have  had  ample  opportunity  of  judging 
him  truly.  He  has  given  indication  that  he  is  a  man  of 
commendable  qualities,  perhaps  the  most  marked  of 
which  is  his  genuine  hospitality.  Men  o'f  hospitable  mind 
are  invariably  those  who  naturally  feel  kindly  toward 
their  neighbors,  and  that  is  so  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Kessel. 


JOHN  LANNING— Francis  and  Arilla  B.  (Way) 
Lanning  were  living  in  the  town  of  Busti,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  in  1861,  when  war  broke  out  between  the 
States  of  the  North  and  South,  and  on  Oct.  3,  1S62, 
Francis  Lanning  enlisted,  and  leaving  his  wife  and  infant 
son.  marched  away  to  the  scene  of  conflict,  never  to  re- 
turn. He  was  found  dead  in  bed  on  Falley  Island,  the 
year  of  his  enlistment,  1862. 

John  Lanning,  son  of  Francis  and  Arilla  B.  Lanning, 
was  born  at  the  home  in  Busti,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
Nov.  13,  i860,  and  is  now  (1920)  a  prosperous,  influential 
farmer  of  his  native  town.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  school  of  Busti,  and  early  began  the  making  of  a 
career,  for  he  never  knew  a  father's  loving  care  and 
helping  hand.  He  has  always  been  a  farmer  and  in  1904 
moved  to  the  farm  of  242  acres,  which  he  owns  in  Busti, 
and  has  since  that  year  resided  there.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  the  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry, and  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Lanning  married,  in  Garland,  Pa..  .A.ug.  17,  1884, 
Lizzie  Baker,  born  March  9,  184,  in  the  town  of  Carroll, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  William  C.  and 
Malvina  M.  (Edmunds)  Baker.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lanning 
are  the  parents  of  ten  children  :  i.  Mattie  A.,  born  Aug. 
6,  1885.     2.  William  H.,  born  June  3,  1887.    3.  Edgar  J., 


born  June  28,  1890,  enlisted  in  the  United  States  Army, 
April  29,  1918,  went  overseas  with  the  American  Expe- 
ditionary Forces,  spent  one  year  in  France  and  was  in 
the  battles  of  the  Argonne,  Meuse  Valley,  St.  Mihiel; 
was  wounded,  Oct.  23,  1918,  and  honorably  discharged. 
May  15,  1919.  4.  Aaron  A.,  born  May  23,  1892;  enlisted 
in  the  United  States  Army,  Nov.  23,  19 17,  served 
eighteen  months  at  St.  Mihiel  and  the  Argonne,  Meuse 
battles ;  honorably  discharged  May  22,  1919.  5.  Fred  L., 
born  Nov.  3,  1895;  enlisted.  May  26,  1918,  and  served  nine 
months  in  camp;  honorably  discharged  Jan.  8,  1919-  6. 
Charles  D.,  born  July  11,  1897.  7.  Malvina  R..  bom 
March  4,  1900.  8.  Ruth  E.,  born  Sept.  26,  1905.  9. 
Clara  A.,  born  Jan.  4,  1908.  10.  Aurilla  B.,  born  May 
IS,  1912.  The  home  farm  is  in  section  40  of  the  town  of 
Busti. 


WILLIAM  FREDERICK  LUPEAN,  a  native  of 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  for  almost  twenty  years 
a  respected,  responsible,  and  enterprising  farmer  in 
Chautauqua  township  of  that  county,  has  had  good  suc- 
cess in  his  farming,  and  now  owns  a  well  improved  farm 
of  120  acres. 

He  was  born  in  Dunkirk,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
March  23,  1875,  the  son  of  Frederick  and  Minnie 
(Schutt)  Lupean.  In  the  paternal  line,  the  Lupeans  of 
Chautauqua  county  probably  constitute  a  branch  of  the 
French  family  of  Lupean,  but  data  is  not  available  to 
confirm  the  connection.  In  the  maternal  line  William 
Frederick  Lupean  is  connected  with  a  German  family, 
his  mother,  a  Schutt,  having  been  brought  from  Ger- 
many to  the  United  States  and  to  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  in 
1845,  when  she  was  only  two  years  old.  She  is  still 
living  and  is  comparatively  active,  notwithstanding  that 
she  is  seventy-six  years  old. 

William  Frederick  Lupean  attended  the  public  school 
of  Dunkirk,  but  when  the  family  removed  to  Summer- 
dale  he  attended  the  school  of  that  place  until  he  had 
passed  through  the  grades.  He  then  took  to  agricultural 
employment  in  the  neighborhood.  For  about  ten  years 
he  worked  for  wages,  and  in  1900,  having  accumulated 
sufficient  capital  to  enter  independently  into  farming 
enterprises,  he  purchased  a  farm  of  120  acres  in  Chau- 
tauqua township,  and  the  intervening  nineteen  years  to 
the  present  have  been  well  spent  by  him  in  developing 
his  property,  which  is  a  well  improved  farm,  Mr.  Lupean 
having  erected  modern  silos,  cow  barns,  chicken  houses 
and  in  other  ways  given  sure  indication  that  in  the  nine- 
teen years  during  which  he  has  tilled  the  farm  he  has 
had  good  return  for  his  labor,  which  has  been  unstint- 
edly given.  He  has  some  fine  cattle  and  horses,  and  as 
a  dairy  and  general  farmer  has  shown  himself  to  be 
efficient  and  enterprising. 

He  is  an  interested  member  of  the  Mayville  Grange, 
Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and  takes  enthusiastic  interest 
in  all  things  pertaining  to  agriculture.  He  has  a  com- 
prehensive understanding  of  the  modern  methods  of  sci- 
entific farming,  and  in  his  dairying  has  adopted  many  of 
the  principles  of  feeding,  with  good  results.  Mr.  Lu- 
pean is  a  Republican,  but  he  has  not  taken  an  active  part 
in  national  political  movements ;  in  local  affairs,  how- 
ever, he  has  always  taken  much  interest,  being  willing  to 
further,  financially  or  by  personal  services,  any  worthy 


626 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


local  project.  He  has  not  held  local  office,  excepting  in 
connection  with  the  scJiool  administration ;  he  is  now 
trustee  of  School  District  Xo.  iS.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Mayville,  which,  with 
his  family,  he  attends  and  which  he  faithfully  supports. 
During  the  World  War.  in  more  than  one  way,  he  mani- 
fested his  patriotic  spirit,  contributing  to  tlie  best  of 
his  financial  ability  to  the  various  funds  raised  for  the 
purposes  of  the  nation  in  the  war,  and  furthering  all 
local  projects  which  had  relation  thereto. 

Mr.  Lupean  married,  in  the  town  of  Chautauqua,  N. 
Y..  Feb.  J3,  1 80S,  Xellie  Ellen  Wright,  who  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  of  English  parents,  her  parents  having 
come  to  the  United  States  in  1S50.  settling  first  in  Penn- 
syh-ania,  and  later  coming  into  New  York  State  and  into 
Qiautauqua  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lupean  have  two 
children,  i.  Mildred  Bessie,  graduate  of  the  Mayville 
High  School ;  became  the  wife  of  Donald  Dccring,  a 
fanner,  and  they  have  one  child,  Frances  Ellen.  2.  .Alice 
Julia,  a  student. 

Mr.  Lupean  is  still  in  the  active  prime  of  manhood, 
and  in  all  probability  will  be  a  factor  of  consequence  in 
that  section  of  the  county  for  many  years  to  come,  but 
his  record  up  to  the  present  has  shown  him  to  be  a 
worthy  native  of  Chautauqua  county.  He  is  aggressive, 
energetic,  and  enterprising  in  his  business,  and  manifested 
worthy  qualities  of  stability  of  purpose  and  of  honor 
in  his  activities  since  early  manhood,  so  that  he  has 
manv  sincere  friends. 


DUDLEY  MECUSKER— There  are  very  few 
farmers  in  Ellcry,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  who  have 
made  a  more  complete  success  of  their  operations  than 
has  Dudley  Mecusker,  who  has  for  many  years  been 
engaged  in  this  line  of  work.  Mr.  Mecusker  was  born 
in  Gerry,  X.  Y.,  Oct.  2,  1846,  and  is  of  Irish  descent  on 
the  paternal  side  of  the  house,  his  father,  Patrick  Me- 
cusker, having  been  born  in  that  country.  The  elder  Mr. 
Mecusker  came  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents 
when  but  seven  years  of  age,  and  for  many  years  made 
his  home  in  Gerry,  where  he  was  a  prosperous  farmer. 
He  married  Phoebe  Becker,  a  native  of  Ellery  township, 
and  one  of  their  children  was  Dudley  Mecusker,  with 
whom  we  are  here  especially  concerned. 

Mr.  Mecusker  continued  to  live  in  his  native  town  of 
Gerry  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  eighteen,  and 
during  several  years  attended  the  common  schools  of 
the  place.  U[K)n  completing  his  studies  there  he  remo^'ed 
to  Bcmus  Point,  Ellcry  township,  and  here  took  up  farm- 
ing as  an  occupation.  It  was  in  the  year  1882  that  he 
purchased  the  farm  that  he  now  lives  on,  and  since  that 
time  has  l)ccn  most  actively  engaged  in  cultivating  it  and 
bringing  it  to  an  extremely  high  state  of  productiveness. 
He  has,  besides  his  agricultural  activities,  been  keenly 
interested  in  the  general  life  of  Bemus  Point  and  James- 
town, and  lor  many  years  has  ben  identified  with  the 
management  of  the  Bank  of  Jamestown,  of  which  he  is 
Uiriay  one  of  the  oldest  living  stockholders.  He  has  also 
particifiated  to  a  large  extent  in  loral  public  life,  and  for 
ten  years  served  in  the  resi^nsihle  office  of  tax  assessor 
for  the  (own  of  fCllery,  discharging  its  duties  with  jus- 
tice and  impartiality,  keeping  always  the  best  interests 
of  the  rommututy  at  heart.  He  is  also  well  known  in 
wx:ial   circles  at    Bemus    Point  and  elsewhere,   arul   is  a 


prominent  member  of  the  local  Grange.     In  his  religious 
belief  he  is  a  Methodist. 

Dudley  Mecusker  was  united  in  marriage,  Feb.  25, 
1874,  at  Ellery,  with  Edna  Strunk,  like  himself  a  native 
of  Gerry,  born  July  10,  1854,  a  daughter  of  Walter  and 
Dolly  ( Peterson  1  Strunk,  natives  of  Ellicott  and  Ellery 
townships,  respectively.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mecusker  are  the 
parents  of  two  children,  as  follows:  Walter,  born  Aug. 
4,  1879.  married  Florence  Bartlett ;  and  Glen,  born  Jan. 
27.  1888,  married  Margaret  Curtis,  by  whom  he  has  had 
one  child.  

RALPH  THOMAS  MEE— .A.mong  the  successful 
farmers  of  the  prosperous  agricultural  region  of  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  should  be  mentioned  Ralph  Thomas 
Mee,  who  has  been  actively  engaged  in  dairying  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  town  of  Falconer  for  a  number 
of  years.  Mr.  Mee  was  born  in  Levant,  June  20,  1889, 
a  son  of  Thomas  and  Hattie  E.  (Morley)  Mee,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  that  place,  the  former  was 
born  July  i,  1845,  in  Leicester,  England,  and  the  latter, 
Jan.  12,  i860,  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  The  elder  Mr.  Mee 
like  his  son.  was  engaged  in  farming  operations,  and  he 
and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  as  fol- 
lows :  Ralph  Thomas,  with  whose  career  we  are  here 
especially  concerned ;  Stanley,  who  enlisted  in  the  United 
States  Navy  during  the  recent  European  war  and  was 
in  training  on  the  Great  Lakes  for  seven  months ;  Lou- 
ise and  Edith. 

Ralph  Thomas  ^lee  was  reared  in  that  wholesome  en- 
vironment in  which  the  finest  and  strongest  element  in 
our  citizenship  has  its  training,  the  environment  of  farm 
life  and  labor,  for  as  a  lad  he  assisted  his  father  with 
the  work  upon  the  home  place  and  gained  there  the 
splendid  physical  health  which  he  now  enjoys,  as  well 
as  special  training  in  the  occupations  which  he  has  since 
followed  on  his  own  account.  This  work  he  followed  as 
a  lad  during  the  summer  months,  and  in  the  winter  at- 
tended the  local  public  schools  and  there  gained  his  edu- 
cation. Upon  completing  his  studies  at  these  institu- 
tions, he  devoted  himself  more  entirely  to  helping  his 
father  for  a  time,  and  he  then  became  the  owner  of  a 
farm  which  he  has  since  conducted  with  a  marked  degree 
of  success.  His  energy  and  knowledge  of  agricultural 
methods  have  brought  his  property  up  to  a  high  point 
of  cultivation,  and  his  crops  are  always  of  the  finest  char- 
acter. He  justly  enjoys  the  reputation  of  a  progressive 
and  capable  man,  and  holds  a  high  place  in  the  esteem 
of  his  fellow-citizens  throughout  the  region.  Mr.  Mee 
is  a  staunch  Republican  in  politics,  and  takes  a  keen  and 
intelligent  interest  in  local  affairs,  but  his  agricultural 
interests  have  prevented  him  up  to  the  present  from 
taking  that  active  part  in  public  life  that  his  talents  un- 
doubtedly fit  him  for.  He  is  connected  prominently  with 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Falconer,  and  in  all  his 
business  relations  has  shown  a  wide  grasp  of  practical 
affairs.  In  his  religious  belief,  Mr.  Mee  is  a  Methodist 
and  attends  Wesleyan  Church  at   Falconer. 

Raljih  Thomas  Mee  was  united  in  marriage,  Aug.  31, 
1 010,  at  Falconer,  with  Berle  Sweet,  a  native  of  Fal- 
coner, born  Nov.  9,  1889,  a  daughter  of  Oscar  W.  and 
Klla  (■  Marsh)  Sweet,  lifelong  residents  here.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Mee  two  children  have  been  born,  as  follows: 
tlretilu-ri  I''..,  horn  July  2,  1911,  and  Ralph  Thomas,  Jr., 
April   iH,   1011). 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


627 


FRED    HENRY    NEWELL,    one  of   the  leading 

farmers  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  aggressive  and 
capable,  and  successfully  farming  more  than  300  acres 
of  good  land,  is  still  in  his  early  prime  of  manhood,  but 
has  been  a  factor  of  consequence  in  agricultural  affairs 
in  the  Westficld  and  Sherman  districts  of  the  county. 

He  was  born  in  Mina,  Chautauqua  county,  N,  Y.,  Oct. 
14,  1881,  the  son  of  Milton  Gerry  and  Ida  (Ottaway) 
Newell.  His  father,  who  died  in  1918,  was  one  of  the 
substantial  farmers  of  the  county;  he  operated  284  acres 
in  Westfield  township  for  fifteen  years  prior  to  his  death. 
His  widow  is  descended  from  an  old  English  family,  the 
Ottaway  family  having  prominent  record  in  Kentish  his- 
tory of  former  centuries.  Judge  A.  B.  Ottaway,  one  of 
the  advisory  board  of  editors  of  this  historical  work,  is 
of  the  same  family,  and  Mabel  Ottaway,  wife  of  Fred 
Henry  Newell,  also  comes  from  the  same  stock,  she, 
however,  being  only  very  distantly  related  to  Mrs.  Ida 
(Ottaway)  Newell,  her  mother-in-law.  Further  data 
regarding  the  Ottaway  family  will  be  found  elsewhere 
in  this  volume. 

Fred  Henry  Newell,  son  of  Milton  Gerry  and  Ida  (Ot- 
taway) Newell,  was  educated  in  the  district  school  of 
Mina,  N.  Y.,  and  from  the  time  he  left  school  until  the 
present  he  has  farmed  continuously  and  for  the  whole 
of  the  time  extensively.  At  the  outset,  he  aided  his  father 
in  the  management  of  the  latter's  big  agricultural  hold- 
ing. In  1903  he  went  with  his  father  into  the  manage- 
ment of  the  284  acres  the  latter  owned  in  Westfield 
townsliip,  but  four  years  later,  upon  his  marriage,  he 
bought  his  present  farm  in  Westfield.  It  is  160  acres  in 
extent,  and  adjoins  his  father's  property,  150  acres  of 
which  he  has  since  his  father's  death  rented  from  the 
estate ;  so  that  it  may  be  appreciated  that  Fred  H. 
Newell  is  one  of  the  worth-while  agriculturists  of  the 
county.  He  has  abundant  energy,  enterprising  optimism, 
and  is  an  able  manager.  He  has  a  comprehensive  un- 
derstanding of  scientific  farming,  and  has  adopted  many 
of  the  proved  modern  methods,  especially  those  relating 
to  the  care  and  feeding  of  stock  for  dairy  purposes.  He 
is  constantly  improving  his  farms,  has  fine  modern 
buildings,  and  his  stock  includes  a  fine  herd  of  forty  cows. 
He  has  applied  himself  manfully  to  big  undertakings  and 
has  proved  himself  to  be  capable  of  handling  them. 

Mr.  Newell  is  an  active  member  of  Sherman  Grange, 
and  in  national  politics  is  an  independent  Democrat.  In 
local  affairs  he  votes  for  the  best  man,  irrespective  of 
party. 

There  are  six  other  children  of  Milton  Gerry  and  Ida 
(Ottaway)  Newell.  They  are  his  two  sisters,  Ena  and 
Clara,  and  his  brothers,  Faye,  Warren,  Jesse  and  Loan. 
In  the  order  of  birth  they  should  be  placed  as  follows : 
Ena.  Fred  H.,  Faye,  Clara,  Warren,  Jesse  and  Loan. 

On  Oct.  16,  1907,  Fred  Henry  Newell  married  Mabel 
Ottaway,  a  very  distant  relative.  They  have  a  fine  home 
and  are  very  hospitable. 


lowing  children :  John,  with  whose  career  we  are  here 
especially  concerned ;  James,  who  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing at  Westfield;  Clarence,  born  March  4,  1885,  died 
Jan.  2,  1910,  as  the  result  of  an  accident  caused  by  a 
falling  tree ;  Rhoda,  who  became  the  wife  of  Claud  Gree- 
ley, of  Westfield. 

John  Oakes  received  his  education  at  Westfield,  at- 
tending the  local  public  schools  for  this  purpose,  and 
during  his  spare  hours  worked  on  his  father's  farm,  and 
thus  gained  a  wide  knowledge  of  agriculture.  For  one 
year  after  completing  his  studies  he  filled  a  position  as 
clerk  in  a  local  grocery  store,  but  this  occupation  did 
not  appeal  to  him  and  he  determined  to  return  to  farm 
life.  Accordingly,  he  purchased  a  farm  of  170  acres  at 
Chautauqua,  where  he  operated  a  large  dairy,  but  nine 
years  later  he  resold  this  property,  and  in  March,  191 1, 
purchased  165  acres  of  land  near  Westfield  of  a  Mr. 
McCartin.  This  property,  which  had  originally  been 
owned  by  the  Harrington  family,  had  been  greatly  run 
down  and  Mr.  Oakes  not  only  had  to  bring  the  land  up 
to  a  higher  degree  of  cultivation,  but  also  had  to  remodel 
the  house  and  farm  buildings.  Today,  however,  under 
his  expert  direction,  it  has  become  one  of  the  finest 
places  in  the  county  and  is  now  operated  by  him  as  a 
dairy.  Here  he  maintains  twenty  head  of  the  finest  Hol- 
stein  cattle,  as  well  as  four  horses,  which  are  required  to 
do  the  work  of  the  place. 

John  Oakes  was  united  in  marriage,  Dec.  19,  1900,  at 
Westfield,  with  Grace  Franklin,  a  daughter  of  James  and 
Mary  (Baker)  Franklin,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  this  place.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Oakes  the 
following  children  have  been  born :  Ralph,  a  bridge 
carpenter  on  the  Nickelplate  Railroad;  Gerald,  who  is 
employed  as  cook  on  the  Nickelplate  Railroad;  Hugh,  a 
student  in  Westfield  High  School;  Murray  and  Marion, 
the  latter  two  being  students  at  the  present  time  in  the 
local  school. 

Mr.  Oakes  has  for  a  long  time  taken  a  lively  interest 
in  the  general  aflfairs  of  the  community.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Republican  party,  has  held  the  office  of  county 
committeeman  for  about  six  years  and  is  now  serving 
his  second  term  in  that  position.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
local  Grange  and  the  Dairymen's  League. 


JOHN  OAKES,  one  of  the  progressive  and  success- 
ful farmers  of  Westfield,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  is 
a  native  of  this  place,  his  birth  having  occurred  here 
April  I,  1852,  a  son  of  Reuben  and  Minnie  (Cosgrove) 
Oakes,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  here.  The 
elder  Mr.  Oakes  was  also  a  prominent  farmer  of  West- 
field,  and  he  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 


WALTER  E.  PERSONS,  one  of  the  prominent 
farmers  of  Westfield,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and 
a  highly  respected  citizen  of  the  community,  is  a  mem- 
ber of  a  family  which  has  resided  in  this  region  for  many 
years  and  has  always  occupied  a  high  place  in  the  esteem 
of  their  fellow-citizens.  The  farm  upon  which  Mr.  Per- 
sons resides  was  purchased  about  1818  by  his  grand- 
father from  John  McMahon,  who  in  turn  secured  it  from 
the  Holland  Land  Company  in  1801.  Five  generations 
of  the  Persons  family  have  resided  here,  including  the 
present  Mr.  Persons,  his  children  and  grandchildren.  Mr. 
Persons  is  a  son  of  Orris  and  Melva  (Shaw)  Persons, 
old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  this  region,  where 
the  former  followed  the  occupation  of  farming  during 
his  entire  life. 

Walter  E.  Persons  was  born  on  the  old  family  home- 
stead situated  on  the  lake  road  in  Westfield  township, 
Feb.  22,  1 85 1,  and  during  his  childhood  was  a  pupil  in 
the  local  district  schools.  Later  he  attended  the  West- 
field  Academy  in  the  village  of  Westfield,  and  upon  com- 


628 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


pleting  his  studies  at  the  last  named  institution  became 
his  father's  assistant  in  the  work  on  his  farm.  The  oc- 
cupation which  he  thus  was  introduced  to  has  remained 
his  calling  up  to  the  present  time,  and  he  is  now  re- 
garded as  one  of  tlie  most  progressive  and  practical 
agriculturists  in  the  neighborhood.  After  assisting  his 
father  for  some  time,  Mr.  Persons  became  the  owner 
of  a  twenty-five  acre  vineyard,  which,  however,  he  has 
since  reduced  to  eight  acres,  devoting  the  remaining 
sixty-eight  acres  of  tlie  farm  to  dairy  purposes,  orchards 
and  general  farming.  He  now  maintains  seventeen  head 
of  Sne  cattle  and  one  hundred  chickens,  and  makes  use 
of  six  horses  in  the  farm  work.  .A.t  one  time  he  was 
interested  in  the  raising  of  pigs,  of  which  he  fed  about 
eighty,  but  has  since  given  up  this  line.  Mr.  Persons  is 
well  knowni  in  the  community  for  the  lively  interest 
which  he  takes  in  public  affairs,  and  he  has  held  a  num- 
ber of  public  offices  in  the  gift  of  the  township.  He  is 
a  Republican  in  politics  and  has  always  been  devoted  to 
tlie  interests  of  hi<  party  here.  In  his  religious  belief, 
Mr.  Persons  is  a  Methodist  and  attends  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  at  Westfield. 

Walter  E.  Persons  was  united  in  marriage,  July  7, 
1872,  with  Caroline  Stockley,  of  Westfield,  a  daughter 
of  Charles  and  Betsy  (ShofiF)  Stockley,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  this  place.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Per- 
sons are  the  parents  of  si.x  children,  as  follows:  I. 
Minnie,  who  was  educated  in  the  Westfield  public  schools, 
graduating  from  the  high  school  here,  and  afterwards 
took  a  course  in  music  at  the  Crane  Music  Institute  at 
Potsdam,  X.  Y. ;  she  is  now  supervisor  of  musical  in- 
struction in  the  public  schools  of  Olean,  N.  Y. 
2.  Charles,  who  was  educated  in  the  Westfield  public 
schools  and  graduated  from  the  high  school  here  with 
the  class  of  1S94,  followed  by  a  course  in  Jamestown 
Business  College ;  at  an  early  age  he  became  interested  in 
the  subject  of  botany  and  studied  it  with  much  concen- 
tration lor  a  number  of  years  independently;  he  also 
worked  for  a  considerable  period  in  the  local  greenhouses, 
and  thus  gained  a  wide  practical  experience  in  his  chosen 
subject;  Mr.  Persons  has  made  horticulture  his  profes- 
sion and  is  now  engaged  in  business  as  a  landscape  gar- 
dener and  tree  specialist  at  Cincinnati.  Ohio;  he  mar- 
ried Pearl  Bemis,  a  member  of  an  old  Chautauqua  fam- 
ily, and  they  are  the  parents  of  five  children,  as  follows  : 
Dorothy,  Howard,  Barbara,  Walter  and  Willis.  3.  Jay, 
who  was  educated  in  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of 
Westfield,  and  now  owns  and  resides  on  the  farm  ad- 
joining that  of  his  father;  he  married  Loula  Morse,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  three  children,  as  follows:  Ruth, 
Paul  and  Edward.  4.  Grace,  who  was  educated  in  the 
grammar  and  high  schools  of  Westfield,  and  became  the 
wife  of  Donald  Shearer,  to  whom  she  bore  one  child, 
Caroline  Grace,  died  Jan.  25,  1920.  5.  Harold,  who  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Westfield,  and,  like  his 
brother  Charles,  made  a  special  independent  study  of  the 
subject  of  botany  and  horticulture;  he  is  now  engaged  in 
business  with  th'-  latter  in  Cincinnati ;  he  married  .Anne 
Tierny,  of  that  city,  by  whom  he  has  had  two  children, 
as  follows :  Margaret  and  Robert.  6.  Mary,  who  gradu- 
ated from  Weslfielrl  High  School  atid  later  ctitcred  the 
Nurses'  Training  .School  at  Clifton  .Springs  Sanitarium; 
.<ihc  now  resides  at  home  v.ilh  h<T  parents. 


OTTO  PETERSON— .\mong  the  Swedes  who  first 
came  to  Jamestown  in  July,  1850,  was  Otto  Peterson, 
who  after  more  than  half  a  century  of  life  in  his  adopted 
city  was  gathered  to  his  fathers  in  1903.  But  prior  to 
his  coming  or  to  the  coming  of  any  permanent  Swede 
settler  to  Jamestown  two  young  Swedish  women,  Jo- 
hanna Charlotta  Johnson  and  Lisa  Lena  Anderson,  came 
to  Jamestown  during  the  inonth  of  August,  1848,  and 
they  are  Jamestown's  first  actual  Swedish  settlers.  Lisa 
Lena  Anderson,  born  in  Smaland,  Sweden,  July  30,  1833, 
married  Otto  Peterson  in  1 851,  and  together  they  spent 
more  than  half  a  century  of  wedded  life.  Then  in  1903 
the  strong  arm  of  the  husband  was  withdrawn,  and  now 
(1920)  the  widow  still  survives,  residing  in  Jamestown, 
aged  eighty-seven,  her  home.  No.  296  Harrison  street. 
Johanna  Charlotta  Johnson,  who  came  to  Jamestown 
with  Lisa  Lena  Anderson  in  the  summer  of  1848,  is  also 
living,  her  home  in  Falconer,  she  the  widow  of  Frank 
Peterson. 

Otto  Peterson  was  born  in  Wimmerby,  Sweden,  March 
3,  1829,  settled  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  in  1850,  and  there 
died  Nov.  24,  1903.  He  was  educated  in  Swedish  schools 
and  spent  the  first  nineteen  years  of  his  life  in  his  native 
land.  After  coming  to  the  United  States  he  settled  in 
Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and  in  that  section  of  Chautauqua 
county  silent  his  after  life,  a  farmer  and  tanner.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church,  and  in  his 
political  faith  a  Democrat.  Mr.  Peterson  was  an  honor- 
able, industrious  man,  and  reared  his  large  family  to 
habits  of  industry  and  thrift.  He  was  higlily  esteemed 
in  his  circle  of  friends,  and  passed  away  deeply  regretted. 

Mr.  Peterson  married,  in  Sugar  Grove,  Pa.,  June  28, 
185 1,  the  Rev.  O.  G.  Hcdstrom  officiating,  Lisa  Lena 
Anderson,  born  in  Sweden,  July  30,  1833,  who  survives 
him,  aged  eighty-seven  years,  a  daughter  of  Andrew  An- 
derson. Twelve  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Otto  Peterson,  seven  of  whom  are  living.  The  children 
are:  Mary,  born  April  26,  1852,  died  Nov.  20,  1853; 
Mary  Ann,  born  Jan.  15,  1854;  Emma,  born  May  30, 
1856;  Amelia  Lena,  born  Feb.  18,  1858;  Otto  Frederic, 
born  May  25,  i860,  died  Jan.  8,  1920;  Ellen  Christina, 
born  May  7,  1862;  Matilda  Jane,  Isorn  April  26,  1864; 
Nils  Albert,  born  May  15,  18C6,  died  April  15,  1868; 
Florence  Lilly,  born  June  28,  1868,  died  March  24,  1890; 
Dora  Dctta,  born  April  15,  1870,  died  Aug.  31,  1871  ; 
Alvin  Edward,  born  Feb.  26,  1873 ;  Bertha  Elizabeth, 
born  Aug.  14,  1876. 

Mrs.  Lisa  Lena  Peterson  is  one  of  the  charter  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Lutheran  Church  of  Jainestown,  and  is 
yet  a  loved  and  honored  member  of  that  congregation. 
Her  years,  eighty-seven,  do  not  prevent  her  from  taking 
a  deep  interest  in  the  church  of  which  she  has  been 
a  member  since  its  organization,  and  at  one  of  the  great 
special  meetings  held  in  the  church  during  the  summer 
of   1920  she  was  an  honored  guest. 


CHARLES  MILO  ROBBINS,  respected  and  pros- 
pcrious  farmer  of  Gerry.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
where  he  has  lived  throuj^htnit  practically  the  whole  of 
his  useftd  life  of  sixty-five  years,  has  been  a  justice  of 
the  peace  of  that  place  for  many  years.  He  comes  of  an 
old  Colonial  Vermont  family,  but  his  father  came  to 
Chanlaui|ua  county,   N.   Y.,   to   live   bifure   he   was   born. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


629 


for  he  is  a  native  of  Gerry,  born  July  7,  1854.  His  par- 
ents were  Joel  and  Elizabeth  (Matthews)  Robbins,  his 
mother  having  been  born  in  the  city  of  Albany,  N.  Y. 
Joel  Robbins,  father  of  Charles  M.  Robbins,  was  a 
farmer,  and  had  a  property  in  the  Gerry  district.  Charles 
M.  Robbins  was  reared  on  the  Gerry  farm,  attending  the 
Gerry  public  school  as  a  youth,  and  as  a  young  man  ap- 
plying himself  industriously  to  the  accomplishment  of 
agricultural  tasks  upon  his  father's  farm.  Eventually 
he  became  the  head  of  a  family,  and  the  owner  of  a 
good  farming  property,  which  he  farmed  to  good  profit. 
He  has  always  been  of  industrious  disposition,  and  has 
proved  himself  to  be  a  good  farmer,  and  in  his  associ- 
ation with  the  people  of  the  district,  and  the  farmers 
of  the  county  in  general,  he  has  shown  himself  by  his 
actions  to  be  a  man  of  good  honest  purpose  and  of 
earnest,  unselfish  disposition.  He  has  always  had  more 
than  a  passing  interest  in  the  general  affairs  of  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  has  spent  his  entire  life,  and  has 
more  than  once  shown  how  useful  a  member  of  the  com- 
munity he  is.  Throughout  his  life  he  has  been  willing 
to  take  his  share  of  the  public  responsibilities  which  fall 
to  unselfish  workers  in  every  community,  and  in  the 
administration  of  justice  has  proved  himself  to  be  a  man 
of  honest,  impartial,  judicial  mind.  As  a  neighbor  he  is 
kindly  and  helpful,  and  in  his  church  support  has  been 
substantial  and  consistent. 

During  the  war  recently  ended  his  record  was  worthy ; 
he  subscribed  unstintedly  of  his  means  to  the  several 
loans  and  funds  raised  for  the  many  purposes  of  the 
nation,  and  upon  this  farm  he  did  the  part  that  so  many 
loyal  American  farmers  did,  he  cooperated  with  the  De- 
partment of  Agriculture,  and  the  expressed  wish  of 
President  Wilson,  in  the  great  endeavor  to  secure  from 
American  agricultural  land  such  an  increase  in  food- 
stuffs that  famishing  Europe  might  be  fed  with  our  sur- 
plus yield.  The  surprising  result,  which  is  now  national 
history,  came  through  the  self-denying  endeavors  of 
American  farmers  of  good  heart  and  patriotic  soul,  who 
during  the  years  of  stress  held  closely  to  their  farms, 
prevented  waste  and  wherever  possible  tilled  every  acre. 
It  is  a  creditable  page  in  national  history,  and  should 
have  place  in  local  individual  histories,  for  it  is  only  in 
that  way  that  loyal  Americans  who  had  part  in  the  effort 
can  be  given  what  is  their  due,  individual  recognition. 

Mr.  Robbins  has  been  twice  married;  his  first  wife  was 
Nettie  Dunham,  who  was  born  April  14,  1S68,  to  Jesse 
and  Harriet  (Faser)  Dunham.  Charles  Milo  Robbins 
and  Nettie  Dunham  were  married  April  14,  1886,  and 
eventually  three  children  were  born  to  the  marriage. 
These  children  by  name,  and  in  the  order  of  their  coming, 
are:  Leva  Viola,  born  Oct.  18,  1892;  Clare  Rolend,  born 
Feb.  4,  1898;  Jesse  Joel,  born  Sept.  13,  1899.  Mrs.  Nettie 
(Dunham)  Robbins  died  Sept.  24,  1899,  and  Mr.  Robbins 
remained  a  widower  until  Aug.  22,  1906,  when  he  mar- 
ried Nora  May,  daughter  of  Byron  and  Rosalind  (Rob- 
bins)   Baldwin. 

As  a  Christian,  as  a  church  and  public  worker,  and  as 
a  farmer,  the  record  of  Charles  Milo  Robbins  is  good, 
and  has  brought  him  a  world  of  respect  in  his  own  com- 
munity.   . 

GRACE  (MATTOCKS)  SCHERMERHORN— 

The  honor  of  operating  the  most  successful  farms  of 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  is  not  by  any  means  confined 


to  the  male  population  of  this  region,  there  being  many 
capable  farmers  among  the  women  also.  One  of  these 
is  Mrs.  Grace  (Mattocks)  Schermerhorn,  of  Kennedy, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  who  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Ellington,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  27,  1878.  Mrs.  Schermerhorn  is 
a  daughter  of  John  B.  and  Augusta  (Hotchkiss)  Mat- 
tocks, old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  that  place, 
where  the  former  was  also  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits for  many  years.  As  a  girl  Mrs.  Schermerhorn  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  her  native  town,  teaching 
for  a  number  of  years  in  the  common  schools.  Later,  at 
the  death  of  her  husband,  she  became  the  owner  of  her 
present  fine  farming  property  near  the  village  of  Ken- 
nedy, which  she  has  quite  ably  managed  for  the  past 
fourteen  years,  keeping  a  small  dairy  and  raising  some 
fine  poultry.  Mrs.  Schermerhorn  attends  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  at  Kennedy. 

Mrs.  Schermerhorn  was  united  in  marriage,  March  18, 
1903,  with  Frank  S.  Schermerhorn,  a  native  of  Herkimer 
county,  N.  Y.,  where  his  birth  occurred  Dec.  3,  1862,  a 
sou  of  William  and  Susan  (Foster)  Schermerhorn.  Mr. 
Schermerhorn  died  Nov.  i,  1906,  leaving  one  child,  Ruth 
Augusta  Schermerhorn,  born  June  15,  1905,  who  now 
makes  her  home  with  her  mother. 


DANIEL  SHAW,  of  Ripley,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  was  for  many  years  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the 
agricultural  life  of  the  community,  and  was  the  owner 
of  a  fine  farm  in  this  region,  which  he  brought  to  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  Mr.  Shaw  is  one  of  seven  children 
born  to  John  and  Mary  (Casey)  Shaw,  of  Jamestown,  N. 
Y.  He  was  born  in  that  city,  Jan.  15,  1858.  The  Shaw 
family  originally  resided  at  Randolph,  N.  Y.,  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Strambury.  and  removed  from  there  to  a  farm 
at  Ripley. 

The  present  Mr.  Shaw  received  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  Ripley,  and  during  his  spare  time  was 
employed  on  his  father's  farm.  Upon  completing  his 
studies  he  purchased  a  farm  of  fifty  acres  for  himself 
which,  however,  he  disposed  of  five  years  later.  He  then 
bought  the  old  Hitchcock  homestead,  consisting  of  ninety 
acres  of  excellent  farm  land,  and  here  made  his  home  for 
many  years.  He  conducted  his  place  as  a  dairy  farm 
and  devoted  three  and  a  half  acres  to  grapes,  being  very 
successful  in  these  operations.  He  remodeled  the  old 
dwelling  house  situated  there:  also  the  barn  and  other 
outbuildings,  all  of  which  were  modern  in  all  their 
equipment.  He  is  a  member  of  the  local  Grange  and 
the  Dairymen's  League.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican 
and  at  present  (1920)  holds  the  office  of  school  collector, 
the  responsible  duties  of  which  he  has  discharged  with 
great  efficiency.  He  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  at  Ripley. 

Daniel  Shaw  was  united  in  marriage,  Nov.  22,  1907, 
with  Alice  Palmer  Sawin,  widow  of  H.  E.  Sawin,  and 
a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Laura  Ann  Gay. 


GEORGE  WALTER  SHEPARDSON,  one  of  the 

most  progressive  and  successful  farmers  of  Ellery  town- 
ship, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  has  been 
engaged  in  agricultural  operations  (or  nearly  three 
decades,  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Gerry,  N.  Y.,  his  birth 
having  occurred  Jan.   19,   1861.     He  is  a  son  of  Walter 


630 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


and  Camilla  (Partridge)  Sherardson,  the  former  a  well 
kno\\Ti  farmer  of  Gerry  township  for  many  year^. 

The  childhood  of  George  W  Shepardso:i  was  passed 
on  the  old  family  propertj-.  where  he  -.vas  taught  ihe 
rudiments  of  farming  hy  his  lather.  He  also  attended 
the  local  common  schools  during  the  summer  months  and 
it  was  at  these  institutions  that  he  received  his  education. 
Upon  completing  his  studies,  the  you.ig  man  assisted 
his  father  on  the  home  place  for  several  years,  and  in 
iSt")!.  came  to  EUery  township,  where  he  purchased  his 
present  \-aluahIe  property  and  began  its  cuh'vation.  For 
t  venty-nine  years  ilr.  Shepardson  has  L-ontinucd  en  the 
same  place  and  has  during  that  time  brought  it  to  a  very 
high  state  of  productivity  and  made  it  one  of  the  mtjdel 
farms  of  the  neighborhood.  He  is  an  active  member  of 
the  Grange,  and  interests  himself  in  th;  development 
of  the  agricultural  resources  of  the  region.  In  his  re- 
ligious belief,  Mr.  Shepardson  is  a  Melliodist  and  at- 
tends the  church  of  that  denomination  at  iZliery. 

George  Walter  Shepardson  was  united  in  marriage, 
March  12,  1800,  at  Gerry,  N.  Y.,  with  Ermna  Jenette 
Johnson,  a  native  of  Eller>-,  born  Oct.  ;,  iSo;,.  a  daughter 
of  Benona  and  Maria  (Miller)  Johnson,  the  former  a 
fanner  in  this  district.  Four  children  have  been  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shepardson,  as  follows:  Pearl  M.,  born 
Tune  8,  1S99,  died  May  7,  looi  ;  George  Emerson,  born 
Feb.  3,  1901  :  Lesley  H..  born  Aug.  31,  1O03 ;  Earl  B., 
born  Sept.  17.  1906. 


FRED  E.  SCHERMERHORN— .Among  the  farm- 
ers whose  activities  have  played  so  important  a  |iarl  in 
the  development  of  Poland,  Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y., 
none  is  better  known  or  more  successful  than  Fred  E. 
Schermerhorn,  who  has  been  engaged  actively  in  daity- 
ing  in  this  region  for  many  years. 

Mr.  Schermerhorn  was  born  in  Herkimir  county,  N, 
Y.,  July  29,  1866.  As  a  lad  he  attended  the  iocal  public 
schools  where  he  received  his  education.  His  advantages 
in  this  line  were  somewhat  meagre,  but  Mr.  Schermer- 
horn was  one  of  those  men  who  learns  easily  and  natur- 
ally in  whatever  environment  they  might  find  themselves, 
and  his  education  has  really  been  more  actually  derived 
from  the  great  school  of  experience  than  from  any  lesser 
institution.  While  not  busy  in  his  lessons  he,  as  a  lad, 
assisted  his  father  with  the  work  upon  the  latter's  place 
and  there  gained  the  wide  knowledge  of  agricultural 
methods  which  he  now  applies  with  such  success  upon 
his  own  account.  It  was  in  the  year  1897  that  Mr  Scher- 
merhorn came  into  the  possession  of  his  present  property 
and  since  that  time  he  has  with  indefatigable  industry 
dtvelorK,-d  it  to  the  highest  point  of  cultivation,  so  that 
today  it  may  justly  be  considered  one  of  the  model  farms 
of  the  ncightorhrxjd.  Mr.  Schermerhorn  has  not  liy  any 
means  confmed  his  activities,  however,  to  his  farming 
interest,  but  has  taken  a  prominent  part  in  local  iiublic 
affairs  and  has  served  the  community  as  a  menfber  of  the 
^rhrxA  board  here  for  several  years.     He  has  been  a  coiv 

piruous  fit'urc  in  social  and  fraternal  circles  here  and  is 
affiliated  with  a  niimber  of  important  organizations,  in- 
cludini{  Kennedy  Ij-xlge.  No.  522,  Independent  Ordir  -A 
Odd  Fellows,  while  both  he  and  his  wife  are  n-eni!)ers 
of  the  Order  of  R'bekahs. 


Fred  E.  Schermerhorn  was  united  in  marriage,  I'jne 
I,  1892,  at  Kennedy,  N.  Y.,  with  Myra  L.  Hitchcock,  a 
native  of  that  place,  her  birth  occurring  May  iS,  1872, 
a  daughter  of  George  W.  and  Sarah  (Mattocks)  Hitch- 
cock, old  and  highly  respected  residents  there.  Mr.  and 
]Mrs.  Schermerhorn  are  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Irene  G.,  born  Aug.  4,  1893,  served  as  a  nurse 
in  the  Debarkation  Hospital  at  Hampton,  Va., ;  Joseph 
F.,  born  Sept.  13,  1899,  joined  the  United  States  Navy, 
Nov.  8,  1917,  and  served  until  July  11,  1919,  served  as  a 
bomber  in  France,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged ; 
Winnifrcd,  born  Aug.  7,  1905;  and  Wilma  M.,  born  Oct. 
6,  1909. 


DELOS  LODELL  STAGE,  who  has  been  a  re- 
sponsible and  successful  farmer  in  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  and  is  well  known  and  well  respected  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Sherman,  that  county,  has  had  a  busy  life  of 
si.xty-six  years,  nearly  the  whole  of  which,  with  the 
exception  of  his  schooling  years,  have  been  spent  in  farm- 
ing, approximately  half  a  century. 

He  was  born  in  Collins,  Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  23, 
1S53,  the  son  of  Henry  and  Martha  Sophia  (Crandall) 
Stage.  When  he  was  still  an  infant,  the  family  removed 
to  Wisconsin  and  in  a  small  district  school  of  that  State 
the  boy  received  his  first  tuition.  The  education  was  not 
of  particularly  high  standard,  and  it  cost  him  much 
effort  to  obtain  it,  for  his  home  was  about  five  miles 
from  the  school,  and  that  distance  it  was  necessary  for 
him  to  walk.  However,  the  family  eventually  returned 
East,  and  settled  in  New  York  State,  where  the  boy  was 
able  to  finish  his  schooling  in  greater  comfort.  After 
attending  district  school,  he  took  to  farming  operations, 
assisting  neighbors  in  the  cultivation  and  work  of  their 
farms.  With  the  exception  of  a  short  while  spent  in  the 
a.xe  factory  at  Dunkirk  and  Gowanda,  Delos  L.  Stage 
has  followed  farming  consistently  and  steadily  since 
he  left  school.  Politically,  Mr.  Stage  gives  allegiance 
to  the  Republican  party,  but  beyond  that  he  has  not  en- 
tered into  public  affairs.  He  has,  of  course,  always  been 
interested  in  local  movements,  and  has  ever  been  ready 
to  support  any  project  he  has  considered  to  be  worthy, 
but  he  has  never  felt  any  inclination  to  enter  into  com- 
petition for  public  office.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the 
Maccabees,  and  by  religious  persuasion  he  is  a  Presby- 
terian. 

On  Oct.  5,  1886,  Mr.  Stage  married  Lillie  Curtis,  of 
Collins,  Erie  county,  N.  Y.  They  have  children,  as  fol- 
lows:  I.  Ella,  who  married  Theodore  Miskie,  and  is  the 
mother  of  two  children,  Ralph  and  Martha.  2.  Clayton, 
whose  wife  Edith  died  Oct.  11,  1918.  3.  John,  who  mar- 
ried Gladys  Schutt ;  they  have  two  children,  Winifred 
and  FIcnry.  4.  Otto,  at  home.  5.  Olive,  resides  with  her 
parents. 

Delos  Lodcl!  Stage  has  had  a  commendable  career  of 
useful  activity  within  the  county,  and  has  a  definite  place 
in  this  vohune.  His  labor  has  been  all  directed  to  produc- 
tion, Iiis  enterprise  has  been  good,  and  his  dealings  have 
lieen  so  conducted  as  to  bring  him  the  confidence  of  men. 
He  has  sought  to  live  honorably,  and  so  has  made  many 
sincere  friends,  who  have  liked  him  ftjr  his  stalwart 
finalities  and  frank  manner.  During  the  World  War 
he  manifested  a  fully  patriotic  spirit. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


631 


ALVIN  STRUNK — Prominent  among  the  many 
successful  farmers  of  EUicott  township,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  one  of  the  richest  agricultural  regions  of 
the  country,  is  Alvin  Strunk,  a  man  whose  entire  success 
has  been  due  to  his  own  efforts,  his  indefatigable  indus- 
try and  intelligence.  Mr.  Strunk  is  a  native  of  this 
county,  having  been  born  in  Ellicott  township,  Oct.  27, 
1836,  a  son  of  William  H.  Strunk,  one  of  the  old  farm- 
ers of  the  region,  and  of  Jane  Ann  (Van  Vleck)  Strunk, 
his  wife. 

His  childhood  and  early  youth  were  passed  on  the  old 
family  homestead,  where  he  learned  farming  methods 
in  the  great  school  of  experience  and  under  the  capable 
direction  of  his  father,  and  attended  the  local  public 
schools.  Later  he  became  the  owner  of  his  present  farm 
property,  which  is  located  two  and  one-half  miles  north 
of  Jamestown,  which  he  has  kept  in  the  highest  state 
of  cultivation  ever  since  and  where  he  has  met  with 
notable  success  in  his  operations.  Mr.  Strunk  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  and  was  assessor  in  Ellicott  township 
for  twenty-two  years ;  has  always  maintained  a  strong 
and  intelligent  interest  in  the  general  situation  and 
given  much  attention  to  the  issues  of  the  time.  He 
is  a  member  of  Union  Grange,  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and 
has  been  active  in  his  membership  in  doing  his  share  in 
promoting  the  general  agricultural  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity of  which  he  is  so  highly  valued  a  member. 

Alvin  Strunk  was  united  in  marriage,  April  2,  1864, 
at  Randolph,  N.  Y.,  with  Maria  Putnam,  a  native  of 
Chautauqua  county,  having  been  born  in  Stockton  town- 
ship, N.  Y.,  where  her  birth  occurred  Sept.  24,  1843,  a 
daughter  of  Rev.  Oren  Putnam,  born  in  Brookfield, 
Madison  county,  N.  Y.,  and  Alvira  (Scofield)  Putnam, 
of  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.,  his  wife.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Strunk  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Bert  C,  born  June 
8,  1867,  who  married  Myrtie  Brunson,  Sept.  i,  1892,  who 
was  born  at  South  Stockton,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
Sept.  29,  1870.  Bert  C.  Strunk  has  always  lived  on  the 
farm  with  his  father ;  is  a  Free  and  Accepted  Mason ; 
Royal  Arch  Mason ;  Knights  Templar  of  Jamestown,  N. 
Y. ;  thirty-second  degree  Mason,  and  Mystic  Shriner  of 
Buffalo,  N.  Y. 


EDWARD  WILLIAM   WALKER— When  a  man 

has  lived  as  many  years  in  any  community  as  Mr.  Wal- 
ker has  lived  in  Westfield,  he  is  so  thoroughly  known 
to  his  townsmen  as  to  render  it  impossible  for  the  biogra- 
pher to  give  them  any  information  regarding  him.  But 
for  that  very  reason  the  main  facts  of  his  career  are 
always  interesting,  for  they  show  that  he  is  one  of  the 
men  who  count  as  Mr.  Walker  certainly  does,  both  as 
farmer  and  former  public  official.  Edward  William 
Walker  was  born  July  12,  1853,  in  Westfield  township, 
and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Charlotte  (Garrett)  Walker, 
who  came  from  England.  Mr.  Walker  was  a  mason,  or 
bricklayer,  and  later  became  a  farmer. 

The  education  of  Edward  William  Walker  was  re- 
ceived in  District  School  No.  i,  in  Westfield,  and  his 
first  employment  was  assisting  his  father  at  the  latter's 
trade.  Later  he  learned  the  trade  and  for  some  years 
followed  it.  His  father  died  at  the  age  of  seventy  and 
some  years  before  his  decease  had  become  the  owner  of 
two  small  farms.  In  1902,  Mr.  Walker  took  up  his  abode 
on  his  present  farm  of  60  87-100  acres  and  has  materially 


improved  it.  He  has  nine  cows,  four  horses  and  seventy- 
five  chickens,  and  carries  on  a  prosperous  dairy  and 
general  farming  business.  About  191 1  he  engaged  in  the 
bee  industry  and  now  has  a  thriving  apiary  of  fourteen 
stands.  This  last  branch  of  industry  was  originated  by 
his  son,  who  has  the  entire  management  of  it.  In  the 
sphere  of  politics,  Mr.  Walker  is  an  independent  voter, 
always  taking  an  active  interest  in  community  affairs  and 
holding  himself  in  readiness  to  do  his  part  toward  their 
improvement.  For  three  terms  he  served  as  school  trus- 
tee. His  wife  belongs  to  the  Grange  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Walker  married,  March  16,  1884,  Alice  M.,  daugh- 
ter of  Martin  and  Mary  C.  (Blakeney)  Knapp,  and  they 
are  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Edward  Wil- 
liam; Horace:  Zelda.  married  Clyde  Frazier  and  had  one 
child,  Harold,  now  deceased ;  and  Frances,  graduated 
from  Fredonia  Normal  School  and  is  now  a  teacher. 

In  a  quiet,  forceful,  unobtrusive  way,  Mr.  Walker  has 
done  much  toward  the  development  and  maintenance  of 
all  that  is  best  in  his  community,  reaping  his  reward  in 
the  gratitude  and  respect  of  his  friends  and  neighbors. 


FRANK  WHEELOCK,  who  for  many  years  has 
been  one  of  the  most  successful  farmers  at  Kennedy, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in 
the  raising  of  Holstein  cattle  with  a  high  degree  of  suc- 
cess, is  a  son  of  Albert  and  Jane  (Thatcher)  Wheelock, 
old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  Poland,  where  the 
former  was  also  engaged  in  agricultural  operations. 

Frank  Wheelock  was  born  Aug.  29,  1876,  in  the  town 
of  Poland,  N.  Y.,  and  for  his  education  attended  the 
local  public  schools.  During  the  summer  months  he  as- 
sisted his  father  in  the  work  upon  the  latter's  farm  and 
there  gained  a  wide  knowledge  and  experience  in  general 
farming  methods,  which  has  stood  him  in  good  stead  ever 
since.  In  the  year  1904  Mr.  Wheelock  purchased  his 
present  farm  in  the  neighborhood  of  Kennedy,  and  by 
unwearied  energy  and  industry  has  brought  it  to  its 
present  high  state  of  cultivation  and  productiveness.  He 
is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  progressive  and  sci- 
entific farmers  in  this  region  and  raises  Holstein  cattle, 
which  he  disposes  of  in  the  local  markets.  He  has  always 
maintained  a  keen  interest  in  public  affairs,  and  is  a 
staunch  supporter  of  Republican  principles  and  policies, 
his  voice  being  influential  in  the  councils  of  his  party. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  local  Grange  and  has  done  much 
in  this  capacity  to  advance  the  agricultural  interests  of  the 
community. 

Frank  Wheelock  was  united  in  marriage,  Oct.  29.  1002, 
in  the  town  of  Poland,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  with 
Celia  Sherman,  a  native  of  the  town  of  Ellicott,  born  Jan. 
I,  1874,  a  daughter  of  Albert  and  Annis  (Williams) 
Sherman,  lifelong   residents  of   Ellicott. 


NELSA  A.  STONE,  who  has  been  prominent  among 
the  agriculturists  of  Ellicott  township,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  for  many  years  and  who  is  well  and  favorably 
known  throughout  the  entire  community  for  his  public 
spirit,  was  born  in  Sweden,  April  28,  1855.  He  is  a  son 
of  Charles  and  Johanna  (Stow)  Stone,  the  former  a 
farmer  in  his  native  land,  where  the  son  passed  the  early 
years  of  his  life  and  attended  the  local  schools  for  his 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


education.  At  the  same  time  he  received  practical  in- 
struction in  fanning  from  his  father,  and  when  sixteen 
years  old.  in  the  year  1S71,  came  to  the  United  States. 
The  first  four  years  of  his  residence  in  this  country  were 
spent  in  the  town  of  Ellery,  N.  V.,  but  in  1S80  he  went 
to  Salamanca,  where  he  worked  at  the  lumber  business. 
In  1SS5.  knowing;  of  the  great  agricultural  richness  of  the 
soil  in  Chautauqua  count>-  and  the  opportunities  it  of- 
fered to  farmers,  he  came  to  this  region  and  here  devoted 
himself  permanently  to  that  occupation.  In  the  year  1914 
he  settled  on  his  present  farm  in  Ellicott  township,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  indefatigable  in  its  cultivation 
and  has  succeeded  in  bringing  it  to  its  present  high  state 
of  productiveness.  He  raises  fine  crops  of  various  types 
and  disposes  of  them  to  advantage  in  the  surrounding 
markets,  which  are  large  and  numerous  in  the  locality. 
Mr.  Stone  is  a  staunch  Republican  in  politics,  but  his 
personal  superintendence  of  his  farm  has  left  him  no 
time  and  he  has  felt  no  inclination  to  take  part  in  public 
affairs.  He  has  always  displayed  a  public-spirited  inter- 
est in  the  welfare  of  the  community,  however,  especially 
in  connection  with  its  agricultural  development,  and  is 
a  member  of  Union  Grange  of  Jamestown.  In  his  re- 
ligious belief  Mr.  Stone  is  a  Lutheran  and  attends  the 
church  of  that  denomination. 

Xelsa  A.  Stone  was  united  in  marriage,  March  24, 
1876,  at  Jamestown,  K.  Y.,  with  Lucinda  Saddler,  a  na- 
tive of  the  town  of  Carroll,  born  June  20,  185 1,  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Sarah  (Furlow)  Saddler,  of  that 
place.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stone  are  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren, as  follows :  Myrtie,  born  Oct.  27,  1877,  married, 
Sept.  9.  1S96,  Raymond  Schofield,  of  Ellery,  to  whom  she 
has  borne  one  child,  Beatrice ;  Florelle,  born  June  10, 
1894,  married,  Aug.  17,  1915,  at  Ellicott.  Albert  Van- 
strom.  to  whom  she  has  borne  two  children,  Vivian  and 
Alfred. 


FLEURY  JAMES  WOLCOTT,  one  of  the  most 
successful  of  the  younger  farmers  of  Ellington,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  is  a  native  of  Poland,  N.  Y.,  born 
Sept.  I",  1892,  a  son  of  Charles  Harvey  and  Eva  Louise 
(Ireland)  Wolcott,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
Poland,  where  the  former  was  engaged  in  farming  for 
many  years. 

Fleury  James  Wolcott  passed  his  childhood  on  his 
father's  farm,  where  he  was  subject  to  those  wholesome 
influences  of  rural  life  from  which  have  sprung  so  many 
of  the  foremost  citizens  of  this  country.  As  a  lad  he 
assisted  his  father  with  the  work  on  the  latter's  place, 
and  during  the  winter  months  attended  the  local  district 
schools.  Later  he  was  sent  to  the  Gerry  High  School  at 
Gerry,  X.  Y.,  from  which  he  was  graduated,  after  es- 
tablishing an  excellent  record  for  scholarship  and  general 
gvKl  character,  .'\fter  comfileting  his  studies  at  the 
Gerry  Higli  School,  the  young  man  devoted  his  entire 
time  towards  assisting  his  father  on  his  farm  and  there 
gained  a  wide  knowledge  of  agricultural  methods  gen- 
erally. Later  he  purchased  an  excellent  projjcrty  near 
Ellington,  and  since  that  time  has  devoted  himself  ex- 
clusively to  the  cultivation  of  this  place,  which  has 
become  under  his  careful  superintendence  one  of  the  best 
farms  in  the  district.  Mr.  Wolcott  finds  a  wide  market 
for  the  disposal  of  his  produce  among  the  local  dealers 
at  Ellington  and  Jamestown,  and  does  a  thriving  business 


in  these  two  places.  Mr.  Wolcott  is  also  prominently  as- 
sociated with  the  Conewango  National  Bank  of  Ellington, 
and  is  well  known  as  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the 
region.  Air.  \\'olcott  has  always  been  a  Republican  in 
politics,  and  takes  a  keen  interest  in  local  affairs.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  local  Grange  at  Ellington,  and  has 
done  much  to  promote  the  agricultural  interests  and  de- 
velopment of  the  place.  In  his  religious  belief  he  is  a 
Methodist  and  attends  the  church  of  that  denomination 
at  Ellington. 

Fleury  James  Wolcott  was  united  in  marriage,  Sept. 
14,  1916,  with  Ella  Ida  ^'asburg,  a  native  of  Elco,  Pa., 
born  Aug.  13,  1893,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Josephine 
(West)  Vasburg,  old  and  respected  residents  of  that 
place. 


AXEL  LEVIN — Among  the  many  successful  and 
prosperous  citizens  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  of 
Swedish  birth  or  extraction,  none  more  deserves  mention 
than  Axel  Levin  who,  besides  conducting  agricultural 
interests  in  the  neighborhood,  has  been  conspicuous  in 
local  public  affairs  for  several  years.  Mr.  Levin  is  a 
son  of  Andrew  and  Martha  (Olson)  Levin,  both  natives 
of  Sweden,  who  came  to  this  country  in  the  year  1886, 
the  former  finding  employment  as  a  roller  in  a  Pitts- 
burgh steel  mill,  a  trade  he  had  already  learned  in  his 
native  land.  The  elder  Mr.  Levin  is  now  retired  from 
active  life  and  makes  his  home  with  his  son,  the  Mr. 
Levin  of  this  sketch,  at  Busti. 

Axel  Levin  was  born  Feb.  20,  1879,  in  Sweden,  and  be- 
gan his  education  in  that  country,  coming  to  the  United 
States  with  his  parents  in  1886.  His  father,  having 
secured  an  excellent  position  here,  it  was  possible  for  the 
youth  to  complete  his  studies  as  desired  and  this  he  did 
by  attending  public  schools  and  the  McKeesport  Business 
College,  Pa.  Upon  his  graduation  from  this  institution 
he  took  up  the  same  line  of  work  as  his  father  was  en- 
gaged in  and  worked  in  the  steel  mill  at  McKeesport, 
Pa.,  for  ten  years ;  also  five  years  in  retail  furniture 
business  as  salesman  at  McKeesport,  Pa.  He  had  always 
felt  a  strong  fondness  for  a  rural  life,  however,  and 
believing  that  an  excellent  opportunity  awaited  an  en- 
terprising man  in  agricultural  activities,  he  gave  up  his 
position  after  saving  up  a  considerable  portion  of  his 
earnings.  This  capital  he  promptly  invested  in  a  farm 
in  Busti  township,  his  intention  having  been  favorably 
attracted  by  the  great  fertility  and  favorable  farming 
conditions  of  Chautauqua  county,  and  here  he  has  con- 
tinued in  the  same  line  of  work  ever  since.  The  con- 
sistent and  conscientious  devotion  of  Mr.  Levin  to  his 
chosen  occupation  has  borne  good  fruit  and  he  is  now  the 
owner  of  one  of  the  finest  and  most  productive  farms  in 
the  region.  Mr.  Levin's  alert  and  progressive  mind  has 
not  rested  content  with  winning  success  for  himself  in 
his  private  enterprise,  but  has  led  him  to  take  part  in 
the  general  life  of  the  community  of  which  he  now  is 
a  valued  member,  his  ability  and  public  spirit  soon  making 
him  ijrominent  in  its  affairs.  He  has  held  for  four  years 
the  important  offi<-e  of  supervisor  of  the  township  of 
Busti,  and  during  that  period  has  rendered  a  high  service 
to  his  fellow-citizens  I)y  his  efficient  management  of  their 
public  business  and  won  their  universal  regard.  He  is 
also  prominent  in  social  and  fraternal  circles  and  is  a 
niembcr    of    Yonghiogheny    Lodge,    No.    583,    Free    and 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


633 


Accepted  Masons,  of  McKeesport,  Pa.,  and  of  Busti 
Grange.  In  religion  he  is  a  Congregationalist  and  at- 
tends the  Busti  church  of  that  denomination. 

Axel  Levin  was  united  in  marriage,  July  9,  1902,  at 
Jamestown,  with  Hedvig  HoUenius,  who  is  a  native  of 
Sweden,  born  April  3,  1884,  a  daughter  of  P.  H.  and 
Sophy  Hollenius,  of  that  country.  Mr.  and  Airs.  Levin 
are  the  parents  of  five  children,  as  follows :  Ralph  O., 
born  Nov.  17,  1903;  Gertrude  B.,  born  April  8,  1906; 
Carl,  born  Dec.  28,  1908 ;  Earnest,  born  Sept.  20,  1913 , 
and  Margaret,  born  July  31,  1916. 


RALPH  WARNER,  a  successful  farmer  of  Broc- 
ton,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  is  a  native  of  this  region, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Portland  township,  July  12, 
1874.  Mr.  Warner  is  a  son  of  Charles  and  Eleanor 
(Vandervoort)  Warner,  old  and  highly  respected  resi- 
dents of  Portland  township,  where  the  former  died  Feb. 
7,  1919.  He  is  survived  by  his  wife.  The  elder  Mr. 
Warner  was  born  in  Portland  township  on  the  old  family 
homestead,  which  is  situated  opposite  the  farm  now  oc- 
cupied by  his  son,  in  the  year  1842.  He  was  a  son  of 
one  of  the  early  settlers  in  this  region  who  moved  here 
about  1835.  He  was  not  one  of  the  original  patentees, 
but  purchased  his  land  in  all  probability  from  one  of 
these,  the  former  owner  having  been  Air.  Dunn.  The 
Warners  were  an  old  family  in  Connecticut  and  could 
trace  their  ancestry  back  before  the  Revolutionary  War. 
The  great-grandfather  of  the  present  Mr.  Warner  was 
Elijah  Warner,  a  brother  of  General  Seth  Warner,  of 
Connecticut,  and  he  could  trace  his  ancestry  back  to  a 
family  living  at  Hadden  Hall  in  England  at  an  early 
period. 

Ralph  Warner  passed  his  childhood  in  his  native  place 
and  attended  as  a  lad  Public  School  No.  4.  Later  he 
attended  the  grade  schools  at  Brocton,  and  still  later  was 
a  student  at  the  Westfield  Union  School,  where  he  com- 
pleted his  education.  Even  as  a  child  he  was  interested  in 
agriculture  and  assisted  his  father  in  the  work  upon  the 
latter's  place.  As  soon  as  he  had  completed  his  studies 
at  the  Westfield  Union  School,  he  devoted  himself  en- 
tirely to  this  line  of  work,  which  he  has  continued  unin- 
terruptedly ever  since.  Mr.  Warner  purchased  his 
present  farm  in  the  year  1903,  and  continued  also  to  own 
an  interest  in  the  family  homestead.  He  has  been  ex- 
ceedingly successful  in  all  his  operations  and  disposes  of 
the  produce  of  his  farm  in  the  local  markets.  Mr.  War- 
ner is  a  member  of  the  local  lodge,  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows.  In  religious  belief  he  is  very  liberal,  and 
has  a  firm  faith  in  God  and  his  Christ  to  save. 

Ralph  Warner  was  united  in  marriage,  at  Brocton, 
Feb.  18,  1903,  with  Maude  Weaver,  of  that  place,  a 
daughter  of  T.  C.  and  Elizabeth  Weaver.  They  are  the 
parents  of  two  children,  Eleanor  and  Isabel  Warner. 


JOHN  LAHL,  well-to-do  and  well-regarded  farmer 
of  Westfield,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  has 
lived  practically  all  his  life,  and  has  proved  himself  to 
be  a  helpful  member  of  the  community,  was  born  in 
Germany,  June  28,  1862,  but  was  only  three  years  old 
when  he  came,  with  his  mother,  to  the  United  States. 
The  voyage  was  made  on  a  sailing  vessel,  and  under  con- 
ditions which  made  it  quite  venturesome.     Accommoda- 


tion was  poor,  and  after  nineteen  weeks  at  sea,  the  voy- 
agers were  no  doubt  relieved  when  they  sighted  the  coast 
of  America. 

Soon  after  they  had  arrived  in  the  United  States,  the 
Lahl  family  took  up  residence  in  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  settling  in  Westfield  township.  It  was  in  the  graded 
school  of  Westfield  that  the  son,  John,  obtained  his  edu- 
cation, and  in  due  course  grew  to  manhood.  His  father 
died  while  he,  John,  was  still  in  early  manhood,  and 
during  the  life  of  his  mother  he  remained  near  her.  He 
purchased  the  Rexford  farm  in  Westfield  in  1890;  it 
was  a  good  farm  of  sixty-five  acres,  adapted  to  dairying 
and  sheep  farming,  and  since  it  came  into  his  possession 
it  has  been  very  much  improved,  and  as  it  is  at  present 
it  is  a  valuable  up-to-date  farm,  he  having  remodeled  the 
house  and  barns,  and  effected  many  other  improvements. 
Like  most  of  the  enterprising  agriculturists  of  that  sec- 
tion of  Chautauqua  county,  he  has  apportioned  some 
portion  of  his  land  to  the  cultivation  of  grapes ;  he  has  a 
vineyard  eight  acres  in  extent,  and  in  a  good  position, 
so  that  he  gets  satisfactory  yield ;  and  in  his  general 
farming  has  proved  that  he  is  a  man  of  enterprising, 
energetic  characteristics.  He  has  always  followed  closely 
all  movements  relative  to  Chautauqua  county  agriculture, 
and  has  been  a  loyal  member  of  the  Westfield  Grange 
for  many  years.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Dairymen's 
League,  and  to  the  Chautauqua  County  Farm  Bureau, 
and  during  the  World  War  he  cooperated  patriotically 
with  the  objects  of  that  bureau,  and  with  the  national 
Department  of  Agriculture,  endeavoring  to  the  best  of 
his  ability  to  prevent  waste  upon  his  farm,  and  to  bring 
increased  production. 

Mr.  Lahl  has  always  manifested  a  markedly  generous 
disposition,  and  has  been  a  very  hospitable  neighbor.  He 
is  unmarried,  but  his  sister,  Mrs.  Dora  Kalpien,  who  is 
the  mother  of  five  boys  and  one  girl,  and  is  now  a  widow, 
lives  with  him.  She  is  a  good  hostess,  kind,  generous, 
entertaining.  In  community  work,  John  Lahl  has 
tliroughout  his  life  taken  good  part,  having  been  at  all 
times  ready  to  help,  by  personal  service  or  monetary 
contribution,  to  bring  success  to  all  worthy  local  projects 
in  which  he  has  felt  interested.  He  is  a  man  of  good, 
conscientious  Christian  life,  and  for  very  many  years 
has  attended  the  local  Methodist  church,  which  he  has 
steadily  supported.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  al- 
though he  has  not  shown  any  inclination  to  desire  po- 
litical office.  In  local  political  movements  he  has  always 
been  much  more  interested  than  in  national,  and  upon 
some  occasions  has  taken  active  part  in  local  politics, 
especially  in  school  administration  has  he  been  interested ; 
he  has  been  school  trustee  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
also  collector  of  school  taxes. 

He  is  a  man  of  fine  presence,  and  his  commendable, 
useful  life  and  community  interest  have  gained  him  a 
worthy  reputation  in  the  neightorhood,  and  he  has  many 
friends  of  long  standing.  He  takes  good  place  among  the 
worthy,  productive  residents  of  Chautauqua  county. 


ANDREW  M.  WARN,  now  manager  of  the  Martin 
estate  in  the  town  of  Ellicott,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
was  born  in  Sweden,  June  16.  1855,  and  there  spent  his 
youth.  Upon  coming  to  the  United  States  he  located  in 
Jamestown,  which  has  ever  since  been  his  home.     During 


(334 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


the  first  month  of  street  car  operation  in  Jamestown  he 
drove  one  of  the  cars,  and  from  1876  until  1882  he  was 
a  member  of  the  Fenton  Guards,  that  well  known  militar\- 
company,  having  in  its  early  days  been  an  organization 
whose  pri\-ates  and  officers  were  all  Swedes.  Mr.  Warn 
was  a  member  of  the  Jamestown  police  force  for  several 
years,  and  was  eligible  to  promotion  to  higher  rank  on 
the  force,  but  declined  the  ofiice.  and  later  resigned  to 
engage  in  farming.  He  is  now  (.19-0)  manager  of  the 
Martin  estate  in  the  town  of  Ellicott.  a  position  he  has 
held  for  fourteen  years.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 

Mr.  Warn  married,  in  Detroit,  Mich.,  March  20,  1879, 
Harriet  Wilson,  born  in  Scotland,  April  4.  1857,  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Harriet  Wilson,  both  natives  of  Scot- 
land. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Warn  are  the  parents  of  three 
daughters:  l.  Alice  Grace,  born  Jan.  12.  1S80;  married 
.•\llen  Cass,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  :  Willard,  Doro- 
thy, Morris,  ^fab€l,  Ruth,  and  Allen  Cass.  2.  Pearl 
Sunbeam,  bom  Jan.  7,  1885;  married  Charles  Hagelin, 
and  they  have  two  children :  Harriet  and  Daniel.  3. 
Ruth  Naomi,  born  March  27.  1887;  married  George 
Wescott,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  Georgia  and  Carl 
Wescott. 


Sweden,  born  Jan.  22,  1877,  a  daughter  of  J.  A.  and 
.Anna  (Stone)  Moline,  of  that  country.  Mrs.  Hedin 
came  to  the  United  States  in  the  year  1893,  when  but 
sixteen  years  of  age,  her  parents  remaining  in  their  na- 
tive land,  where  they  still  reside.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hedin  three  children  have  been  born,  as  follows :  Flor- 
ence E.,  born  Oct.  20,  1898;  Griffith  M.,  born  July  23, 
1000:  and  .\nna  G.,  born  April  30,  1906. 


JOHN  G.  HEDIN,  whose  energy  and  intelligence 
have  made  him  one  of  the  most  respected  citizens  of 
Ellery  township,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  who. 
is  regarded  by  all  as  one  of  the  most  successful  farmers 
of  the  neighborhood,  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  June  24, 
1866.  He  is  a  son  of  Andrew  Otto  and  Anna  (Abra- 
hamson)  Hedin,  also  natives  of  Sweden,  where  for  many 
years  he  was  engaged  in  agricultural  operations.  The 
elder  Mr.  Hedin  came  to  the  United  States  in  the  month 
of  April,  1872,  leaving  his  family  in  the  old  country 
while  he  sought  a  home  and  support  for  them  in  the  new. 
Two  years  later,  having  established  himself  as  a  farmer 
in  this  region  of  Chautauqua  county.  N.  Y.,  he  sent  for 
the  remainder  of  the  family,  who  then  came  across  the 
ocean  to  join  him  here. 

John  G.  Hedin  was  but  eight  years  of  age  when  he 
accompanied  his  mother  to  the  New  World  in  1874,  and 
practically  all  of  his  education  was  received  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  his  adopted  home,  his  natural  alertness  of 
mind  and  intelligence,  as  well  as  his  diligence  at  all  tasks, 
making  him  an  apt  student  in  spite  of  what  was  at  first  the 
disadvantage  of  the  unfamiliar  tongue.  During  the  vaca- 
tion periods  he  spent  his  time  in  learning  agricultural 
mcthrxis,  and  eventually  he  engaged  in  that  occupation  on 
his  own  account.  It  was  in  the  year  1906  that  he  became 
the  owner  of  his  present  fine  farm  property,  w-hich  he 
has  ever  since  kept  at  the  highest  point  of  cultivation  and 
productivity,  his  industry  meeting  with  the  success  that 
it  deserved.  Nfr.  Hedin  has  always  been  an  active  par- 
ticipant in  the  general  life  of  the  commimity  in  which 
he  has  elected  to  dwell,  and  he  now  occupies  a  high  place 
in  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his  fellow  townsmen. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  Bemus 
Point  I>-.dge.  No.  585,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, and  of  Union  Grange,  No.  244,  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry. In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Lutheran  and  attends 
the  church  of  that  denomination. 

John  O.  Hedin  was  united  in  marriage,  Jan.  26,  1898, 
at  Jamestown,  N.  V.,  with  Sclma   Moline,  a  native  of 


VICTOR  G.  GUSTAFSON,  one  of  the  most  pro- 
gressive and  successful  among  the  younger  farmers 
of  Falconer,  N.  Y.,  where  he  is  now  raising  the  highest 
quality  of  products  on  a  large  scale,  is  a  native  of  Swe- 
den, his  birth  having  occurred  at  the  town  of  Skenninge, 
March  22,  1851.  Mr.  Gustafson  comes  of  good  old  farm- 
ing stock,  and  is  a  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.  Gustafson, 
the  former  a  man  of  standing  in  his  native  land,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  agricultural  operations  for  many  years. 

Victor  G.  Gustafson  passed  his  childhood  and  early 
youth  in  Sweden,  and  there  attended  the  local  public 
schools  until  he  had  completed  the  course  of  study  to  be 
had  there  and  graduated  from  the  high  school.  Upon 
reaching  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years,  he  left  his  native 
land  and  came  to  the  United  States,  the  tales  of  which 
country  had  long  fired  his  imagination  and  convinced  him 
of  the  great  opportunities  to  be  found  here.  Landing  in 
the  port  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  he  came  shortly  after  to 
New  York  State  and  settled  at  Jamestown.  He  secured 
positions  in  the  several  furniture  works  in  that  city,  and 
there  made  himself  so  useful  to  his  employers  by  his 
industry  and  intelligence  that  he  was  rapidly  advanced  in 
position  until  he  filled  a  responsible  post  in  the  large  plant 
and  had  gained  a  wide  knowledge  of  the  business  of 
manufacturing  furniture.  He  remained  for  fourteen 
years  connected  with  that  concern  and  then,  having  in 
the  meantime  saved  up  a  considerable  proportion  of  his 
earnings,  found  himself  in  a  position  to  gratify  a  long 
cherished  ambition  and  become  his  own  master.  His 
early  life  had  confirmed  in  him  a  taste  for  rural  life  and 
occupations  that  was  probably  inherited  from  his  fore- 
bears, and  accordingly  he  purchased  a  fine  farm  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Falconer,  N.  Y.,  and  removed  his  home 
there.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  farming 
and  has  brought  his  place  to  the  highest  kind  of  cultiva- 
tion so  that  it  is  already,  under  his  capable  management, 
one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  neighborhood.  Mr.  Gus- 
tafson met  with  a  notable  success  in  his  enterprise  from 
the  outset,  and  is  now  looked  upon  by  his  fellow-towns- 
men as  one  of  the  cleverest  agriculturists  hereabout.  He 
has  developed  large  markets  for  his  products  in  this  re- 
gion, and  does  at  the  present  time  a  very  large  and 
remunerative  business.  Mr.  Gustafson,  although  he  has 
never  taken  an  active  part  in  politics,  nor  had  any  am- 
bition for  public  office,  has  always  been  keenly  interested 
in  public  (|uestions  of  the  day,  both  local  and  national,  and 
has  always  discharged  his  duties  as  a  citizen  to  the  full. 
In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Protestant  and  attends  the 
Swedish  Mission  Church  at  Jamestown,  N.  Y. 

Yiitor  G.  Gustafson  was  united  in  marriage,  Sept.  4, 
18KO,  at  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  with  Jennie  Olive  Anderson, 
born  in  Sweden,  Feb.  27,  1865,  a  daughter  of  Frederick 
and  Mary  (Johnson)  Anderson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gustaf- 
son arc  the  parents  of  fourteen  children,  as  follows : 
Ernest  E'lward,  born  March  7,  1888;  Paul,  born  Dec.  19, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


635 


1889;  Agnes,  born  Nov.  17,  1890,  died  June  11,  1901  ; 
Victor  E.,  born  Oct.  26,  1892;  Jennie,  born  Aug.  4,  1894; 
Arvid,  born  July  21,  1896;  George,  born  Aug.  19,  1898; 
Margaret,  born  Aug.  20.  1900;  Flovia,  born  Aug.  10, 
1902;  Lorena,  born  July  6.  1904;  Milton,  born  July  16, 
1906;  Evelyn,  born  Oct.  6,  1907;  Iva,  born  March  8, 
1909;  Genevieve  Elizabeth,  born  and  died  March  30, 
1911. 

CLAUDE  D.  TRASK— The  Trasks  of  Busti  herein 
recorded  are  descendants  of  the  Trasks  of  Rhode  Island, 
an  ancient  and  prominent  family.  Eben  Trask,  great- 
grandfather of  Claude  D.  Trask,  was  born  in  Rhode 
Island,  Jan.  12,  1754,  and  there  married,  in  Smithfield, 
Huldah  Reed.  In  the  year  1800  he  moved  to  Oneida 
county,  N.  Y.  He  had  a  large  family  of  children,  one 
of  whom,  Elijah,  settled  in  the  town  of  Busti,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  he  the  father  of  Silas  Trask,  and  grand- 
father of  Claude  D.  Trask.  Silas  Trask  was  born  in 
Busti,  and  there  spent  his  life,  a  cooper  by  trade  and  a 
farmer.  He  married  Clarissa  Way,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  Claude  D.  Trask,  now  a  farmer  of  the  town 
of   Busti. 

Claude  D.  Trask  was  born  in  the  village  of  Busti, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  10,  1862,  and  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools.  He  spent  his  youth  on  the 
farm,  but  later  located  in  Jamestown,  where  he  spent 
eighteen  years  of  his  life,  then  returning  to  the  town  of 
his  birth,  where  he  owns  and  cultivates  a  good  farm. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees 
(Jamestown),  and  in  politics   is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Trask  married,  in  Busti,  Dec.  4,  1895,  Mary  A. 
Banks,  born  in  England,  March  14,  1865,  daughter  of 
John  and  Sarah  Banks.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Trask  are  the 
parents  of  a  son.  Alba  B.,  born  Jan.  12,  igoi,  who  re- 
sides at  the  home  farm  with  his  parents. 


AUGUST  HANSON,  who,  with  his  industrious 
sons,  has  successfully  developed  some  good  farming 
property  in  the  Gerry  district  of  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  where  the  family  has  become  prosperous  and  re- 
spected, is  a  native  of  Sweden,  although  he  has  lived  the 
greater  part  of  his  life  in  this  country.  Since  he  came 
to  the  United  States,  and  to  Chautauqua  county,  August 
Hanson  has  had  a  worthy  record  of  honest,  industrious 
and  productive  effort,  and  for  long  has  enjoyed  a  repu- 
tation for  integrity,  both  moral  and  material.  He  has 
raised  a  worthy  family,  and  his  sons  have  indicated  that 
they  possess  much  of  the  commendable  characteristics 
which  have  carried  him,  despite  many  discouragements 
in  early  life,  to  substantial,  financial  competence. 

August  Hanson  was  born  in  Sweden,  Dec.  16,  1852, 
and  as  a  boy  attended  the  public  school  of  his  native 
place.  His  parents  had  a  small  agricultural  holding  in 
Sweden,  and  in  his  early  days  August  used  to  help  till 
the  family  property.  But  as  he  grew  to  manhood  he 
became  possessed  of  a  desire  to  do  as  so  many  other 
young  men  of  his  country  had  done,  and  had  prospered 
by  so  doing,  that  is,  to  emigrate  to  the  new  country  across 
the  seas.  So  many  men  of  Swedish  birth  had  come  to 
America,  and  so  many  had  done  well,  that  it  was  only 
to  be  expected  that  knowledge  of  such  happenings  would 
have  a  very  influential  effect  upon  a  venturesome  young 


man,  whose  home  condition  was  not  what  might  be  con- 
sidered bright.  The  future  in  Sweden  wa^  of  limited 
scope  for  him,  it  appeared,  and  he  was  possessed  of  that 
confident  spirit  which  made  him  feel  that  he  would  do 
well  in  America.  So,  to  America  he  came  in  May,  1871, 
coming  almost  immediately  to  the  Jamestown  district  of 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  had  no  difficulty  in 
finding  employment.  He  married  a  countrywoman, 
Martha  Johnson,  and  reared  as  he  had  been  upon  a  farm 
he  eventually  felt  that  desire  for  farm  life  so  stn;ngly 
that  he  eventually  gave  up  industrial  occupations  and 
purchased  a   farm. 

His  marriage  to  Martha  Johnson  occurred  in  the  First 
Lutheran  Church,  Jamestown,  Oct.  25,  1882.  And  their 
union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  to  them  of  eight 
children,  who  by  name  and  in  the  order  of  their  coming 
were :  Jalmar,  who  lives  with  his  parents,  and  owns  a 
good  farm  adjoining  that  of  his  father;  .Arbay  ;  Eva; 
Ellen  ;  Josephine  ;  Henry  ;  Carol ;  Arthur.  The  farming 
of  the  family  property  in  Chautauqua  county  is  now  done 
mainly  by  the  sons,  who  seek  to  save  their  father  all 
the  heavy  tasks  possible  in  his  declining  years,  and  as  a 
family  they  have  gained  general  esteem  among  their 
neighbors. 

The  Hansons  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church, 
and  since  August  Hanson  first  came  to  America  he  has 
held  membership  in  some  church  of  that  faith.  He  is  an 
earnest  Christian,  and  has  many  times  during  his  life 
indicated  that  he  observes  strictly  and  conscientiously 
the  teachings  of  that  faith.  In  political  allegiance,  he  is 
a  Republican,  but  he  has  not  taken  an  active  part  m  po- 
litical affairs  and  he  has  never  sought,  neither  nas  he 
accepted,  public  office,  although  he  has  manifested  an 
unselfish  interest  in  all  that  makes  for  the  betterment 
of  the  community.  Many  men  of  Swedish  origin  have 
reached  worthy  success  in  Chautauqua  county,  bul  gen- 
erally it  has  been  in  connection  with  some  manufacturing 
enterprise.  The  success  of  August  Hanson,  by  the  hon- 
est, intelligent  tilling  of  the  soil,  is  therefore  all  the  more 
noticeable  and  just  as  commendable. 


AUGUST  A.  ANDERSON— Now  just  in  life's  full 
prime  and  one  of  the  substantia!  farmers  of  the  town  of 
Harmony,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Anderson 
reviews  a  life  which  began  in  Sweden,  March  30,  1863. 
There  he  was  educated,  and  passed  the  first  years  of  his 
life.  He  then  came  to  the  United  States  and  located  in 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  is  now  the  owner 
of  the  acres  he  tills.  The  farm  lies  in  the  town  of  Har- 
mony, and  is  a  well  improved  property,  well  stocked  and 
well  managed.  Mr.  Anderson  is  a  member  of  Panama 
Lodge,  No.  272,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows; 
Panama  Grange,  Patrons  of  Husbandn,-;  is  a  Republican 
in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 

Mr.  Anderson  married,  Oct.  28,  1885,  in  Harmony, 
lona  Pier,  born  May  14,  i8;i6,  daughter  of  Silas  and 
Ellen  (Sackett)  Pier,  of  Harmony,  her  father  a  farmer. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson  are  the  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren :  I.  Dorothea  M.,  born  Nov.  23,  1886;  a  graduate 
nurse;  married  Lieut.  Carroll  Hutchins,  who  entered  the 
military  service  and  went  overseas  during  the  World 
War :  both  are  yet  in  the  employ  of  the  United  Stages 
Government.  2.  Grace  E.,  born  Feb.  12,  18S9;  married 
William  Howes,  and  has  a  son,  William  J.,  and  resides  in 


636 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Xew  Mexico.  3.  Augusta  L.,  born  June  16,  1S91.  4. 
Margerj-  M..  born  Oct.  15,  1893:  married  Alfred  C. 
Davis,  and  has  two  children :  Eva  G.  and  Dorothy ;  this 
family  resides  in  Shanghai,  China,  Mr.  Davis  being  in  the 
export  and  import  business.  5.  Eunice  B.,  born  Oct.  16, 
1S05 :  married  Claude  Cartwright,  and  resides  in  \\  est 
Hoboken,  X.  T.  6.  Christine  O.,  born  Nov.  26,  1900,  died 
while  in  training  at  \V.  C.  A.  Hospital,  Jamestown,  July 
14,  19JO.  ~.  Theodore,  born  March  28,  1905.  8.  Holland 
B..  txrn  April  21,  1910.  The  elder  children  \vere  all 
given  the  advantages  of  education  and  all  are  graduates 
of  high  class  institutions.  The  yoimger  children  are 
receivinc  the  same  advantages. 


ALBERT  ANDERSON— .\mong  the  many  success- 
ful farmers  of  Swedish  origin  in  EUicott  township,  Chiu- 
tauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  none  is  more  prominent  or  highly 
respected  than  Albert  .\nderson,  who  has  been  engaged  in 
agricultural  operations  in  that  region  for  a  number  of 
years.    Mr.  .\nderson  was  born  in  Sweden,  Jan.  24,  (877, 

a  son  of  M.  Andrew  and (.\brahara)   Anderson, 

also  natives  of  that  country.  The  elder  Mr.  .Anderson 
was  also  a  farmer  for  some  eighteen  years,  and  during 
the  remainder  of  his  life  followed  mining  as  an  occupa- 
tion. 

His  son,  Albert  Anderson  of  this  sketch,  came  ti  the 
United  States  as  a  lad  and  here  attended  the  common 
schools  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  obtained  an 
excellent  general  education.  Upon  completing  his  stud- 
ies he  took  up  farming,  and  later  became  the  owner  .if  his 
present  property,  cultivating  the  soil  and  making  a  nota- 
ble success  in  his  chosen  work.  He  has  taken  advant.ige 
of  the  great  agricultural  opportunities  offered  in  the 
region  of  his  adoption,  and  has  grow-n  to  be  one  ot  the 
substantial  citizens  of  the  community.  He  also  takes  a 
keen  and  active  interest  in  the  general  life  of  the  neigh- 
borhood and  keeps  himself  abreast  of  the  questions  of 
the  day.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  has  never 
been  ambitious  nor  sought  for  public  office  of  any  kind. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Home  Protective  Society  and  the 
local  Grange.  Mr.  Anderson  is  a  man  of  strong  religious 
beliefs  and  feelings,  and  is  a  valued  member  of  the  con- 
gregation of  the  Swedish  church  in  Ellicott  township,  as 
arc  also  the  members  of  his  family. 

Albert  .Anderson  was  united  in  marriage,  Nov.  27, 
K)02,  at  Falconer,  N.  Y.,  with  Celia  Nelson,  a  native  of 
Jamestown,  X.  Y.,  born  Oct.  21,  1879,  a  daughter  of  Carl 
.August  and  Jonah  M.  ("Johnson)  Nelson,  the  former  a 
successful  cabinetmaker  of  that  city.  Three  childien 
have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson,  as  follows: 
Mildred  I.  M.,  born  .Aug.  3,  1903;  Albert  Leo  Carious, 
V^rn  Feb.  8,  k/jS;  and  Florence  Lydia  Elaine,  born  July 
30,   19 10, 


WILLIAM  M.  SMITH,  a  farmer  of  Ellington, 
Chautauqua  coimfy,  N.  Y.,  was  born  in  Randolph,  N.  Y., 
March  i*),  18O3,  a  son  of  Royal  and  Charity  CKibby) 
Smith,  who  were  resiK-cttd  residents  of  that  town. 

William  M.  Smith  acromfianied  his  parents  upon  their 
removal  to  the  town  of  Carroll,  N.  Y.,  where  he  at- 
tended the  district  school  for  a  numlx.r  of  years.  Since 
then  he  has  devoted  his  attention  to  farming,  his  opera- 
tions bcinif  conducted  on  a  farm  in  Ellington.  He  has 
always  been  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  Republican  party. 


and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Ellington  Grange,  as  is  also 
his  wife.  On  Nov.  2,  18S3,  at  Frewsburg,  N.  Y.,  Mr. 
Smith  married  Edith  Olson,  daughter  of  Lars  Olson,  a 
respected  resident  of  that  vicinity,  her  mother  having  died 
shortly  after  they  came  to  this  country,  when  Edith  was 
a  young  child.  Four  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Smith,  namely:  i.  Goldie  A.  2.  Myrtle  C.  3. 
Wesley  W.,  born  June  19,  1S93;  he  enlisted  in  the  regu- 
lar army,  Aug.  29,  1917,  as  a  private  in  the  39th  Regiment 
of  Regular  Infantry,  and  spent  one  year  in  France  and 
Germany :  he  was  honorably  discharged.  May  24,  1919.  4. 
Royal  A.,  born  May  2,  1000;  he  enlisted  in  the  regular 
army,  June  25,  1917;  was  transferred  to  the  5th  Ma- 
chine Gun  Battalion,  was  sent  to  France  with  the  Amer- 
ican E.xpeditionary  Forces  in  September,  1917,  was 
wounded  at  Chateau-Thierry,  June  15,  1918,  and  died 
June  20,  1918,  in  Base  Hospital  No.  30,  at  Royan,  France, 
thus  making  the  supreme  sacrifice  for  his  country. 


GEORGE  RHINEHART— .Among  the  younger 
farmers  of  the  town  of  Busti,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
Mr.  Rhinehart  has  gained  honorable  standing  as  a  man 
of  energy  and  ability,  actuated  by  a  worthy  ambition  to 
act  well  his  part  in  the  battle  of  life.  His  farm,  on 
Rural  Delivery  Route  No.  79,  is  well  located  and  under 
his  management  yields  freely  in  return  for  the  labor  ex- 
pended. 

George  Rhinehart  was  born  in  the  town  of  Gerry, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  April  28,  1882.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools,  and  has  been  engaged  in  farm- 
ing for  five  years.  He  moved  to  his  present  farm  in  the 
town  of  Busti,  in  March,  1920,  and  there  conducts  gen- 
eral farming  operations  very  successfully.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry, and  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Rhinehart  married,  Sept.  12,  1905,  Isabclle  Hall, 
born  Dec.  25,  1881,  daughter  of  Frank  and  Elnora  (Car- 
nehan)  Hall,  of  Falconer,  N.  Y.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rhine- 
hart are  the  parents  of  five  children  :  Nathan,  born  June 
I,  1906;  Glen,  born  -Aug.  13.  1908;  Burdette,  born  Jan. 
4,  1912;  Margaret,  born  Jan.  11,  1915;  and  Elnora,  born 
Dec.  9,  1918. 


CARL  R.  NELSON— The  county  of  Chautauqua, 
N.  Y.,  owes  no  small  amount  of  its  material  wealth  and 
prosperity  to  the  thrifty,  hard-working  and  intelligent 
people  of  Sweden,  who  have  settled  here  in  great  num- 
bers and  taken  an  active  and  successful  part  in  many 
different  departments  of  enterprise.  Especially  is  this 
true  in  the  agricultiiral  realm,  in  which  so  many  men  of 
Swedish  birth  or  parentage  have  participated,  their  farms 
in  practically  all  cases  being  models  of  well  kept  and 
highly  cultivated  properties,  a  credit  alike  to  their  owners 
and  to  the  communities  where  they  are  situated.  Such, 
for  example,  is  the  place  of  Carl  R.  Nelson,  of  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.,  who  for  nearly  two  decades  has  operated  a  highly 
successful  dairy  farm  within  the  city  limits,  and  who 
from  small  beginnings  has  worked  his  way  up  to  a 
pejsition  of  high  respect  and  influence  in  his  adopted  city. 
Mr.  Nelson  is  a  son  of  Oscar  and  Amanda  (Erickson) 
Nelson,  of  Sweden,  and  was  born  in  that  country,  Nov. 
4,  1855.  He  came  to  the  United  States  alone  at  the  age 
of  16,  settled  in  Chaiit.'uiqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  re- 
ceived his  erlucalion  at  the  local  country  schools,  attend- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


637 


ing  these  institutions  for  a  number  of  years.  His  father 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  the  lad  learned  agricul- 
tural methods  in  the  school  of  experience,  assisting  the 
elder  man  as  a  member  of  a  hardworking  family,  all  of 
whom  were  expected  to  do  their  share  in  supplying  the 
family  needs.  After  his  schooling  had  been  successfully 
completed,  Mr.  Nelson  continued  to  follow,  farming  as 
his  chosen  calling  and  eventually  engaged  in  it.  In  1910 
he  became  the  owner  of  his  present  fine  property,  which 
he  has  since  consistently  cultivated  and  kept  in  a  higli 
state  of  productivity.  For  two  years  he  devoted  himself 
to  general  farming,  but  in  1904  he  began  to  specialize  in 
dairying,  and  now  (1920)  for  the  past  sixteen  years,  has 
exclusively  concerned  himself  with  that  line.  He  began 
about  the  same  time  to  develop  a  milk  business  in  the 
city  of  Jamestown,  and  in  this  has  met  with  notable  suc- 
cess, having  now  the  largest  milk  route  in  the  place.  His 
enterprise  has  thriven  wonderfully  and  his  success,  which 
is  due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts  and  intelligence,  has 
given  him  a  high  standing  among  the  merchants  of  the 
city.  Mr.  Nelson  is  one  of  those  men  who,  however  suc- 
cessful, never  lose  sight  of  the  interests  of  others  in 
their  own  projects,  and  has  always  maintained  an  inter- 
est in  the  general  welfare  of  the  community  and  in  the 
lives  and  affairs  of  his  fellow-citizens  generally.  He 
takes  part  in  the  social  life  of  Jamestown,  and  is  a  well 
known  figure  in  fraternal  circles,  being  a  valued  member 
of  the  Order  of  Eagles.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican, 
and  he  attends  the  Lutheran  church. 

Carl  R.  Nelson  was  united  in  marriage,  at  Jamestown, 
with  Hannah  E.  Johnson,  a  native  of  Sweden,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Andrew  and  Eva  (Denburg)  Johnson,  who  are 
residents  there  to  this  day.  One  child  has  been  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson,  Charlotte. 


HENRY  THEODORE  PETERS  was  born  in 
South  Dayton,  Cattaraugus  county.  N.  Y.,  Dec.  16,  1866, 
son  of  Theodore  and  Christine  Peters,  his  parents,  born 
in  Germany.  Henry  T.  Peters  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  South  Dayton,  and  after  leaving  school  became 
a  farmer,  being  now  the  owner  of  a  good  farm  in  the 
town  of  Cherry  Creek,  near  the  village  of  Cherry  Creek. 
He  is  an  energetic,  capable  farmer  and  through  his  indus- 
try has  won  success.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  a  Republican  in  politics. 

By  his  first  marriage  l\Ir.  Peters  has  a  son,  Henry 
David  Peters,  who  enlisted  in  the  United  States  Navy, 
July  3,  1918,  and  while  not  on  active  duty,  is  held  on  the 
payroll.  Henry  T.  Peters  married  (second)  Oct,  8,  1910, 
in  Cherry  Creek,  Mrs.  Selma  (Midler)  Stuart,  a  widow, 
born  Oct.  9,  1867,  in  Germany,  daughter  of  Laurence 
and  Regina  (Blnmenstahl)  Miiller.  Mrs.  Peters  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1892,  and  by  her  first  marriage 
has  a  son,  Clinton  Laurence  Stuart,  who  enlisted,  went 
overseas  with  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces,  took 
part  in  nineteen  skirmishes  and  battles,  and  was  honor- 
ably discharged.  May  8,  1920,  with  the  rank  of  corporal. 


youth  in  Ellery,  there  attended  public  school,  and  later 
was  a  student  at  Jamestown  High  School.  He  early 
began  farming  on  his  own  account,  and  is  one  of  the 
prosperous,  substantial  men  of  his  town.  He  is  a  Demo- 
crat in  politics,  but  takes  no  active  part  in  public  afifairs, 
devoting  himself  to  his  private  business  affairs. 

Quincy  O.  Parker  married,  in  Ellery,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  31,  1885,  Mary  Frances  Hale,  born 
in  Ellery,  Dec.  31,  1864,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary 
(Brownell)  Hale,  the  Hales  one  of  the  old  families  of 
the  town  of  Ellery,  and  descendants  of  Robert  Hale,  who 
came  to  Cambridge,  Mass.,  in  1632.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Parker  are  the  parents  of  twelve  children  :  Alton  H.,  born 
April  9,  1887;  Ervin  G.,  born  April  4,  1889;  Carl  Q., 
born  Aug.  25,  1890;  Mary  F.,  born  March  9,  1892;  Earl 
J.,  born  June  15,  1893;  Archie  A.,  born  Dec.  9.  1894; 
Mark  M.,  born  April  30,  1896 ;  Orin  H.,  born  Sept.  24, 
1897;  Wayne,  born  Jan.  24,  1899,  died  May  25,  igoo; 
Claude,  born  April  10,  1900;  Charles  N.,  born  April  9, 
1901  ;  Maude  S.,  born  Sept.  26,  1904. 


CARL  ALBERT  ANDERSON— In  the  year  1894, 
at  the  age  of  seventeen,  Carl  A.  Anderson,  now  a  farmer 
of  the  town  of  Ellicott,  came  to  the  United  States  and 
located  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.  More  that  a  quarter  of  a 
century  has  since  elapsed  and  the  lad  of  seventeen  is 
now  a  successful  dairy  farmer,  a  business  he  operates 
on  Lake  View  Dairy  Farm.  He  is  a  son  of  John  August 
and  Christine  (Peterson)  Anderson,  natives  of  Sweden, 
his  father  a  farmer. 

Carl  A.  Anderson  was  born  in  Sweden,  Nov.  17,  1877, 
and  there  spent  the  first  seventeen  years  of  his  life.  He 
was  educated  in  the  State  schools,  and  was  his  father's 
farm  assistant  until  1894,  when  he  came  to  the  United 
States  and  found  a  home  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.  There 
he  was  engaged  as  a  butcher  for  eight  years,  but  since 
1902  he  has  been  a  farmer,  his  farm  in  Ellicott,  James- 
town, R.  F.  D.  No.  77,  now  being  operated  chiefly  as  a 
dairy,  he  maintaining  a  herd  of  thirty-five  cows.  He  has 
been  very  successful  and  rents  a  well  improved  farm. 
He  is  a  member  of  Lakewood  Lodge,  No.  628,  Indepen- 
dent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  in  religious  faith  affiliated  with  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
church. 

Mr.  Anderson  married,  Aug.  11,  190S,  at  the  Gustavus 
Adolphus  Orphanage,  in  Jamestown,  Jennie  M.  Gus- 
tavus, theirs  the  first  wedding  to  occur  at  the  Orphanage. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson  are  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren: Ruth  Marie,  born  Jan.  12,  1907;  Helen  Alberta, 
born  Aug.  4,  1911;  and  William  Carl  born  Oct.  18, 
1912. 


QUINCY  O.  PARKER  is  one  of  the  prosperous 
farmers  of  the  town  of  Ellery,  Chautauqua  county.  N. 
Y.,  his  father  before  him  a  farmer  of  the  town  of  Ellery, 
where  Quincy  O.  Parker  was  born  Aug.  11,  1859,  son  of 
Aaron   H.   and   Sarah    (Miller)    Parker.     He   spent   his 


WILLIAM  MEE,  who  is  well  known  as  one  of  the 
most  successful  and  prosperous  farmers  in  the  region  of 
Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  is  a  native  of 
Leicestershire,  England,  where  his  birth  occurred  Jan. 
15,  1843.  Mr.  Mee  is  a  son  of  William  and  Ann  (Corah) 
Mec,  the  former  a  prosperous  farmer,  both  in  England 
and  in  Western  New  York,  whither  the  elder  Mr.  Mee 
came  while  yet  a  young  man, 

William  Mee,  of  this  sketch,  passed  only  the  first  few 
years  of  his  life  in  England,  and  was  brought  by  his 
parents  to  the  United  States  while  yet  a  small  boy.     He 


6.^8 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


settled  with  them  in  Chautauqua  county.  N.  Y.,  and  as  a 
lad  attended  the  local  public  schools  in  this  region,  show- 
ing himself  to  be  an  intelligent  and  industrious  student 
while  tliere.  Upon  completing  his  studies  at  these  insti- 
tutions. Mr.  Mee  assisted  for  a  time  his  father  in  the 
■work  upon  the  latter"s  place  and  there  gained  not  only 
a  complete  knowledge  of  modern  agricultural  methods, 
but  the  fine  health  and  strength  which  has  been  his  pos- 
session ever  since.  In  the  year  1883  Mr.  Mee  became 
the  owner  of  a  tine  farm  near  Jamestown,  which  he  has 
since  kept  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  where  he 
raises  stock  for  dairying  purposes,  disposing  of  the  milk 
and  butter  to  the  local  dealers  in  the  region.  Mr.  Mee  is 
also  a  well  known  figure  in  financial  circles  hereabouts, 
and  is  affiliated  with  the  Chautauqua  County  Bank  of 
Jamestown.  In  addition  to  his  private  business  activities, 
Mr.  Mee  is  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  general  life  of  the 
community,  and  is  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  principles 
and  policies  of  the  Republican  party.  In  his  religious 
belief  he  is  a  Methodist  and  attends  the  Wesleyan  Metho- 
dist  Church   at  Levant. 

William  Mee  was  united  in  marriage,  .\pril  11,  1875, 
at  Levant,  N.  Y.,  with  Josephine  Kent,  a  native  of  that 
place,  born  June  22,  1S53,  a  daughter  of  Ira  W.  and  Lucy 
Ann  (Xeate)  Kent,  old  and  highly  respected  residents 
there.  Mrs.  Mee's  death  occurred  April  19,  1919.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Mee  were  the  parents  of  si.x  children,  as  fol- 
lows:  .^nna,  born.  May  3,  1879;  William  W.,  born  Sept. 
23,  1883:  Thomas  W.,  born  May  21,  1887,  met  his  death 
in  an  accident,  Sept.  30,  1890;  Clarence  R.,  born  June  30, 
1889:  Raymond,  born  Jan.  15,  1894;  and  Mary  A.,  born 
April  II,  1898. 


PHILIPP  ALBERT  MENGES— During  the 
period  .\Isace-Lorraine  was  under  German  sovereignty 
anr|  rule,  Mr.  Menges  was  born,  his  father,  Henry  Menges, 
and  his  mother,  Salome  (King)  Menges,  also  being  na- 
tives of  .■\lsace-Lorraine,  now  restored  as  a  result  of  the 
World  War  to  its  right  place  among  the  provinces  of 
France.  Mr.  Menges  was  a  man  of  twenty-four  when 
he  came  to  the  United  States,  and  here  he  has  proved  to 
be  a  man  of  industry  and  versatile  ability.  His  wife, 
Angeline  (Carpenter-Leonard)  Menges,  is  a  grand- 
daughter of  Morrison  Carpenter,  the  Carpenters  being 
early  settlers  of  the  town  of  Harmony,  Chautauqua 
county.  Josiah  Carpenter,  from  Rensselaer  county,  N. 
Y.,  purchased  in  1808  about  1,000  acres  in  township  i, 
range  12,  southwest  of  Ashville.  In  181 1  he  located  on 
his  purchase  and  built  his  log  cabin,  his  sons  also  select- 
ing sites  on  the  same  tract. 

Henry  Menges,  born  in  .Alsace-Lorraine,  served  his 
time  in  the  French  army,  alter  which  Alsace-Lorraine 
became  a  German  province.  He  then  served  the  re- 
quired years  in  the  German  army  as  an  infantryman, 
after  which  he  held  a  position  under  the  government  as 
road  su7>erintcndent  for  fifty  years.  He  married  a  girl  of 
the  province,  Salome  King,  and  in  Alsace-Lorraine  their 
son,  Philipp  A.,  was  born.  This  son  came  to  the  United 
Staffs  and  later  found  a  home  in  Chautauqua  coimty, 
N.  Y. 

Philii»f)  .Mbtrt  Menges  was  born  in  Alsace-Lorraine, 
Aug.  27.  iWi.  He  obtained  a  good  common  srhool  edu- 
cation in  the  German  schvils  of  the  province.  lb-  thi-n 
traveled  through  different  states  of  Europe,  then   sirved 


in  the  scouting  cavalry  for  three  years  and  became  a 
colonel.  In  1912  he  came  to  the  United  States.  He  in- 
vestigated the  resources  of  different  States  and  was  em- 
ployed in  varj-ing  ways.  He  finally  chose  farming  as  his 
occupation,  and  is  one  of  the  prosperous  young  farmers 
of  the  town  of  North  Harmony.  He  cultivates  a  farm 
of  117  acres,  once  owned  by  Orange  C.  Leonard,  who 
died  Nov.  18,  1914,  leaving  a  widow,  who  is  now  Mrs. 
Philipp  Albert  Menges.  Mr.  Menges  is  a  general  farmer, 
but  specializes  in  live  stock,  having  a  fine  herd  of  regis- 
tered .Ayrshire  cattle.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons 
of  Husbandry,  attends  the  Seventh  Day  services,  and  in 
politics  is  an  independent. 

Mr.  Menges  married,  in  the  village  of  Panama,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  19,  1918,  Angeline  (Carpen- 
ter) Leonard,  born  in  Harmony,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  16,  1876, 
daughter  of  Herbert  and  Eliza  Ann  (Jennings)  Carpen- 
ter, and  widow  of  Orange  C.  Leonard. 


ANDREW     JACKSON     McMILLAN— In     1902 

Andrew  J.  McMillan  bought  the  farm  property  on  Fair- 
mount  avenue,  town  of  Ellicott,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  and  there  lived  the  life  of  a  contented,  substantial, 
retired  farmer.  He  is  a  son  of  John  L.  and  Pamela  (Van 
Duscn)  McMillan,  his  father  born  in  Warren  county, 
N.  Y.,  but  later  was  a  farmer  of  Poland,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.   Y. 

Andrew  J.  McMillan  was  born  in  the  town  of  Poland, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  April  28,  1845,  and  from  the 
time  of  his  leaving  school  until  his  retirement,  was  con- 
tinuously engaged  in  farming.  He  was  successful  in 
his  farming  operations,  and  the  tract  he  bought  in  the 
town  of  Ellicott  in  1902  he  greatly  improved.  His  post- 
office  address  is  Jamestown,  R.  F.  D.  No.  77,  his  home 
on  Fairmount  avenue  outside  the  city  limits.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  and  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry.  Mr. 
McMillan  married  (second)  April  16,  1913,  Emma  L. 
Morey.  born  Feb.  6,  1861,  in  the  town  of  Harmony, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  Emerson  Wood 
and  Sarah  Ann  (.Adams)  Morey,  her  father  a  farmer 
of  Harmony,  N.  Y. 


ANDREW  W.  BENSON,  a  prosperous  farmer  and 
land  owner  of  the  town  of  Ellicott,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  was  born  in  Sweden,  Feb.  3,  1854,  son  of  Bentz 
Benson  and  his  wife,  Inga  Cajsa  (Olson)   Benson. 

He  was  educated  in  Swedish  schools,  and  all  his  active 
years  have  been  devoted  to  farming.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1873,  and  made  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  his  home.  He  owns  his  farm  in  the  town  of  Ellicott, 
and  has  won  an  honorable  name  and  standing  among  his 
neighbors  of  the  town.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and  of  the  First 
Lutheran  Church  of  Jamestown. 

Mr.  Benson  married,  in  Jamestown,  Dec.  31,  1878, 
Christine  Lyon,  born  in  Sweden,  Dec.  26,  1847,  daughter 
of  .Svcn  Isaac  and  licrtha  (Peterson)  Lyon,  both  born 
in  Sweden.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benson  are  the  parents  of  two 
d.-iughters  and  one  son :  Anna  Matilda,  born  May  2, 
iKKo;  Minnie  I'.lizabelh,  born  Ajiril  23,  1882;  and  Oscar 
iMnil,  bt,rn  March  14,  1885.  Anna  Matilda,  the  eldest 
daughter,  married  Van  Curt  Eggleston,  and  they  are  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


639 


parents  of  six  children  :  Edward,  Helen,  Caroline,  Alice, 
Robert  and  Mahlon.  Minnie  Elizabeth,  second  daughter, 
married  Lambert  Cornelius  Wimmermark.  Oscar  Emil, 
only  son,  married  Florence  C.  Carlson ;  one  daughter 
born  to  this  union,  Virginia  Clarice. 


CHARLES  A.  PETERSON— When  twenty  years 
of  age,  Mr.  Peterson,  a  skilled  art  metal  worker,  came 
from  his  native  Sweden  to  the  LTnited  States,  finding 
home  arid  employment  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.  Thirty-seven 
years  have  since  elapsed,  years  of  successful  effort,  which 
have  brought  him  substantial  return.  Jamestown  is  yet 
his  place  of  business,  but  his  residence,  built  by  himself 
in  1917,  is  on  Chadokoin  avenue,  Celoron.  He  is  a  son 
of  Peter  and  Sophia  (.'Vnderson)  Peterson,  both  born  in 
Sweden. 

Charles  A.  Peterson  was  born  in  Sweden,  Oct.  i,  1863, 
there  passed  the  first  twenty  years  of  his  life,  and  ob- 
tained a  good  public  school  education.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  July  4,  1883,  and  located  in  Jamestown, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  there  becoming  a  skilled  art 
metal  worker,  a  line  of  activity  which  he  yet  continues. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church,  and  in 
politics  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Peterson  married.  July  6,  1883.  in  Busti,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  Ida  Josephine  Swanson,  born  in  Swe- 
den, Feb.  15,  1861,  daughter  of  Svan  B.  and  Sophia 
(Nichols)  Swanson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peterson  are  the 
parents  of  six  children :  Selma  M.,  Carl  E.,  Henry,  Gust 
Waldemar,  Lily  Sophia  Victoria,  and  Nada  I.  M. 


CHARLES  W.  ANDERSON,  now  a  farmer  of  the 
town  of  Busti,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  was  born  in 
Sweden,  Jan.  13,  1866,  a  son  of  Charles  Carroll  and  Bet- 
tie  Anderson,  of  Sweden.  He  spent  the  first  seventeen 
years  of  his  life  there.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1883,  and  until  1888  was  located  in  the  town  of  Ellery, 
Chautauqua  county,  where  he  engaged  in  farming.  He 
then  spent  two  and  one-half  years  in  the  same  business 
in  the  town  of  Kiantone,  going  thence  to  Jamestown, 
that  city  being  his  home  until  1908,  when  he  bought  and 
moved  to  his  present  farm  in  Busti.  He  is  a  Republican 
in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church 
and  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry. 

Charles  W.  Anderson  married  (first)  Sept.  22,  1892, 
Edith  Welhelmina  Bergstrom,  daughter  of  John  Berg- 
strom  and  his  wife,  both  born  in  the  United  States.  She 
was  born  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  6,  1873,  and  died 
Dec.  24,  1904.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson  were  the  parents 
of  two  children  :  Irene  V.,  born  Feb.  29,  iSg"^,  and  Cora- 
lyn  W.,  born  Jan.  28,  1901.  Charles  W.  Anderson  mar- 
ried (second)  in  Jamestown,  Dec.  21,  1912,  Anna  L. 
Hector,  born  May  31,  1881,  in  Sweden,  daughter  of  John 
and  Charlotte  S.  (Carlson)  Hector,  both  born  in  Sweden. 
John  Hector  came  to  the  United  States  in  1891  and  set- 
tled in  Sheffield,  Pa. 


FRANK  LORD,  one  of  the  most  energetic  and  suc- 
cessful citizens  of  Ellicott  township,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  is  engaged  in  farming  and  threshing 
operations,  was  born  in  that  place,  April  11,  1890.  His 
grandfather,  Richard  Lee,  was  one  of  the  early  residents 
of  this  region,  and  married  Sarah  Harrington,  of  Dun- 


kirk, N.  Y.  At  the  death  of  Richard  Lee  she  married 
Joseph  Pratt,  whom  she  also  survived,  and  is  still  resid- 
ing at  the  old  Lee  homestead  in  Ellicott  township.  Mr. 
Lord's  parents  were  Samuel  and  Agnes  (Lee)  Lord,  both 
natives  of  this  region,  where  the  former  carried  on  agri- 
cultural operations   for  many  years. 

The  childhood  of  Frank  Lord  was  passed  on  his  fa- 
ther's farm  in  Ellicott  township,  and  he  there  learned  the 
occupation  of  his  father  and  attended  the  local  common 
schools.  Upon  reaching  manhood  he  took  up  farming 
for  himself,  and  his  farm  he  has  always  kept  at  a  high 
state  of  productiveness.  While  never  taking  an  active 
part  in  local  politics  and  never  seeking  public  office  of 
any  kind,  Mr.  Lord  is  keenly  and  intelligently  interested 
in  the  questions  of  the  day  and  is  a  staunch  supporter  of 
the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church  at  Fluvanna,  which  he  attends  with  the  members 
of  his  family. 

Frank  Lord  was  united  in  marriage,  Feb.  10,  1909,  at 
Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  with  Jennie  Bottomley,  of  that  city ; 
she  was  born  at  Niles,  Ohio,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Sarah   (Stubbs)   Bottomley,  both  natives  of  England. 


AUGUST  J.  LAWSON— A  half  century  ago  (1870) 
this  branch  of  the  Lawson  family  came  from  Sweden  and 
found  a  home  in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Nelse  P. 
Lawson,  a  native  of  Sweden,  a  farmer,  and  his  wife, 
Minnie  (Carlson)  Lawson,  coming  with  their  little 
daughter,  Sophie,  and  infant  son,  August  J.,  in  that  year, 
locating  in  the  town  of  Busti. 

August  J.  Lawson  was  born  in  Sweden,  June  20,  1869, 
and  died  at  Lakewood,  town  of  Busti,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  Dec.  16,  1919.  He  never  knew  any  other  home 
than  a  Chautauqua  county  farm,  and  he  received  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  Busti.  He  early  began  the 
business  to  which  he  devoted  his  after  life,  that  of  farm- 
ing. He  prospered  as  the  result  of  energy  and  applica- 
tion, and  became  the  owner  of  a  good  farm  in  section  23, 
town  of  Busti,  upon  which  he  resided  until  about  a  year 
before  his  death,  when  he  bought  a  fine  residence  at  Lake- 
wood.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
church,  and  a  man  thoroughly  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him. 

August  J.  Lawson  married,  in  Ashville,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  27,  1899,  Velma  Ecker,  born  July 
II,  1881,  in  the  town  of  Harmony,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of 
Delos  B.  and  Alice  (Tanner)  Ecker,  granddaughter  of 
Reuben  Ecker,  and  great-granddaughter  of  Peter  Ecker, 
who  in  1831  settled  on  the  farm  in  Harmony  now  owned 
by  his  grandson,  Delos  B.  Ecker,  who  there  resides 
(1920).  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lawson  were  the  parents  of  two 
sons:  Donald  E.,  born  Aug.  25,  1902,  and  Robert  D., 
born  Aug.  21,  1905.  Mrs.  Lawson  survives  her  husband, 
and  with  her  sons  now  lives  at  Lakewood. 


ERNEST  J.  HANSON— .\s  the  owner  of  225  acres 
of  good  farm  land  in  section  30,  town  of  Harmony, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y..  Mr.  Hanson  finds  that  time 
does  not  hang  heaxy  on  his  hands.  He  employs  on  his 
farm  all  modern  aids  and  labor-saving  devices,  even  to 
the  newly  introduced  tractor  which  does  the  work  of 
several  men  and  horses.  By  such  methods,  Mr.  Hanson 
has  been  enabled  to  keep  his  farm  cultivated,  the  scarcity 


640 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


of  labor  being  largely  overcome  by  mechanical  aids.  He 
is  of  Swedish  birtli  and  parentage,  son  of  Benght  and 
Anna  iSwenson")  Hanson. 

Ernest  J.  Hanson  was  born  in  Sweden.  July  5.  1SS4, 
but  since  1002  has  been  a  resident  of  Chautauqua  county, 
K.  Y.  He  was  educated  in  public  schools,  and  from  his 
father,  a  farmer,  he  gained  an  intimate  knowledge  of  cor- 
rect fanning  methods.  He  purchased  his  present  farm 
in  Harmony,  and  in  1918  purchased  an  adjoining  prop- 
erty, the  two  farms  now  totaling  225  acres,  devoted  to 
general  farming  purposes.  He  is  also  road  commissioner 
for  his  district,  and  is  highly  respected  in  his  community. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  a  com- 
municant of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  po- 
litically a  Republican. 

Mr.  Hanson  married,  in  Stedman,  N.  Y.,  July  17, 
1006.  Ruth  Rachel  Dickson,  born  Sept.  10.  1885,  at  Open 
Meadows,  town  of  Harmony,  X.  Y.,  daughter  of  Harvey 
and  Aurilla  (Matson")  Dickson,  her  father  born  in  Ver- 
mont, her  mother  in  Ashville.  N.  Y.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hanson  are  the  parents  of  six  children  :  Garda  D.,  born 
July  27,  1907 :  Mary  J.,  born  July  6,  1908 ;  Aurilla  Anna, 
boni  Aug.  6,  1910:  Hilda  E..  bom  May  11.  1912;  Mabel 
D.,  bom  June  11,  191.4:  Elwood  J.,  born  June  2,  1918. 


SUMNER  M.  HAZZARD— In  1898  Mr.  Hazzard, 
then  a  young  man  of  twenty-seven  years,  bought  the  farm 
in  the  town  of  Busti,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  on  which 
he  yet  resides.  The  years  have  brought  him  prosperity, 
and  the  farm  with  its  modern  buildings  and  improve- 
ments show  the  careful,  energetic  and  progressive  na- 
ture of  its  owner.  Sumner  M.  Hazzard  is  a  son  of  Cyrus 
and  Jane  (Hurd)  Hazzard,  his  father  a  farmer,  who  at 
the  time  of  the  birth  of  his  son  Sumner  M,  was  living 
in  .-Mlegany  count}',  N.  Y. 

Sumner  M.  Hazzard  was  born  April  10,  1871,  and  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools.  He  early  became  his 
father's  assistant,  and  when  he  finally  left  home  he  was 
well  informed  in  practical  farming.  In  1898  he  mar- 
ried and  brought  his  bride  to  his  newly  purchased  farm 
in  the  town  of  Busti.  section  ^S-  There  he  yet  resides,  a 
substantial  farmer  and  honored  citizen.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry, 
and  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Hazzard  married,  in  Busti,  June  15,  1898,  Nellie 
M.  Brookmyer,  born  Nov.  24,  1875.  in  Busti,  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  Mary  CRutherford )  Brookmyer,  her  father 
Ixirn  in  Scotland,  her  mother  in  Belfast,  Ireland.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hazzard  are  the  parents  of  four  children: 
.Ariel,  born  Jan.  14,  1900;  Harold,  born  July  31,  1904; 
Donald,  lK;rn  Sent.  14,  1910;  and  Robert,  born  Nov.  28, 
191-. 


MRS.  ATTILLA  FITCH— .\mong  those  who  have 
lx,".-!i  successfully  engaged  in  agricultural  activities  in 
the  !ieighb<-<rhood  of  Westfield,  Chautauqua  county,  N,  Y., 
should  be  mentioned  Mrs.  Attilla  Fitch,  a  well  known  and 
prominent  resident  of  this  place  who  occupies  a  high 
place  in  the  respect  and  esteem  of  the  entire  community. 
Mrs.  Fitrh  is  a  daughter  of  Ira  and  Laura  TKnapiO 
Button,  old  and  highly  rcsperted  residents  of  Westfield, 
where  the  former  conducted  the  first  inn  in  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y,,  also  engaged  in  farming  during  the 
generation  just  past. 


Mrs.  Fitch  was  horn  Nov.  26.  1849,  at  Westfield,  and 
as  a  child  attended  the  local  public  schools,  where  she 
obtained  her  education.  She  graduated  from  the  West- 
field  Academy  with  the  class  of  1868,  and  later  in  life 
took  up  the  occupation  of  farming  on  a  place  in  the 
neighborhood,  of  which  she  became  the  owner  in  the 
year  1S72,  meeting  with  success.  Mrs.  Fitch  now  dis- 
poses of  her  produce  in  the  local  markets,  and  has  de- 
veloped a  large  and  remunerative  business  in  this  line. 
In  addition  to  her  agricultural  activities,  Mrs.  Fitch  is 
prominent  in  the  social  and  club  life  of  Westfield  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Monday  Club  and  the  Literary  Society 
of  Westfield.  In  religious  belief  she  is  a  Methodist  and 
attends  the  church  of  that  denomination  here. 

Mrs.  Fitch  was  united  in  marriage,  Dec.  16,  1869,  with 
Joseph  Fitch,  a  son  of  Turner  and  Electa  (Clark)  Fitch, 
who  are  well  known  in  tliese  parts. 


OTTO  F.  JOHNSON— Born  on  a  farm  in  far- 
away Sweden,  son  of  John  ^I.  and  Caroline  (.'\nderson) 
Johnson,  and  reared  to  farm  labor,  Otto  F.  Johnson,  in 
his  youth  came  to  the  United  States,  and  is  now  a  farmer 
of  the  town  of  Ellicott,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  By 
industry  and  thrift,  Mr.  Johnson  has  made  a  home  for 
himself,  and  owns  the  small  farm  he  cultivates  and  causes 
to  bountifully  produce.  Otto  F.  Johnson  was  born  in 
Sweden,  May  20,  1885.  and  there  obtained  his  education. 
He  came  to  the  United  States  in  1905,  and  has  since  that 
year  worked  at  his  trade  of  cabinetmaker  and  engaged  in 
farming.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry, 
and  of  the  Swedish  Mission  church.  Mr.  Johnson  mar- 
ried, in  Jamestown,  July  6,  1916,  Albertina  Hansen,  born 
in  Sweden,  .'\pril  27,  1888,  daughter  of  Swan  S.  and 
Johanna  (Zakow)  Hansen.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  are 
the  parents  of  two  children :  Dorothy  June,  born  June  3, 
1017;  and  Vivian  E.,  born  April  10,  1919. 


FRED  FAY— Among  the  citizens  of  Brocton,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  should  be  mentioned  Fred  Fay, 
who  has  resided  in  the  region  of  this  town  for  many 
years  and  is  an  influential  member  of  the  community. 
Mr.  Fay  is  a  member  of  an  old  and  highly  respected 
family  which  has  resided  in  these  parts  during  a  long 
period,  and  is  a  grandson  of  Nathaniel  Fay,  who  came 
to  Portland  in  the  spring  of  1806,  in  company  with  his 
brother  Elisha.  He  was  a  son  of  Nathaniel  Fay,  Sr.,  of 
Wcstboro,  Mass.,  and  was  born  at  that  place,  Jan.  25, 
1785.  Upon  coming  to  Chautauqua  county,  he  purchased 
a  farm  of  200  acres,  Jime  10,  1810,  a  portion  of  which 
is  still  in  the  possession  of  his  grandson.  He  married, 
July  17,  1816,  Lydia  Barnes,  a  daughter  of  Calvin 
Barnes,  one  of  the  early  residents  of  Portland,  and  the 
young  couple  took  possession  of  a  log  cabin  built  by  Na- 
thaniel Fay  and  completed  Dec.  23,  1816.  He  was  a  man 
who  stood  high  in  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-townsmen,  and 
was  noted  for  his  integrity  and  fair  dealing  to  such  an 
extent  that  he  was  elected  to  a  number  of  public  offices, 
including  that  of  supervisor.  He  took  part  in  the  War 
of  1812  and  was  present  at  the  battles  of  Black  Rock 
and  BulTalo.  By  occupation  he  was  a  farmer.  He  was 
a  staunch  member  of  the  Universalist  church.  In  early 
lif<-  he  was  afliliafed  with  the  Democratic  party  but  later, 
at  the  time  of  its  organization,  he  joined  the  Republican 
ranks.     His  death  occurred  May   15,   1853,  and  that  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


641 


his  wife,  Sept.  4,  1872.  One  of  their  children  was  Frank- 
lin Fay,  the  father  of  the  Mr.  Fay  of  this  sketch,  who 
was  born  June  4,  1820,  and  married  Catherine  Bowdish, 
by  whom  he  had  four  children,  as  follows :  Kitty,  who 
became  Mrs.  E.  N.  Ecker,  of  Brocton ;  Frank,  born  Oct. 
13,  1858 ;  Fred,  mentioned  below ;  and  Carl. 

Fred  Fay  was  born  at  Brocton,  N.  Y.,  where  his  par- 
ents were  residing,  Feb.  19,  1861,  and  as  a  lad  attended 
the  local  public  schools.  Upon  completing  his  studies  he 
assisted  his  father  with  the  work  upon  the  latter's  farm, 
and  since  that  time  has  been  continually  engaged  in  this 
occupation  and  has  made  his  home  on  the  old  family 
homestead,  in  a  dwelling  which  superseded  the  original 
log  cabin  and  was  built  in  the  year  1841. 


FLETCHER  J.  HALLADAY,  an  enterprising  and 
successful  farmer,  representative  of  the  younger  genera- 
tion of  Chautauqua  county  agriculturists,  is  the  owner 
of  a  good  farming  property  in  Ellicott  township,  and 
since  his  marriage  has  applied  himself  with  praiseworthy 
steadiness  and  productive  energy  to  well-directed  farm- 
ing, in  which  many  modern  methods  have  place.  He  is 
keenly  interested  in  all  things  appertaining  to  agriculture, 
and  gives  close  attention  to  all  developments  of  scientific 
farming. 

He  was  born  in  Ellicott  township,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  Feb.  6,  1888,  one  of  the  three  children  of  Alonzo 
and  Margaret  A.  (Northup)  Halladay.  The  others  of 
his  generation  of  the  Halladay  family  are  his  sisters, 
Mabel  L.  and  Florence  L.  His  father,  Alonzo  Halladay, 
was  a  farmer,  long  associated  with  Ellicott  township, 
having  held  the  office  of  town  supervisor  and  also  county 
superintendent  of  the  poor,  and  his  mother  was  of  a 
Busti  family,  so  that  he  comes  of  two  good  Chautauqua 
county  families.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  also  of  the  local  Grange.  He 
was  well  educated,  passing  through  the  graded  schools 
and  graduating  from  the  Jamestown  High  School,  and 
later  taking  an  agricultural  course  at  Cornell  University. 
Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  but  up  to  the  present  has 
not  manifested  any  keen  desire  to  enter  actively  into 
political  matters,  at  least,  those  of  national  scope.  He 
naturally  follows  with  interest  the  local  public  move- 
ments, and  in  communitj'  social  affairs  he  and  his  wife 
take  good  part. 

Mr.  Halladay  was  married,  in  Ellicott,  June  26,  1912, 
to  Sarah  A.  Neate,  daughter  of  Menzo  W.  and  Blanche 
W.  (Ames)  Neate.  She  was  born  July  7,  1887,  and  has 
become  the  mother  of  the  following  children  :  Fletcher 
J.,  Jr.,  born  Sept.  27,  1914;  Jane,  born  Feb.  18,  1916; 
Marian  L.,  born  June  14,  1919.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Halladay 
are  unselfish,  public-spirited,  neighborly  and  well-liked 
members  of  the  community,  and  attend  the  Methodist 
church. 


CHARLES  P.  JONES,  son  of  John  and  Caroline 
Jones,  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Sweden,  Sept.  17,  1859,  and 
there  was  educated.  After  coming  to  the  United  States 
he  settled  in  the  town  of  Busti,  and  yet  resides  upon  his 
farm  in  section  62.  He  is  a  member  of  Busti  Grange, 
Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and  the  First  Lutheran  Church, 
his  political  faith.  Republican. 

Charles  P.  Jones  married,  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  March 
Chau-41 


18,  1886,  Christine  Staflund,  born  in  Sweden,  May  17, 
1858,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Caroline  Staflund.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Jones  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Alice  Lillian, 
born  Aug.  24,  1890,  and  a  son,  Frank  W.,  born  March 
20,  1894,  a-  veteran  of  the  World  War ;  he  entered  the 
United  States  army,  Sept.  2^,  1917,  and  after  training, 
was  sent  overseas,  where  he  served  at  the  front  with  the 
American  E.xpeditionary  Forces,  being  in  the  front  line 
trenches  during  three  periods  of  hard  service;  he  was  in 
France  one  year  and  in  the  United  States  service  twenty 
months,  receiving  honorable  discharge ;  he  resides  at  the 
home  farm  in  Busti  with  his  parents. 


FRANK  JAMES  HARTER— Born  in  the  town  of 
Harmony,  Mr.  Harter  later  became  a  resident  of  Busti, 
and  in  that  town  the  farm  which  he  owns  and  cultivates 
is  situated.  Frank  J.  Harter  is  a  son  of  James  Perkins 
and  Emmeline  (Hawkins)  Harter,  his  father  born  in 
Ilion,  N.  Y.,  his  mother  in  Harmony. 

The  years  have  brought  Mr.  Harter  a  reward  for  his 
energy  and  persevering  effort,  and  he  is  one  of  the 
respected  men  of  his  section. 

Frank  J.  Harter  was  born  in  the  town  of  Harmony, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  July  20,  1854.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools,  and  became  his  father's  assist- 
ant at  an  early  age.  Later  he  became  a  farmer  and  is 
now  the  owner  of  a  farm  in  section  10,  town  of  Busti. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  member  of  the  Patrons 
of   Husbandry,  and  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

He  married,  in  Busti,  Nov.  26,  1879,  Abby  Jane  Gould- 
ing,  born  in  the  town  of  Villenova,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  Oct.  29,  1855,  daughter  of  Homer  and  Nancy  Ann 
(Lucas)  Goulding.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harter  are  the  par- 
ents of  a  daughter,  Hattie  Ann,  born  July  28,  1882,  mar- 
ried, in  Frewsburg,  N.  Y.,  May  30,  1906,  to  Ralph  North- 
rop, and  they  have  two  children :  Norman  Harter  and 
Marion  Florence  Northrop. 


LESLIE     ADDISON     FARNHAM— Among    the 

many  successful  agriculturists  of  Ripley  and  vicinity, 
N.  Y.,  none  is  more  prosperous  than  Leslie  A.  Farnham, 
who,  although  not  a  native  of  that  State,  has  resided  there 
for  the  greater  part  of  his  life,  his  parents  removing 
there  when  he  was  a  young  child.  He  was  born  in  Wi- 
nona, Minn.,  Dec.  23,  1887,  a  son  of  Archolcs  Kenny 
and  Lura  Eloda  (Kelly)  Farnham,  the  former  named 
having  been  a  carpenter  and  wagonmaker  by  trade,  and 
a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  having  served  during  the 
entire  period  of  that  conflict,  four  years. 

Leslie  A.  Farnham  attended  the  district  schools  of 
Portland  township,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  whither 
his  parents  removed  from  Minnesota,  and  his  entire  ac- 
tive career  has  been  devoted  to  farming.  .\t  first  his 
operations  were  conducted  on  farms  which  he  rented,  but 
in  1916  he  became  the  owner  of  the  farm  on  which  he 
is  now  living,  which  comprises  ninety-two  acres,  fifty 
of  which  are  under  cultivation,  five  acres  being  planted 
with  grapes,  making  a  promising  vineyard,  the  remainder 
being  pasture  and  woodland.  His  stock  consists  of  fine 
specimens  of  cows,  hogs,  horses  and  chickens.  His 
church  affiliation  is  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  denomi- 
nation, and  his  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Re- 
publican party. 


642 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Mr.  Famham  married,  in  Ripley.  N.  Y.,  March  18, 
1012.  .luva  May  Lanphere,  daughter  of  Howard  Vernon 
and  Sarah  Jane  (Meeder')  Lanphere.  Five  children  have 
been  bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Farnham,  as  follows  :  Lau- 
rence Everett,  horn  Nov.  30,  1913;  Thelraa  May,  born 
April  10.  1916;  Forest  Edward  and  Noris  Edwin,  twins, 
bom  Aug.  J3,  lOiS:  and  Merie  .\gnes,  born  March  17, 
I  ceo. 


1901  ;  Arthur  H.,  born  Tan.  29,  1903;  Theodore  W.,  born 
July  5,  1905;  .Mabel  E.,  born  July  26,  1907;  Donald  E., 
born  March  i.  1910;  Mildred  D.,  born  .^pril  22,  1912; 
and  Kenneth  C,  born  Oct.  13,  1915. 


FREDERICK  NELSON  is  one  of  the  men  of 
Swedish  birth  who  found  opportunities  for  advanceinent 
in  Chautauqua,  which  they  improved,  and  under  Amer- 
ican conditions  have  gained  position  and  influence  in  the 
communitj-  in  which  they  settled.  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
was  the  city  where  his  widowed  mother,  Clara  Caroline 
Nelson,  settled  upon  coming  to  the  United  States  in  1880, 
Frederick  Nelson  being  then  si.x  years  old. 

Frederick  Nelson  was  bom  in  Sweden,  June  28,  1874. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and 
in  course  of  time  entered  the  worsted  mills,  where  he  is 
yet  (1920)  employed  as  a  warper.  He  early  began  in- 
vesting his  savings  in  land,  and  on  Aug.  20,  1906,  com- 
pleted and  moved  into  his  own  house  on  Maple  street, 
Celoron,  N.  Y.,  a  fine  property,  standing  on  one  of  the 
many  lots  he  owns  on  that  street.  He  is  a  member  of 
Ellicott  Lodge,  No.  221,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, of  Jamestown  ;  is  a  past  noble  grand  of  same  and  a 
past  chief  patriarch  of  Chautauqua  Encampment,  No. 
54,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows ;  a  Republican  in 
politics,  and  affiliated  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church. 

Mr.  Nelson  married,  Dec.  24,  1897,  Elizabeth  Catherine 
Luce,  born  May  5,  1876,  in  Saegerstown,  Pa.,  daughter  of 
Cyrus  De  Long  and  Jeannette  (Payne)  Luce,  her  father 
born  in  Tidioute.  Pa.,  her  mother  born  in  Crawford 
county.  Pa.  To  them  one  daughter  has  been  born,  Bea- 
trice Catherine,  born  June   10,   1899. 


PETER  KOFOD— Reared  to  a  life  out-of-doors 
Mr.  Kofod,  on  coming  to  the  United  States,  continued 
the  same  line  of  work  which  he  had  followed  in  Den- 
mark, and  after  seventeen  years  of  life  on  another  man's 
farm,  he  moved  to  his  present  home,  one  of  the  good 
farm.s  of  the  town  of  Harmony,  which  he  first  occupied 
in  1913.  Peter  Kofod  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Julia 
^Hanson)  Kofod,  both  natives  of  Denmark,  the  father  a 
farmer. 

Peter  Kofod  was  born  in  Denmark,  Dec.  29,  1866,  and 
there  was  educated  and  taught  the  secret  of  successful 
dairy  farming.  Upon  coming  to  the  United  States  he 
.settled  in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  becoming  a  farmer 
of  the  town  of  Harmony  in  the  Ashville  district.  In 
1903  he  bought  his  present  farm,  but  did  not  occupy  it 
himself  until  19 13.  Since  that  time  he  has  operated  his 
farm  as  a  dairying  enterprise  and  has  been  very  success- 
ful. He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry. 

Mr.  Koi'A  married,  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  28, 
189^1,  his  cousin,  Anna  Kofod,  born  in  Denmark,  May 
4,  1877,  daughter  of  Hans  and  Olcna  CHanson)  Kofod. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kof'ifl  are  the  parents  of  nine  children: 
Karl  Harold,  born  March  23,  1897;  Agnes,  born  April 
ta,  iJV/),  married  Philip  Simmes,  and  resides  in  Ashville, 
Chautauqua  county,   N.   Y.;   Ella   M.,   born    March   31, 


CHARLES  EDWARD  NOLAN— One  of  the  most 
progressive  and  scientific  of  the  younger  farmers  of 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  is  Charles  Edward  Nolan, 
born  April  7,  1881. 

Mr.  Nolan  attended  the  local  public  schools  as  a  lad 
and  later  the  high  school,  where  he  established  an  ex- 
cellent record  as  an  industrious  and  intelligent  scholar. 
Upon  completing  his  studies  at  the  latter  institution,  Mr. 
Nolan  took  up  farming  as  an  occupation  and  became  the 
possessor  of  his  present  farm.  He  has  been  exceedingly 
successful  in  this  enterprise,  and  by  indefatigable  indus- 
try has  brought  his  property  to  a  fine  state  of  cultivation. 
Mr.  Nolan  has  always  been  interested  in  public  issues, 
both  local  and  general,  and  is  an  earnest  supporter  of  the 
principles  and  policies  of  the  Republican  party,  of  which 
he  is  one  of  the  leading  members  hereabouts.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  local  Grange  and  is  exceedingly  interested 
in  the  activities  of  this  body.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a 
Methodist. 

Charles  Edward  Nolan  was  united  in  marriage,  Nov. 
25,  1899,  with  Elizabeth  May  Bagg,  a  daughter  of  Elihu 
and  Anna  (Wilbur)   Bagg. 


JOHN  F.  BERGGREN— In  1915  Mr.  Berggren 
bought  the  farm  upon  which  he  resides  in  Fluvanna,  town 
of  Ellicott,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  has  there 
gained  good  standing  among  his  townsmen  as  a  man  of 
industry  and  good  character.  John  F.  Berggren  was  born 
in  Sweden,  Feb.  3,  1869.  He  was  educated  in  public 
schools,  and  in  his  early  life  learned  the  tinner's  trade. 
He  abandoned  that  business  for  agriculture  and  is  now 
engaged  in  farming  in  Ellicott.  He  is  a  member  of 
"First  Swedish  Hundred  Members  Society"  and  of  the 
Swedish  Baptist  church. 

Mr.  Berggren  married,  in  Sweden,  March  29,  1889, 
Matilda  Tuncll,  born  in  Sweden.  Sept.  24,  1868,  daughter 
of  Axel  and  Frederika  (Johnson)  Tunell.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Berggren  are  the  parents  of  six  children  :  Hannah,  born 
June  30,  1891  ;  Axel  W.,  born  Feb.  22,  1893;  Elin,  born 
Jan.  21,  1895;  Hedwig  M.,  born  April  14,  1897,  died  April 
I7>  1897;  Harold,  born  Feb.  20,  1899,  died  Feb.  18,  1900; 
and  Mildred,  born  Dec.  7,  1903. 


LYNN  HOMER  RUBLEE— Born  on  a  Chautau- 
qua county  farm  and  early  inducted  into  farming  process 
and  methods,  Lynn  H.  Rublee  chose  agriculture  for  his 
life  work,  preparing  for  it  as  a  young  man  by  courses  at 
the  College  of  Agriculture,  Cornell  University,  and  learn- 
ing the  "Why"  of  the  things  he  was  doing  and  learning 
how  to  meet  the  problems  which  daily  confront  the 
farmer.  He  is  a  young  man,  but  a  successful  one,  and 
owns  a  farm  in  section  17,  town  of  Cherry  Creek,  on  the 
line  road  between  Cherry  Creek  and  Ellington.  This 
farm  he  bought  in  1918,  and  is  there  maintaining  a  fine 
herd  of  dairy  cows  in  addition  to  general  farming.  He 
is  a  son  of  Leroy  and  Ida  (Capp)  Rublee,  his  father 
Ijnrn  in  the  town  of  Ellington,  and  a  farmer. 

Lynn  Homer  Rublee  was  born  in  the  town  of  EUing- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


643 


ton,  Chautauqua  county,  N,  Y.,  June  30,  1885.  After 
completing  study  in  Ellington  Union  School,  he  attended 
the  New  York  College  of  Agriculture,  Cornell  Univer- 
sity, there  pursuing  two  short  courses.  He  then  returned 
to  farming  and  since  1918  has  devoted  himself  to  the 
care  and  cultivation  of  his  own  farm  of  120  acres  in  the 
town  of  Cherry  Creek.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons 
of  Husbandry,  the  Congregational  church,  and  in  politi- 
cal action  independent  and  liberal. 

Mr.  Rublee  married.  May  15,  1912,  in  Ellington, 
Frances  Willard  Laurence,  born  in  Ellington,  April  21, 
1887,  daughter  of  Hiram  P.  and  Mary  (HoUenback) 
Laurence.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rublee  are  the  parents  of 
three  children  :  Marion  H.,  born  Feb.  24,  1913;  Laura  M., 
born  Aug.  23,  1916;  Lawrence  H.,  born  July  28,  1918. 


JOHN  M.  WALKER— Although  a  young  man, 
Mr.  Walker  has  established  a  profitable  business  in 
Jamestown,  his  native  city,  and  in  connection  with  his 
father  owns  a  property  at  No.  1259  Main  street,  which 
he  devotes  to  market  gardening  and  the  growing  of  plants 
and  flowers,  conducting  business  under  the  name  of 
Walker  &  Son.  His  parents,  Herbert  and  Eva  (Moore) 
Walker,  are  both  natives  of  England,  and  upon  coming 
to  the  United  States,  in  1883,  located  in  Jamestown,  N. 
Y.,  where  Mr.  Walker,  in  1908,  bought  the  property 
which  is  now  No.  1259  Main  street. 

John  M.  Walker  was  born  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Aug. 
17.  1895.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  and 
after  leaving  high  school  became  his  father's  assistant 
and  later  assumed  full  charge  of  the  business,  which  has 
proved  a  profitable  one.  He  is  a  young  man  of  energy, 
and  ambitious  to  succeed.  He  is  a  skilled  gardener  and 
florist,  and  has  plans  under  way  for  the  enlargement  of 
his  business  in  the  near  future.  During  the  war  between 
the  United  States  and  Germany,  Mr.  Walker  entered  the 
service,  Oct.  30,  1917,  went  overseas  with  the  First  Divi- 
sion, American  Expeditionary  Forces,  April  i,  1918,  saw 
active  service,  and  was  honorably  discharged  at  Camp 
Lee,  Va.,  May  24,  1919,  with  the  rank  of  sergeant.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  First  Methodist  Church. 

Mr.  Walker  married,  in  Jamestown,  Aug.  14,  1919, 
Elora  B.  Hoard,  born  April  15,  1899,  daughter  of  Albert 
L.  and  Myrnell  V.  Clark,  of  Jamestown,  both  her  par- 
ents born  in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 


GUSTAF  A.  ANDERSON— After  a  lengthy  and 
successful  career  as  a  merchant,  Mr.  Anderson  retired 
to  the  quiet  of  his  farm  in  EUicott,  which  he  had  pur- 
chased in  1901  and  built  upon  it  its  present  residence.  He 
is  of  Swedish  parentage,  son  of  Andrew  J.  and  Matilda 
(Johnson)  Anderson,  both  born  in  Sweden,  his  father  a 
cabinetmaker. 

Gustaf  A.  Anderson  was  born  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
May  26,  1876,  and  there  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  finishing  in  high  school.  He  began  business  life 
in  a  mercantile  house  in  Jamestown,  and  from  1900  until 
1919  he  was  engaged  as  a  grocer  and  dry  goods  mer- 
chant in  Jamestown.  He  then  retired  to  the  farm  which 
he  now  operates.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  of  Jamestown,  the  Patrons  of  Husban- 
dry, and  in  politics  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Anderson  married,  June  28,  1905,  at  Niagara  Falls, 


N.  Y.,  Vivian  R.  Hall,  born  Nov.  2,  1888,  in  Lottsville, 
Pa.,  daughter  of  John  Andrew  and  Johanna  C.  (Faust) 
Hall,  her  father  born  in  Pennsylvania,  her  mother  in 
Sweden.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson  are  the  parents  of 
four  children :  Fleda,  born  April  7,  1906 ;  Genevieve, 
born  Sept.  11,  1911;  Marion,  born  March  i,  1916;  and 
Lucille,  born  Dec.  7,  1918.  Mrs.  Anderson  organized  the 
Ellicott  Mothers'  Club,  No.  10,  the  first  club  of  its  kind 
in  the  rural  districts  of  Chautauqua  county,  and  served 
as  its  presidertt  four  years.  She  also  takes  an  active  part 
in  community  affairs. 


WALTER  T.  CORNELL— The  Cornells  of  this 
review  descend  from  an  old  family  of  Cattaraugus 
county,  N.  Y.,  Walter  T.  Cornell  being  a  grandson  of 
Roswell  Cornell,  and  a  son  of  William  Z.  Cornell,  both 
born  in  New  Albion,  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.  Wil- 
liam Z.  Cornell  married  Violetta  Walters,  also  born  in 
New  .Albion,  and  among  their  children  was  a  son,  Wal- 
ter T.  Cornell,  born  April  24,  1858. 

Walter  T.  Cornell  was  educated  in  the  public  schools, 
finishing  at  Randolph  High  School.  He  has  made  farm- 
ing his  life  business  and  has  been  very  successful,  now 
owning  a  good  farm  in  the  town  of  Ellicott,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  upon  which  he  resides.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church. 

Mr.  Cornell  married,  in  Salamanca,  N.  Y.,  May  2, 
1883,  Jessie  B.  Thompson,  born  Aug.  29,  i860,  daughter 
of  Jonathan  C.  and  Mary  (Christian)  Thompson.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Cornell  are  the  parents  of  eight  children:  i. 
Millard,  born  Jan.  15,  1885;  married  Grace  Williams, 
and  has  a  daughter,  Alice  Cornelia.  2.  Glen  W.,  bom 
Aug.  22,  1887;  married  Eva  Taylor.  3.  Earl,  born  July 
13,  1890;  married  Maud  Haas,  and  has  three  sons:  Rob- 
ert, Donald,  and  Harold.  4.  Florence  B.,  born  Nov.  2, 
1893.  5.  Robert  B.,  born  Dec.  3,  1895;  married  Teluretta 
Rhuel,  and  has  two  daughters,  Sylvia  and  Arline.  6. 
Marie  M.,  born  May  11,  1900.  7.  Chrystal  B.,  born  June 
9,  1904.    8.  Ruth,  born  Aug.  6,  1907. 


JAMES  P.  NELSON— The  life  of  James  P.  Nelson, 
although  a  comparatively  short  one,  was  lived  on  two 
hemispheres,  his  birthplace  the  Kingdom  of  Sweden,  his 
marriage,  and  death  at  the  age  of  forty-two  occurring  in 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  United  States  of  America. 

James  P.  Nelson  was  born  June  10,  1852,  spent  the 
years  of  his  youth  and  early  manhood  in  Sweden,  ren- 
dering the  required  three  years  of  military  service  in  the 
Swedish  army.  Upon  coming  to  the  United  States  he 
took  up  his  residence  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  engaged  in 
farming  and  so  continued  until  his  death  there.  May  15, 
1894.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
church,  and  was  identified  with  the  Republican  party. 

James  P.  Nelson  married,  in  Lakewood,  N.  Y.,  Aug. 
12.  1883,  Alma  Charlotte  Peterson,  born  Nov.  18,  1865, 
in  Sweden,  daughter  of  Nelson  and  Sophia  Peterson. 
Mrs.  Nelson  survives  her  husband  and  resides  with  her 
eldest  son,  Frank  C,  in  her  own  home  on  Lakewood 
road  and  Wellman  avenue,  town  of  Ellicott,  near  Celo- 
ron.  Children:  i.  Frank  C,  born  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
May  24,  1884;  now  resides  with  his  mother  at  the  home 
in  Ellicott,  and  is  engaged  in  business  in  Jamestown  as 


644 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


shipping  clerk  with  the  Jamestown  Table  Compain-.  2. 
Florence  Elizabeth,  born  in  Jamestown,  April  3,  1886; 
became  the  wife  of  Carl  B.  King,  and  they  have  three 
children :  James  Sidney,  J.  Charlotte  and  Helen  May 
King.  J.  Clarence,  born  in  Jamestown,  July  3,  1S89; 
joined  the  American  army,  went  overseas,  and  saw  in  all 
two  years"  service,  ranking  as  corporal ;  married  Mae 
Wood  Daugenbaugh.  4.  George  E.,  born  in  Jamestown, 
March  6,  189J;  joined  the  American  army  in  1917  and 
saw  two  years'  service  at  home  and  overseas,  ranking  as 
supply  sergeant ;  married  ^"iola  Gertrude  Smith. 


THOMAS  C.  HOLMES— One  of  the  prominent 
figures  in  the  life  01  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  has  been  actively  engaged  in  business  for  a  number  of 
years,  is  Thomas  C.  Holmes,  who  is  justly  regarded  as 
one  of  the  most  substantial  and  influential  citizens  of  the 
community.  Mr.  Holmes  is  a  native  of  England,  born  in 
Lancaster,  Sept.  13,  1S59,  a  son  of  Jonathan  and  Mariah 
(Johnson)  Holmes,  residents  of  that  place,  where  the 
former  was  engaged  in  business  as  a  teamster  and  jobber 
for  many  years. 

The  lad  received  his  education  at  a  local  school,  and 
after  completing  his  studies  was  employed  in  a  number 
of  callings  in  his  native  land,  where  he  remained  until 
he  had  reached  the  age  of  forty  years.  He  then  came  to 
the  United  States,  and  for  the  following  four  years 
worked  at  the  trade  of  comb  making,  a  craft  he  had 
learned  in  Lancashire.  At  the  end  of  that  period  he  en- 
gaged in  his  present  business,  which  he  has  continued 
with  a  high  degree  of  success  ever  since.  Mr.  Holmes 
is  a  supporter  of  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party, 
consistently  discharging  the  obligations  of  citizenship, 
ahhough  he  has  never  been  ambitious  for  public  office. 
He  is  an  Episcopalian  in  religious  belief. 

Thomas  C.  Holmes  was  united  in  marriage,  Nov.  14, 
1884,  at  Yorkshire,  England,  with  Jane  Elizabeth  Oaks, 
a  daughter  of  Robert  Philip  and  Elizabeth  (Claxton) 
Oaks,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  children,  as  fol- 
lows :  Nellie,  Maria  Elizabeth  and  William. 


LUDWICK  JOHNSON— In  Sweden,  June  18, 
1889,  Ludwick  Johnson  was  born,  son  of  Munson  and 
Charlotte  Johnson,  his  father  a  farmer.  The  lad  at- 
tended school  and  helped  at  farm  labor,  becoming  famil- 
iar with  the  business  which  he  has  followed  since  com- 
ing to  the  United  States — agriculture.  His  farm  is  in 
the  town  of  Ellicott,  Chautauqua,  N.  Y.,  and  he  is  one 
of  the  prosperous  young  farmers  of  his  district.  He  is 
a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Swedish 
Lutheran  church. 

Mr.  John.son  married,  in  Jamestown,  Bertha  .Swan- 
Strom,  born  in  Sweden,  July  17,  1881,  daughter  of  Bias 
and  Marie  f Johnson)  Swanstrom,  her  father  coming  to 
the  United  States  and  settling  in  Jamestown,  where  he 
died  in  I'jiij.  -Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  arc  the  parents  of 
two  childr'-n  :  .Mildred  and  Gerald. 


ALLAN  J.  NORMAN,  one  of  the  most  prosperous 

and  'lucrt:  'fill  f.-irm'Ts  of  C'l);irlott<-  township,  owns  and 
oj<crateb  a  fine  farm  in  Ch;ir!otte  Center,  and  is  quite 
extensively  engaged  in  raising  stock.  A  man  of  good 
business   and   executive   ability,   as   well   as   a   practical 


and  progressive  agriculturist,  he  has  met  with  gratify- 
ing success  with  his  work  and  ranks  today  among  the 
substantial  men  of  his  community. 

Mr.  Norman  was  born  in  Charlotte  township,  July  8, 
1S66,  a  son  of  John  Christopher  Norman,  of  direct 
English  descent.  Jeremiah  Norman,  grandfather,  was 
born  in  Surrey,  England,  June  24,  1S08,  receiving  his 
early  training  in  the  schools  of  that  country.  Here  he 
grew  to  manhood,  and  until  he  emigrated  to  America, 
worked  there  as  an  artistic  gardener.  After  his  arrival 
in  this  country  in  1830,  he  settled  in  New  York  City, 
where  he  followed  the  trucking  business.  He  remained 
there  for  nearly  twenty  years,  and  in  1851  removed  to 
Chautauqua  county,  and  located  in  Charlotte  township, 
where  he  purchased  170  acres  of  farm  land,  and  en- 
gaged in  general  farming  and  dairying.  In  1870  he 
removed  to  San  Pablo,  Cal.,  leaving  the  farm  in  charge 
of  his  son,  and  there  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
He  died  in  1875  a"d  is  buried  at  San  Pablo.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Norman  was  a  Democrat,  but  he  never  cared  for 
office,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  to  his  home  and 
business  interests.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational church  in  Sinclairville,  where  he  was  promi- 
nent in  all  its  social  as  well  as  business  affairs. 

On  Oct.  II,  1831,  Jeremiah  Norman  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Frances  Pringle,  who  was  born  Aug.  23, 
1805.  She  also  died  in  California  and  is  buried  there 
with  her  husband.  To  this  union  were  born  seven  chil- 
dren :  Mary  Elizabeth,  born  July  15,  1832;  John  Christo- 
pher, see  forward;  .\le.xander,  born  Aug.  12,  1837;  Jere- 
miah, born  Jan.  17,  1840;  William  Henry,  born  July  31, 
1842;  Frances  Ann,  born  Oct.  15.  1844;  and  James,  bom 
Aug.  30,  1848. 

John  Christopher  Norman,  son  of  Jeremiah  Norman, 
was  born  in  New  York  City,  May  25,  1835.  During  his 
boyhood  he  attended  the  public  schools  there,  and  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  came  with  his  parents  to  Chautauqua 
county.  Here  he  aided  his  father  in  cultivating  the 
home  farm  until  1870,  when  his  father  removed  to  Cali- 
fornia. He  then  took  charge  of  the  place  and  business 
interests  connected  with  the  estate  of  his  father,  con- 
tinuing in  this  occupation  for  nearly  thirty  years.  In 
1900  he  retired  and  went  to  live  with  his  son,  Allan  J. 
Norman.  He  died  Dec.  8,  1903,  and  is  buried  in  Char- 
lotte Center  Cemetery,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 
Politically,  Mr.  Norman  was  a  staunch  Democrat. 
Fraternally,  he  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  United 
Order  of  Workmen,  and  the  Grange  at  Sinclairville  and 
Charlotte  Center. 

Mr.  Norman  married  (first)  July  15,  1862,  Loretta 
Griswold,  of  Arkwright,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  a 
daughter  of  Ellsworth  Griswold.  She  died  July  15, 
1870,  and  is  buried  in  Arkwright  Cemetery.  By  this 
union  there  were  three  children  :  William  E.,  born  April 
12,  1864,  who  resides  in  Sinclairville,  N.  Y. ;  Allan  J., 
see  forward ;  and  Elizabeth,  who  died  in  childhood. 
Mr.  Norman  married  (second)  Amelia  Trussler,  by 
whom  he  had  three  children :  Frances,  who  married 
Clayton  Daniond ;  Emma,  who  married  Allen  Damond, 
and  who  resides  in  New  York  City;  and  Carrie,  who 
died   in  infancy. 

Allan  J.  Norman,  son  of  John  Christopher  and  Loretta 
(Griswold)  Norman,  received  his  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  his  native  township,  and  Sinclairville  High 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


64s 


School.  After  completing  his  school  years,  he  assisted 
his  father  on  the  farm.  He  continued  in  this  occupa- 
tion until  1890,  when  he  bought  the  Lake  farm  of  forty 
acres  and  started  in  farming  for  himself.  Mr.  Norman 
raises  considerable  stock,  and  he  has  a  fine  herd  of 
pure-bred  Holstein  cattle  of  which  he  makes  a  specialty. 
He  is  an  excellent  judge  of  stock,  and  being  a  practical 
and  progressive  farmer,  he  has  met  with  success  in  the 
occupation  which  he  has  chosen  for  his  life's  work.  Mr. 
Norman  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  but  in  local  affairs 
votes  for  the  men  and  measures  that  he  thinks  are  for 
the  best  interests  for  all  the  people.  He  has  served  two 
terms  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  is  secretary  of  the 
Chautauqua  County  Farm  Bureau.  Paternally,  he  is 
a  member  of  Charlotte  Center  Grange,  No.  669,  and 
was  master  and  lecturer  of  that  institution  for  a  number 
of  years.  Mr.  Norman  is  also  a  member  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church,  and  is  active  in  all  its  social  as 
well  as  business  affairs,  being  a  trustee  of  the  same. 

On  June  3,  1896,  Mr.  Norman  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Grace  Smith,  a  daughter  of  Milo  and  Mary 
(Cole)  Smith,  of  Sinclairville.  To  this  union  have  been 
born  four  children,  as  follows :  Loretta,  who  died  in 
infancy;  Frank  E.,  bom  Sept.  I,  1000,  educated  at  Syra- 
cuse and  Cornell  Universities ;  William  L.,  born  April 
16,  1903,  educated  at  Cornell  university ;  .'\da,  born  Oct. 
30,  1908,  now  attending  the  public  school  of  Charlotte 
township. 


ALBERT  J.  KENT— Like  his  brothers  and  sisters, 
Albert  J.  Kent  was  associated  with  the  W.  L.  Kent 
Creamery,  No.  23  Market  street,  a  business  founded  by 
William  L.  Kent  and  successfully  conducted  by  him 
until  his  death.  A  biographical  sketch  of  William  L. 
Kent  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

.•\lbert  J.  Kent,  son  of  William  L.  and  Maude  E. 
(PoUey)  Kent,  was  born  in  Blackville,  town  of  Har- 
mony, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  26,  1888.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools,  and  from  boyhood  was 
associated  with  his  father  in  the  milk  business.  He  was 
a  driver  for  the  W.  L.  Kent  Creamery,  but  is  now  en- 
gaged in  business  on  his  own  account.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Kent  married,  in  Orange,  N.  J., 
Feb.  II,  191 1,  Eva  May  Werner,  born  in  Orange,  Dec. 
27,  1893,  died  July  I,  1920,  in  the  hospital  at  Jamestown, 
never  recovering  from  an  operation  she  underwent 
there.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Max  and  Mary  (Groom) 
Werner,  her  father  born  in  New  York  City,  her  mother 
in  Canada.  Three  daughters  were  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Kent:  Dorothy,  born  Jan.  14,  1913;  Eunice  E.,  bom 
May  17,  1015;  Phyllis,  born  Aug.  8,  1917. 


GEORGE  FREEMAN  HITCHCOCK,  who  during 
the  last  decade  has  been  steadily  and  successfully  farm- 
ing a  good  acreage  in  the  Westfield  and  Ripley  districts 
of  Chautauqua  county,  has  the  enviable  distinction  of 
having  reared  four  sturdy  sons  who  were  willing  and 
went,  when  the  national  call  to  arms  came  in  the  Great 
War  just  ended.  Four  sons  given  to  fight  for  the  na- 
tional ideal,  and  four  sons  safely  returned  with  honor- 
able discharge  after  the  terrible  fighting  was  ended  and 
the  victory  won,  is  about  the  acme  of  satisfaction  that 
a   patriotic   father   could   have.     And   since   George   F. 


Hitchcock  has  been  in  the  county,  he  has  shown  himself 
to  be  worthy  of  place  among  the  representative  and 
responsible  agriculturists. 

He  was  born  in  Humphrey,  Cattaraugus  county,  N. 
Y.,  Feb.  19,  1862,  the  son  of  Freeman  and  Ann  M. 
(Dye)  Hitchcock.  His  father  was  an  industrious 
farmer  of  that  place,  and  George  F.  was  one  of  nine 
children,  four  sons  and  five  daughters.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  district  school  nearest  to  his  home,  and 
after  leaving -school  gave  his  entire  time,  for  many 
years,  to  the  execution  of  tasks  arising  in  the  operation 
of  the  parental  farm.  Eventually,  he  became  an  inde- 
pendent farmer,  purchasing  a  property,  fifty  acres  in 
extent,  near  that  of  his  father.  Later,  he  sold  the 
property  to  advantage,  and  in  or  about  1910  came  into 
Chautauqua  county,  settling  in  Westfield,  where  for 
two  years  he  worked  for  Henry  Allen,  and  for  a  like 
period  acted  as  farm  steward,  or  caretaker,  for  Dr. 
Walsh.  In  1914  he  purchased  from  Rachel  McDowell 
the  farm  of  ninety  acres  in  Ripley  township,  upon  which 
he  has  since  lived.  It  is  a  good  property,  well  adapted 
to  general  and  dairy  farming,  and  has  substantial  mod- 
ern barn  and  house,  and  since  he  took  the  property  over 
it  has  been  maintained  in  an  expert,  up-to-date  manner, 
Mr.  Hitchcock  being  an  industrious  and  skillful  agri- 
culturist. 

Mr.  Hitchcock  has  shown  close  interest  in  matters 
relating  to  agriculture,  and  is  one  of  the  active  mem- 
bers of  the  local  Grange;  he  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Dairymen's   League. 

Politically.  Mr.  Hitchcock  is  a  Republican,  although 
his  interest  in  national  politics  has  not  been  so  keen 
as  in  local  affairs ;  he  has  never  sought  political  or 
public  office,  and  generally  has  been  more  disposed  to 
give  his  time  and  thought  to  matters  of  production  than 
of  discussion.  During  the  World  War,  while  his  four 
sons  were  away  from  home  and  in  the  military  forces 
of  the  Nation,  he  strove  to  do  his  part  by  holding  in 
good  cultivation  the  acreage  he  controlled,  thus  coop- 
erating with  the  government  in  its  endeavor  to  bring  an 
increasing  surplusage  of  foodstuffs  from  .\merican  soil 
to  aid  in  supporting  the  allies  until  the  hour  of  victory. 
And  as  far  as  he  was  able,  he  contributed  loyally  to 
the  funds  promoted  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  Nation 
in  the  war. 

He  married  (first)  Margaret  McCurre,  daughter  of 
John  and  Mary  Ann  (Wyman)  McCurre,  of  Humphrey, 
Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.,  which  marriage  took  place 
at  Humphrey,  Oct.  5,  1886.  He  married  (second)  Mrs. 
Margaret  Galloway,  daughter  of  David  and  Rose  Fer- 
guson, of  Westfield,  Chautauqua  county.  He  is  the 
father  of  seven  children,  all  born  to  the  first  marriage, 
among  them  his  four  sons  of  worthy  war  record.  The 
children,  in  order  of  birth,  were:  I.  John,  born  at 
Humphrey,  educated  in  schools  of  that  place,  eventu- 
ally entered  the  army  when  war  came.  2.  George, 
whose  history  is  similar  to  that  of  his  elder  brother, 
has,  since  his  return  from  the  war,  purchased,  in  con- 
junction with  his  younger  brother  Freeman,  a  farm  of 
forty  acres  in  Chautauqua  county.  3.  Daniel.  4. 
Charles,  also  a  veteran  of  the  World  War.  5.  Ann,  who 
married  Walter  Teamley,  a  successful  Westfield  farmer. 
6.  Freeman,  the  fourth  son  to  join  the  army  during  the 
war,  and  to  see  war  service.     7.  Henry. 


646 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


The  national  war  record  of  the  Hitchcock  family  is 
noteworthy,  and  the  personal  record  of  George  Free- 
man Hitchcock,  in  its  relation  to  Chautauqua  county 
agrriculture.  has  been  commendable.  He  has  proved 
himself  to  be  a  good  farmer,  industrious  and  able,  and 
by  his  responsible  and  productive  effort  has  contributed 
his  full  quota  to  the  maintaining  of  the  county  in  sat- 
isfactory progress.  He  is  a  good  neighbor,  and  has 
made  many  friends  since  he  came  into  the  county.  The 
family  attend  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  have  been 
consistent  in  support  of  church  work,  and  interested  in 
the  general  public  movements  within  the  community. 


PATRICK  HENRY  GARRITY— A  resident  of 
Jamestown  since  1908.  Patrick  Henry  Garrity  takes  a 
keen  and  active  interest  in  the  manufacturing  and  busi- 
ness life  of  that  city,  and  he  displays  the  same  careful 
consideration  that  characterized  all  his  early  activities 
with  the  affairs  of  his  former  connections.  He  was 
born  in  Johnsonburg,  Pa.,  March  30,  1883,  his  father, 
Thomas  Garrity,  being  a  contractor  in  railroad  con- 
structional work ;  he  w'as  many  years  in  the  employ 
of  the  B..  P.  &  R.  Railroad,  with  headquarters  at  John- 
sonburg, and  passed  away  Feb.  22,  1889,  when  his  son 
Patrick  H.  was  only  six  years  old.  His  wife,  .Anna 
Garrity.  is  still  living  in  Johnsonburg. 

Patrick  H.  Garrity  obtained  a  very  good  education  in 
the  grammar  and  high  schools  of  his  native  town,  leav- 
ing school  when  seventeen  years  old  to  enter  the  service 
of  the  Erie  Railroad.  He  was  in  the  transportation  and 
traffic  department,  where  he  remained  for  sixteen  years, 
located  at  Johnsonburg  and  Bradford,  Pa.  In  April, 
1908,  he  was  appointed  local  freight  agent  for  the  Erie 
Ivailroad  at  Jamestown.  N.  Y.,  continuing  in  this  posi- 
tion for  seven  years  and  six  months.  On  Oct.  i,  1915, 
Mr.  Garrity  accepted  the  position  of  treasurer  with  the 
F.  M.  Curtis  Company,  having  charge  of  the  office  and 
the  selling  and  credit  department.  He  retains  this  oc- 
cupation at  the  present  time.  Mr.  Garrity  is  active  in 
the  work  of  the  Board  of  Commerce  and  in  the  Manu- 
facturers' .•\ssociation  of  Jamestown.  He  is  a  past 
grand  knight  in  Jamestown  Council,  No.  926,  Knights 
of  Columbus,  and  this  is  one  of  his  special  activities, 
being  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  association.  He  is  also 
deeply  interested  in  his  church,  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul.  A  great  reader  and  a 
constant  student,  Mr.  Garrity  finds  the  greatest  pleas- 
ure in  his  books.  He  is  deeply  interested  in  all 
publications  which  have  a  Ixaring  upon  commercial 
life,  while  his  lighter  reading  is  given  to  books  of  travel 
and  the  upbuilding  of  cities  and  their  inhabitants,  biog- 
raphies of  prominent  men,  and  descriptive  literature  of 
a  high  grade. 

fn  Johnsonburg.  I'a.,  .Sept.  20,  loo.^,  Patrick  Henry 
Garrity  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Frances  McCormick, 
the  daughter  of  John  McCormick,  who  was  at  one 
time  engaged  in  the  making  of  sulphur  and  acids.  He 
is  now  retired  from  active  work  and  lives  at  his  home 
in  Johnsonburg.  \fr.  and  Mrs.  Garrity  have  no  chil- 
dr».-n.  Mrs.  Garrity  is  a  member  of  the  National  Order 
of  the  daughters  of  Isabella,  being  a  trustee  of  the 
.Vational  ,\s<-r.ciation.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Garrity  make  their 
home  at  No.  .^.^  Chestnut  street,  Jamestown. 


MAGNUS  ANDERSON,  for  many  years  an  enter- 
prising  and  successful  farmer  in  Kiantone  township  of 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  well  regarded  in  that 
place,  was  born  in  Sweden,  Nov.  7,  1S52.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  school  of  his  native  place,  and  came 
to  America  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years.  Soon  after 
landing,  he  settled  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and  prospered. 
Eventually  he  purchased  a  farming  property  in  Kian- 
tone township,  and  since  that  time  has  resided  there, 
industriously  and  intelligently  farming  his  acreage  to 
good  advantage.  He  has  lived  a  steady,  unostentatious 
life,  and  is  a  hospitable  and  helpful  neighbor,  generous 
in  his  support  of  all  projects  that  pertain  to  the  well- 
being  or  the  advancement  of  the  community  in  which 
he  settled.  He  has  much  improved  his  farming  prop- 
erty, and  has  a  comfortable  home. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  .Anderson  gives  allegiance  to 
the  Republican  party,  but  he  does  not  enter  actively  into 
national  politics;  however,  in  the  public  affairs  of  his 
community,  he  has  taken  a  marked  interest,  indepen- 
dently, however,  of  whether  a  man  he  approves  for  a 
certain  local  office  is  a  Republican  or  a  Democrat.  In 
all  matters  bearing  upon  agriculture  he  takes  close  heed, 
and  has  adopted  many  modern  methods  and  appliances 
upon  his  farm.  He  is  a  member  of  the  local  Grange. 
In  church  matters  he  is  consistent  and  conscientious, 
observing  in  his  daily  life  and  business  dealings  a  high 
code  of  Christian  conduct. 

Mr.  Anderson  married  (first)  Christine  Magnison, 
who  died  and  left  four  children :  Olga,  who  became  the 
wife  of  George  Cedarquist;  Minnie,  deceased,  the  wife 
of  David  Sundell ;  Arthur,  who  married  Esther  Miller; 
and  Clarence,  who  lives  at  home.  Mr.  Anderson  mar- 
ried (second)  Feb.  iS,  1905,  Jennie  M.  Nelson,  daughter 
of  G.  A.  and  Matilda  Nelson,  and  they  have  three  chil- 
dren :  Marguerite,  born  Dec.  14,  1907;  Richard,  born 
March  27,  1909;  and  William,  born  Feb.  2,  1912. 

Magnus  Anderson  has  held  the  sincere  respect  and 
friendship  of  many  people  of  Kiantone  township  since 
he  came  into  it  to  reside,  by  his  responsible  industry  and 
his  commendable  private  life. 


ROSCOE  B.  MARTIN— Prominent  among  the  citi- 
zens of  Forestville,  N.  Y.,  is  Roscoe  B.  Martin,  assistant 
cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank,  and  a  resident  of 
the  community  for  the  past  two  years. 

Joseph  B.  Martin,  father  of  Roscoe  B.  Martin,  was 
born  in  Silver  Creek,  and  for  fifty  years  carried  on  a 
machinery  business  for  the  cleaning  of  grain,  and  was 
very  successful.  He  married  Rose  Bermont,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  i.  Alta 
R.,  a  resident  of  P>uffalo,  N.  Y.     2.  Dow,  deceased.     3. 

— ■ ,  now  Mrs.  Charles  T.  Howson,  of  Silver  Creek, 

N.  Y.     4.  Roscoe  B.,  mentioned  below. 

Roscoe  B.  Martin  was  born  Aug.  27,  1880,  at  Silver 
Creek,  N.  Y.,  the  son  of  Joseph  B.  and  Rose  (Bermont) 
Martin.  He  entered  the  public  schools  of  Silver  Creek 
when  a  young  lad  and  passed  through  the  consecutive 
grades  to  his  graduation  from  the  local  high  school,  en- 
tering upon  his  business  career  at  this  time  as  a  travel- 
ing salesman  for  a  wholesale  grocery  house  and  sub- 
se(|uently  becoming  purchasing  agent  for  the  S.  Howes 
Company  at   Silver  Creek,  with  whfim  he  was  associated 


MR.  AND  MRS.  MAGNUS  ANDERSON 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


647 


until  1918,  when  he  was  appointed  assistant  cashier  of 
the  First  National  Bank  at  Forestville,  which  position 
he  still  holds  at  the  present  time.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Martin  is  a  Republican  and  takes  a  keen  interest  in  the 
activities  of  the  organization.  He  affiliates  with  the 
Masonic  fraternity  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Chau- 
tauqua Historical  Society  and  of  the  i\Iotor  Boat  Club. 

With  a  vigorous  and  luminous  intellect,  Mr.  Martin 
combines  strength  of  character  and  a  genial  disposition. 
This  union  of  traits  explains  in  large  measure  his  suc- 
cess. He  is  a  close  student,  keeping  fully  abreast  of 
modern  thought,  and  possesses  the  high  esteem  of  the 
general  public. 

On  Aug.  9,  191 1,  Roscoe  B.  Martin  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Inez  May  Armstrong,  daughter  of  John 
C.   and   Nellie    (Hawkins)    Armstrong.     They  have  no 


GEORGE  HENRY  SINDEN,  well  regarded  resi- 
dent of  Ripley,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  for  forty 
years  a  responsible  and  progressive  farmer  in  that 
district,  was  too  young  to  take  part  in  the  Civil  War, 
but  he  enlisted  in  the  national  military  forces  a  few 
years  after  the  end  of  that  terrible  devastating  struggle 
and  saw  much  service  on  the  frontier,  in  Kentucky, 
Kansas  and  Wyoming,  during  a  time  when  the  Indian 
unrest  was  such  that  the  frontiersmen  needed  to  keep 
unceasing  vigilance.  And  since  he  left  the  national 
service,  in  1876,  and  returned  to  Ripley,  he  has  shown 
commendable  characteristics  of  steadiness  and  industry, 
which  have  brought  him  a  security  both  in  material 
wealth  and  in  sincere  friendships  within  that  commun- 
ity. He  has  taken  a  leading  part  in  agricultural  affairs, 
an  active  part  in  public  al¥airs,  and  a  consistent,  consci- 
entious part  in  church  work  and  maintenance. 

He  was  born  in  Mina,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
Nov.  5.  1849,  the  son  of  William  and  Phoebe  (Birch) 
Sinden,  of  that  place.  He  was  educated  in  tlie  district 
school  nearest  to  his  father's  farm,  and  was  only  eleven 
years  old  when  the  Civil  War  began.  He  saw  his  elder 
brother,  James  William,  march  off  to  war,  and  young 
as  he  was,  he  seriously  thought  of  endeavoring  to  go 
also.  However,  that  was  impossible,  and  he  had  to 
continue  his  schooling.  His  soldier  brother  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  F  of  the  famous  iiith  New  York  Regi- 
ment, and  eventually  died  of  sickness  at  Pittsburgh. 
Another  brother,  Charles  Edward,  later  took  a  farm  at 
South  Dayton,  N.  Y.,  where  he  still  lives.  Denied 
service  during  the  Civil  War,  because  of  his  youth, 
George  H.  Sinden,  as  a  growing  boy,  still  longed  for 
military  service,  and  eventually,  when  he  had  reached 
the  age  of  nineteen  years,  enlisted  at  Buffalo  in  the 
Fourth  Infantry.  He  was  assigned  to  Company  G  and 
sent  to  Governor's  Island,  N.  Y.  During  the  following 
seven  years  he  saw  some  adventurous  service  on  the 
frontier,  going  from  Lexington.  Ky.,  to  Frankford, 
thence  to  Paducah,  Ky.,  later  to  Little  Rock,  Kan.,  and 
eventually  to  Fort  Sanders,  Wyoming.  Those  districts 
were  at  that  time  practically  on  the  outskirts  of  civiliza- 
tion, and  Mr.  Sinden  would  no  doubt  be  much  interested 
in  visiting  the  localities  in  this  day,  and  in  noting  the 
great  change  that  has  taken  place  in  the  meantime.  He 
received  his  honorable  discharge  from  the  army  in  1876, 
and  returned  to  his  native  county,  taking  up  work  upon 


his  father's  farm  of  125  acres  in  Ripley.  Upon  that 
property,  which  since  his  father's  death  he  has  owned, 
he  has  lived  ever  since,  and  into  it  he  has  put  the  best 
effort  of  his  years  of  vigor.  Most  of  the  improvements 
upon  the  farm  were  executed  by  him ;  he  remodelled  the 
homestead ;  built  a  modern  barn,  commodious  and  sub- 
stantial ;  and  in  many  other  ways  enhanced  the  value 
of  the  property  and  the  productiveness  of  the  land.  He 
has  worked  the  farm  upon  approved  methods,  intro- 
ducing many  modern  methods  into  his  operations.  He 
has  always  been  keenly  interested  in  all  things  that 
relate  to  agriculture,  and  has  been  one  of  the  most 
active  members  of  the  local  Grange,  of  which  he  is 
still  overseer. 

Politically,  Mr.  Sinden  is  a  Republican,  but  he  has 
not  given  national  political  campaigns  the  active  sup- 
port he  has  at  times  manifested  in  local  affairs.  He 
has  never  sought  political  office,  but  might  have  been 
elected  to  many  local  offices  had  he  so  wished,  for  he  is 
popular  and  respected  in  his  district.  He  has  always 
felt  that  he  was  better  employed  in  attending  to  matters 
of  production  upon  his  farm  than  in  matters  of  dis- 
cussion in  the  State,  county,  or  local  administration. 
He  has,  however,  performed  the  duties  of  tax  collector. 
Religiously,  he  is  a  Methodist,  and  has  been  a  steady, 
consistent  and  conscientious  supporter,  both  in  personal 
work,  and  financial  contribution,  of  the  local  church. 
And  in  community  work  he  has  always  indicated  a 
lively  interest,  in  his  younger  days  taking  much  part 
in  social  movements,  and  at  all  times  he  has  shown  a 
readiness  to  financially  support  all  worthy  community 
projects. 

Denied,  as  he  was,  participation  in  the  Civil  War.  he 
still  was  destined  to  give  his  country  war  service,  not  in 
military  capacity,  but  in  a  capacity  just  as  valuable  and 
most  practical.  During  the  great  World  War  just 
ended,  at  a  time  when  the  government  sought  to  interest 
all  patriotic  American  farmers  in  the  purpose  of  the 
administration  to.  if  possible,  sustain  the  allies  of  this 
country  upon  the  surplus  yields  of  foodstuffs  from 
American  soil,  Mr.  Sinden  entered  with  a  will  into  the 
project,  paying  close  attention  to  the  prevention  of 
waste  upon  his  farm,  and  to  the  cultivation  of  every 
possible  acre.  The  result  of  the  combined  effort  of 
patriotic  American  farmers,  and  the  effect  it  had  upon 
the  successful  ending  of  the  war,  is  well  known  ;  and 
every  man  who  contributed  to  that  result  is  entitled  to 
individual  record  of  that  participation.  Mr.  Sinden  also 
contributed,  to  the  limit  of  his  means,  to  the  various 
national  funds  raised  for  the  purposes  of  the  Nation 
in  the  war,  so  that  he  may  be  considered  to  have 
done  his  part  for  his  country  during  the  war  which 
was  so  stupendous  that  nations,  not  only  national  arm- 
ies, were  called  upon  to  fight. 

In  Ripley.  Mr.  Sinden  married  Mary  Nockton,  daugh- 
ter of  Owen  and  Anna  (Ireland)  Nockton,  of  Ripley. 
Her  parents  were  of  British  birth,  her  father  having 
been  born  in  Ireland,  and  her  mother  in  England.  To 
George  Henry  and  Man,-  (Nockton)  Sinden  have  been 
born  four  children,  who  in  order  of  birth  are  :  i.  Le- 
vula,  who  married  Fred  West,  a  prosperous  farmer  at 
Cassadaga.    N.    Y.      2.  Charles    William,    who    married 

Hawkins :  since  leaving  school  he  has  aided  his 

father   in   the   operation   of   the   farm.     3.  Velma,    who 


C4.^ 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


married  Gilbert  Stetson,  a  well  known  farmer  of  Rip- 
ley. 4-  Edith,  who  married  Bert  Haug,  also  an  indus- 
trious farmer.  Owen  Xockton,  father  of  Mrs.  George 
H.  Sinden.  was  at  one  time  a  tanner  at  Meadville,  Pa., 
and  Mrs,  Sinden  is  one  of  the  live  children  born  to  her 
parents,  her  sisters  and  brother  being  Margaret,  Ella, 
Elizabeth,  and   Henry. 

Reviewing  the  life  activities  of  George  Henry  Sinden, 
they  show  him  as  a  man  of  stalwart,  courageous  pur- 
pose, of  earnest,  patriotic  spirit,  of  energetic,  steady, 
industrious  inclination,  and  of  thoroughness  in  his 
actions.  He  is  widely  known  among  agriculturists  of 
that  section  of  the  county,  and  generally  respected.  His 
seventy  years  of  connection  with  Chautauqua  county 
have  been  such  as  to  make  his  place  a  good  one  in  this 
historical  record  of  worthy  Chautauqua  county  men. 


MELFORD  STEVENS— For  twenty  years,  1900- 
lOJO,  Mr.  Stevens  has  been  superintendent  of  the  Lake- 
wo:d  Ice  Company,  a  Jamestown  corporation  with  of- 
fices in  the  Bank  of  Jamestown  building  and  plant  on 
the  shores  of  Lake  Chautauqua,  near  Celoron.  Mr. 
Stevens  is  of  German  birth  and  parentage.  He  left  his 
native  land  and  made  his  home  in  the  United  States, 
becoming  a  resident  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  He 
is  a  son  of  John  Stevens,  who  lived  and  died  in  Ger- 
many, as  did  also  his  wife. 

Mel  ford  Stevens  was  born  in  Germany.  March  30, 
1857,  He  there  attended  public  school  until  coming  to 
the  United  States,  He  was  variously  employed  until 
1900,  when  he  became  superintendent  of  the  Lakewood 
Ice  Company,  a  position  he  yet  most  acceptably  fills 
(1021).  He  married,  in  Oil  City,  Pa.,  Anna  Nelson, 
born  in  Denmark,  Jan.  25,  1S54,  daughter  of  Lawson 
and  Hannah  Nelson,  both  born  in  Denmark.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Stevens  were  the  parents  of  two  daughters,  one 
deceased.  The  family  home  is  on  Jackson  avenue,  in 
the  village  of   Celoron. 


CLIFTON  D.  HOLLENBECK,  who  for  many 
years  has  been  succe.-sfully  ciig.iged  in  agricultural  op- 
erations in  Ellicott  township,  Jamestown,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  and  who  is  one  of  the  well  known  and 
highly  esteemed  citizens  of  the  community,  is  a  native 
of  the  neighborhood  where  he  is  dwelling  at  the  present 
time.  He  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Delia  (Williams) 
Hollcnbeck.  the  former  a  native  of  Germany,  from 
which  country  he  came  at  an  early  age  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  in  this  region,  marrying  a  lady  who 
was  born  here.  He  was  in  turn  a  son  of  an  earlier 
Daniel  Hollcnbeck,  who  was  the  founder  of  the  family 
in  this  country,  and  a  pioneer  .settler  of  Ellicott  town- 
ship. 

Clifton  D,  Hollcnbeck  was  horn  on  his  father's  f:irm, 
.Aoril  13.  1H70.  and  during  his  childhood  ami  youth 
divided  his  time  between  attending  the  local  public 
schooh  and  working  at  less  difficult  jobs  about  the 
home  place.  He  thus  learned  two  lessons  at  once,  and 
uiKin  hi.s  graduation  fr'im  the  Jamestown  High  School 
tnriV.  up  the  agricultural  pursuits  of  his  forbears  as  his 
own  career  in  life.  Erom  1K87  until  !><'/),  a  period  of 
nine  ycarii,  he  sp'-nt  in  the  State  of  Washington.  He 
i?   now   the  owner  of  a   fin'-   farm   in    Ivllicott   township, 


Jamestown,  the  high  state  of  cultivation  and  productiv- 
ity of  which  is  the  direct  result  of  his  indefatigable 
industry  and  expert  knowledge  of  his  work.  Mr.  Hol- 
lcnbeck has  given  liberally  of  his  time  and  energy  to 
the  public  life  of  Jamestown,  and  has  served  his  fellow- 
citizens  with  disinterestedness  and  devotion  as  assessor 
of  the  township  of  Ellicott.  He  is  a  member  of  Mt. 
Tabor  Lodge,  No.  7S0,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  of  Jamestown,  and  of  the  local  Grange.  Mr. 
Hollcnbeck  attends  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal 
Cliurch  of  Jamestown,  of  which  his  wife  is  a  meinber. 
Clifton  D.  Hollenbeck  was  united  in  marriage,  March 
ID,  1897,  at  Jamestown,  with  Minnie  Strunk,  like  him- 
self a  native  of  Ellicott  township,  born  Aug,  3,  1872,  a 
daughter  of  William  Frank  and  Edna  A.  (Parker) 
Strunk.  who  were  born  here  May  7,  1840,  and  Sept,  19, 
184s,  respectively.  The  Strunk  family  is  an  old  one 
in  this  neighborhood,  and  Mrs.  Hollenbeck's  grand- 
parents, William  and  Jane  (Vanbleek)  Strunk,  were 
old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  Ellicott.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hollenbeck  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  as 
follows:  F.  Parker,  born  .\pril  18,  1905,  and  Edna  B,, 
born  Nov,  30,   1909, 


FRANK  M,  ADAMS,  who  is  well  known  as  a  fruit 

grower  in  the  region  of  Fredonia,  Chautauqua  county, 
N,  Y,,  and  an  active  and  public-spirited  citizen,  is  a 
native  of  that  town,  born  on  the  old  Adams  homestead, 
Sept.  29,  i860,  a  member  of  one  of  the  old  pioneer 
families  of  the  county. 

Bishop  Adams,  paternal  grandfather  of  Frank  M, 
Adams,  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  came  from 
that  State  in  early  days  to  .\rkwright  Hills,  but  looking 
down  upon  Lake  Erie  he  decided  to  go  thither  and 
ascertain  if  there  was  any  better  land  there,  not  so 
hilly  and  rolling,  so  he  traveled  through  the  forest, 
encountering  many  Indians,  but  they  were  friendly  and 
sent  one  of  their  number  to  guide  the  party  to  the 
lake,  and  upon  arriving  there  the  Indian  told  them  there 
was  good  hunting  and  fishing  there,  Mr,  Adams  pur- 
chased from  the  Holland  Land  Company  320  acres, 
paying  for  the  portion  that  was  partly  cleared  $15.00 
per  acre,  and  for  the  remainder,  $6.00  per  acre.  He 
earned  the  money  for  same  by  cutting  down  the  trees, 
burning  them  in  one  large  fire,  saving  the  ashes,  which 
he  converted  into  lye  and  took  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y,,  on  an 
old  flat  boat,  built  by  an  old  minister  and  himself,  the 
former  having  come  there  to  find  a  place  to  rear  his 
family  of  nine  boys,  two  of  whom  died  with  consump- 
tion. He  started  a  school  which  was  located  about  one 
and  a  half  miles  from  their  home,  and  the  boys  went  to 
school  barefooted,  carrying  their  shoes  and  stockings 
with  them,  putting  them  on  after  reaching  the  school 
house.  They  grew  into  manhood,  became  a  strong  lot 
of  men,  and  after  laying  their  father  to  rest,  they  sold 
out  and  went  West,  David  Adams,  father  of  Frank  M. 
Adams,  then  a  boy  of  twelve  years,  went  to  school  with 
them.  He  often  received  letters  from  the  boys  after  they 
settled  in  the  West,  which  seemed  far  away  then,  but 
was  only  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  they  started  a 
lumber  mill,  built  a  large  barge  and  took  the  lumber 
to  Huff.-ilo,  the  greater  part  being  white  oak,  which  was 
us-'d  to  build  bnats  and  railroad  ties.     The  region  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


649 


at  that  time  a  complete  wilderness,  and  through  the 
almost  endless  forests  ranged  the  Seneca  Indians,  the 
most  western  of  the  Five  Nations  of  the  Iroquois,  which 
were  unquestionably  the  bravest  and  fiercest  of  all  the 
tribes  of  savages  with  whom  the  white  settlers  came  in 
contact.  Nothing,  however,  daunted  these  hardy  pio- 
neers, who  made  it  their  task  to  clear  the  great  forests 
and  turn  the  fruitful  country  into  prosperous  farms, 
a  brush  with  the  natives  being  a  frequent  incident  in 
the  day's  work.  Bishop  .A.danis  took  his  part  in  this 
labor  and  cleared  ninety-eight  acres  of  his  tract,  the 
remainder  being  uncleared,  and  later  he  left  this  for 
another  tract  of  virgin  forest  consisting  of  ninety-one 
and  one-quarter  acres  located  at  Pomfret,  now  Fre- 
donia.  This,  with  the  aid  of  his  son,  he  also  cleared, 
and  the  fruitful  farm  which  resulted  from  their  labors 
remains  in  part  in  the  possession  of  their  descendants. 

David  Adams,  son  of  Bishop  Adams,  received  his 
schooling,  as  aforesaid,  and  accompanied  the  family 
upon  their  removal  to  Pomfret,  where  he  grew  to  man- 
hood, devoted  his  time  and  energy  to  agriculture,  and 
eventually  inherited  the  old  farm.  He  was  a  man  of 
mature  years  when  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  and  al- 
though lie  had  a  family  dependent  upon  him,  he  enlisted 
in  the  Union  army  and  played  his  part  in  the  great 
struggle.  David  Adams  married  Mary  E.  Woodcock, 
who  bore  him  four  children,  as  follows :  Florence,  Mar- 
vin Bishop,  Eva;  and  Frank  M.,  of  further  mention. 

Frank  M.  Adams  passed  his  childhood  upon  his 
father's  farm,  attended  the  local  public  schools  during 
the  winter  months  and  assisted  with  the  work  on  the 
home  farm  in  the  summer  months  and  vacation  time. 
He  afterwards  was  a  student  in  the  Fredonia  Normal 
School,  from  which  institution  he  graduated.  Since 
that  time  he  has  devoted  himself  to  the  cultivation  of 
fruit,  especially  grapes,  and  has  met  with  a  notable  de- 
gree of  success  in  his  occupation,  being  now  the  owner 
of  one  of  the  finest  places  in  this  section.  Mr.  Adams 
has  always  been  a  staunch  member  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  has  been  a  factor  in  local  affairs,  although  he 
has  never  held  office,  being  quite  unambitious  for  po- 
litical distinction.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Society  of 
the  Sons  of  Veterans. 

Frank  M.  Adams  was  united  in  marriage.  May  4, 
18S0.  with  Sarah  E.  Van  Whey,  of  Fredonia,  N.  Y., 
daughter  of  Charles  Van  Whey,  of  Fredonia.  Mrs. 
Adams  died  Feb.  14,  1914.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams 
adopted  a  daughter,  Mildred,  who  is  now  (1921)  fifteen 
years  of  age. 


JAMES  DELOS  STE'VENS,  respected  and  respon- 
sible farmer  of  Gerry,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  comes 
of  a  family  which  has  earned  place  in  the  historical 
records  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  He  is  a  brother  of 
the  young  patriot,  Joseph  Robert  Stevens,  whose  body 
now  lies  with  those  of  other  national  heroes  upon 
French  soil,  he  having  made  the  supreme  sacrifice  upon 
the  field  of  battle  where  America  reached  her  greatest 
fame,  at  Chateau-Thierry,  thus  ending  a  life  which  had 
been  full  of  good  promise  and  much  nobility  of  char- 
acter. 

James  D.  Stevens  was  born  July  28,  1887,  the  son 
of    Charles    Morris    and    Frances    Henrietta     (Sweet) 


Stevens,  who  in  later  life  lived  in  Gerry,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.  Charles  Morris  Stevens,  father  of 
James  D.  Stevens,  was  born  May  19,  1857,  and  for 
nineteen  years  was  connected  with  a  business  enter- 
prise in  the  oil  fields  of  Pennsylvania,  making  his 
home  during  that  period  at  Bradford,  Pa.  Eventually 
he  purchased  a  farming  property  in  Gerry,  and  retired 
from  the  oil  business.  Thereafter,  he  lived  in  Gerry 
until  his  death,  Jan.  25,  191 1.  Charles  M.  and  Frances 
Henrietta  (Sweet)  Stevens  were  the  parents  of  seven 
children:  I.  Alice  Ann,  born  June  21,  1883.  2.  Morris 
L.,  born  Jan.  30,  1885.  3.  James  Delos,  of  whom  fur- 
ther. 4.  George  Allen,  born  Aug.  23,  1889.  5.  Charles 
v.,  born  July  18,  1891,  was  in  the  military  forces  of 
the  Nation  during  the  European  War,  being  called  to 
the  colors,  July  10,  1918,  and  assigned  to  the  338th 
Machine  Gun  I3attalion,  and  as  such  prepared  to  take 
his  part  in  the  thickest  of  the  fighting,  which  fortu- 
nately ended  in  1918.  6.  Lee  Lovell,  born  Jan.  21,  1893. 
7.  Joseph  Robert,  who  gave  his  life  to  the  cause,  born 
Oct.  25,  1896;  he  did  not  wait  for  the  selective  draft; 
he  was  unencumbered,  and  full  of  martial  ardor  and 
patriotic  spirit,  and  on  July  5,  1917,  enlisted  in  the 
regular  army  of  the  United  States,  becoming  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  I,  23rd  Infantry;  was  with  one  of  the 
earliest  divisions  sent  overseas,  and  took  part  in  the 
earliest  European  fighting  in  which  .American  troops 
were  engaged ;  it  was  at  the  famous  battle  of  Chateau- 
Thierry,  July  15,  1919,  when  the  untried  .American 
forces  met  the  experienced  veterans  of  the  victorious 
German  army  in  the  last  terrific  drive  it  made,  the 
drive  which  was  to  take  it  to  Paris,  and  to  victory,  and 
his  was  one  of  the  arms  which  fought  and  held,  and 
finally  threw  back  the  astonished  and  stupified  Germans; 
that,  the  turning  point  of  the  five-year  struggle,  was  a 
battle  which  will  ever  stand  out  among  those  of  the 
Great  War,  will  stand  out  not  only  in  American  history, 
but  in  the  histories  of  the  countries  of  Europe  that  were 
effected  thereby;  and  the  Roll  of  Honor,  commencing 
first  with  those  brave  patriots  who  laid  down  their  lives 
in  that  supreme  test,  and  continuing  with  those  who 
were  fortunate  enough  to  be  alive  when  the  fighting 
ceased,  will  be  a  roll  such  as  any  American  family  will 
be  proud  to  think  that  it  has  representation  therein. 
Joseph  Robert  Stevens,  however,  was  among  those  who 
gave  their  lives  in  that  great  battle,  and  his  body  now 
reposes  in  an  American  cemetery  upon  French  soil,  to 
which  cemetery  in  the  succeeding  generations  count- 
less Americans  will  make  journeys,  to  honor  the  heroes 
of  their  own  Nation,  buried  in  that  sacred  spot. 

Tames  Delos  Stevens,  elder  brother  of  Joseph  Robert 
Stevens,  and  third  child  of  Charles  Morris  and  Frances 
Henrietta  (Sweet)  Stevens,  was  educated  mainly  in  the 
public  schools  of  Gerry,  eventually  graduating  from  the 
Gerry  High  School.  He  assisted  his  father  in  the  op- 
eration of  the  family  farm,  and  at  his  father's  death 
took  over  the  full  management  of  it.  He  has  taken  a 
good  part  in  the  public  affairs  of  the  community,  and 
he  and  his  wife  have  entered  wholeheartedly  into  the 
various  phases  of  community  life.  They  are  well  re- 
garded, and  of  enviable  repute.  Mr.  Stevens  is  an 
earnest  ^Methodist,  and  a  loyal  member  of  the  local 
church,  substantial  in  his  support  thereof.     He  is  closely 


650 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


idcntitied  with  the  local  Grange,  and  in  political  mat- 
ters is  a  Republican.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Follows. 

On  June  jo.  1010.  at  Jamestown.  James  D.  Stevens 
married  Ellen,  daughter  ot"  .\ngust  and  Elizabeth  (Fon- 
dant^ Bergj;ier.  of  Jamestown.  She  was  born  Aug.  14. 
1S05.  and  their  marriage  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth 
of  one  child.  James  M.,  born  May  10,  1017. 

During  the  World  War,  James  D.  Stevens  was  in- 
tensely interested  in  its  progress,  and  loyally  took  his 
share  of  the  financial  burden  it  brought:  and  w-hen  the 
heart-blow  came  in  tlie  death  of  his  brother,  he  and  his 
brothers  and  sisters  bore  the  pain  with  fortitude,  rec- 
ognizing that  in  that  end  the  life  of  one  of  their  own 
family  had  been  completed  nobly,  and  in  the  most 
famous  battle  in  which  the  American  Nation  has  had 
part. 


JOHN  D.  COSTIANES,  who  is  now  in  independent 
business  as  a  confectioner  at  Xo.  7  Main  street.  James- 
town, X.  Y.,  an  enterprising  young  man,  was  born  in 
Zoupena,  Greece,  .\pril  15,  iSoo.  He  was  educated  in 
Grecian  schools,  equivalent  probably  to  the  high  schools 
of  this  country,  and  when  seventeen  years  of  age  came 
to  .^merica  to  join  his  father,  who  was  in  business  as 
a  fruiterer  and  confectioner  at  Xewcastle,  Pa.  After  a 
while  John  D.  Costianes  left  Xewcastle  and  went  to 
Wheeling.  W.  \'a..  where  his  uncle  was  established  in 
a  business  somewliat  similar  to  that  of  his  father.  He 
remained  with  his  uncle  for  some  time,  learning  the 
business.  For  a  while  he  attended  the  high  school  at 
Greenville.  Pa.,  and  later,  for  live  years,  was  in  business 
in  St.  Marys.  Pa.  In  KHT.  he  came  to  Jamestown.  N.  Y., 
and  in  .\ugust  of  that  year  joined  his  uncle  in  estab- 
lishing a  confectionery  business  at  Xo.  7  Main  street. 
In  .\pril,  1919.  he  acquired  his  uncle's  interest  in  the 
local  business,  and  since  that  time  has  conducted  it 
independently.  He  is  an  .American  citizen,  and  gives 
indication  of  making  a  success  of  his  Jamestown  enter- 
prise. 

Mr.  Costianes  was  married,  in  Pittsburgli,  Pa..  May 
II.  1916,  to  .Xntoinette  Zabutare.  They  had  two  chil- 
dren, one  now  living.  .Xngeline. 


THE       BLACKSTONE       MANUFACTURING 

COMPANY,  the  (■]<k-x  conrcrn  in  the  United  States 
making  washing  machines  for  dmncstic  use,  is  one  of 
Jamestown's  oldest  and  largest  industries.  Il  i^  also 
the  oldest  concern  in  this  country  making  washing  ma- 
chines lor  domestic  use.  having  a  trade  that  extends 
over  not  only  all  parts  of  the  United  States  but  the 
world  as  well.  This  concern  was  established  in  ICS71 
by  the  I.Tte  William  A.  lilackstonc  and  f.iorgp  V.  Black- 
sumt-.  The  prescn!  officers  arc:  William  .\I.  I'.larkstone, 
pr'-idf-nt  ;  John  P.  .Moynihan,  secretary,  and  Andrew 
J.   Lind.  treasurer. 


ORRIN  MINER  JONES,  one  of  the  most  progrcs- 
Mv  i-i'l  si;r."s' ful  amoiit;  the  younger  fanners  of 
f,"f.aiil.-iiir|ii:i.  Ch;Mit.iUf|iia  county,  N.  V.,  is  a  native  of 
the  (own  of  .Miner,  born  .March  11,  |W<7,  a  son  of  Ivlgar 
and  U','.:,  fUhit.»  Jon-v,  The  elder  Mr.  Jones  was 
bcrii   at    Sinrlairville,    N.    \^   and    for    many   years    was 


the  owner  of  the  old  Jones  homestead,  a  farm  of  160 
acres. 

.\bout  the  time  of  the  present  Mr.  Jones'  birth,  this 
region  was  infested  witli  a  terrible  plague  of  grass- 
hoppers which  damaged  the  crops  so  greatly  that  the 
family  decided  to  remove  to  the  West.  Accordingly, 
when  he  was  a  lad  of  about  three  years  of  age.  they 
took  up  their  abode  in  the  State  of  Missouri,  where  the 
father  continued  his  agricultural  pursuits  with  success, 
and  it  was  in  the  West  the  son  received  his  education, 
attending  for  this  purpose  the  local  public  schools. 
Upon  completing  his  studies  at  these  institutions,  he 
assisted  his  father  with  the  work  on  the  farm  and  re- 
mained thus  occupied  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of 
twenty-two  years,  when  he  purchased  a  farm  for  him- 
self, consisting  of  forty  acres  of  excellent  land,  and 
there  carried  on  general  and  dairy  farming  and  main- 
tained a  herd  of  thirty-five  fine  Durham  cattle.  Here 
he  remained  until  June,  1919,  meeting  with  notable 
success  in  his  enterprise,  and  then  purchased  a  farm  of 
137  acres  at  Chautauqua.  He  is  now  engaged  in  the 
development  of  this  fine  property  as  a  dairy  farm,  and 
has  a  fine  herd  of  fourteen  Holstein  cows  which  supply 
him  with  milk  and  other  dairy  products  for  the  sur- 
rounding markets.  He  is  an  expert  farmer  and  well 
posted  in  his  calling,  keeping  himself  abreast  of  all 
the  very  latest  advances  in  agricultural  methods  and 
theory.  He  is  also  actively  interested  in  local  public 
affairs,  especially  in  connection  with  education,  and  for 
four  years  held  the  position  of  director  of  the  School 
Board,  while  a  resident  in  Wisconsin.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  is  an  ardent  advocate  of  the  princi- 
ples of  that  party. 

Orrin  Miner  Jones  was  united  in  marriage,  Aug.  24, 
1 010,  with  Margaret  Jane  Wallett,  of  Wisconsin.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Jones  are  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren: Edna  Jane,  now  a  student  at  school;  Lucille  Mar- 
garet and   \ernon   Margaret. 


CHESTER    RICHMOND    SHULTES,    successful 

farmer,  owner  of  a  good  agricultural  property  at  Chau- 
tauqua, of  which  place  he  is  one  of  the  responsible 
residents  and  substantial  ta.xpayers,  is  not  a  native  of 
Chautauqua  county,  but  he  may  be  considered  to  be 
among  the  representative  agriculturists  of  the  county, 
of  the  older  generation. 

He  was  born  in  Springville,  lirie  county,  N.  Y..  June 

16,  1848.  the  son  of  and  Eliza  (Weeden)  Shultes, 

the  former  a  farmer  of  that  place.  Chester  R.  was 
educated  in  the  district  school  nearest  to  his  home,  and 
afterwards  spent  many  years  industriously  farming  the 
paternal  acres.  Eventually,  he  bought  a  farm  of  his 
own,  seventy  acres  in  extent,  and  for  many  years  lived 
there.  Ultimately,  however,  he  came  to  reside  in  Chau- 
tauqua, this  county,  having  sold  his  old  farm  to  advan- 
tage, and  in  1910  purchased  the  Edward  Coleman  farm 
in  Chautauqua  township.  The  farm  is  a  good  one.  133 
acres  in  extent,  and  well  adapted  to  general  and  dairy 
farming,  and  Mr.  Shultes.  having  been  a  farmer  all  his 
life,  and  a  man  of  comprehensive  knowledge  of  things 
r<latinK  to  agriculture,  has  so  directed  its  oinralion  that 
he  has  had  good  return  nn  his  investment. 

In  general  charactirislics  he  is  ;i  man  of  commenda- 
ble thf)roughness,  and  of  indepen'knt  original  thought. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


651 


Upon  certain  questions,  he  has  evidently  delved  deeply 
into  fundamentals,  for  his  expressed  views  indicate  a 
wide  knowledge  and  understanding.  He  is  a  Socialist 
of  the  true  type,  which  has  nothing  in  common  with  the 
forces  of  disorder  by  which  the  designation,  socialism, 
has  been  brought  into  disfavor.  The  true  socialism  is, 
and  for  long  has  been,  practiced  in  most  rural  com- 
munities, and  is  based  on  good  fellowship,  and  in  kindly 
interest  one  in  another.  In  such  actions  of  community 
well-being.  Mr.  Shultes  has  always  been  prominent, 
ready  and  willing  at  all  times  to  help  forward  any 
project  that  might  promise  good  results  for  his  own 
community.  In  his  younger  days  he  was  active  in  per- 
sonal services  in  such  projects  and  he  has  always  been 
known  for  his  generous  hospitality.  Mr.  Shultes  has 
been  an  active  member  of  the  local  Grange,  which  in 
its  functioning  fulfils  some  of  the  fundamentals  of 
socialism.  As  a  steady  successful  producer,  who  is 
keeping  in  good  cultivation  a  substantial  acreage  of 
agricultural  land  within  the  county,  and  contributing 
more  than  the  quota  of  one  man  to  the  maintenance  in 
progressive  effort  of  Chautauqua  county,  he  comes  into 
place  among  the  worthy  and  responsible  workers  of  the 
county  and  by  his  consistent  life  and  fellow-  feeling  has 
gained  many  friends  among  his  neighbors,  and  the 
general  respect  of  the  people  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Shultes  married  D.  Ida  Multen,  of  Ashville,  Cat- 
taraugus county,  N.  V.,  and  to  them  have  been  born  five 

children:      i.  Madge,   who  became  the   wife   of  

Whitmire.  2.  Lamont.  who  is  now  in  civil  service, 
attached  to  the  tax  department  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  and  making  his  residence  in  the  State  capital, 
Albany.     3.  Glen.     4.  Via.     5.  Harold. 


CHARLES  RATER,  who  for  seventy-seven  years 
has  lived  in  Chautauqua  county,  and  since  early  man- 
hood has  been  a  responsible  farmer,  cultivating  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  an  extensive  acreage  in  Ripley, 
has  prospered  well  in  his  farming  and  has  for  very 
many  years  been  one  of  the  representative  agriculturists 
of  that  section  of  the  county.  He  is  almost  considered 
to  be  a  native  of  Chautauqua  county,  and  he  might  well 
be  so  thought,  for  he  was  only  three  years  old  when 
his  father  came  to  the  county  and  settled  and  by  his 
actions  throughout  his  adult  years  Charles  Rater  has 
proved  himself  to  be  a  worthy  American,  useful, 
industrious,  productive,  enterprising,  and  always  re- 
sponsible, able  to  make  his  own  way,  and  to  add  some- 
thing to  the  progress  of  the  community  in  which  he 
labored.  He  has  been  a  conscientious  churchman,  an 
energetic  public  official,  and  an  interested  and  useful 
supporter  of  community  affairs  throughout  his  life,  and 
has  gained  the  good  will  and  respect  of  his  neighbors, 
and  of  other  people  throughout  the  county  with  whom 
he  has  become  acquainted. 

He  was  born  in  Germany,  June  26,  1839.  the  son  of 
Henry  Rater,  who  later  became  a  respected  and  pros- 
perous farmer  at  Mina.  this  county.  Charles  Rater  lost 
his  mother  when  he  was  very  young,  and  he  was  only 
three  years  old  when  his  father,  in  18-12,  brought  the 
family  to  the  United  States.  .Apparently.  Henry  Rater 
was  of  agricultural  occupation  in  his  native  land,  for 
as  soon  as  he  came  to  this  country  he  settled  upon  a 
farm   in   Mina,   Chautauqua   county.    N.   Y.,   and  there- 


after passed  his  entire  life  in  farming  at  that  place. 
At  the  outset  he  purchased  a  tract  of  fifty  acres,  but 
later  acquired  a  further  sixty  acres,  and  upon  that,  with 
the  help  of  his  sons,  he  prospered.  The  son,  Charles, 
received  the  whole  of  his  academic  education  in  the 
district  school  of  Mina,  and  after  leaving  school  set 
willingly  and  industriously  to  work  to  help  his  father 
cultivate  the  family  holding.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
Charles  had  learned  and  undertaken  many  minor  duties 
in  connection-  with  the  farm  operation  long  before  he 
left  school,  and  he  soon  became  an  experienced  farmer. 
He  was  always  of  industrious  habits,  self-reliant  and 
capable,  and  quite  early  in  manhood  he  embarked  upon 
an  independent  farming  enterprise,  renting  a  farm  at 
Mina.  One  j-ear  later  he  purchased  from  Charles  Win- 
ter a  farm  of  175  acres  in  Ripley  township  and  since 
that  time  that  has  been  his  home.  He  has  farmed  the 
acreage  well,  and  has  very  much  improved  the  property, 
adding  to  the  house  and  barn,  and  raising  the  condition 
of  the  land.  He  has  been  enterprising  in  his  farming, 
has  had  good  success  in  sheep  rearing  and  in  dairy 
farming,  and  has  quite  an  appreciable  acreage  in  grapes. 

Politically,  he  has  been  a  Democrat  for  the  greater 
part  of  his  life,  but  he  has  never  sought,  nor  wished 
for,  political  office.  As  a  father,  he  has  been  interested 
in  the  school  administration,  and  as  school  trustee  has 
had  part  in  its  administrative  affairs  for  many  years. 
At  one  time  also  he  undertook  the  responsibilities  of 
tax  collector  for  his  district.  By  religious  conviction, 
he  is  a  Methodist,  and  he  has  been  one  of  the  substan- 
tial supporters  of  the  local  church  of  that  denomination 
for  many  years.  In  his  younger  days  he  took  active 
part  in  community  movements,  and  has  at  all  times 
been  ready  to  support  local  projects  that  in  his  estima- 
tion promised  well  for  some  phase  of  the  community. 
During  the  World  War.  he  was  one  of  the  most  loyal 
and  patriotic  in  contributing  to  the  various  funds  raised 
by  the  government  and  governmental  agencies  for  the 
proper  prosecution  of  the  war. 

On  Sept.  22,  1864,  when  twenty-five  years  old,  Charles 
Rater  married  Margaret  Jane  Gilburn,  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Elizabeth  (McPhee)  Gilburn.  of  Ripley;  the 
union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  to  them  of  five  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  were  reared  to  manhood  and  woman- 
hood, and  to  useful  citizenship.  The  children,  in  order 
of  birth,  are:  I.  Frank,  who  married  Minnie  Marshall, 
and  became  an  independent  farmer  in  his  native  place, 
Ripley.  2.  Henry,  who  married  Lotta  Hunt,  and  is 
also  succeeding,  as  a  farmer,  with  a  property  of  his 
own  in  Ripley.  3.  Bert,  who  has  taken  from  his  father's 
shoulders  the  burden  of  operating  the  extensive  family 
holding.  4.  Irving,  who  is  also  at  home,  and  assists 
his  brother  Bert  in  conducting  their  father's  farm.  5. 
Mrs.  Nettie  Belle  .\lday,  wife  of  a  successful  Ripley 
farmer  of  that  name. 

Charles  Rater  is  fortunate  in  having  all  his  children 
near  him  in  his  declining  years,  and  to  know  that 
they  are  all  satisfactorily  conditioned  in  material  things, 
and  also  that  they  have  all  lived  lives  of  commendable 
steadiness  and  usefulness.  If  they,  in  their  turn,  gain 
the  general  esteem  in  the  community  that  their  father, 
Charles  Rater,  by  his  estimable  life  has  gained  for  him- 
self, they  will  indeed  have  lived  lives  of  enviable  use- 
fulness to  the  community  and  county.     Others  of  his 


652 


CHAUIWUQUA  COUNTY 


lamily.  and  ot  his  generation,  have  also  lived  commend- 
able lives  in  the  county,  he  being  one  of  eight  children 
born  to  Henry  Rater.  Charles  was  the  third-born,  and 
his  brothers  and  sisters,  in  order  of  birth,  were:  Julius, 
Augusta.  Henry,  Levi,  Selina,  Allen,  and  Frank.  The 
family  is  well  known  in  Ripley  and  Mina,  and  all  have 
succeeded   in   life. 


EGBERT  S.  OSTRANDER,  successful  and  re- 
spected farmer  in  or  near  Gerry,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
v..  and  a  justice  of  the  peace  at  that  place,  is  a  native 
of  Chautauqua  county,  and  comes  of  a  worthy  Ameri- 
can family  of  Swedish  antecedents.  Both  on  the  pa- 
ternal and  maternal  sides,  however,  the  genealogy  is 
American  for  some  generations  hack,  his  father  being 
of  the  Ostrander  family  of  Tompkins  county,  N.  Y., 
bom  in  the  town  of  West  Danby.  that  county,  in  1829, 
in  the  Ostrander  family  homestead,  and  his  mother 
having  been  of  the  Fargo  family  of  Chautauqua  county. 

Egbert  S.  Ostrander  was  born  in  the  town  of  Gerry, 
Chautauqua  county,  X.  Y.,  Sept.  6,  1854,  the  son  of 
David  Ostrander,  who  was  born  Feb.  20,  1829,  in  West 
Danby,  X.  Y.,  and  Maria  Antoinette  (Fargo)  Ostrander, 
who  was  a  native  of  Gerry,  born  there,  April  17,  1833. 
His  father  was  a  farmer,  possessed  of  a  good  property 
at  Gerry,  and  there  the  boy  was  reared.  During  his 
early  years  of  schooling,  he  attended  the  graded  schools 
of  Gerry,  and  later  went  to  Jamestown  to  attend  the 
Jamestown  High  School,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
"due  course.  From  that  time  he  has  mainly  followed 
agricultural  occupations  in  or  near  his  native  place,  and 
has  taken  interest  in  the  local  administration.  Politi- 
cally. Mr.  Ostrander  is  a  Republican,  and  although 
during  national  campaigns  he  has  not  manifested  a 
desire  to  cooperate  actively  in  the  local  activities  for 
the  national  party,  he  has  always  exhibited  a  keen  in- 
terest in  local  attairs.  He  is  a  good  neighbor,  and  has 
always  been  willing  to  aid,  either  financially  or  per- 
sonally, any  cause  which  he  thought  might  have  good 
bearing  upon  the  well  being  of  the  community.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  in  the  affairs  of  the  local  Grange  has  for  many 
years  taken  substantial  part. 

He  has  endeavored  to  live  an  upright,  honest  and  use- 
fully industrious  life,  and  his  association  and  dealings 
with  the  people  of  Gerry  during  his  long  life  have  defi- 
nitely and  markedly  shown  that  he  is,  and  has  always 
.striven  to  be.  a  man  of  good  moral  purpose,  and  that 
he  is  a  man  in  whom  they  might  place  trust.  In  the 
administration  of  justice  he  has,  since  he  was  appointed 
justice  of  the  peace  at  Gerry,  manifested  not  only  a 
spirit  of  the  strictest  impartiality  in  his  finding,  but 
also  a  judicial  mind  of  high  order,  and  more  than  a 
superficial  knowledge  of  the  law.  He  is  also  a  notary 
prblic.  commissioned  as  such  by  the  State  of  New 
York  administration.  .'\n  earnest  Christian,  Mr.  Os- 
trander has  been  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
church  since  early  manhood  and  he  is  a  substantial 
supporter  of  the  local  church  of  that  faith. 

He  was  married.  Sept.  23,  1H-5,  to  Celestia  T.  John- 
son, who  was  born  in  Fllcry,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  27,  1853,  the 
daughter  of  Bcnoni  and  Sallic  Maria  CMillcr)  Johnson, 
of  that  place.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ostrander  have  been 
horn  three  children:     1.  Forest   Egbert,  born   I'"eb.   25, 


1S77;  at  present  superintendent  and  general  manager 
of  the  State  Normal  School  at  Tempe,  Ariz. ;  married 
Marion  Austin.  2.  Fort  Leroy,  born  Jan.  31,  1886;  mar- 
ried Alice  Freeman.  3.  Alton  C,  born  July  6,  1892; 
married  Cecelia  Anderson. 

'Mr.  Ostrander  has  had  good  part  in  an  important 
phase  of  the  atTairs  of  Chautauqua  county  during  the 
last  four  or  five  decades,  and  rightly  should  have  place 
in  the  county  historical  record.  He  has  done  well  both 
in  agricultural  and  judicial  activities,  and  his  private 
life  has  been  enviable. 


JAY  KAPPLE  BEDIENT,  enterprising  and  suc- 
cessful farmer  in  Gerry,  and  continuing  worthily  the 
connection  his  ancestors  have  had  with  Chautauqua 
county  for  so  long,  comes  of  one  of  the  pioneer  families 
of  the  county.  The  name  is  encountered  in  the  early 
historical  records  of  Chautauqua  county,  and  for  gen- 
erations has  been  familiar  to  residents  in  the  Gerry  dis- 
trict; as  a  matter  of  fact,  four  generations  of  the  Be- 
dient  family  have  had  home  and  existence  upon  the 
farm  Jay  K.  Bedient  now  tills ;  his  grandfather  was  the 
pioneer,  his  father  continued  the  development,  he  has 
maintained  the  farm  in  good  bearing  and  condition,  and 
he  has  two  sons  who,  in  their  turn,  may  continue  the 
connection  of  the  Bedient  family  with  the  worthy  agri- 
culturists of  Chautauqua  county.  Certainly,  the  family 
should  have  good  place  in  this  historical  record  of  the 
county. 

Jay  Kapple  Bedient  was  born  in  Gerry,  Sept.  28,  1884, 
so  that  he  is  yet  in  his  early  prime  of  manhood.  He  is 
the  son  of  William  and  Addie  {  Kapple)  Bedient,  both  of 
whom  lived  worthy  lives  of  kindly  spirit  and  good 
neighborliness.  In  his  youth,  he  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Gerry,  and  when  his  schooldays  were  over, 
he  took  part  of  the  responsibilities  of  the  farm  man- 
agement and  operation.  In  due  course  he  became  the 
head  of  the  house,  and  is  continuing  to  work  the  an- 
cestral estate  with  good  profit.  He  is  alert,  intelligent, 
hard-working  and  enterprising,  and  is  introducing 
many  modern  methods  of  farming  with  good  results. 

He  is  a  prominent  and  active  member  of  the  local 
Grange,  and  is  interested  in  all  things  pertaining  to  his 
calling.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  but  has  not  been 
active  in  political  affairs.  He  has  the  spirit  which 
brings  success,  the  spirit  of  assiduous  concentration 
upon  his  own  work,  and  he  has  accomplished,  conse- 
quently, results  in  farming  that  have  been  gratifying 
and  worth-while.  During  the  war  just  ended  he  was 
consistent;  he  interested  himself  even  more  closely  in 
matters  of  production  upon  his  farm.  But  during  those 
years  his  concentration  upon  his  farming  operations  had 
a  patriotic  bearing.  Like  so  many  more  loyal  Amer- 
icans, strong  in  body  and  whole-hearted  in  love  of 
country,  his  inclinations  were  oftentimes  prompting 
him  to  take  military  capacity  in  the  great  struggle,  but 
his  family  and  the  almost  as  vital  maintenance  of  agri- 
cultural production  from  .'\mcrican  lands  forced  him  to 
greater  effort  in  the  prosaic,  unheralded  war  labors  of 
the  home  field.  He  faithfully  did  his  part  as  a  loyal 
.'\merican  farmer  to  aid  the  government  in  its  endeavor 
to  bring  such  increased  yields  of  foodstuffs  that  the 
threatened  famines  in  allied  countries  would  be  met  by 
American  surpluses.     It  was  a   factor  that  has  brought 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


653 


no  individual  recognition,  save  in  the  satisfaction  tliat 
must  of  necessity  have  come  to  every  American  farmer 
who  participated  and  eventually  knew  what  a  conse- 
quential part  their  combined  effort  had  upon  the  for- 
tunes of  the  country  and  its  allies.  But  in  a  volume  of 
individual  histories,  such  as  this  is,  it  is  proper  to  make 
reference  to  such  individual  effort  put  forth  at  a  time 
when  the  Nation,  as  a  whole,  was  at  war,  and  was  in 
vital  need  of  the  whole  interest  of  all  its  producers. 
And  in  the  financial  burdens  which  came  upon  the  home 
people  during  the  war,  Mr.  Bedient  cheerfully  took  his 
full  share,  glad  to  cooperate  in  every  way  that  was 
possible  to  him. 

Mr.  Bedient  married,  in  Gerry,  June  21.  1905,  Hattie 
Johnson,  born  Nov.  26,  1886,  in  Gerry,  the  daughter  of 
August  and  Gustava  (Anderson)  Johnson,  who  were 
both  born  in  Sweden,  but  who  lived  for  the  greater  part 
of  their  lives  in  America,  and  in  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  y.  Her  brothers  are  worthy  and  successful  farmers 
of  the  neighborhood.  ^Ir.  and  Mrs.  Bedient  are  the 
parents  of  two  children:  Jay  Fletcher,  born  July  12, 
1908;  Sherwood,  born  Sept.  18,  1915.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bedient  have  a  comfortable  home,  are  very  hospitable, 
and  are  esteemed  by  their  neighbors. 


HENRY  SPRAGUE  MACKINZIE  is  a  native  of 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  \.,  and  after  a  successful 
career  in  industrial  life  in  another  State  has  returned 
to  the  scenes  of  his  boyhood,  and  is  taking  consequen- 
tial part  in  the  affairs  of  his  native  place.  During  the 
World  War  he  came  into  prominence  as  a  patriotic 
citizen  and  worker,  loyally  codperating  with  the  gov- 
erment  in  many  phases  of  its  work;  he  was  chairman  of 
the  first  Liberty  Loan  drive,  and  was  a  liberal  subscriber, 
as  well  as  an  active  worker,  for  the  other  governmental 
agencies,  the  Red  Cross  and  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  when  those  organizations  sought  to  raise 
funds  for  the  purposes  of  their  war  work. 

He  was  born  on  a  farm  near  Dewittville,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  May  16,  1S79.  the  son  of  William  P.  and 
Mary  (Lacodie)  Mackinzie.  The  land  upon  which  his 
father,  William  P.  Mackinzie,  settled  in  1879,  and  upon 
which  Henrj'  S.  was  born,  is  still  in  the  family,  and  at 
present  is  under  the  administration  of  the  son  named. 
The  Mackinzie  family  was  in  the  county  earlier  than  the 
year  in  which  William  P.,  father  of  Henry  S..  acquired 
the  property  in  Dewittville;  a  grandfather,  Barnhart 
Mackinzie,  came  to  the  county  much  earlier,  and  may 
be  considered  to  have  been  among  the  pioneer  settlers. 

Henry  Sprague  Mackinzie  was  educated  in  the  De- 
wittville district  school  and  at  the  Mayville  graded 
school,  and  after  closing  his  school  days  worked  upon 
his  father's  farm.  In  fact,  he  began  farm  work  long 
before  he  had  left  school,  for  before  and  after  school 
hours,  and  during  vacations,  he  was  entrusted  with  the 
execution  of  many  of  the  minor  duties  on  the  home 
farm.  He  did  not  remain  long  at  farming  after  he  had 
finished  his  schooling.  He  was  naturally  inclined  to 
things  of  mechanical  nature,  and  he  decided  to  learn  the 
machinist  trade.  Eventually,  to  follow  his  trade,  he 
went  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  there  remained,  in  re- 
sponsible employment,  until  1917,  when  upon  the  death 
of  his  father  he  returned  to  his  native  place.  His 
mother  is  still  living,  but  as  he,  with  his  brother,  was 


appointed  administrator  of  his  father's  estate,  which 
also  includes  that  of  his  grandfather,  he  decided  to 
remain  in  the  county  and  devote  himself  to  the  care 
of  his  mother,  and  to  the  affairs  of  the  estate.  He  is 
the  active  administrator,  and  as  such  the  actual  man- 
agement of  the  farming  properties  devolve  upon  him 
and  he  has  shown  during  the  last  two  years  that  he 
has  not  forgotten  the  knowledge  of  farming  that  he 
gained  in  the  days  of  his  youth.  Especially  during  the 
war  did  he  attend  closely  to  farming  matters.  As  a  man 
of  ultra-loyal  spirit,  his  patriotism  drew  him  heartily 
into  war  work  and  not  the  least  consequential  was  his 
direction  of  the  family  agricultural  properties.  The 
food  question,  which  was  such  a  factor  to  the  allies  of 
this  country,  caused  him  to  closely  observe  his  farming 
operations,  to  prevent  waste  and  to  bring  all  possible 
acreage  into  bearing,  so  as  to  cooperate  with  the  govern- 
ment in  its  desire  to  ship  to  Europe  an  immense  quan- 
tity of  foodstuffs,  which  quantity  could  only  come  by 
closer  attention  to  farming  by  loyal  American  farm- 
ers. Enough  has  been  written  in  national  history  of  the 
effect  the  ultimate  enormous  surpluses  of  American 
foodstuffs  had  on  the  final  victory  which  came  to  the 
allies,  but  little  recognition  has  been  given  to  the 
individual  American  farmer  by  whose  long-sustained 
efforts  the  surplus  came.  However,  in  local  histories 
such  as  this  is,  appropriate  mention  might  be  made  of 
individual  efforts  of  home  people  during  the  period 
when  the  theatre  of  war  was  practically  the  whole  world, 
and  when  whole  peoples,  not  only  armies,  entered  into 
the  struggle,  which  was  of  such  vital  consequence  to 
the  future  of  great  nations.  .A.nother  consequential, 
and  more  publicly  known  part  taken  by  Mr.  Mackinzie 
in  war  work  was  in  connection  with  the  national  cam- 
paigns to  raise  funds  for  the  needs  of  the  nation  in 
the  prosecution  of  the  war.  He  was  chairman  of  the 
local  committee  for  the  first  Liberty  Loan  drive,  and 
was  a  substantial  contributor  and  an  indefatigable 
worker ;  and  he  also  interested  himself  actively  in  the 
work  of  raising  the  enormous  funds  needed  by  the 
Red  Cross,  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and 
other  governmental  organizations,  for  war  needs.  Alto- 
gether, the  war  work  record  of  Henry  Sprague  Mac- 
kinzie is  commendable. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  local  Grange,  and  in  politics 
is  an  independent  voter.  In  local  affairs,  he  is  mani- 
festing much  interest,  and  now  that  he  is  back  among 
the  scenes  of  his  early  days,  he  will  probably  take  ac- 
tively to  public  work,  for  he  is  markedly  public-spirited. 
He  is  able,  capable,  and  will  be  an  asset  to  his  district. 
Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows.  By  religious  preference,  he  is  an  Epis- 
copalian and  has  been  a  devout  attendant  at  churches 
of  that  faith. 

On  Oct.  6,  igo",  Mr.  Mackinzie  married  .^.my  Covey, 
of   Westfield,    Chautauqua    county,    N.    Y.     They   have 

four  children :  John,  Drove.  Lacodie,  .     They  lost 

one  child,  William,  a  fine  boy,  whom  they  reared  to 
the  age  of  nine  years. 

Henry  S.  Mackinzie  is  a  man  of  marked  intelligence 
and  honorable  purpose.  His  career  in  industrial  life 
was  good,  and  he  is  still  in  the  prime  of  manhood  so 
that  he  is  likely  to  be  of  good  service  to  the  county 
of  his  birth. 


654 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


DR.  MARION  ANDREWS— During  his  years,  sev- 
enty-r.ve.  all  sr^nt  in  Chautauqua  county.  Dr.  Marion 
Andrews  (Dr.  by  grace  of  tlie  Xew  York  Board  of 
Regents)  has  run  the  professional  gamut,  and  has  suc- 
cessively been  an  educator,  a  law  student,  a  student  of 
medicine,  tinally.  in  lOlO  receiving  a  license  from  the 
regents  to  practice  veterinary  medicine.  During  thirty- 
live  of  the  winters  which  have  passed  over  his  head.  Dr. 
Andrews  taught  school  in  Irving,  Fredonia,  Portland 
and  Brocton.  and  has  kept  at  all  times  in  close  touch 
with  the  march  of  events.  He  is  a  son  of  Horatio  and 
Minerva  (Thompson)  Andrews,  of  Arkwright,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  X.  V..  his  father  a  veterinarian  and 
farmer,  who  taught  his  son  methods  of  treating  animals 
medicinally.  Horatio  .Andrews  was  road  commissioner 
of  the  town  of  Pomfret  for  twenty-two  years.  There 
were  six  children  in  the  .\ndrews  family :  Marion,  of 
whom  further :  Mary.  Ullman.  Frank.  Leroy,  and 
Amber. 

Marion  Andrews  was  born  in  Arkwright,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y..  July  i8.  1845.  He  grew  up  on  the  home 
farm,  attended  the  district  schools,  and  later  took  more 
advanced  courses  at  Fredonia  Academy  and  at  the 
State  Xormal.  .\t  the  last-named  institution  he  quali- 
fied as  a  teacher,  and  as  before  stated  taught  in  Chau- 
tauqua county  schools  during  the  winter  season  for  a 
period  of  thirty-five  years.  He  studied  law  for  two 
years,  read  medicine  with  Dr,  Bradford  two  years,  and 
was  always  a  great  lover  of  horses.  This  led  him  to 
take  up  the  practice  of  veterinary  medicine,  a  profes- 
sion in  which  his  father  was  quite  skillful  and  one  in 
which  his  son.  Marion,  has  been  a  helper,  and  to  whom 
he  had  passed  along  much  of  his  knowledge.  In  1916 
Dr.  .Andrews  was  licensed  to  practice  and  has  since 
maintained  an  office  in  Fredonia.  For  two  years  he  was 
State  cattle  inspector.  He  is  widely  consulted  on  mat- 
ters pertaining  to  horses  and  is  an  authority.  He  was 
in  charge  of  the  construction  of  the  race  track  at  the 
Chautauqua  County  Fair  Grounds,  and  is  as  favorably 
as  he  is  widelv  known. 


GEORGE  FLOYD  TUCKER— There  are  a  num- 
ber of  youn«  men  in  Chautauqua  county,  who  at  the 
outset  of  their  careers  had  decided  to  follow  the  occu- 
pation with  which  their  fathers  had  long  been  identi- 
fied, namely,  that  of  farming,  and  they  have  given  them- 
selves over  wholly  to  this  task  and  made  a  considerable 
success  of  it  to  the  present  time.  George  Floyd  Tucker 
is  a  good  example  of  the  splendid  .American  young  man 
who  well  exemplifies  this  type.  He  was  born  in  West- 
field,  July  2X,  18X0,  a  son  of  Walter  A.  and  Grace 
fEddy)  Tucker,  the  former  one  of  the  influential  men 
of  this  region  of  the  State,  who  followed  farming  all 
through  his  life,  and  was  actively  identified  with  all  the 
local  movements  hereabouts. 

George  Floyd  Tucker  received  his  education  in  the 
district  schools  of  hi-  native  place,  and  after  graduating 
from  these  institutions  worked  with  his  father,  assisting 
the  elder  man  with  his  duties  on  the  farm.  He  re- 
mainf-d  thus  employed  until  1008,  in  which  year  he 
purchased  the  farm  property  of  John  I"riezc,  one  i>i 
the  model  places  of  the  region,  consisting  of  126  acres 
of  excellent  agricultural  land.  Here  Mr.  Tucker  carries 
on  extensive  dairy  and  general   farming  industries  and 


is.  in  addition  to  these,  a  fine  developer  of  pure-bred 
horses.  Mr.  Tucker  has  remodeled  the  place  since 
taking  possession,  and  his  place  is  one  of  the  finest 
hereabouts.  His  barn  is  a  large  one  and  the  house  in 
which  he  resides  has  all  of  the  latest  improvements, 
making  it  an  ideal  place  to  live  in.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Tucker  is  a  Democrat  and  is  an  ardent  adherent  of  the 
principles  and  policies  of  this  party.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  local  Grange,  and  is  a  leading  member  of  all 
movements  undertaken  to  advance  the  public  weal.  He 
is  a  splendid  citizen. 

Mr.  Tucker  was  united  in  marriage,  June  28,  1899, 
with  Lizzie  Ann  Ostrander,  a  native  of  Elmira,  N.  Y'., 
a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charley  Ostrander,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  Westfield.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Tucker  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Merle  Stanley,  whcj 
is  at  present  engaged  in  business  with  his  father  on 
the  old  homestead. 


AXEL  EMMETT  CREE,  son  of  the  late  Charles 

Emmett  and  Sophie  Louise  (Anderson)  Cree,  was  born 
in  far  away  Sweden,  Feb.  22,  1876.  At  the  age  of  si-x, 
in  18S2.  he  arrived  in  this  country  with  his  parents,  they 
settling  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Busti,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.  After  completing  his  studies,  he  be- 
came interested  in  farming,  was  successful  in  his  oper- 
ations, and  through  industry  and  close  application 
became  prosperous  and  influential.  He  became  the 
owner  of  the  farm  upon  which  he  resides.  On  Dec.  27, 
1920,  Mr.  Cree  established  a  general  merchandise  store 
in  the  village  of  Busti  and  is  conducting  the  same  under 
the  firm  name  of  A.  E.  Cree  &  Son,  and  their  business 
is  now  a  profitable  one,  Mr.  Cree  having  a  wide  circle 
of  friends  and  well  known  on  account  of  living  in  the 
town  from  boyhood.  Mr.  Cree  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, and  for  eight  years  has  been  highway  superinten- 
dent for  the  town  of  Busti.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Patrons  of 
Husbandry,  and  the  Baptist  church,  taking  a  helpful 
interest  in  the  work  of  all  these  organizations. 

On  Dec.  23,  1901,  Mr.  Cree  married  (first)  Ruth 
Nellie  Myers,  of  Erie,  Pa.  They  were  the  parents  of 
one  son,  Robert  Wayne,  born  Nov.  7,  1902.  Mrs.  Cree 
died  Jan.  14,  1903.  Mr.  Cree  married  (second)  Feb. 
I,  1910,  Amelia  Christine  Johnson,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  a  daughter,  Marian  Isabelle,  born  July  22, 
1912.  Mrs.  Cree  died  May  14,  1015.  Mr.  Cree  married 
(third)  Nov.  3,  1917,  Cecilia  Hanna  Anderson,  born 
July  18,  1879,  daughter  of  Swan  Edward  and  Ida  Caro- 
line  (Nyholm)    Anderson,  her  parents  born  in  Sweden. 


CHARLES  L.  KENNING  is  an  enterprising 
f.irmir.  who  h,-is  never  wasted  his  energies  by  directing 
tlieni  into  a  number  of  difTerent  channels,  but  has  con- 
centrated thent  on  the  work  of  his  life  calling.  This, 
as  his  neighbors  could  testify,  is  a  true  description  of 
Mr.  llenning.  and  that  his  devotion  to  agriculture  has 
produced  satisfactory  results  is  equally  beyond  ques- 
tion. 

Charles  L.  Henning  was  born  Jan.  17.  1857,  at  Dun- 
kirk, N.  Y.,  a  son  of  Frederick  and  Mary  (Alter)  Hen- 
ning. The  education  of  Charles  L.  Henning  was 
received  in  the  schools  of  his  birthplace,  and  at  the  age 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


655 


of  sixteen  he  came  to  Ripley  and  began  life  as  a  farmer. 
In  1884,  he  purchased  the  farm  which  is  now  his  home 
and  which  then  consisted  of  but  seventy  acres,  but  now 
comprises    140,    the   increase   being   the    result   of   pur- 
chases made  by  Mr.  Henning  and  his  son-in-law.     The 
soil  is  rich  and  the  estate  has  been  much  improved  by 
I    its  present  owner.     Mr.  Henning  is  now  experimenting 
j    with  a  grape  vineyard,  despite  the  fact  that  his  land  lies 
I   just  outside  the  accepted  grape  belt.     He  is  confident, 
I    however,  that  his  vines  will  answer  his  expectation.     His 
I    live  stock  includes  four  horses,  fourteen  cows,  and  large 
numbers  of  chickens  and  hogs  for  home  consumption. 
While  never  taking  an  active  part  in  community  affairs, 
'    Mr.  Henning  has  always  been  a  thoroughly  good  neigh- 
bor and  also  a  good  Republican,  having  served  both  as 
school  trustee  and  school  collector.     He  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Henning  married,  Oct.  21,  1879,  Ida  Scott,  of 
Ripley,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  one  daughter,  Ella, 
wife  of  Bert  Waters,  whose  farm  joins  that  of  Mr.  Hen- 
ning; they  have  one  child,  Belma.  The  career  of 
Charles  L.  Henning  has  been  one  of  quiet  force  exerted 
for  worthy  ends  and  bringing  a  harvest  of  honorable 
successes.     Could  there  be  a  better  record? 


Elinor.  3.  Dorothy.  4.  Otto.  5.  Joel.  The  three  last 
named  were  educated  in  the  same  manner  as  the  eldest 
daughter  and  first  born  son.  John  William  Webber  is 
an  honorably  successful  man,  and  has  a  record  in  which 
his  children  and  grandchildren  may  well  take  laudable 
pride. 


JOHN  WILLIAM  WEBBER— A  residence  of  fifty 
years  in  a  county  seldom  fails  to  insure  the  recognition 
of  a  majority  of  its  citizens  and  especially  is  this  so 
when,  as  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Webber,  the  man  is  num- 
bered among  the  prosperous  and  influential  members  of 
his  community,  and  is  counted  on  with  confidence  in 
any  crisis  or  emergency.  That  this  is  true  of  Mr.  Web- 
ber his  friends  and  neighbors  of  Sherman  have  long 
since  proved. 

John  William  Webber  was  born  March  20,  1862,  at 
Youngsville,  Pa.,  a  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Barber) 
Webber.  When  the  boy  was  seven  years  old  his  par- 
ents moved  to  Chautauqua  township,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  taking  up  their  abode  on  the  farm  of 
which  he  himself  is  now  the  owner.  John  William 
Webber  attended  District  School  No.  16,  and  when  he 
grew  to  manhood  remained  on  his  father's  farm,  as- 
sisting in  its  management,  and  in  the  course  of  time 
becoming  its  possessor.  The  estate  consists  of  194 
acres,  about  one-half  of  this  being  under  cultivation. 
Every  improvement  on  the  place  was  made  either  by 
Mr.  Webber  or  his  father,  and  in  1910  the  former  built 
a  saw  mill  which  he  now  owns  and  operates  in  con- 
junction with  the  farm.  This  saw  mill  cuts  about  40.000 
feet  of  lumber  annually,  and  over  and  above  paying  for 
his  own  and  his  sons'  labor  provides  considerable  money 
for  wages.  In  politics,  Mr.  Webber  has  always  adhered 
to  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party,  and  at  one 
time,  by  the  request  of  his  fellow-citizens,  served  as 
school  trustee.  He  belongs  to  the  Grange,  Patrons  of 
Husbandry,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Mount  Pleasant 
United  Brethren  Church. 

Mr.  Webber  married,  March  4,  1891,  Katharine  John- 
ston, of  Chautauqua  township,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  the  following  children:  i.  Inez,  educated  in  dis- 
trict schools  and  Chautauqua  High  School ;  married 
Clyde  Crandall.  and  has  one  child,  Everett.  2.  Munroe, 
educated  in  district  schools  and  Chautauqua  High 
School ;   married   Mildred  Johnson,   and  has   one  child, 


WILLIAM  FREDERICK  EGGERT— In  any  list 

of  the  most  progressive  Westfield  farmers  of  the 
younger  generation  the  name  we  have  just  written 
would  stand  very  high.  Mr.  Eggert  is  a  good  citizen  as 
well  as  an  enterprising  agriculturist,  always  taking  a 
helpful  interest  in  improvement  of  community  condi- 
tions. 

William  Frederick  Eggert  was  born  March  7,  1884, 
on  his  father's  farm  in  Westfield  township,  and  is  a  son 
of  Frederick  and  Albertine  (Marquette)  Eggert.  Mr. 
Eggert,  who  is  now  deceased,  came,  about  1880,  from 
Germany,  and  his  widow  is  now  living  on  a  farm  near 
that  of  her  son. 

After  receiving  his  preparatory  education  in  district 
schools,  William  F.  Eggert  attended  for  a  short  time 
Union  College,  in  the  town  of  Westfield.  and  then  de- 
cided to  devote  himself  to  agricultural  pursuits.  In 
1913,  he  purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  now  lives,  an 
estate  consisting  of  178  acres,  on  which  he  has  made 
many  improvements  to  which  he  is  constantly  adding. 
He  is  also  the  owner  of  two  smaller  farms  as  well  as  a 
vineyard  of  twenty-five  acres,  situated  on  Main  street, 
some  distance  from  Westfield  town.  On  his  home 
farm  he  is  now  building  a  large  modern  residence  of 
nine  rooms.  He  has  ten  cows,  five  horses,  and  twenty 
hogs  ;  also  sixty-seven  sheep — a  new  industry — and  a 
large  number  of  chickens.  All  his  methods  are  modern, 
and  the  result  of  his  use  of  them  has  proved  eminently 
satisfactory.  Politically,  Mr.  Eggert  is  a  true  Repub- 
lican and  has  served  his  townsmen  in  the  office  of 
collector.  He  belongs  to  the  Grange,  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry, and  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church  of 
Westfield. 

Mr.  Eggert  married.  May  2,  1906,  Clara  M.  Bussiger, 
of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren, both  of  whom  are  now  attending  school :  Arthur 
William  and  Carlton   Deane. 

As  a  farmer  of  the  new  school  and  a  citizen  help- 
fully active  in  public  affairs,  Mr.  Eggert  is  making  a 
record  to  which,  as  the  years  go  on,  he  will  add  chapter 
after  chapter  of  increasing  interest. 


HERBERT  HENRY  REID— The  agricultural  in- 
terests of  Chautauqua  county  have  no  more  aggressive 
representative  among  the  younger  generation  of  farmers 
than  the  citizen  of  Westfield  whose  name  stands  at  the 
head  of  this  article.  Mr.  Reid  is  public-spirited  in  re- 
gard to  community  aft"airs,  always  showing  a  helpful 
interest  in  promoting  the  general  welfare. 

Herbert  Henry  Reid  was  born  Jan.  22,  1884,  on  a 
farm  in  Westfield  township,  and  is  a  son  of  Robert 
and  Sally  (Russell)  Reid,  the  latter  being  now  de- 
ceased. Mr.  Reid  is  a  farmer  at  Summerdale,  Chau- 
tauqua township.  Herbert  Henry  Reid  received  a 
district  school  education,  and  since  leaving  school  has 
been  engaged,  for  the  most  part,  in  farming,  with  the 
exception  of  a  short  time  spent  in  working  on  the  rail- 


656 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


way.  In  lOl^,  Mr.  Reid  rented  his  present  farm,  and  in 
March,  loio.  became  by  purchase  the  owner  of  the 
estate  which  comprises  140  acres.  Of  these  about  one- 
half  are  under  cuUivation.  The  care  of  a  large  and 
growing  family  prevents  Mr.  Reid  from  making  as 
many  improvements  on  his  farm  as  he  would  like  to, 
but  he  hopes  some  day  to  be  the  owner  of  an  estate 
which  will  compare  favorably  with  any  in  Westheld 
township.  He  now  engages  in  general  farming,  also 
conducting  a  dairy.  His  stock  includes  eighteen  cows, 
three  horses,  some  hogs  and  a  large  number  of  chick- 
ens. In  politics.  Mr.  Reid  is  a  faithful  Republican,  but 
has  never  had  time  nor  inclination  for  office  holding. 
He  has  no  fraternal  affiliations,  bvit  attends  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Reid  married.  Sept.  15.  IQ05,  \'era  Stoweln,  of 
Chautauqua  township,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  the 
following  children :  Lawrence,  Ethel,  Walter,  Alma, 
Lucille.  May.  Doris,  and  Lura.  Of  these,  five  are  now 
(1921  >   attending  school. 

Herbert  Henry  Reid  is  a  fine  type  of  the  self-made 
man.  He  has  already  done  much  and  everything  indi- 
cates that,  as  the  years  go  on,  he  will  accomplish  still 
more.  He  is  the  type  of  man  who  helps  to  build  up 
communities. 


CHARLES  WILLIAM  NICHOLS,  a  native  of 
Westfield.  in  which  town  he  has  lived  throughout  his 
life,  has  farmed  practically  all  his  life,  and  has  had  good 
success.  He  has  the  respect  of  his  neighbors,  and  the 
confidence  of  all  who  have  traded  with  him.  which  is 
satisfactory  wealth  for  any  man. 

He  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Westfield.  Chautauqua 
county,  X.  Y..  March  23.  1869.  the  son  of  Charles  John 
and  Rachel  (Fisher)  Xichols.  His  father.  Charles  John 
Nichols,  was  born  in  Germany  (Mecklenburg),  but  it 
does  not  necessarily  follow  that  the  family  is  of  German 
origin  ;  as  a  matter  of  fact  Xichols  is  an  English  pa- 
tronymic, not  a  German,  and  the  circumstances  of  the 
German  birth  of  Charles  John  Nichols  might  well 
have  been  only  because  of  the  residence  of  his.  sup- 
posedly, English  parents  in  Germany  at  that  time.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  Charles  John  Nichols  was  brought  to 
this  country  by  his  parents  when  he  was  only  seven 
years  old,  and  he  has  been  a  responsible  farmer  in 
Westfield  township  for  sixty  years.  He  and  his  wife. 
Rachel  (Fisher)  Nicho's,  live  quite  near  their  son.  the 
farms  almost  adjoining. 

Charles  William  Nichols  was  educated  in  district 
schfKils,  after  leaving  which  he  busied  himself  with 
tasks  upfjn  the  parental  farm.  With  the  exception  of 
six  years,  during  which  he  followed  the  trade  of  brick 
ma?on.  he  h:is  steadily  followed  agricultural  occupa- 
tions all  his  life  and  he  owns  a  good  property,  upon 
which  he  has  erected  many  imprfivemcnts  of  value. 
Hi<v  farm  is  well  adapted  for  the  purpose  to  which  it 
is  put.  dairy  and  general  farming,  and  is  well  stocked. 
Mr.  Nichols  is  a  m-mber  of  the  local  Grange,  and  is 
interf '.ted  in  almost  all  things  that  have  to  do  with 
farminif.  In  former  years,  he  took  much  active  part 
in  c'/mmunily  alTair-.,  although  he  has  never  sought  nor 
accpj/lcd  public  office.  In  politics,  he  is  an  independent, 
l^inj;  of  that  type  of  thinker  which  will  not  pledge 
himwlf  blindly  to  any  party.     His  religious  conviction 


leads  him  into  membership  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
body,  and  he  has  been  a  good  supporter  of  the  local 
church  of  that  denomination. 

On  .\pril  I,  1S93.  Mr.  Nichols  married  Helen  Trump, 
of  a  Westheld  family  of  that  name,  and  the  marriage 
has  been  well  blest,  for  they  are  the  parents  of  a  fine 
family,  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  namely:  I. 
Nellie,  who  graduated  at  the  Westheld  High  School, 
and  married  Deere  Hunt,  to  whom  she  has  borne  one 
child.  Allen.    2.  Mary,  who  was  educated  in  the  district 

schools,  and  married Beers,  a  farmer ;  they  have 

one  child.  Elinor.  3.  Freida,  who  graduated  from  the 
Westfield  High  School,  and  from  the  State  Normal 
School;  she  has  entered  professional  life,  and  has  been 
a  teacher  for  four  years.  4.  George,  who  was  educated 
in  the  district  school,  and  followed  the  e.xamples  set  for 
him  by  his  father  and  grandfather,  and  is  now  a  skill- 
ful and  energetic  young  farmer.  5.  Raymond,  educated 
in  district  schools,  and  now  a  mechanic  in  a  Toledo, 
Ohio,  plant.  6.  Lawrence,  who  is  still  attending  the 
district  school. 

The  present  prosperous  condition  of  Charles  Wil- 
liam Nichols  has  been  the  result  of  praiseworthy  indus- 
try he  has  manifested,  as  well  as  of  skillful  farming. 
He  has  held  steadily  to  his  work,  has  always  lived 
within  his  means,  and  has  always  endeavored  to  hold 
to  the  honorable  mode  of  dealing.  Consequently,  he  has 
prospered. 


ANTONY  MILITELLO,  who  at  the  present  time 
occupies  a  position  of  prominence  in  the  business  world 
of  Westfield,  N.  Y.,  is  a  native  of  Italy,  born  in  the 
Province  of  Palermo,  Feb.  16,  iS?6.  He  is  a  son  of 
Joseph  and  Josephine  Militello,  who  were  also  natives 
of  Italy,  and  who  caiue  to  this  country  when  Antony 
was  but  fourteen  months  of  age.  The  elder  Mr.  Mili- 
tello preceded  the  family  in  its  migration  to  the  New 
World  by  a  year,  and  came  here  on  a  sailing  vessel  upon 
which  there  broke  out  a  severe  epideinic  and  the  ship 
underwent  extensive  quarantine.  Eventually  the  gov- 
ernment permitted  the  ship  to  dock  and  the  weak  and 
suffering  immigrants  landed.  Mr.  Militello  then  went 
to  Bufifalo,  N.  Y'.,  where  he  settled,  and  where  the 
family  later  came  and  resided.  In  1896,  Joseph  Mili- 
tello and  his  family  returned  to  Italy,  where  Antony 
was  educated,  and  in  igoi,  tlie  family  came  back  to 
America  and  returned  to  Buffalo. 

Antony  Militello,  however,  did  not  remain  here  for 
any  great  length  of  time.  Leaving  the  family  in  Buf- 
falo, he  came  to  \\'cstfield  and  obtained  a  position  with 
the  United  States  Canning  Factory.  At  this  place  a 
great  misfortune  befell  the  young  man,  he  losing  his 
left  arm  in  an  accident.  When  he  had  recuperated  suf- 
ficiently, he  was  sent  to  school  and  graduated  from  the 
imblic  and  high  schools  here  with  high  honors.  Mr. 
.Militello  then  accepted  the  position  as  interpreter  with 
th<'  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Central  Railroad  Company 
and  in  his  spare  time  read  law  with  James  H.  Pren- 
dergast,  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Westfield.  In  1909,  he 
passed  the  examination  for  notary,  and  has  since  then 
done  a  great  deal  of  work  in  this  line  for  the  Italian 
people  hereabouts.  Mr.  Militello  was  of  an  ambitious 
nature  and  had  always  been  anxious  to  engage  in  a 
business  enterprise  of  his  own.     Therefore,  in  1908,  he 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


6S7 


started  the  manufacture  of  cement  blocks,  bricks,  etc., 
as  well  as  concrete  work.  He  has  done  a  great  deal  of 
this  grade  of  work  here  and  has  installed  the  founda- 
tion for  the  old  Armour  Grape  Juice  plant,  furnished 
blocks  for  several  stations  on  the  Buffalo  &  Lake  Erie 
Railroad,  and  traction  blocks  for  the  Milk  Products 
Company's  plant.  Mr.  Militello  manufactures  his 
blocks  from  Lake  Erie  gravel,  and  at  the  outset  he  had 
but  one  small  machine  for  the  manufacture  of  this 
commodity.  His  plant  is  now  equipped  with  modern 
machinerj'  and  is  capable  of  turning  out  2,000  bricks 
and  600  blocks  per  day.  Mr.  Militello  is  also  the  owner 
of  an  up-to-date  cider  plant,  and  is  preparing  to  erect 
a  canning  factory  for  fruit  products  on  the  Peacock 
estate,  which  he  now  owns.  He  also  has  a  thirty-live 
acre  fruit  and  grape  farm  on  the  Academy  road. 

Antony  Militello  was  united  in  marriage  with  Jennie 
Pummaie,  Sept.  2,  1914,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  the 
following  children :  Josephine,  Mary  and  Joseph.  In 
his  religious  belief,  Mr.  Militello  is  a  Catholic  and  at- 
tends the  church  of  this  denomination  at  Westfield,  and 
liberally  supports  its  charitable  and  philanthropic  under- 
takings. He  was  the  organizer,  in  1902,  and  one  of  the 
presidents  of  the  Star  of  Italy  Society,  and  was  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  Board  of  Commerce.  He  was  also 
an  organizer  and  the  past  president  of  the  Republican' 
Club  here,  and  ardently  adheres  to  all  its  principles  and 
policies. 

Mr.  Militello  is,  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word,  a 
"self-made  man."  Starting  out  in  life  after  being  af- 
flicted with  the  loss  of  an  arm,  he  did  not  permit  this 
handicap  to  discourage  him,  but  set  to  work  and  con- 
quered the  obstacles  that  stood  in  his  path  and  overcame 
considerable  difficulties,  eventually  reaching  his  goal. 
He  is  very  popular  with  his  employees,  and  is  regarded 
here  as  a  business  man  of  the  finest  caliber,  an  honest 
citizen  and  a  good  husband  and  father,  who  enjoys  the 
intimate  intercourse  of  his  family  circle  and  personal 
friends. 


CHARLES  GROVE  VAN  DYKE,  prosperous 
farmer  of  the  Mayville  section  of  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  is  a  native  of  Chautauqua  county,  and  has  lived 
within  it  all  the  years  of  his  life,  fifty-six.  His  life 
has  been  one  of  steady,  useful  production,  in  which  he 
has  accumulated  sufficient  financial  means  to  make  his 
later  life  free  from  any  consequential  worry.  .\nd.  by 
his  public  service,  he  has  indicated  that  he  is  interested 
in  the  well  being  of  his  neighbors  also.  Public  service 
in  country  districts  in  the  main  brings  no  financial  re- 
turn, but  often  entails  much  labor,  and  the  man  who 
will  accept  oftice  under  such  conditions  indicates  a 
commendable  interest  in  his  fellows,  and  an  unselfish 
willingness  to  perform  the  public  duties  that  have  to 
be  accomplished  in  every  community.  Mr.  Van  Dyke 
for  many  years  was  school  trustee,  and  has  also  been 
collector  of  the  district. 

He  was  born  on  the  family  homestead,  in  the  town 
of  Ripley,  Chautauqua  county.  N.  Y.,  Oct.  21.  1863,  the 
son  of  Lister  and  ."Mpha  (Grove)  Van  Dyke.  His 
father  was  a  farmer,  and  as  a  boy  Charles  G.  attended 
the  district  school.  As  soon  as  his  school  days  were 
over,  he  took  industriously  to  farming,  and  has  worked 


at  such  occupations  ever  since.  Twelve  years  ago,  he 
purchased  the  farm  he  now  owns,  near  May^'ille,  Chau- 
tauqua county.  It  is  sixty-eight  acres  in  extent,  about 
thirty  acres  of  which  is  arable  land,  and  the  remainder 
pasture.  It  is  a  well-balanced  dairy  farm,  and  Mr. 
Van  Dyke  has  instituted  many  improvements,  which 
include  dwelling  house,  barns,  milk  house,  hen  houses, 
and  other  structures,  all  built  by  the  present  owner. 
He  is  a  good  farmer,  and  has  a  well  kept  and  produc- 
tive property.  Mr.  Van  Dyke  is  a  member  of  the  local 
Grange,  and  belongs  to  the  Mayville  Lodge  of  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  has  been  a 
Republican  throughout  his  life,  and  has,  when  possible, 
interested  himself  actively  in  national  political  move- 
ments insofar  as  they  pertain  to  his  own  order  and 
community.  He  is  popular  and  well  regarded  in  his 
district,  and  has  held  many  local  offices,  including  that 
of  school  trustee  and  collector. 

On    Nov.    21,    1895,    Charles    G.    Van    Dyke    married 

Elizabeth  ,   of    Buffalo,    N.   Y.      They   have   two 

children  :  i.  -Ella,  who  was  educated  in  Mayville  and 
district  schools ;  married  Lyle  Raynor,  who  follows 
industrial  occupations,  and  at  present  is  serving  as 
factory  foreman ;  they  have  two  children  :  Robert  and 
Elinor.  2.  Morris,  who  received  his  education  in  May- 
ville and  district  schools,  and  eventually  entered  the 
employ  of  the  local  railroad  company;  he  married  Bes- 
sie Moore,  and  they  have  one  child,  Donald. 

Mr.  Van  Dyke  is  a  self-made  man  ;  has  acquired  the 
means  he  now  enjoys  entirely  by  his  own  industrious 
efforts;  and  has  lived  an  earnest,  upright  life.  He  was 
much  interested  in  tlie  prosecution  of  the  war,  and  bore 
his  share  of  the  financial  burdens  caused  thereby.  He 
also  entered  zealously  into  the  national  endeavor,  by 
farmers,  to  bring  increasing  yields  from  their  agricul- 
tural holdings,  to  circumvent  the  threatened  famines  in 
allied  countries.  That  national  effort  was  successful, 
as  is  now  nationally  recorded  in  United  States  history, 
and  when  the  consequences  were  so  portentous,  Amer- 
ican farmers  who  participated  in  the  national  effort 
might  well  take  comfort  from  the  knowledge  they  now 
have  of  the  appreciable  part  their  combined  effort  had 
upon  the  final  satisfactory  ending  of  the  war. 


LOUIS  VERNON  GILBERT,  an  earnest,  manly, 
young  farmer  in  the  Mayville  section  of  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  operates  a  dairy  farm  of  100  acres.  And 
judging  by  the  production  during  his  first  year  of  man- 
agement of  the  farm,  he  will  succeed.  He  is  an  in- 
telligent, enterprising,  and  optimistic  young  man  who 
has  taken  early  to  the  things  that  count  in  life,  and  has 
left  the  artificialities  of  modern  city  life  to  others  who 
find  attraction  in  such.  They  do  not  fit  in  with  his 
sturdiness  of  purpose. 

He  was  born  in  Hart,  Oceana  county,  Mich..  AprW 
24.  1899.  the  son  of  Charles  and  Nora  (Milajean")  Gil- 
bert. His  father,  who  was  a  farmer,  is  now  dead,  but 
his  mother  is  with  him  in  Chautauqua  county  now.  His 
early  school  days  were  passed  in  Hart.  Mich.,  where  he 
attended  the  graded  public  schools.  When  he  was 
twelve  years  old.  the  family  came  to  Chautauqua  county, 
X.  Y.,  and  settled  in  Westfield.  and  in  the  high  school 
of  that  place  Louis  Vernon  finished  his  schooling.     He 


658 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


trsdiiated  in  1017.  but  tor  some  years  before  that  he 
had  been  doing  considerable  work,  of  a  farming  nature, 
at  every  opportunity.  After  closing  his  schooling  in 
1017.  he  went  to  work  in  the  vineyards  of  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  in  the  following  year,  1018,  took  the 
farm  he  has  since  operated.  It  is  100  acres  in  extent, 
and  suitable  lor  dairy  and  general  farming — quite  an 
undertaking  for  a  much  older  man.  But  young  Gil- 
bert is  proving  himself  capable  of  it,  and  is  supported 
by  his  wife,  Hazel  (Shaw)  Gilbert,  whom  he  married, 
Aug.  i^.  loiS.  She  is  of  Erie,  Pa.  The  farm  he  now 
owns  and  operates  is  one  upon  which  he  worked  in 
1 91 5,  while  still  at  school.  He  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  Baptist  church,  Mayville,  and  give  indications 
of  possessing  steadiness  in  Christian  work  which  will 
hold  them  to  the  church. 


HERBERT     MORRISON     CARPENTER— The 

Carpenters  were  early  settlers  and  land  owners  I'f  the 
town  of  Harmony.  Chautauqua  county.  N.  V.  Josiah 
Carpenter,  from  Rensselaer  county,  N.  Y.,  in  1808, 
bought  about  1,000  acres  in  township  i,  range  u, 
southwest  of  .\shville.  In  1809,  his  son,  James 
Carpenter,  with  his  young  wife,  settled  on  this 
purchase,  building  his  log  cabin  near  the  banks  of 
Goose  creek,  which  in  that  year  rose  to  the  dimensions 
of  a  river  and  imprisoned  the  family,  who,  however, 
escaped  on  a  raft  made  of  cordwood.  Josiah  Carpen- 
ter came  in  1811.  there  then  being  but  one  house  in  what 
is  now  the  village  of  Ashville.  He  settled  on  lot  64 
of  his  original  purchase,  with  sons,  Daniel  B.,  Isaac, 
Josiah,  Jr.,  and  Timothy.  One  of  his  daughters  mar- 
ried Oliver  Pier,  son  of  Levi  Pier,  a  great  hunter  who, 
it  is  said,  paid  for  his  land  in  Harmony  with  the  bounty 
money  received  from  the  county  on  wolf  scalps. 

Morrison  Carpenter,  father  of  Herbert  Morrison 
Carpenter,  was  born  in  the  village  of  Blockville,  town 
of  Harmony.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  .April  i,  1816, 
and  there  resided  until  his  death.  He  married  Sarah 
Wright,  born  in     England,  in   1826. 

Herbert  M.  Carpenter  was  born  in  Blockville,  Har- 
mony, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  March  10,  1849,  and 
there  was  educated  in  the  district  school.  He  made 
farming  his  business  and  pursued  his  calling  with  such 
success  that  he  is  now  living  a  retired  life  of  content- 
ment and  case.  He  is  the  owner  of  two  good  farms 
but.  with  the  exception  of  his  poultry  raising,  he  has  no 
active  business  interest.  In  religious  faith  he  is  a 
Seventh  Day  Adventist,  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of 
Husbandry,  and  in  politics  a  Democrai. 

Mr.  Carpenter  married.  Jan.  13,  1874,  in  Jamestown, 
Eliza  N.  Jennings,  born  .'\pril  8,  1846,  in  North  Panama, 
Chautauqua  county,  X.  V.,  daughter  of  Luther  Stephen 
Eullcr  and  Tirza  fKing)  Jennings,  her  father  bfirn  in 
Cattaraugus,  her  mother  in  f.)nondaga  county.  N.  Y. 
.\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Carp<ntrr  arc  the  parents  of  live  children  : 
I,  f>-ririide  Pauline,  born  i^eb.  3,  1875,  deceased.  2. 
Angelinc  I,ucillc.  born  Oct.  16,  1871'),  married  Philip 
Menkes,  iKjrn  in  Trance.  3.  C.uddington  Jennings,  horn 
Jan.  25.  iH-'j,  married  Eliza  Stetson.  4.  Herbert  I'loyd, 
>K)rn  Dec.  <>,  l8Xr,  married  Irene  Irish.  5.  Dorothy 
Eliza,  born   May   |K,   iK-^A-  married   Carl    P<rry   .Milks. 


CHARLES  DANIEL  BALI^-Among  the  success- 
ful farmers  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  should  be 
mentioned  Charles  Daniel  Ball,  who  has  made  a  model 
farm  of  his  100  acres  at  Westfield.  He  was  born  at 
Arkwright,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  26,  1874, 
the  son  of  Joshua  J.  and  Lucy  (Burnam)  Ball. 

He  had  the  great  advantage  which  belongs  to  those 
who  spend  their  youth  in  the  healthy  and  invigorating 
atmosphere  which  pervades  life  on  the  American  farm. 
He  received  his  early  education  at  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  town,  and  spent  his  summers  on  his  father's 
farm,  acquiring  that  detailed  knowledge  of  farm  life 
and  agricultural  methods  that  only  experience  can  pro- 
vide. He  later  attended  the  Fredonia  Normal  School 
to  complete  his  education,  after  which  he  worked  for 
some  time  on  a  farm,  to  perfect  his  training  in  his 
chosen  occupation  and  then,  feeling  himself  competent 
to  be  his  own  master,  bought  a  farm  of  twenty-six  acres 
at  .\rkwright,  which  he  worked  for  some  years  as  a 
general  produce  and  dairy  farm.  Later  he  sold  this 
land  and  removed  to  Westfield,  where  he  bought  the 
farm  belonging  to  George  Wright,  which  consisted  of 
100  acres.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Ball  has  remained  on 
this  land,  improving  it  in  many  ways,  such  as  remodel- 
ing the  house  and  farm  buildings,  and  has  added  to 
his  arable  land  by  clearing  ten  acres  of  bush.  Besides 
general  produce.  Mr.  Ball  has  thirteen  head  of  cattle, 
tine  graded  Holsteins,  and  his  dairy  farm  is  known 
throughout  the  county,  not  only  for  the  quality  of  its 
products,  but  also  for  its  excellent  management.  Mr. 
Ball  is  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  Republican  party,  and 
has  taken  an  active  interest  in  local  public  affairs,  having 
been  inspector  of  elections  for  the  years  igi8  and  1919. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Dairymen's  Association  of 
Sheridan,  and  of  the  Woodmen  of  America. 

Charles  Daniel  Ball  married,  at  Stockton,  Ella  Kel- 
ley,  daughter  of  Albert  and  Angeline  (Scrivin)  Kelley, 
and  of  this  marriage  were  born  three  children,  as  fol- 
lows :  Gerald  A.,  who  is  now  assisting  his  father  in  the 
running  of  the  farm  at  Westtield ;  Thelma  Irene,  who 
is  now  at  school;  and  Marian  Lucy,  also  a  student. 


ARTIE  VANDE  WARK— When  in  1861  the  seeds 
of  dissension  and  secession,  sown  by  both  Abolitionist 
and  Secessionist,  bore  legitimate  harvest,  men  from  all 
sections  rallied  around  the  flag  of  the  Union,  and  after 
four  years  of  civil  war  the  edict  went  forth  that  this 
nation  "should  not  perish  from  the  earth."  .Among  the 
men  who  wore  the  blue  was  John  Vande  Wark,  of  the 
town  of  Carroll,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.  Later  came 
another  crisis  in  the  affairs  of  our  Nation,  but  with  a 
foreign  nation,  Spain.  A  son  of  the  Union  veteran  was 
ready  then  as  was  his  sire  in  1861,  and  for  two  years 
he  wore  the  uniform  of  the  United  States  volunteer. 

.Artie  Vande  Wark,  son  of  John  and  Ella  (Pangborn) 
\'andc  Wark,  was  born  at  the  home  farm  in  the  town 
of  Carroll,  Chant.auqua  county,  N.  Y.,  April  19,  1877, 
and  there  attended  the  public  schools.  He  chose  farm- 
ing as  his  occupation,  and  with  the  exception  of  his 
military  service  of  more  than  eighteen  months  he  has 
always  been  engaged  in  farming.  He  is  now  the  owner 
of  r35  acres  of  fertile  farm  and  grazing  land,  well 
stocked  ;iiid   iiii|irnvi-d.  u|Min   which  he  resides,  the   farm 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


6S9 


located  in  section  57,  town  of  Cherry  Creek.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  United 
Brethren  church.  He  enlisted  in  the  American  army 
during  the  Spanish-.American  War  period,  and  served 
until  honorably  discharged. 

Mr.  Vande  Wark  married,  at  Cherry  Creek.  Juliette 
Peterson,  daughter  of  John  and  Ida  (Hickok)  Peterson, 
her  father  born  in  Sweden,  her  mother  in  Randolph, 
N.  Y.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vande  Wark  are  the  parents  of  a 
daughter,  Lorena  Margaret,  born  Aug.  11,  1919. 


GLEN  NORMAN  WILLIAMS,  one  of  Chautau- 
qua county's  industrious  producers,  a  man  who  has 
farmed  in  the  county  since  early  manliood,  and  who, 
by  his  steady  life  and  honest  purpose,  has  become 
esteemed  among  the  people  with  whom  he  has  come 
in  contact,  and  especially  in  the  neighborhood  of  Cone- 
wango  Valley,  was  born  Jan.  17,  1872,  at  Leon,  Catta- 
raugus county,  N.  Y.  But  his  life  of  industry  has  been 
passed  almost  wholly  within  the  borders  of  Chautauqua 
county. 

Four  generations  of  his  branch  of  the  Williams 
family  have  had  residence  in  America.  His  parents 
were  Norman  and  Rebecca  (Ross)  Williams,  both  of 
whom  were  born  in  Leon,  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y., 
and  his  grandfather  was  Davis  Williams.  The  record 
states  that  Davis  Williams  "was  born  in  Scotland,  and 
came  to  this  country  in  a  very  early  day."  That  may 
have  been  so ;  Davis  Williams  may  have  been  born  in 
Scotland,  but  the  family  is  not  therefore  necessarily 
Scottish ;  in  fact,  both  the  given  name  and  the  patrony- 
mic of  the  American  progenitor  are  distinctly  Welsh ; 
and  it  is  more  than  probable  that  Davis  Williams  be- 
longed to  the  ancient  British,  or  Welsh  family  of  that 
name.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  of  ancient  British  families, 
and  since  very  early  times  has  been  very  numerously 
spread  in  Wales,  and  had  prominent  part  in  early  Brit- 
ish history.  One  of  the  early  Welsh  branches  of  the 
house  of  Williams  traced  lineal  descent  from  Marchu- 
del  of  Cyan,  Lord  of  Abergelen,  in  Denbighshire,  of  one 
of  the  fifteen  tribes  of  North  Wales.  He  lived  in  the 
time  of  Roderic  Maur  (Roderic,  the  Great),  king  of  the 
Britons,  about  S49.  Of  him,  through  Edynfid  Fycham, 
was  descended  the  royal  house  of  Tudor,  and,  accord- 
ing to  an  authentic  early  record,  the  genealogy  of 
Marchudel  is  deduced  from  Brutus,  the  first  king  of 
the  Britons.  The  record,  regarding  the  Williams  family, 
states :  "This  most  ancient  family,  of  the  principality  of 
Wales,  deduces  its  pedigree,  w'ith  singular  perspicuity, 
from  Brutus,  son  of  Silvias  Posthumius,  son  of  .Ascan- 
eus,  son  of  Aeneas,  which  Brutus  was  the  first  king  of 
this  island,  and  began  to  reign  above  eleven  hundred 
years  before  the  birth  of  Christ."  Of  course  it  is  not 
possible,  without  exhaustive  research,  to  indicate  to 
which  branch  of  the  Williams  family  Glen  Norman 
Williams  belongs,  but  it  is  more  than  probable  that  his 
antecedents  were  Welsh,  and  not  Scottish. 

Glen  Norman  Williams  received  a  public  school  edu- 
cation in  the  school  of  his  native  place,  and  since  the 
closing  of  his  school  days  he  has  spent  practically  all 
his  time  in  farming  occupations.  By  dint  of  steady 
direction  of  the  plough,  and  intelligent  observance  of 
the  developments  of  scientific  farming,  but  chiefly  by 
concentration  upon  his  work,  he  has  succeeded,  and  is 


now  well  established  in  the  material  comforts  of  this 
life.  His  name  is  good,  his  record  is  an  honorable  one, 
and  his  characteristics  are  kindly  and  charitable.  He 
is  a  steady  supporter  of  the  Methodist  church,  an  en- 
thusiastic member  of  the  local  Grange,  and  politically, 
he  is  affiliated  with  the  Republican  party,  although  he 
has  not  taken  much  part  in  political  work.  His  com- 
munity spirit  is  wholehearted  and  inviting  and  during 
his  life  he  has  always  followed  local  affairs  with  marked 
interest,  giving  what  help,  personal  and  financial,  he  has 
been  able  to.  Dtiring  the  great  war  just  ended  so  suc- 
cessfully, his  part  was  not  inconsequential ;  he  was  one 
of  the  stalwart  men  who,  by  increased  labor  and  inten- 
sified efforts,  sought  to  draw  from  the  land  an  in- 
creased yield,  to  offset  the  ravages  caused  in  allied 
countries  by  the  terrible  struggle  then  proceeding. 
.America's  part  in  the  cause  of  right  against  the  forces 
of  him  who  would  have  set  right  at  naught  was  a 
praiseworthy  one ;  but  her  part  was  not  only  that  which 
finds  its  place  in  history  as  a  record  of  battles  fought. 
But  for  the  abnormal  agricultural  yield  of  this  country 
during  the  years  of  struggle,  the  allies  probably  would 
not  have  had  the  strength  to  continue.  Therefore  to 
every  home  soldier,  to  every  earnest  farmer,  is  due  a 
recording  of  his  share  in  the  ultimate  decisive  victory. 
Glen  N.  Williams  is  probably  satisfied  with  the  part, 
however  small  it  may  have  appeared  in  the  national 
aggregate,  he  took  in  the  increased  agricultural  produc- 
tion of  this  country  during  the  years  of  war.  Without 
such  individual  efforts,  the  ditificulties  would  have  enor- 
mously increased,  and  the  fight  might  not  have  been 
finally  won.  Mr.  Williams  also  bore  his  proper 
share  of  the  financial  burden  which  came  upon  the  home 
people  during  the  struggle;  he  generously  gave  of  his 
means  to  the  various  funds  raised  to  meet  national  war 
needs.  Mr.  Williams  is  connected  with  the  State  Bank 
of  Randolph,  and  he  properly  has  place  among  the  rep- 
resentative agriculturists  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 
In  Canada,  Glen  N.  Williams  was  married  to  Mina 
May  Saunders,  who  was  born  April  20,  1878,  the 
daughter  of  .Austin  and  May  (Graves)  Saunders.  They 
have  one  child,  Sara  Ettie  Aurrilla. 


CASSIUS  MARCELLUS  C.  HEWES— Chautau- 
qua county  is  famous  for  its  excellent  agricultural  ad- 
vantages, and  this  is  particularly  true  of  Mayville,  N. 
Y.,  a  place  which  is  the  home  of  many  prosperous  and 
intelligent  farmers.  One  of  these,  Cassius  Marcellus 
C.  Hewes,  occupies  a  prominent  place  here  and  is  well 
regarded  as  not  only  a  farmer  of  unusual  talents,  but  a 
man  who  combines  keen  business  tactics  in  the  disposi- 
tion of  his  production  to  the  local  markets  hereabouts. 

Cassius  Marcellus  C.  Hewes  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Chautauqua,  Feb.  18,  1844,  a  son  of  Robert  P.  and 
Olive  (Porter)  Hewes.  He  received  his  education  at 
the  district  schools  of  his  native  town,  and  after  grad- 
uation from  these  institutions  remained  w-ith  his  father 
on  the  latter's  vast  500-acre  farm.  .After  the  death  of 
the  elder  man,  Mr.  Hewes  inherited  200  acres  of  the 
old  homestead  estate,  as  well  as  the  house,  and  he  im- 
mediately set  to  work  to  rebuild  the  property,  installing 
all  the  modern  necessary  improvements  and  remodeling 
the  house  until  it  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  finest  struc- 
tures  hereabouts.     Mr.   Hewes   does   a   very   profitable 


66o 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


dairy  bu>ine5J.  and  is  tlic  owner  of  forty  sheep,  ten 
cattle,  as  well  as  poultry  and  a  splendid  fruit  farm.  Mr. 
Hewes  is  very  prominent  in  the  social  and  club  life  of 
Mayville.  and  is  a  member  of  the  local  Grange  here  and 
has  served  as  overseer.  In  politics  he  is  a  staunch 
adherer  of  the  principles  and  policies  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  served  as  assessor  for  twelve  years,  being- 
one  of  the  longest  office  holders.  Mr.  Hewes  was  one 
of  a  family  of  eight  children,  his  other  brothers  and 
sisters  being  as  follows :  Mary  J.  Porter,  deceased ; 
John  M..  who  married  Lula  W'ellman,  and  is  now  de- 
ceased:   Franklin    M..   who   married    Stella   Wilkinson; 

Delbert    M..    who   married   Marsli;    Sidney    M., 

who  married,  and  is  now  the  owner  of  a  large 
farm  in  Dakota :  Edward  B.  M..  who  married  Florilla 
Tucker,  and  is  at  present  engaged  in  the  occupation  of 
farming:  Minnie,  who  became  Mrs.  Hatch  and  has  one 
daughter.  Florence  L.  M..  who  is  a  student  in  the  schools 
of  the  region.  Mr.  Hewes,  of  this  sketch,  was  e.xempt 
from  service  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  \\'ar  on  account 
of  poor  health.  He  is  a  splendid  gentleman  of  the  old 
school,  of  good  clean  thoughts,  and  his  hobby  is  the 
keeping  of  a  diary  of  local  events,  the  contents  of 
which  is  most  interesting  to  all  those  who  have  the 
privilege  of  reading  same.  Mr.  Hewes  is  one  of  the 
very  prominent  figures  here  and  is  looked  up  to.  de- 
■soite  his  considerable  age,  as  a  capable  and  efficient 
man  of  affairs. 


JOHN  EDWIN  BRIGGS— Notable  among  the 
business  men  of  Chautauqua  county  is  John  E.  Briggs, 
who  was  born  in  Russell,  Pa..  Feb.  7.  1867,  a  son  of 
William  Washington  and  Louisa  .A.nn  (Gron)  Briggs, 
the  former  named,  a  carpenter  by  trade,  a  Democrat  in 
politics. 

John  E.  Briggs  received  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  town,  and  after  completing  his 
studies  took  up  the  tinner's  trade,  which  he  has  plied 
for  nearly  twenty  years  with  remarkable  success.  Mr. 
Briggs  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  that  party  finds 
in  him  a  staunch  upholder.  He  is  also  connected  fi- 
nancially with  the  American  National  Bank  of  James- 
town. N.  \.  In  religious  affiliation,  Mr.  Briggs  is  a 
member  of  the  United  Brethren  church. 

On  Dec.  3.  189.S,  Mr.  Briggs  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Margaret  Rowley,  born  in  Sugar  Grove,  Pa.,  July 
'5.  '^77.  a  daughter  of  Morrit  Bemsley  and  Emma 
(^Ritor)  Rowley.  To  this  union  have  been  born  two 
children:  Sally  Emma,  May  23.  1912,  and  Morrit  Wil- 
liam, Sept.  23,  1914. 

Mr.  Briggs  ranks  among  the  more  successful  business 
men  of  Kiantone  township,  and  he  has  a  business  record 
which  any  man  might  be  proud  of,  for  his  course  has 
ever  been  characterized  by  honorable  dealing  between 
himself  and  his  fcllowmcn. 


ODEL  FREDERICK  CREE— Since  IQ16,  Mr. 
Cri'-,  a  siirrcssiiil  r,ir|j(-rit<r  and  buildir,  has  resided 
in  lh<-  villat"?  of  Orloron,  where  he  is  well  eslablislied 
as  a  capable,  reliable  contracu.r.  He  is  of  Swedish 
birth  and  parentage,  son  of  Charles  E.  and  Sophie 
L/jui.sc  f  Anderson;  Crcc,  his  father  a  farmer. 

O'lel  F.  Crec  was  born  in  Sweden,  i'"eb.  i.i,  1H72.  was 
brouKht    to   the    United    States    in    1878,   and    spent    liis 


youth  on  a  farm  in  tlie  town  of  Busti,  Chautauqu 
county,  N,  Y.  He  attended  Busti  public  schools,  an 
upon  arriving  at  suitable  age  learned  the  carpenter' 
trade.  His  ambition  led  him  into  the  contracting  busi 
ness  in  1008,  and  in  1916  he  bought  his  present  residenc 
in  the  village  of  Celoron,  and  is  there  engaged  in  busi 
ness,  well  known  and  prosperous.  In  addition  to  hi 
building  operations,  he  has  a  number  of  teams  an^ 
engages  in  a  general  hauling  and  teaming  business 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  an  at 
tendant  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  in  poli 
tics  independent. 

Mr.  Cree  married.  Dec.  25,  1919,  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y 
Elmo  Maretta  Sundholsn,  born  Feb.  25,  1878,  in  Farm 
ington,  Pa.,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Louise  Sundholsi 
the  former  named  a  native  of  Sweden. 


WILLIAM  S.  WINSLOW— Among  the  prominen 
farmers  of  Wcstfield,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  shoul 
be  mentioned  William  S.  Winslow,  a  native  of  West 
held,  born  April  6,  1870,  on  the  farm  whereon  he  nov 
(1921)  resides,  he  being  a  member  of  the  third  genera 
tion  of  Winslows  to  reside  there,  this  being  the  onl; 
farm  in  the  township  that  has  not  gone  out  of  the  pos 
session  of  the  original  settlers.  He  is  a  son  of  Edwar^ 
Hazelton  and  Martha  M.   (Cady)   Winslow. 

In  the  year  1825,  Hazelton  Winslow,  of  Paris  Hil 
near  Waterville,  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  came  to  West 
field,  in  company  with  others,  in  search  of  land  whereoi 
to  settle  and  make  a  home.  Mr.  Winslow  purchase 
120  acres  from  the  Holland  Land  Company,  then  re 
turned  to  his  home,  and  the  following  year,  182^ 
returned  and  cleared  a  small  portion  of  his  purchase 
and  with  the  help  of  others  put  up  a  log  house  consistinj 
of  two  rooms,  the  first  summer  a  blanket  being  used  ii 
place  of  a  door.  He  then  returned  to  Paris  Hill,  anc 
on  Jan.  11,  1827,  married  Abigail  Merrell,  and  in  th. 
following  April,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  made  th' 
journey  to  Wcstfield  by  way  of  the  Erie  canal  to  Buf 
falo,  from  there  to  Barcelona  by  boat,  from  there  t( 
Westficid  by  a  wagon  drawn  by  oxen.  There  thei 
seven  children  were  born,  the  oldest  daughter,  Esther 
born  in  December,  1827,  died  at  the  age  of  ninety  years 
and  the  second  daughter,  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Walker,  i. 
now  a  resident  of  Detroit,  Mich.,  aged  ninety  years,  thi 
last  survivor  of  the  family.  Mr.  Winslow  disposed  o 
fifty  acres  of  his  farm  to  Cyrus  Bickford.  The  deatl 
of  Mr.  Winslow  occurred  in  the  year  1845.  The  re 
maining  seventy  acres  were  cultivated  by  his  son,  Ed 
ward  Hazelton  Winslow,  until  his  death  in  1915,  aget 
eighty-three  years,  and  since  then  by  William  S 
Winslow,  of  this  review. 

Si.x  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Winslow,  o 
whom  four  are  now  living:  Edward,  of  Wesleyville 
I'a. ;  William  S.,  who  now  operates  the  farm;  Bert 
who  resides  in  Erie,  Pa.,  and  one  daughter,  Alice  M 
Brady.  The  two  children  of  William  S.  Winslow  are  thi 
fourth  gentraticjn  to  reside  on  the  farm. 


MASON   A.   GILBERT,   respected  and  prosperou; 

farmer  ;Lt  l'',lliii(;lon.  ('h.iulauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where 
lie'  has  lived  I'nr  ninre  than  forty  years,  is  a  native  oi 
tliat  place,  liorii  Ocl,  i,  1H75,  the  son  of  Edwin  S.  anc 
Ida    (Stone)    r.ijberl.      His   paternal   ancestry   connect! 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


66i 


with  a  pioneer  family  of  Livingston  county,  N.  Y.,  Ori- 
son Gilbert  having  been  born  in  Sparta,  of  that  county, 
where  he  possessed  a  farming  property.  Edwin  S. 
Gilbert  was  born  in  Poland  township,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  V.,  and  his  wife,  Ida  (Stone)  Gilbert, 
mother  of  Mason  A.  Gilbert,  was  a  native  of  Ellington, 
so  that  Mason  A.  Gilbert  comes  of  a  family  long  asso- 
ciated with  Chautauqua  county. 

Mason  A.  Gilbert  was  educated  in  the  Ellington  pub- 
lic school,  and  eventually  became  a  student  at  the  high 
school  of  the  place,  and  in  due  course  creditably  gradu- 
ated therefrom.  Thereafter,  he  took  earnestly  and  in- 
dustriously to  farming.  He  is  skilled  in  agriculture, 
and  possessed  of  the  steady  purpose  without  which  agri- 
culture rarely  yields  material  success,  and  he  has  pros- 
pered well  by  tilling  the  soil.  He  has  a  good  farming 
estate,  and  has  the  esteem  of  his  neighbors.  Politically, 
Mr.  Gilbert  has  given  allegiance  to  the  Republican 
party,  but  he  has  not  actively  interested  himself  in  na- 
tional politics.  During  the  World  War,  he  substantially 
contributed  to  the  various  funds  prompted  to  satisfac- 
torily prosecute  the  war,  and  he  has  always  manifested 
a  marked  interest  in  local  affairs.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Free  Methodist  church  of  Ellington,  and  as  such 
manifests  the  possession  of  devout  and  sincere  convic- 
tion upon  religious  observances  and  service  in  general, 
and  definite,  outspoken  opinion  of  many  practices  of  life 
as  they  appear  to  a  man  of  rigid  Christian  purpose. 

Mason  A.  Gilbert  married,  March  24,  1892,  Mary 
Luce,  born  May  24,  1876,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Lucy 
(Simons)  Luce,  of  Ellington.  To  them  have  been 
born  three  children  :  Ida,  born  on  Christmas  Day,  1897 ; 
Beulah,  born  July  3,  1899;  and  Martin,  born  April  18, 
1905.  The  children  have  been  brought  up  in  a  whole- 
some Christian  environment,  in  which  the  artificialities 
of  the  present  day  have  no  place. 


EUGENE  A.  HOAG,  who  for  almost  fifty  years  has 
been  a  responsible  and  successful  farmer  in  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  near  Gerry,  was  born  Nov.  17,  1847,  the 
son  of  Warren  and  Elmira  (Day)  Hoag.  During  the 
early  years  of  Eugene  A.  Hoag,  the  family  lived  in 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  educated,  primarily,  at  the 
academy  at  Walford,  Pa.  Coming  to  New  York  State, 
the  family  settled  in  Chautauqua  county,  and  Eugene 
A.  Hoag  acquired  a  good  farming  property,  and  prof- 
ited materially  in  his  operation  of  it.  He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  local  Grange  for  many  years.  During 
the  war  just  ended,  he  subscribed  as  much  as  he  was 
able  to  the  various  funds  raised  for  the  purposes  and 
prosecution  of  the  war,  and  in  other  ways  manifested 
an  ardent,  patriotic  spirit. 

On  Feb.  2~.  1871,  at  Ellington,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  Eugene  A.  Hoag  was  married  to  lona  M.,  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  and  Emily  (Terhune)  Conet.  His  wife 
was  born  in  Ellington,  Aug.  5,  1851,  and  they  became 
the  parents  of  three  children :  Morrow  J.,  born  Dec.  19, 
1871,  died  Feb.  21.  1016;  Milicent  A.,  became  the  wife  of 
Carlton  \.  Wright:  Edith  D. 


State,  and  has  a  good  record  both  as  a  man  of  upright 
life  and  high  moral  characteristics  and  as  a  skillful 
farmer.  He  was  born  in  Warren  county,  N.  Y.,  April 
23.  1853,  a  son  of  Ezra  J.  Fisher. 

Horace  O.  Fisher  attended  the  common  school  ad- 
jacent to  his  home,  gaining  a  practical  education  thereby, 
and  later  gave  his  attention  to  farming  operations,  be- 
coming in  course  of  time  the  owner  of  a  productive 
farm  in  Falconer,  which  he  has  cultivated  and  improved 
to  a  great  extent,  being  ever  ready  to  consider  the  adop- 
tion of  modern  scientific  methods  of  farming  which  has 
stood  the  test  as  to  cost  of  operation  and  increase  or 
superiority  of  yield.  Mr.  Fisher  is  a  Republican  in 
politics,  believing  that  the  principles  and  policies  of 
that  party  are  for  the  greatest  good  of  the  people-at- 
large,  and  holds  membership  in  Grange  No.  52S,  Patrons 
of  Husbandry,  of  Ellington. 

Mr.  Fisher  married,  Dec.  iy,  1S82,  in  Jamestown, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Miranda  Lees,  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  (Toothill)  Lees,  both  natives  of  England, 
born  in  Halifax  and  Bradford,  respectively.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Fisher  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Ethel  Violet, 
born  in  the  town  of  Poland,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  13,  1883 ;  she 
became  the  wife  of  Austin  Peterson.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Peterson  are  the  parents  of  four  children :  Raymond, 
Lillian.  Irene  and  Caroline. 


HORACE  O.  FISHER,  respected  and  prosperous 
farmer  of  Falconer,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  is  well 
known  among  the  agriculturists  of  that  section  of  the 


ELMER  M.  JOHNSON,  an  energetic  and  success- 
ful farmer  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  owner  of 
a  good  agricultural  property  in  the  Gerry  district  of 
that  county,  was  born  Dec.  14,  1880,  the  son  of  .\ugust 
and  Gustava  (Anderson)  Johnson. 

In  his  youth  he  attended  the  (Jerry  public  schools, 
and  after  leaving  school  applied  himself  industriously 
to  farming  occupations  upon  his  father's  farm,  and 
eventually  he  married  and  became  possessed  of  a  farm- 
ing property  of  his  own  in  the  district.  He  is  a 
worthy  representative  of  the  Chautauqua  county  suc- 
cessful farmer,  liard  working,  enterprising,  and  hos- 
pitable; a  man  of  strong  religious  conviction,  and 
definite  views  upon  many  subjects.  He  is  an  ardent 
Methodist,  and  a  good  supporter  of  the  local  church 
which  he  has  attended  since  his  youth. 

Mr.  Johnson  is  one  of  those  who,  by  successful  pro- 
duction, are  helping  to  keep  Chautauqua  county  in  con- 
tinued prosperity.  He  is  of  the  enterprising  j-ounger 
generation  of  the  county's  agriculturists,  and  in  the 
operation  of  his  farm  is  ever  ready  to  adopt  modern 
methods  which  have  been  proved  to  be  more  advan- 
tageous than  those  formerly  used  and  so  he  is  likely  to 
continue  to  increase  the  value  of  his  farm  holding. 
During  the  late  war,  he  heartily  cooperated  with  the 
government  in  its  plan  to  bring  increasing  yield  of 
foodstuffs  from  American  farms.  In  that  way,  he  had 
an  appreciable  share  in  the  supreme  national  effort.  He 
also  patriotically  contributed,  to  his  uttermost,  to  the 
war  loans  and  other  funds  raised  for  the  necessities  of 
the  war. 

Elmer  M.  Johnson  married,  March  21,  191 2,  in  Fal- 
coner, Chautauqua  county.  N.  Y.,  Lillian,  daughter  of 
C.  J.  and  Hannah  (Anderson)  Johnson.  They  have 
one  son,  Burwell,  born  April  15,  1915. 


662 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


OSCAR  F.  JOHNSON,  member  of  the  Gerry  family 

of  that  name,  and  a  successful  young  farmer  of  that 
part  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  is  a  native  of  the 
county,  and  gives  indication  that  he  will  worthily  take 
place  among  the  substantial  agriculturists  of  the  county. 

He  was  born  in  Gerry,  Chautauqua,  county,  N.  Y., 
Nov.  2;^.  1SS4,  the  son  of  August  and  Gustava  (Ander- 
son) Johnson,  of  that  place.  The  family  is  of  Swedish 
origin,  but  in  its  present  generation  is  American  by 
birth,  as  well  as  inclination.  August  Johnson,  father 
of  Oscar  F.  Johnson,  was  bom  in  Sweden,  but  has  lived 
in  this  country  most  of  his  life,  and  has  been  a  natural- 
ized citizen  for  very  many  years.  He  has,  by  his  life 
of  useful,  productive  effort,  proved  himself  to  be  a 
good  citizen,  one  of  the  type  by  whose  energy  the  coun- 
try has  advanced  so  rapidly  during  the  last  few 
decades. 

Oscar  F.  Johnson  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Gerr>-,  after  passing  through  the  grades  of  which  he 
began  to  work  upon  his  father's  farm.  In  course  of 
time,  he  married  and  took  a  property  of  his  own,  at 
the  same  time  giving  his  father  all  the  aid  he  could  in 
the  cultivation  of  the  home  farm.  And  he  has  applied 
himself  to  agricultural  work  with  a  will  to  accomplish 
»nd  he  consequently  has  accomplished,  his  farming 
being  in  the  main  very  successful.  He  is  popular  in  the 
district,  is  a  good  neighbor  and  an  earnest  churchman. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Protestant  church, 
and  a  regular  co-worker  and  attendant  at  the  local 
church  of  that  faith. 

On  .Aug.  2.  1005,  at  Gerry.  Mr.  Johnson  was  married 
to  \'ida  Wilson,  daughter  of  Darrin  and  Lottie  Wilson, 
and  of  a  family  which  has  long  been  resident  in  Chau- 
tauqua county.  They  have  one  child,  Clyde  0.,  born 
Sept.  28,  191 1. 

Mr.  Johnson  has  held  closely  to  the  district  of  his 
birth  and  has  lived  a  commendable,  straightforward, 
steady  life,  one  such  as  will  eventuate  in  the  possession 
of  a  competence,  both  of  material  things  and  of  sincere 
friends. 


MASON  H.  TERRY,  who  for  many  years  has  been 
a  prominent  figure  in  the  general  life  of  Ellington, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y..  and  where  he  has  run  suc- 
cessfully a  saw  mill,  besides  conducting  a  splendid  farm, 
is  a  native  of  this  place,  horn  Oct.  2.  i860.  He  is  a  son 
of  Hiram  and  Jerusha  (Hatch)  Terry,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  Ellington. 

Mr.  Terry  attended  as  a  lad  the  local  common  schools 
and  after  completing  his  studies  at  these  institutions 
assisted  his  lather  in  the  work  ujjon  the  latter's  farm. 
Later  he  Ixrcame  the  fKisscssor  of  a  farm  of  his  own 
which  he  has  conducted  with  a  high  degree  of  success 
ever  since,  and  which  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the 
models  of  its  kind  in  this  district.  Later  Mr.  Terry 
began  the  <)iK.ration  of  a  saw  mill  at  Ellington,  where 
he  handles  a  large  quantity  of  timlx-r  felled  in  this 
part  of  the  county,  and  for  the  finished  product  of  which 
he  has  a  large  market,  not  only  in  Ellington,  but  in  the 
region  adjarcnt  thereto.  He  is  now  recognized  as  one 
of  the  succ'ssful  men  of  the  eommimiiy,  and  is  promi- 
nently afrilialcd  with  the  Jamestown  National  Dank.  In 
jKditirs  he  is  a  Republican,  being  a  staunch  supporter  of 
the  prinriples  and  policies  of  that  party   and  taking  an 


active  part  in  its  affairs,  although  he  has  consistent!; 
avoided  anything  like  public  office  or  political  prefer 
ment  of  any  kind.  He  is  a  member  of  the  local  Grange 
In  religious  belief  Mr.  Terry  is  a  Congregationalist  anc 
attends  the  church  of  that  denomination  at  Ellington. 

Mason  H.  Terry  was  united  in  marriage,  April  7 
1S97,  at  Ellington,  with  Harriet  M.  Rice,  born  here 
Aug.  20,  1870,  a  daughter  of  Augustus  C.  and  Harriet 
(Bush)  Rice,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Howard  R.,  born  July  10,  1900;  Rich- 
ard B.,  born  Sept.  30,  1902;  Lewis  M.,  born  July  4, 
1006.  and  Edward  H.,  born  Aug.  11,  1911. 


MARY  R.  ALLEN,  who  is  now  living  in  com 
fortable  retirement  at  Kennedy.  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  and  esteemed  by  a  large  circle  of  friends  in  that 
section  of  the  county,  is  a  native  of  the  county,  and 
comes  of  an  old  Chautauqua  county  family;  also  Charles 
G.  Allen,  whom  she  married,  came  from  a  family  which 
for  at  least  three  generations  has  had  residence  within 
the  county. 

Mary  R.  Allen  was  born  in  the  town  of  Clymer,  April 
24,  1843,  and  received  her  academic  education  in  the 
schools  of  that  place.  Her  maiden  name  was  Randall, 
her  parents  being  Moses  and  Larry  (Carr)  Randall,  of 
Clymer,  where  her  father  was  a  prosperous  and  re 
spected  farmer.  She  married,  at  Kennedy,  N.  Y., 
Charles  G.  Allen,  son  of  Charles  and  Delilah  Allen. 
He  was  born  in  Ellery  township,  in  1843,  3nd  lived  a 
long  life  of  industrious  and  successful  farming  at  Ken- 
nedy, N.  Y.  They  were  the  parents  of  George  Randall 
Allen,  who  was  born  at  Kennedy,  and  has,  by  his  steady 
life  and  commendable  characteristics,  gained  for  himself 
a  firm  place  in  the  respect  of  most  residents  in  the  dis- 
trict. Mrs.  Allen  has  for  more  than  fifty  years  had  part 
in  the  social  and  community  activities,  included  in  which 
has  been  much  church  work  in  Kennedy  and  the  vicinity, 
and  she  is  revered  by  many  people  for  her  kindly  qual- 
ities and  charitable  s|}irit. 


MARCUS  L.  WAITE,  well-to-do  farmer  of  Ken- 
nedy, N.  Y.,  in  which  section  of  Chautauqua  county  he 
has  lived  practically  al)  his  life,  is  a  representative  of 
the  successful  agriculturists  of  that  part  of  the  county. 
He  has  developed  a  substantial  acreage  until  it  has 
become  valuable,  has  aquired  a  comfortable  competence, 
and  has  raised  a  worthy  family  of  seven  children.  He 
comes  of  an  old  Chautauqua  county  family,  and  was 
bom  in  Poland,  Aug.  14,  1849,  the  son  of  John  B.  and 
Deliiha  (Crandall)  Waite.  His  father  did  some  farm- 
ing in  the  county,  and  later  in  life  was  a  general  store 
keeper  at  Mud  Creek. 

.Marcus  L.  Waite  received  his  early  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  his  native  place  and  eventually 
was  a  student  al  the  Jamestown  College.  For  three 
years  after  leaving  college  he  was  a  school  teacher,  but 
eventually  he  took  a  farm  and  has  reached  success  in 
that  lu)tiest  occupation.  He  has  for  very  many  years 
given  loyal  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party  in  poli- 
tics, but  has  not  taken  active  part  in  political  work;  he 
has  preferred  to  attend  to  matters  "i  production  upon 
his  i>wn  farm,  and  has  always  steadfastly  refused  any 
suggestion   that   he   take   public   office       In   affairs   con- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


663 


nected  with  the  local  Grange,  however,  he  has  taken  a 
keen  interest  ever  since  he  became  a  member  of  it  and 
has  also,  with  his  family,  taken  good  part  in  the  social 
community  activities  of  the  neighborhood,  where  the 
family  is  generally  respected. 

During  the  recent  war.  he  took  proper  part  in  the 
activities  that  came  within  the  scope  of  the  home  people; 
he  bore  his  quota  of  subscription  to  the  various  funds 
willingly,  and  he  did  much,  in  the  way  of  closer  farm- 
ing, to  aid  that  national  result  which  surprised  the 
world,  the  abnormal  yield  of  foodstuffs  gained  from 
American  soil  by  the  united  patriotic  effort  of  whole- 
hearted American  farmers  having  no  inconsequential 
part  in  the  final  victory  won  by  .America  and  her  allies. 

Marcus  L.  Waite  married,  in  Poland,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  14,  1883,  Henrietta  E.  Holladay, 
born  Dec.  2,  1864,  to  Henry  H.  and  Louisa  Holladay. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Waite  have  been  born  seven  children : 
I.  Kittie  M.,  born  June  27.  18S4,  married  John  Johnson, 
to  whom  she  bore  five  children,  by  names  and  in  order 
of  birth,  Edith,  Sallie,  Dora,  Josephine  and  John.  2. 
Carl  M.,  born  July  25,  1889.  3.  Bessie  G..  born  April 
23,  1891,  married  Laurence  Washburg,  becoming  the 
mother  of  four  children,  Mavies,  Berdina,  Clebert  and 
Clarence.  4.  John  C,  born  May  10,  1896.  5.  William 
K.,  born  March  30,  1898.  6.  Mollie  E..  born  Oct.  3, 
1906.    7.  Jabez  A.,  born  March  18,  1908. 

Mr.  Waite  has  lived  a  worthy  life  of  industrious  and 
productive  effort,  and  now  in  his  old  age  enjoys  the 
blessings  which  are  the  result  of  wholesome  living  and 
honest  dealing.  His  home  circle  is  a  happy  one,  and 
his   friends   are  many. 


SAMUEL  A.  WILKINSON,  a  respected  resident, 
substantially  placed,  at  Kennedy,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  owns  a  farming  property  and  also  acts 
as  telegrapher,  has  had  an  interesting  career.  For 
seven  years  he  served  the  Nation  in  its  military  and 
naval  forces,  and  is  a  man  of  broad  mind,  and  one  who 
has  been  to  many  parts  of  the  world.  Withal,  he  is  a 
man  of  commendable,  industrious  habits,  and  a  Chris- 
tian of  consistent  observance  of  honorable  principles. 
He  is  yet  in  the  vigor  of  his  early  manhood,  and  is  tak- 
ing proper  part  in  the  responsibilities,  political,  com- 
munal, and  productive,  of  the  section  of  the  county  in 
which  he  has  taken  up  his  abode. 

He  was  born  May  28.  1882,  at  Cartmell,  Mo.,  the  son 
of  A.  B.  and  Elizabeth  (Beach)  Wilkinson.  His  father 
owned  a  farm  in  that  place,  and  there  the  boy  spent 
his  early  days,  attending  the  public  schools  of  the 
place.  Eventually,  he  took  a  commercial  course  of 
study  in  the  Valparaiso  Business  College,  from  which 
he  ultimately  graduated.  However,  he  appears  to  have 
been  of  adventurous  spirit  and  manly  mind,  and  when 
he  became  old  enough  he  enlisted  in  the  Marine  Corps 
of  the  United  States  Navy,  serving  a  regular  term  of 
four  years,  during  which  he  saw  much  of  the  world. 
He  served  in  the  regular  forces  of  the  Nation  for  a 
further  three  years,  the  second  enlistment  term  being 
in  the  Signal  Corps  and  it  was  probably  during  that 
term  of  service  that  he  became  an  efficient  telegraphist, 
in  which  capacity  he  still  acts,  in  civil  life.  In  addition 
to  this,  he  has  been  a  farmer  in  Kennedy. 

As  an  old  soldier,  he  took  keen  interest  in  the  progress 


of  the  recent  war,  and  but  for  a  time  of  family  tension 
during  191 7  and  1918,  when  his  daughter  was  in  earliest 
infancy,  he  probably  would  have  been  unable  to  resist 
the  inclination  to  again  enter  the  service  and  take  active 
part  with  the  fighting  forces.  As  it  was,  he  did  his 
utmost  in  another  phase  of  the  national  war  effort,  an 
effort  which  had  appreciable  effect  upon  the  linaj  deci- 
sive victory,  which  might  not  have  come  so  quickly  had 
it  not  been  'for  the  encouragement  given  the  starving 
allies  by  the  abnormal  yields  of  foodstuffs  gained  by 
American  farmers.  He  is  a  staunch  Republican  in 
politics,  and  religiously  belongs  to  the  Baptist  church. 
He  and  his  wife  attend  the  church  of  that  faith  at 
Kennedy,  and  have  many  friends  in  the  community. 

Samuel  A.  Wilkinson  was  married,  at  Saginaw.  Mich., 
June  17,  1914,  to  Nellie  E.  Elkins,  born  July  8,  1883, 
at  Gratton  Centre.  Mich.,  daugliter  of  William  Joseph 
and  Margarite  Elkins,  of  New  York  City.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wilkinson  have  one  child,  Ruth  B.,  born  Dec.  8, 
1917- 

Although  he  so  recently  came  into  Chautauqua  county, 
Mr.  Wilkinson  gives  indication  of  the  possession  of 
traits  such  as  will  make  him  a  worthy  cooperator  in  the 
advancement  and  maintenance  of  good  production  of 
the  county.  He  has  many  sincere  friends  in  the  Ken- 
nedy district. 


JAMES  C.  PERRY,  successful  and  respected  farmer 
of  Kiantone  township,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  who 
has  lived  practically  all  his  life  within  the  county,  and 
who  purchased  the  property  in  Kiantone,  in  1906,  upon 
which  his  father  first  settled  in  1864,  was  born  in  Kian- 
tone township,  Jan.  3,  1854.  His  parents,  Clinton  and 
Satira  (Sherman)  Perry,  were  both  well  known  in  that 
section  of  the  county,  and  later  Clinton  Perry  showed 
that  he  was  a  true  patriot,  for  when  the  Civil  War  was 
in  its  darkest  days  of  uncertainty,  he  enlisted  in  the 
Ii2th  Regiment  of  New  York  Volunteers,  and  served 
with  that  famous  regiment  in  all  the  campaigns  in 
which  it  participated  for  three  years  and  nine  months. 
During  his  service,  Clinton  Perry  was  a  sharpshooter, 
and  later  in  life  had  prominent  place  in  the  activities 
of  the  organization  constituted  by  his  comrades,  the 
Ii2th  Regimental  Association,  and  also  in  the  local 
post  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

James  C.  Perry  attended  the  district  school  nearest 
to  his  home  in  his  youth,  and  after  leaving  school  took 
employment  in  the  neighborhood.  He  has  farmed 
practically  all  his  life,  and  has  prospered.  He  has  been 
hard  working,  enterprising,  and  businesslike  and  above 
all  has  been  straightforward  in  all  his  dealings.  His  life 
has  been  lived  in  accordance  with  the  dictates  of  a 
high  moral  standard,  and  it  has  brought  him  much 
sincere  respect  from  the  people  amongst  whom  he  has 
lived.  By  steady,  enterprising  and  skillful  farming  he 
has  accumulated  a  satisfactory  competence  and  by  a 
steady,  earnest,  unselfish  life  he  has  gained  a  wealth 
of  esteem  from  his  neighbors.  He  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Congregational  church  for  the  greater  part  of 
his  adult  years  and  he  has  been  liberal  in  its  support. 

As  was  to  be  expected  from  the  son  of  a  Civil  War 
patriot,  he  was  intensely  interested  in  the  recent  war. 
He  endeavored  to  cooperate,  to  the  best  of  his  powers, 
with  the  aim  of  the  government  in  one  respect,  namely, 


664 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


to  bring  every  possible  acre  of  American  agricultural 
land  into  successful  bearing.  .\nd  he  closely  super- 
vised the  operations  upon  his  farm  so  as  to  prevent  all 
waste,  which  was  part  of  the  government's  plan  by 
which  it  hoped  to  he  able  to  ship  a  vast  surplus  of  food- 
stuffs to  Europe  to  replenish  the  seriously  de- 
pleted granaries  of  our  allies.  The  result  of  that 
effort  is  national  history,  and  duly  recorded  in  its  im- 
posing aggregate  importance,  but  the  part  of  the  indi- 
vidual farmer  has  not,  in  fact  hardly  could  have,  been 
recorded,  excepting  in  local  histories  such  as  this,  in 
which  usefulness,  this  current  local  history  serves  a 
good  purpose,  for  to  every  loyal  farmer  who  had  part 
in  the  war  effort  which  was  of  such  vital  weight  in 
deciding  the  war  in  favor  of  America  and  her  allies, 
this  recording  is  due.  In  former  days  armies  fought 
for  nations ;  in  the  last  great  war,  whole  nations  fought, 
although  of  course  not  all  in  the  theater  of  military 
operations,  but  in  recognizing  the  participants,  the 
nations  have  held  to  the  old  method  of  only  bringing 
into  conspicuous  record  those  who  had  part  in  the 
military  and  naval  operations.  It  must  have  been  a 
great  source  of  gratification  to  a  patriot  of  the  fervor 
of  James  C.  Perry  to  have  been  able,  even  in  an  unos- 
tentatious, prosaic  way,  to  have  had  some  part  in  the 
great  struggle  of  Christian  nations  to  circumvent  the 
inhuman  and  unrighteous  aims  of  might. 

Tames  C.  Perry  married,  Sept.  3,  18S1,  in  Kiantone, 
Christine  Weiss,  daughter  of  George  Weiss.  They  have 
two  children :  Clinton  ;  Ray,  who  eventually  entered  the 
teaching  profession,  and  now  is  a  member  of  the  teach- 
ing staff  of  the  Syracuse  High  School. 

James  C.  Perry  has  lived  a  long  life  of  useful,  pro- 
ductive industry,  has  carved  his  way  to  success  by  his 
own  efforts,  and  in  all  his  dealings  has  observed  the 
promptings  of  an  honest  intention.  He  has  conse- 
quently held  the  esteem  of  his  neighbors,  most  of  whom 
are  his  sincere  friends. 


WILLIAM  NEWMAN,  well  known  in  the  Kian- 
tone township  section  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  for 
long  an  inspector  of  lumber,  and  of  late  years  a  pros- 
perous farmer  in  Kiantone  township,  where  he  is  re- 
spected for  his  steady  qualities  of  industry  and  his 
likable  character,  was  born  April  24,  1877,  in  Kiantone 
township,  N.  Y,  He  is  the  son  of  William  J.  and  Mar- 
garet E.  (Johnston  I  Newman,  the  former  connected 
with  agriculture  for  the  greater  part  of  his  life,  and 
later  overseer  at  the  Buffalo  Creamery. 

As  a  boy,  William  Newman  attended  the  district 
school  of  his  native  place,  and  afterwards  took  employ- 
ment as  an  agriculturist.  He  has  always  been  energetic, 
never  shirking  honest  toil,  and  bringing  to  his  labor  an 
intelligence  which  produced  results.  He  has  prospered 
in  his  industrious  efforts,  and  has  reared  a  gooil  family. 
In  the  course  of  his  occupations,  he  acquired  a  good 
knowledge  of  lumber,  and  for  some  years  gave  most 
of  his  time  to  lumbering  enterprises,  being  an  efficient 
inspector.  Politically,  he  is  a  Kcpublican,  but  has  not 
ontered  actively  into  i»oIiticaI  affairs,  that  is,  those  of 
national  sco[>c.  He  lias  always  been  interested  in  the 
public  affairs  of  his  own  district,  and  has  more  than 
once  taken  prominent  part  in  such  movements,  but  be 
has  never  held  office  in  the  local  administration,  neither 


has  he  sought  office.  He  is  a  Granger,  member  of  thf 
local  Grange,  and  by  religious  persuasion  is  a  Metho- 
dist of  earnest  practice.  He  has  been  a  member  of  tht 
local  Methodist  church  for  many  years,  and  has  loyally 
contributed  to  its  support  and  in  his  general  life  has 
indicated  that  he  is  a  conscientious  churchman  anc 
Christian. 

During  the  war,  he  contributed,  as  much  as  he  was 
able  to,  to  the  various  war  funds,  and  in  many  othet 
ways  showed  that  he  was  wholly  patriotic.  His  eldest 
son,  although  not  of  age  to  come  within  the  selective 
draft,  enlisted  in  the  naval  forces,  and  while  the  war  was 
proceeding  he  endeavored  to  cooperate  with  the  gov- 
ernment in  its  aim  to  procure  a  surplus  of  foodstuffs 
by  giving  close  attention  to  the  prevention  of  waste  and 
to  the  bringing  into  cultivation  every  possible  acre  of 
agricultural  land.  The  resulting  surplus  of  foodstuffs 
had  an  important  effect  upon  the  outcome  of  the  war, 

William  Newman  was  married,  April  20,  189S,  to 
Grace,  daughter  of  Frank  A.  Hall.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Newman  have  been  born  six  children:  i.  Philip,  born 
Nov.  IQ,  1890;  he  enlisted  in  the  United  States  Navy 
before  the  end  of  the  European  War,  and  was  in  the 
naval  school  at  Charleston,  S.  C.  2.  Edna  B.,  born  May 
4,  1901.  3.  James  T.,  born  Sept.  22,  1904.  4.  Ruth  E., 
born  Nov.  10,  1907.  5.  Clair  W.,  born  July  I,  igi2.  6. 
Ernest  D.,  born  May  8,  1017. 

Mr.  Newman  has  gained  for  himself  a  good  reputa- 
tion both  for  material  and  moral  integrity,  and  has 
very  many  friends  in  the  Kiantone  township,  and  that 
part  of   Chautauqua  county. 


EARL  WILLIS  CLARK— Of  the  farming  interests 
of  Chautauqua  county  Earl  Willis  Clark  is  a  worthy 
representative.  He  is  overseer  of  the  farm  of  Homer 
M.  Preston,  consisting  of  11,000  acres,  and  in  IQ20 
raised  4.000  bushels  of  corn.  It  is  well  improved,  with 
modern  equipments,  and  it  forms  one  of  the  pleasing 
features  of  the  landscape. 

Mr.  Clark  was  born  in  Warren  county,  Pa.,  Aug.  13, 
1881.  We  have  no  record  of  his  father  and  mother, 
his  family  having  been  broken  up  when  he  was  very 
small.  He  was  reared  to  manhood  in  Warren  county, 
and  to  the  public  schools  he  is  indebted  for  the  early 
educational  advantages  he  received.  Later,  however,  he 
received  a  course  of  study  in  the  Agricultural  School  of 
Noljraska. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Clark  is  an  enthusiastic  Republican, 
but  in  local  affairs  he  votes  for  the  men  and  measures 
he  thinks  are  for  the  best  interests  of  the  people.  He 
and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church, 
and  they  lake  an  active  part  in  all  things  pertaining 
to  its  advancement.  Mr.  Clark  is  also  connected  finan- 
cially with  the  Farmers  and  Mechanics  Bank,  of  James- 
town,  N.  Y. 

In  Russell,  Warren  county.  Pa,,  April  12,  IQOI,  Mr. 
Clark  was  united  in  marriage  with  Gertrude  C.  Vanorde, 
a  daughter  of  James  and  Marcel  (Smith)  Vanorde,  and 
to  this  union  have  been  born  three  children,  as  follows: 
Eleanor  M.,  born  Dec.  20,  1902;  Willis  E.,  born  March 
8,  T'X)(;  anrl  Howard  B.,  born  July  21,  1906. 

Mr.  Clark's  life  has  been  one  of  untiring  industry, 
and  his  well-directed  labor  has  resulted  in  gratifying 
success.     All  who  know  him  esteem  him  as  a  man  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


66s 


genuine  worth  and  upright  qualities,  and  in  matters  of 
citizenship  he  has  never  withheld  his  support  from 
movements  for  the  general  good. 


BROWNELL  PETER  HAZZARD— The  farming 
and  stock  raising  interests  of  Carroll  township  have  a 
worthy  representative  in  E.  P.  Hazzard,  a  prosperous 
agriculturist,  who  engages  there  in  general  farming. 

Mr.  Hazzard  was  born  Feb.  4,  1848.  He  received  his 
early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town, 
and  after  completing  his  studies  took  up  the  agricultural 
business.  For  some  time  he  was  engaged  in  the  livery 
business,  but  gave  this  up  to  accept  a  position  as  a 
mail  carrier,  which  he  continued  for  nearly  three  years. 
He  then  took  up  agricultural  work  again  and  continues 
in  this  at  the  present  time.  Mr.  Hazzard  was  for  some 
time  commissioner  of  the  highways.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Grange,  and  in  religious  affiliations  is  a 
Methodist.  Mr.  Hazzard  married,  July  4,  1871,  in 
Fentonville,  Alma  Tittlefield,  born  Feb.  12,  1851,  in  the 
town  of  Carroll,  daughter  of  George  Washington  and 
Almira  Tittlefield.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hazzard  were 
born  two  children:  i.  Wesley  M.,  born  May  29,  1877, 
married  Anna  Birch,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three 
children :  Ethel  A.,  Edith  Sarah,  and  Rosemon.  2. 
George  .\ldridge,  born  Dec.  6,  1878. 

Mr.  Hazzard,  having  spent  nearly  his  whole  life  in 
Chautauqua  county,  has  a  wide  acquaintance  and  is 
popular  with  his  many  friends.  In  business  he  is  noted 
for  his  capability  and  trustworthiness,  and  is  today  one 
of  the  valued  representatives  of  the  township. 


ODIN  B.  ARNOLD,  for  many  years  a  successful 
farmer  and  an  influential  figure  in  the  affairs  of  Bemus 
Point.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  is  a  native  of  the 
town  of  Ellery,  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  B.  (Griffith) 
Arnold,  of  Saratoga  Springs  and  Ellery,  at  both  of 
which  places  the  former  carried  on  the  occupation  of 
farming  at  different  times. 

Air.  Arnold  had  come  from  Saratoga  Springs  to 
Chautauqua  county  some  time  before  the  birth  of  his 
son,  and  it  was  at  Ellery  that  his  childhood  was  passed 
and  that  he  received  his  education,  attending  for  this 
purpose  the  local  public  schools.  Upon  completing  his 
studies  at  these  institutions,  Mr.  Arnold  took  up  farm- 
ing as  an  occupation,  having  already  become  thoroughly 
familiar  with  agricultural  methods  through  assisting 
his  father  on  the  latter's  place  as  a  lad.  For  forty  years 
he  has  continued  thus  occupied,  and  at  the  present  time 
is  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm  at  Bennis  Point,  which 
he  has  always  kept  in  the  highest  state  of  cultivation  and 
which  under  his  capable  management  produces  large  and 
successful  crops.  Of  more  recent  years,  Mr.  Arnold  has 
added  materially  to  the  income  derived  from  his  farm 
by  taking  summer  boarders,  having  turned  his  spacious 
and  comfortable  dwelling  into  a  boarding  house  for 
summer  guests.  Mr.  .Arnold  has  long  been  known  in 
the  community  for  the  active  and  disinterested  part  he 
has  taken  in  local  affairs,  and  has  won  an  enviable  repu- 
tation for  capability  and  integrity  in  the  several  offices 
he  has  held.  For  twenty-eight  years  he  has  served  his 
fellow-townsmen  as  justice  of  the  peace,  an  office  he 
continues  to  hold  at  the  present  time,  and  he  has  also 


been  overseer  of  the  poor  and  a  member  of  the  local 
Board  of  Health.  In  all  of  these  he  has  discharged 
the  responsible  duties  of  his  posts  with  efficiency  and 
honor,  and  done  much  to  advance  the  general  welfare 
of  the  region.  He  is  conspicuous  in  social  and  frater- 
nal circles  and  is  affiliated  with  a  number  of  important 
organizations  hereabouts,  including  Lodge  No.  585,  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Grange.  In 
his  religious"  belief  he  is  a  Universalist. 

Odin  B.  Arnold  married  (first)  Dec.  24,  1864,  Ruth 
P.  \'an  Wourt,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  one  child, 
Nettie  D.  Arnold,  now  Mrs.  Winchester.  The  first 
Mrs.  Arnold  died  Nov.  26,  1872,  and  on  March  14,  1876, 
Mr.  Arnold  married  (second)  Minnie  C.  Buell,  born 
Aug.  17,  1 85 1. 


CHARLES  A.  PETERSON— There  is  no  more 
representative  element  in  the  population  of  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  than  that  furnished  by  the  great  class 
of  prosperous  farmers,  fruit  growers  and  agriculturists, 
generally,  of  which  there  is  so  great  a  number  in  this 
thriving  community.  It  is  from  this  class  that  the  many 
cities,  towns  and  villages  draw  to  a  very  large  extent 
for  their  leaders  and  public  men,  its  members  filling 
many  important  offices  and  posts  in  the  public  service 
and  political  life  of  the  region,  as  well  as  occupying 
many  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility  in  more  pri- 
vate capacities.  Of  these  again  a  goodly  number  is 
furnished  by  the  large  group  of  men  of  Swedish  e.x- 
traction  that  have  either  them.selves  settled  here  or  are 
tlie  descendants  of  others  who  have  done  so.  .■'imong 
the  latter  should  be  mentioned  Charles  A.  Peterson,  for 
many  years  a  successful  farmer  of  Ellicott  township, 
Jamestown,  whose  public-spiritedness  and  enterprise 
have  made  him  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. Mr.  Peterson  is  a  son  of  Perry  and  Hannah 
(Anderson)  Peterson,  both  natives  of  Sweden,  who 
came  to  the  United  States  from  that  country  in  the 
year  1854  and  have  since  resided  in  the  town  of  Ellery. 
To  Perry  Peterson  and  his  wife  four  children  were 
born,  as  follows  :  Charles  A.,  with  whom  we  are  here 
principally  concerned;  Emma,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Gustavesen  Anderson,  deceased,  to  whom  she  has 
borne  three  children,  Nellie,  Ellen  and  Lavern ;  Lettie, 
who  resides  at  Jamestown;  and  Clara,  who  died  July 
12,  1917. 

Charles  A.  Peterson  was  born  in  Ellery,  Sept.  12,  i860, 
and  passed  his  childhood  at  that  place,  attending  the 
local  public  schools,  where  he  received  an  excellent  gen- 
eral education,  and  during  the  summer  months  he  as- 
sisted his  father  on  his  farm.  He  thus  received  early  in 
life  a  practical  training  for  the  occupation  that  he  has 
since  followed,  and  of  which  he  has  made  such  excel- 
lent use  during  his  adult  life.  After  the  completion  of 
his  studies,  Mr.  Peterson  took  up  farming  more  con- 
sistently, and  in  time  became  the  owner  of  his  present 
fine  farming  property,  which  he  has  kept  in  such  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  and  productivity  that  it  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  model  places  of  the  region. 
He  has  not  by  any  means,  however,  confined  himself 
entirely  to  his  private  activities,  but  has  always  partici- 
pated to  a  great  extent  in  the  general  affairs  of  the 
community   and   showed   a    degree   of   disinterestedness 


666 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


and  devotion  quite  unusual  in  his  public  service.  Always 
keenly  interested  in  educational  matters,  tlie  importance 
of  which  he  has  emphasized,  he  has  done  his  best  to 
promote  an  adequate  system  of  schools  for  James- 
town and  has  rendered  invaluable  service  in  this  direc- 
tion, especially  in  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  clerk 
of  the  local  school  board,  an  office  that  he  held  for 
twenty-tive  years.  His  efficiency  and  intelligence  in 
this  post  has  been  universally  admitted  by  his  fellow- 
citizens  of  all  political  beliefs  who  have  accorded  him 
hearty  approval  in  his  truly  fruitful  work.  Mr.  Peter- 
son is  also  an  active  member  of  the  Grange.  In  re- 
liirious  belief  he  i?  a  Methodist. 


JESSE  M.  HOARD— Although  born  in  the  neigh- 
boring county  of  Cattaraugus,  July  24,  1854.  Jesse  M. 
Hoard  has  long  been  a  resident  of  Chautauqua  county, 
and  is  now  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  the  county 
and  owns  the  farm  on  wliich  he  lives  in  the  town  of 
Ellicott.  Mr.  Hoard  is  a  son  of  John  and  Lurana 
(W'earden)  Hoard,  his  father  a  farmer  of  Cattarau- 
gus county,  N.  Y.  Jesse  M.  Hoard  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  the  district,  and  has  devoted  his 
life  to  the  business  of  a  farmer.  He  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and 
an  attendant  of  the  Union  Church. 

Mr.  Hoard  married,  in  Cattaraugus  county.  X.  Y., 
July  10.  1878,  Elicna  Whitmore,  born  in  Cattaraugus 
county,  N.  Y.,  July  16,  1857,  daughter  of  Denison  and 
Almira  (Earl)  Whitmore.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoard  are 
the  parents  of  five  children:  Albert  Lee.  born  Aug.  18, 
1S81  ;  Lowry  Laura,  born  June  9,  1883 :  Carl  Percv, 
born  October,  iSS^:  Earl  Morgan,  born  Feb.  17.  1888; 
and   Edward   Clinton,  born   .-Kpril  2^.   1S90. 


ALFRED    THOMAS    LINDQUIST— Among    the 

successful  farmers  of  the  ricli  a'^rricidtural  region  of 
Chautauqua  county.  X.  Y.,  slir'uUl  lie  mentioned  .'Klfrcd 
Thomas  Lindquist,  who  has  been  actively  engaged  in  the 
raising  of  various  farm  products  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  town  of  Levant  for  a  number  of  years.  Mr. 
Lindquist  was  born  at  Levant,  May  22,  1887,  a  son  of 
Jacob  .Mbert  and  Elizabeth  (Morley)  Lindquist,  old  and 
highly  respected  citizens  of  that  place,  where  the  elder 
Mr.  Lindquist,  like  his  son,  was  engaged  in  farming 
operations. 

Alfred  Thomas  Lindquist  was  reared  in  that  whole- 
some environment  in  which  what  is  probably  the  finest 
and  strongest  element  in  our  citizenship  has  its  train- 
ing, the  environment  of  farm  life  and  labor,  for  as  a 
lad  he  assisted  his  f;ither  with  the  w-ork  ui)on  the  elder 
man's  place  and  gained  there  the  splendid  physical 
health  which  he  now-  enjoys,  as  well  as  special  training 
in  the  occupations  he  has  since  followed  on  his  own 
account.  TJiis  work  he  followed  as  a  lad  during  the 
summer  months,  and  in  th'-  winter  attended  the  local 
public  schools,  where  he  gained  his  early  education,  hut 
as  he  was  a  progressive  youth  he  was  not  satisfied  with 
thi--,  and  later  went  to  Jamestown,  where  he  was  a 
student  at  the  f'.usiness  College  of  that  city.  Upon  com- 
pl'ting  his  studies  at  this  institution  he  devoted  himself 
more  entirely  to  helping  his  father  for  a  time,  and  he 


then  became  tlie  owner  of  a  farm  which  he  has  since 
conducted  on  his  own  account  with  a  marked  degree  of 
success.  His  energy  and  knowledge  of  agricultural 
methods  have  brought  his  property  up  to  a  high  point  of 
cultivation  and  his  crops  are  always  of  the  finest  char- 
acter. He  justly  enjoys  the  reputation  of  a  prosperous 
and  capable  man,  and  holds  a  high  place  in  the  esteem 
of  his  fellow-citizens  throughout  the  region.  Mr.  Lind- 
quist is  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  Prohibition  cause, 
and  has  taken  as  active  a  part  in  the  movement  in  this 
part  of  the  country  as  his  preoccupation  with  his  agri- 
cultural  interests   will  permit. 

Alfred  Thomas  Lindquist  was  united  in  marriage,  May 
30.  1908.  at  Kennedy,  with  Estlier  Amelia  Eckholm,  a 
native  of  Sweden.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lindquist  six  chil- 
dren have  been  born,  as  follows :  John  Albert,  Joseph 
Harold,  Charles  Kenneth,  Ellis  Morley,  Elizabeth  Mi- 
netha  and  Beatrice  Mattie. 


GEORGE  J.  ANDERSON,  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful and  progressive  farmers  of  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  was  born  in  that  State,  Nov.  20,  1S67.  He  attended 
as  a  lad  the  common  schools,  where  he  obtained  an  ex- 
cellent education,  and  at  the  same  time  assisted  his 
father  in  the  latter's  business.  Later  he  became  the 
possessor  of  a  valuable  farm  and  ever  since  has  en- 
gaged in  the  raising  of  general  products  which  he  has 
successfully  disposed  of  in  the  nearby  markets.  Under 
his  skillful  and  energetic  handling  his  farm  has  been 
brought  to  a  very  high  state  of  cultivation  and  produc- 
tiveness, and  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  and 
most  flourishing  of  its  kind  in  the  region  of  Ellington. 
Mr.  Anderson,  in  addition  to  his  agricultural  operations, 
is  a  well  known  figure  in  the  general  life  of  the  com- 
munity. In  politics  he  is  a  staunch  Republican,  and  is 
regarded  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  his  party  in  the 
neighborhood.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Congrega- 
tionalist. 

George  J.  Anderson  was  united  in  marriage,  May  4, 
1880,  at  Conewango,  with  Maria  E.  Hall,  a  native  of 
that  place,  born  July  8,  1858,  a  daughter  of  Artemus 
and  Elmira  (Mount)  Hall.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson 
four  children  have  been  born,  as  follows :  Berry  M., 
born  May  24,  18S1  ;  Richard  Andrew,  born  Feb.  28, 
1883;  Katherine  M.,  and  Hall  Artemus. 


ALBERT  ADELGREN— One  of  the  most  energetic 

and  prij^inrons  cili/cns  of  IScmiis  Point,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  \ .,  is  undoubtedly  Albert  Adelgren,  a  native 
of  Sweden,  in  which  country  his  birth  occurred  March 
22,  1870,  ri  son  of  Carl  Frederick  and  Anna  Sophia 
(Scharlollie)  Adelgren,  who  were  also  natives  of  that 
country. 

The  elder  Mr.  Adelgren  was  a  f;irmer  by  occupation, 
and  his  son  learned  the  elements  of  that  calling  during 
bis  childhood,  which  was  spent  on  the  home  farm.  He 
:iK(i  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  home  region  and 
I;itrr  a  college  of  agriculture,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
u.ilril.  ill:  came  to  the  LInited  States  and  located  at 
lienins  Point,  N.  \'.,  where  he  became  the  owner  of  his 
present  line  farm  profierly  in  l'",llery  township.  Since 
that  time  he  has  met  with   marked   success   in   all   his 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


667 


operations,  and  is  today  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
skillful  and  accomplished  agriculturists  of  the  region. 
Mr.  Adelgren  served  for  three  years  in  the  regular 
army  of  Sweden  before  coming  to  this  country,  and 
has  at  all  times  lived  up  to  the  highest  standards  of 
citizenship  and  performed  all  the  duties  devolving  upon 
him  as  a  resident  of  the  various  communities  in  which 
he  has  made  his  home.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  gives  a  keen  and  intelligent  interest  to  the  great 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Grange,  and  takes  an  active  part  in  promoting  the 
agricultural  interests  of  this  region.  In  religious  belief 
he  is  a  Lutheran  and  attends  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
Church  of  Bemus  Point. 

Albert  Adelgren  was  united  in  marriage,  Feb.  i,  1908, 
at  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  with  Albertina  Anderson  Johnson, 
like  himself  a  native  of  Sweden,  where  her  birth  oc- 
curred Feb.  15,  1869,  a  daughter  of  John  Anderson  and 
Charlotte  (Persson)  Johnson,  of  that  country.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Adelgren  the  following  children  have  been 
born  :  Frederick  Ray,  born  July  5,  1910,  and  Elsa  Vic- 
toria Albertina,  born  Aug.  20,  1913. 


THEODORE  OSCAR  JOHNSON,  an  enterprising 

and  successful  farmer  of  the  town  of  Ellicott,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  V.,  was  born  Oct.  5,  1880,  and  educated 
in  the  graded  and  high  schools  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y. 
After  leaving  high  school  he  became  a  metal  worker 
in  Jamestown  shops,  and  so  continued  for  fifteen  years. 
He  then  bought  the  farm  in  the  town  of  Ellicott  upon 
which  he  resides,  and  engaged  in  general  and  dairy 
farming.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church,  and 
in  politics  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Johnson  married,  in  the  Swedish  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  in  Jamestown,  Feb.  6,  1901,  Alma 
Christine  Olson,  born  in  Jamestown,  June  24,  1883, 
daughter  of  Christian  and  Ida  Maria  (Johnson)  Olson, 
her  parents  born  in  Norway  and  Sweden.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Johnson  are  the  parents  of  two  sons :  Glen  How- 
ard, born  Aug.  7,  1903;  and  Alton  Theodore,  born  May 
17,   1905. 


AARON  WARD— Born  Jan.  30,  1825,  in  Albany, 
N.  Y.,  Aaron  Ward  came  in  early  life  to  Chautauqua 
county  and  settled  with  his  father  in  the  town  of  Elli- 
cott, where  his  sons,  Henry  A.  and  George  Edwin 
Ward,  reside,  their  sister,  Emma  C,  their  housekeeper. 
The  farm  has  been  in  the  family  a  hundred  years. 
Aaron  Ward  was  a  hard  working,  prosperous  farmer, 
and  continued  the  active  manager  of  his  farm  until  his 
death,  Sept.  28,  1903.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church,  and  a  man  highly  regarded  by 
his  neighbors. 

Aaron  Ward  married,  in  Ellicott,  Nov.  29,  1857,  Isa- 
bella Dillingham,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Mary  Ann 
Dillingham.  Mrs.  Ward  died  July  25.  1903,  her  hus- 
band surviving  her  a  little  over  two  months.  They 
were  the  parents  of  six  children  :  Emma  C,  born  Dec. 
28,  1858.  residing  at  the  home  farm  in  Ellicott :  Henry 
A.,  born  Aug.  19,  1861,  residing  at  the  home  farm; 
George  Edwin,  born  Aug.  19,  1863,  residing  at  the  home 
farm ;  E.  A.,  born  Aug.  12,  1865 ;  Almira,  born  Aug.  12, 
1867;  and  Theodore  A.,  born  May  8,  1869. 


NICHOLAS  NORBY— When  a  man  of  thirty-four, 

Mr.  Norby  left  his  home  in  Sweden  and  came  to  the 
United  States.  He  did  not  join  his  countrymen  in 
Chautauqua  county  until  a  quarter  of  a  century  later, 
casting  his  fortunes  with  those  whom  he  knew,  who  had 
made  their  homes  in  the  West.  When  finally  he  came 
to  Chautauqua  county,  in  the  year  1909,  he  settled  in 
the  town  of  Kiantone,  and  there  bought  a  good  farm 
upon  which  he  has  ever  since  resided  (1920).  He  is 
a  son  of  Olaf  and  Mary  Norby,  his  father  a  farmer  and 
blacksmith  of  Sweden. 

Nicholas  Norby  was  born  in  Sweden.  Oct.  22.  1850, 
and  there  grew  to  manhood,  was  educated,  and  served 
the  required  three  years  in  the  Swedish  army.  In  1884 
he  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  the  city  of 
Chicago,  111.,  where  he  spent  twenty  3'ears  engaged  in 
business  of  varied  nature.  From  Chicago  he  moved  to 
Western  Wisconsin,  where  he  spent  five  years,  then  came 
to  Kiantone,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  bought 
a  good  farm  and  there  resides.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Swedish  Mission  church,  and  in  politics  is  a  Re- 
publican. 

Mr.  Norby  married,  in  Chicago,  Aug.  23,  1889,  Jennie 
Johnston,  born  in  Sweden,  daughter  of  Alford  and 
Clara  (Rennell)  Johnston,  both  her  parents  of  Swedish 
birth  and  parentage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Norby  are  the  par- 
ents of  two  children :  Julia,  born  Jan.  10,  1891  ;  Edwin 
B.,  born  Dec.  31,  1892,  married  Anna  Larsen. 


JENS  ANDREAS  JENSEN— A  farmer  of  the 
Jamestown  section  of  Chautauqua  county,  Mr.  Jensen 
is  a  representative  of  the  Danish  people  of  the  county, 
earnest,  industrious  and  thrifty,  loving  the  soil  and 
determined  to  own  their  own  acres.  Mr.  Jensen's  farm 
lies  in  the  south  part  of  the  town  of  Busti,  on  the 
Jamestown  Rural  Free  Delivery  Route  No.  78,  and  in 
section  55.  He  is  a  son  of  Andreas  and  Anne  Kristine 
Jensen,  both  natives  of  Denmark. 

Jens  Andreas  Jensen  was  born  in  Denmark,  March 
5,  1861,  and  was  there  educated  in  the  public  schools. 
He  was  a  farmer  from  youth,  and  after  coming  to  the 
United  States  became  a  landowner  as  above  mentioned. 
Mr.  Jensen  married.  May  1,  1886,  Sofie  Petrea  Gud- 
monson,  daughter  of  Jens  Peter  and  Lisse  Gudmonson. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jensen  are  the  parents  of  two  children  : 
Charles  Andreas,  born  May  20,  1887:  and  Dagma  An- 
drea Solic,  born  April  14,  1889. 


ERIC  ALFORD  LINDELL— Although  compara- 
tively a  newcomer  in  Chautauqua  county,  Mr.  Lindell 
has  since  1917  been  enrolled  among  the  land  owners  of 
the  town  of  Busti,  there  owning  and  cultivating  the 
farm  upon  which  he  resides.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and 
Caroline  (Ericson)  Lindell,  his  father  a  farmer  of 
Sweden,  where  Eric  A.  Lindell  was  born  Feb.  13,  1873. 
Eric  A.  Lindell  was  educated  in  good  Swedish  schools, 
and  engaged  in  farming  in  his  native  land  until  1912, 
when  he  came  to  the  United  States,  arriving  Sept.  I. 
Five  years  later  he  bought  the  farm  in  the  town  of 
Busti  upon  which  he  has  since  resided.  Prior  to  his 
coming  to  the  United  States.  Mr.  Lindell  served  four 
years  in  the  Swedish  army,  service  which  under  the  law 
he  was  compelled  to  render.     He  is  a  member  of  the 


668 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Swedish   Lutheran   church,   and   is   allied   with  the    Re- 
publican party. 

Mr.  Lindell  married,  in  Sweden.  May  5,  1903,  Adla 
Matilda  England,  born  in  Sweden,  daughter  of  Fred- 
erick and  Christine  (Johnson)  England,  both  of  Swe- 
dish birth  and  parentage. 


VERNER  NELSON— In  191 1  Mr.  Nelson  pur- 
chased the  farm  in  Busti,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
upon  which  he  now  resides.  The  years  have  brought 
hira  good  return  for  his  energetic  labor,  and  the  farm 
has  been  wonderfully  improved  during  his  ownership. 
Mr.  Nelson  is  of  Swedish  birth  and  parentage,  son  of 
Anton  and  .Anna  (Nelson)  Nelson,  both  of  ancient 
Swedish  family. 

\'emer  Nelson  was  bom  in  Sweden,  Aug.  25,  1884, 
and  there  spent  his  youth.  After  finisliing  his  school 
years  he  was  engaged  with  his  father  in  farming  for 
a  time,  then  came  to  the  L'nited  States,  finding  a  home 
in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y..  where  in  191 1  he  bought 
a  farm  in  section  61,  town  of  Busti.  upon  which  he 
still  resides.  He  is  a  member  of  the  local  Grange,  Pa- 
trons of  Husbandry,  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a 
member  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church. 

Mr.  Nelson  married,  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  18, 
1007,  .Alfreda  Carlson,  born  Jan.  5,  1S89,  in  Sweden, 
daughter  of  Carl  August  and  Anna  Margaret  (Matson) 
Carlson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  are  the  parents  of  three 
children:  Eleanor  Lena,  born  Nov.  3,  1908;  Alva,  born 
Nov.  30,  1911;  and  Rav  Arthur  Ludwig,  born  Feb.  11, 
IQ18. 


WESLEY  J.  YOUNG— In  1910,  Wesley  J.  Young, 
of  Cherry  Creek,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  bought  his 
present  farm  in  section  i,  there  brought  his  bride  and 
there  has  spent  the  first  decade  of  his  married  life.  He 
is  a  son  of  James  and  Catherine  (Schoenfeld)  Young, 
his  father  a  farmer  of  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.,  who 
at  the  time  of  the  birth  of  his  son,  Wesley  J.,  was  living 
in  the  town  of  Leon. 

Wesley  J.  Young  was  born  in  Leon,  Cattaraugus 
county,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  17,  1885,  and  there  obtained  his 
education  in  the  district  schools.  When  school  years 
were  over,  Mr.  Young  began  his  successful  career  as 
an  agriculturist,  locating  in  the  town  of  Cherry  Creek, 
Chautauqua  county,  where  he  has  been  very  successful 
and  prosperous.  His  home  property  is  finely  improved 
with  dwelling,  barns  and  all  that  bespeaks  the  suc- 
cessful modern  farmer.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Pa- 
trons of  Husbandry,  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  in  politics  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  ^'oung  married,  at  Glean,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  28,  1912, 
F^uth  Godfrey,  born  in  Glean,  ,'\pril  I,  1889,  daughter  of 
Franklin  M.  and  -Amelia  (Van  Dusen)  Godfrey,  her 
father  born  in  Glean,  X.  V.,  her  mother  in  Chatham, 
Pa.  Mr,  and  Mrs.  '^'oung  are  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren:  Robert  F.,  born  Nov.  25,  1912;  Charles  F.,  born 
July  y>,  t'jif)-,  and  James  A.,  born  May  14,  1918. 


JOHN  BENJAMIN  COOPER-This  branch  of  the 
Cooper  family  '.-imr-  i-nrly  to  L'on,  Cattaraugus  county, 
N.  Y.,  from  the  Fast,  as  did  the  Stewarts,  Mrs. 
C'^oper's  ((randfath'T,   Silas   Stewart,  born  in   Vermont, 


making  the  journey  from  that  State  with  an  ox  team 
Silas  Stewart  settled  in  the  town  of  Cherry  Creek. 
Chautauqua  county,  and  in  that  town  his  granddaughter, 
Mrs.  Cooper,  was  born. 

Ezra  W.  Cooper,  grandfather  of  John  B.  Cooper,  came 
early  to  the  town  of  Leon,  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y., 
and  there  his  son,  Frank  Cooper,  was  born.  He  mar- 
ried Anita  Chaplin,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  John 
Benjamin  Cooper,  now  a  farmer  of  section  I,  town  of 
Cherry  Creek,  and  the  owner  of  eighty  acres  of  prime 
land. 

John  B.  Cooper  was  born  in  Leon,  Cattaraugus 
county,  N.  Y..  March  4,  1882.  He  attended  the  district 
school,  finishing  his  education  at  Ellington  High  School. 
He  has  followed  agriculture  all  his  mature  years,  and 
on  Nov.  I,  1 91 5,  bought  his  present  farm  in  Cherry 
Creek,  which  he  has  since  conducted  successfully  and 
profitably.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grange,  and  a  Meth- 
odist in  religion. 

Mr.  Cooper  married.  April  13.  1904.  in  South  Dayton, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Flora  M.  Stewart,  born  Oct. 
7.  1885,  in  Cherry  Creek,  daughter  of  John  and  Matilda 
(Shattuck)  Stewart,  and  granddaughter  of  Silas 
Stewart. 


LEVI  LOOMIS— In  183S,  Daniel  Loomis,  father  of 
Levi  Loomis,  came  in  an  o.x  cart  with  wife  and  baby 
from  Tompkins  county,  N.  Y.,  settling  in  the  town  of 
Hannony,  Chautauqua  county,  in  that  part  known  as 
the  village  of  Ashville.  He  settled  on  a  farm,  but  he 
was  also  a  stone  cutter  and  owner  of  the  stone  bed 
quarry  from  which  he  quarried  the  stone  used  in  the 
erection  of  Governor  Fenton's  mansion  in  Jamestown. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
a  man  of  strong  religious  nature,  serving  the  church  as 
a  local  preacher. 

Levi  Loomis,  son  of  Daniel  and  Hannah  (Capell) 
Loomis,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Harmony,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  15,  1838,  died  at  his  home,  April  i, 
1915.  He  was  his  father's  assistant  in  farming  and  in 
the  quarry,  learning  later  the  trade  of  stone  cutter. 
This  trade  he  later  abandoned  in  favor  of  farming  and 
long  cultivated  the  farm  upon  which  he  resided,  near 
Lakewood,  in  the  town  of  Ellicott.  The  farm  is  now 
valuable  and  is  readily  available  for  building  purposes. 
Mr.  Loomis  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  the  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry, and  of  Lakewood  Lodge,  No.  628,  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

Mr.  Loomis  married,  July  4,  1865,  in  Busti,  Chautau- 
qua romity,  N.  Y.,  Marie  E.  Freeman,  born  in  Har- 
mony, Chautaufjua  county,  N.  Y.,  March  26,  1850, 
daughter  of  Lyman  and  Eliza  (Flanders)  Freeman. 
Lyman  Freeman  was  born  near  Auburn,  N.  Y.  Eliza 
(Flanders)  Freeman  was  born  in  Cambridge,  Genesee 
county,  N.  \ .,  a  daughter  of  Moses  Flanders,  a  Revo- 
lulionary  soldier,  as  was  Hiram  Pratt,  another  member 
of  the  family  . 


BERT  M.  CAMPBELL— As  the  tenant  of  a  good 
farm  of  205  acres  in  the  town  of  Busti,  Mr.  Campbell 
has  been  very  successful  and  he  is  perfectly  willing  to 
continue  the  pres<'nt  arrangements  as  long  as  it  can 
be   made   to  yield    such    profitable   returns.      When    they 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


fail  he  will  till  his  own  acres.  He  is  a  general  farmer, 
but  specializes  in  dairy  farming  to  a  large  extent,  main- 
taining a  herd  of  thirty  cows.  He  has  brought  up 
the  farm  equipment  to  fit  modern  conditions,  and  the 
appearance  of  the  farm  indicates  the  careful,  efficient, 
prosperous  management  of  Air.  Campbell.  He  is  a  son 
of  William  and  Clarinda  Campbell,  both  parents  natives 
of   Pennsylvania,  his  father  a  farmer. 

Bert  M.  Campbell  was  born  in  Warren  county.  Pa., 
Nov.  19,  1880,  and  was  there  educated.  He  was  early 
taught  the  habits  of  industry,  and  was  long  his  father's 
farm  assistant.  When  choosing  an  occupation  for  life, 
he  continued  in  the  same  line  and  is  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful young  farmers  wlio  have  made  of  farming  a 
business  to  be  developed  and  operated  on  scientific  prin- 
ciples and  not  merely  by  muscular  energy.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  his  political  faith  is  Republican. 

Mr.  Campbell  married,  in  Ashville,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  7, 
1908,  Alma  Spooner.  born  Aug.  14,  1883,  in  Ashville, 
daughter  of  W.  F.  and  Helen  (Westcott)  Spooner,  her 
father  born  at  Ashville,  a  fanner,  her  mother  born  at 
Open  Meadows,  N.  Y.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Campbell  are  the 
parents  of  a  son,  \Mlliam  Russell,  born  Sept.   17,  1917. 


RAY  MILLER— In  the  town  of  Sheridan,  Chautau- 
qua county,  N.  Y.,  Ray  Miller  was  born,  educated  and 
began  the  battle  of  life.  .A  farmer's  son,  he  was  early 
taught  the  business  of  the  modern  farmer,  and  in  1900, 
when  a  young  man,  he  came  to  his  present  farm  in 
Cherry  Creek,  where  he  has  continued  general  and 
dairy  farming  with  much  success  until  the  present.  He 
is  a  son  of  George  and  Emma  (Essex)  Miller,  born 
Aug.  9,  1882.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 
Mr.  Miller  married,  at  Sinclairville,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  Dec.  18,  1907,  Alida  May  Shattuck,  born  Jan.  28, 
1873,  in  the  town  of  Villenova,  Chautauqua  county,  N. 
Y.,  daughter  of  Bert  and  Eunice  (Abbey)  Shattuck. 
The  Miller  farm  is  located  on  section  18,  town  of  Cherry 
Creek. 


MARION  L.  GREENLEE— In  1915,  Mr.  Greenlee, 

then  a  resident  of  Celoron,  bought  the  fine  property  on 
Wellman  avenue,  town  of  Ellicott,  Chautauqua  county, 
and  there  resides  at  the  present  time  (July,  1920).  He 
has  prospered  in  his  various  undertakings  and  has 
around  him  substantial  evidences  of  his  industry  and 
thrift. 

Marion  L.  Greenlee  was  born  in  Warren  county.  Pa., 
Dec.  14,  1862,  and  there  attended  public  school.  He  is 
a  cabinetmaker  by  trade.  After  coming  to  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  he  was  variously  employed,  and  finally 
settled  in  Celoron,  there  residing  until  moving  to  his 
present  home  on  A\'ellnian  avenue.  Ellicott.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  United 
Brethren  church. 

Mr.  Greenlee  married.  June  3,  1879,  in  Warren  county. 
Pa.,  Alta  E.  Thompson,  born  in  Tidioute,  Pa.,  .\pril  20, 
1863,  daughter  of  J.  A.  Thompson,  born  at  Thompson 
Station,  Pa.,  and  his  wife.  Frances  F.  (Blodgett") 
Thompson,  born  in  Busti.  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Greenlee  are  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren:  Frances   Marion,  born   April  30,   1890;   Clara  T., 


born  Dec.  27,  1892,  died  Feb.  18,  1915;  Alta  Rosamond, 
born  April  21,  1893;  J.  Earl,  born  Aug.  3,  1S94;  Ivan 
H.,  born  April  24,  1896;  he  entered  the  United  States 
army,  Sept.  26,  1917,  went  overseas  with  .American  Ex- 
peditionary Forces,  May  24,  1918,  served  with  the  307th 
Battery,  78th  Division,  and  was  honorably  discharged, 
May  24,  1919. 


GEORGE  RICHARD  HARRIS,  a  tool  maker,  re- 
siding in  West  Jamestown,  on  Rural  Free  Delivery 
Route,  No.  77,  was  born  in  Thompson,  Conn.,  July  21, 
1883,  son  of  John  Gilmore  and  Isabel  (Terwilliger) 
Harris,  his  father  born  in  New  York  City,  his  mother 
in  Scotland.  After  completing  his  school  years,  he 
learned  the  toolmaker's  trade  and  has  since  followed 
that  occupation.  He  is  a  skilled  mechanic,  a  Republican 
in  politics,  an  Episcopalian  in  religious  faith,  and  in 
fraternal  relation  an  Odd  Fellow,  affiliated  with  Mount 
Tabor  Lodge,  Jamestown. 

Mr.  Harris  married,  Jan.  19.  1907,  in  New  York  City, 
Eva  Harriet  Leshane.  born  Oct.  31,  1879,  in  St.  Johns, 
Newfoundland,  Canada,  daughter  of  William  John  and 
Caroline  A.  (Tufft)  Leshane.  In  1918,  Mrs.  Eva  H. 
Harris  opened  a  general  grocery  store  on  Wicks  ave- 
nue, Celoron,  which  she  owns  and  has  successfully 
operated  for  two  years.  This  is  her  own  business  ven- 
ture and  she  has  built  up  a  good  trade,  her  store  being 
well  stocked  and  attractive.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harris  are 
the  parents  of  a  son,  Joseph  P.,  born  July  20,  1909. 


ALBERT  HOWARD  RASKINS— The  Haskins 
Dairy  Farm,  located  in  the  town  of  Busti,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  comprising  175  acres,  was  purchased  by 
Albert  H.  Haskins  in  the  year  1893,  and  for  twenty- 
seven  years  he  has  devoted  himself  to  its  development 
and  management.  He  is  one  of  the  well  known,  suc- 
cessful dairymen  of  the  county,  and  his  herd  of  thirty- 
five  cows  is  a  carefully  selected  one.  Mr.  Haskins  is 
well  known  in  his  town  and  highly  respected.  He  is  a 
son  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Holt)  Haskins.  both  parents 
born  in  the  town  of  Carroll.  Cliautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
his  father  a  farmer  bv  occupation  in  the  town  of  Car- 
roll. 

Alliert  Howard  Haskins  was  born  in  Carroll,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  19,  1868.  He  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools,  completing  his  studies  in  Frews- 
burg  High  School.  He  later  turned  his  attention  to 
farming,  first  as  his  father's  assistant,  then  on  his  own 
account,  purchasing  a  farm  in  section  24,  town  of  Busti, 
upon  which  he  has  since  resided.  He  has  added  to  its 
value  by  careful  cultivation  and  modern  methods,  his 
specialty  dairy  farming.  His  farm  is  known  as  the 
Haskins  Dairy  Farm,  and  is  served  by  Jamestown  Rural 
Free  Delivery.  No.  77.  Mr.  Haskins  is  a  member  of 
the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Haskins  married,  in  Randolph,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  12, 
1893.  Nellie  P.  Higgins,  born  in  Dunkirk.  N.  Y..  Dec. 
27,  1868,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Ryan)  Higgins, 
her  father  born  in  Ireland.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haskins  are 
the  parents  of  three  sons:  Gilbert,  born  March  15,  1903; 
Henry,  born  Oct.  23,  1906;  and  Mark,  born  Dec.  26, 
1908.  , 


670 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


ERIC  A.  STROMGREN— Jacob  Stromgren,  a 
farmer  ol"  Sweden,  and  his  wife,  Clara  (.Swanson) 
Stromgren,  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in 
Ludlow.  Pa.,  where  their  son,  Eric  A.  Stromgren,  was 
bom,  .-Vug.  2~.  1S84.  The  lad,  Eric  A.,  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools,  and  has  for  several  years  been  a 
resident  of  Chautauqua  county,  his  home  and  farm  in 
the  town  of  Busti.  while  he  holds  a  responsible  position 
in  Jamestown.  He  is  a  member  of  the  L.  B.  of  A.  M. 
of  Ludlow.  Pa.,  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church. 

Mr.    Stromgren    married,    in    Jamestown.    April     11, 

1910,   Garnet    (\\'etmore)    ,   born   in    Darby,    Pa.. 

Nov.  7.  188S.  daughter  of  Frank  W.  and  Ida  Wetmore. 
Mrs.  Stromgren  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  was  a 
widow  with  two  children.  Beryl  Burns,  born  Dec.  28, 
1904,  and  Edwin,  born  Dec.  25,  1905.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Stromgren  are  the  parents  of  a  son,  Ivan,  born  Sept. 
10,  1012. 


ELOF  HANSON — Hanson  is  a  name  often  found  in 
Jamestown  and  vicinity,  this  branch  of  the  family  being 
residents  of  Celoron.  Elof  Hanson,  its  head,  coming 
from  Sweden.  His  two  sons,  Oliver  H.  and  Bartholo- 
mew C,  were  born  in  Jamestown,  and  are  connected 
with  the  business  life  of  that  city.  Elof  Hanson  was 
born  in  Sweden,  Feb.  24,  186;,  and  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools.  He  spent  the  years  of  his  youth  in 
Sweden,  later  coming  to  the  United  States  and  locating 
in  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  many 
of  his  countrymen  had  preceded  him.  His  home  in 
Celoron  is  on  Jackson  boulevard.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  in  politics 
a  Republican.  Honest  and  industrious,  he  has  gained 
the  respect  of  his  neighbors,  and  all  who  know  him 
best  have  only  words  of  commendation  for  his  upright 
life. 

Mr.  Hanson  married,  in  Oil  City,  Pa.,  Sept.  27.  1894, 
.Augusta  Eleanor  Swenson.  Two  sons  were  born  to 
them,  namely:  Oliver  Henry,  born  June  16,  1895,  edu- 
cated in  the  public  school,  now  a  bookkeeper  with  the 
Gurney  Ball  Bearing  Company  of  Jamestown;  and 
Bartholomew  Clarence,  born  Sept.  20,  1899,  a  metal 
worker  of  Jamestown. 


GLENN  LEE  WAITH— Among  the  prominent 
farmers  of  Ellington,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  ^'.,  should 
be  mentioned  Glenn  Lee  Waith,  who  has  been  for  a 
number  of  years  so  engaged  in  this  locality.  Mr.  Waith 
is  a  son  of  Erank  Lee  and  Lillian  (Davis)  Waith,  the 
former  a  prominent  citizen  of  Ellington,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  business  as  a  stock  buyer  and  coal  dealer. 

Glenn  Lee  Waith  was  lir.rn  at  Ellington,  April  10. 
1885,  and  passed  his  chiblhood  in  his  native  place, 
where  he  obtained  his  education,  attending  the  local 
public  schools  for  this  purpose.  Upon  crjmpleting  his 
studic  at  these  institutions,  ,\Ir.  Waith  purchased  a 
farm  at  Ellington,  and  since  that  time  has  followed 
agricultural  pursuits  here  with  a  high  degree  of  suc- 
cess, ffe  has  now  brought  his  place  into  a  very  high 
Slate  of  cultivation,  and  it  is  regarded  as  r,ne  of  the 
model  farms  of  the  region.  In  addition  to  his  farming 
activities,  .Mr.   Waith   has   also  taken   .m  active   part   in 


the  business  interests  of  Ellington,  and  is  now  affiliatec 
prominently  with  the  management  of  the  Union  Trust 
Company  of  Jamestown,  having  extended  his  interest; 
to  that  city.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Republican  party 
being  a  staunch  supporter  of  its  principles  and  policies, 
but  although  his  voice  is  influential  in  the  party  councils 
of  Chautauqua  county,  he  has  always  consistently 
avoided  anything  like  public  office  or  political  prefer- 
ment of  any  kind.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Waith 
is  a  Congregationalist  and  attends  the  church  of  that 
denomination  at  Ellington. 

Glenn  Lee  Waith  was  united  in  marriage,  March  27, 
iQio.  at  Randolph.  N.  V.,  with  Ruth  Harrington,  a 
native  of  that  place,  born  .Aug.  9.  1889.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Waith  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  as  follows.-  War- 
ren Harrington,  and  Clorie  Waymon. 


FRANS  PEARSON— Of  Swedish  birth  and  parent- 
age, Fraiis  Pearson,  a  prosperous  dairy  farmer  of  the 
town  of  Ellicott.  has  demonstrated  his  manly  character, 
thrift  and  enterprise  by  taking  rank  among  the  substan- 
tial, successful  men  of  his  adopted  town.  He  is  a  son 
of  Pierre  and  Clarissa  Pearson,  his  father  a  farmer. 

Frans  Pearson  was  born  in  Sweden,  Sept.  17,  1868, 
and  there  was  educated,  served  three  years  in  the  Swe- 
dish regular  army,  and  became  well  acquainted  with 
actual  farm  labor.  .After  coming  to  the  United  States 
he  located  in  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  in  1917 
bought  the  farm  in  the  town  of  Ellicott  upon  which 
he  now  resides.  He  operates  as  a  dairy  farmer,  main- 
tains a  fine  herd  of  Holsteins.  and  markets  600  quarts 
of  milk  daily  in  Jamestown.  He  is  liberal  in  his  politi- 
cal views,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
church.  He  has  won  the  good  opinion  of  his  neighbors 
and  is  respected  by  all  who  know  him. 

Mr.  Pearson  married  (first)  May  3.  1891,  Helena 
.Augusta  Joheg,  who  died  Jan.  2,  1908,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  seven  children:  Carl,  Reuben,  Edwin, 
Henry,  Robert,  Elmer  and  Harriet.  Mr.  Pearson  mar- 
ried (second)  Freda  Kellean,  born  in  Sweden,  Nov.  22, 
1879.  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  sons,  Vernon  and 
Richard. 


ELVERTON    B.   CRISSEY,   who    for   many  years 

was  one  of  the  leading  financiers  of  Chautauqua  county. 
New  York,  where  he  was  actively  associated  with 
some  of  the  most  important  banks  and  financial  insti- 
tutions, was  a  member  of  a  family  which  could  claim 
a  distinguished  antiquity,  both  in  this  country  and  in 
England.  It  was  founded  in  the  latter  country  at  the 
time  of  the  Conquest,  its  progenitor  having  been  one 
of  those  warlike  Normans,  who  followed  William  the 
Conqueror  on  his  momentous  expedition  from  Nor- 
mandy, and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Hastings,  1056, 
A.  D.  The  name  is  found  on  the  Roll  of  Battle  Abbey, 
a;id  appears  under  various  forms  in  subsequent  English 
records.  Indeed,  at  the  time  of  its  founding  in  Amer- 
ica by  Mighil  Cresse,  there  were  no  less  than  twenty- 
three  spellings  of  the  name  in  use,  and,  while  in  this 
coimlry  it  is  not  a  very  cottunon  one,  it  is,  neverthe- 
less, widespread,  and  may  be  found  in  iir.actically  every 
Slate  of  the   Union. 

H)    Mighil    Cresse    came      fn.m     England     with     his 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


671 


brother  William  and  located  at  Salem,  Mass.,  in  the 
year  1649,  his  birth  having  occurred  about  1628,  so  that 
he  must  have  been  about  twenty-one  years  of  age  at 
the  time  of  his  emigration.  Mr.  Cresse  lived  for  a 
time  in  the  family  of  Lieutenant  Thomas  Lathrop,  who 
with  sixty  of  his  soldiers  fell  in  the  battle  of  Bloody 
Brook,  near  Deerfield.  Sept.  18,  1675.  From  1652  to 
1663  he  lived  with  the  family  of  Joshua  Ray  at  "Royal- 
side."  Salem,  now  Beverly.  He  married  (first)  in  the 
year  1658,  Mary  Bachelder,  who  was  born  at  Salem  in 
1640,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  Bachelder,  of 
"Royalside,"  and  who  died  in  August,  1659.  He  later 
removed  to  Ipswich,  where  he  married  (second)  April 
6,  1660,  Mary  Quilter,  a  daughter  of  Mark  Quilter. 
His  death  occurred  in  April,  1670,  and  that  of  his  sec- 
ond wife.  May  7,  1707.  Mighil  Cresse  had  one  child 
by  his  first  wife,  John,  mentioned  below;  and  by  his 
second  wife,  three  children,  Mighil,  William  and  Mary. 

(H)  John  Crissey,  only  child  of  Mighil  Cresse  by  his 
first  wife,  was  bom  in  August,  1659,  at  "Royalside," 
Salem,  Mass.  His  father's  death  occurred  when  he 
was  but  eleven  years  of  age,  and  after  that  event  he 
lived  with  his  Grandfather  Bachelder.  In  1675  he 
chose  in  court  his  uncle,  Joseph  Bachelder,  as  his 
guardian.  As  a  man  he  followed  the  occupation  of 
tailor  at  "Royalside,"  residing  on  land  which  he  had 
inherited  from  his  maternal  grandfather,  and  he  be- 
came well  known  in  the  affairs  of  the  community.  He 
was  a  deacon  of  the  second  church  at  Beverly,  and  was 
a  man  of  strong  religious  convictions.  His  grave  is 
marked  by  a  slate  stone,  upon  which  appears  the  in- 
scription :  "Here  lyeth  the  body  of  Deacon  John  Cresy, 
who  died  July  22nd,  1735,  in  ye  76th  year  of  his  age." 

He  married  Sarah  Gaines,  born  Nov.  2t,,  1665,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Tredwel!)  Gaines,  of 
Ipswich.  Her  death  occurred  at  "Royalside,"  April  4, 
1751.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
Mary;  John,  who  died  in  infancy;  Sarah;  John;  Jo- 
seph ;  Daniel,  mentioned  below ;  Job,  Benjamin,  Hannah, 
Abigail  and  Noah. 

(III)  Daniel  Crissey,  sixth  child  and  fourth  son  of 
John  and  Sarah  (Gaines)  Crissey,  was  born  July  II, 
1698,  at  Salem,  but  removed  at  an  early  age  to  New 
Hampshire,  and  from  that  State  to  Connecticut  in  1740, 
where  all  trace  of  him  is  lost.  He  married,  Oct.  20, 
1720,  Sarah  Ingleson,  of  Salem,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children  :  John,  mentioned 
below;  Ruth,  who  died  in  infancy;  Mary  Ruth,  Sarah, 
Daniel,  Joseph,  Elizabeth.  Richard,  Ehenezer  and  Anna. 

(IV)  John  (2)  Crissey,  eldest  child  of  Daniel  and 
Sarah  (Ingleson)  Crissey,  was  born  at  Salem,  Mass., 
in  the  year  1721.  and  removed  to  New  Hampshire, 
where  he  settled  in  the  town  of  Bath.  From  there  in 
1790  he  went  to  Fairfax,  Vt.  He  was  a  very  religious 
man  and  was  the  leader  of  the  first  public  service  held 
for  worship  at  Fairfax,  in  June,  1790.  This  was  held 
in  a  log  cabin,  Mr.  Crissey  conducting  the  service, 
while  his  son  James  constituted  the  choir.  John  Cris- 
sey married  Martha  Davenport,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children  :  John,  James,  Gould, 
Samuel,  mentioned  below ;  Nathaniel  and  Sylvanus. 
The  three  last  named  settled  at  Stockton.  Chautauqua 
county.  N.  Y..  and  Sylvanus  eventually  removed  to  the 
Far  West. 


(V)  Samuel  Crissey,  son  of  John  (2)  and  Martha 
(Davenport)  Crissey,  was  born  March  2,  1771,  in  Ver- 
mont, and  at  an  early  age  came  with  his  two  brothers, 
Nathaniel  and  Sylvanus,  to  Stockton,  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  where  his  death  occurred  March  i,  1848. 
In  1815,  he  is  recorded  as  having  taken  up  100  acres 
of  land,  and  in  the  following  year  located  his  home  in 
the  northern  part  of  Stockton,  on  lot  No.  30,  which 
comprised  about  160  acres  of  wild  land.  This  tract 
Mr.  Crissey  cleared  and  improved,  and  there  carried 
on  agricultural  operations  during  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  Like  his  father,  he  was  a  deeply  religious  man, 
and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Baptist  church  at 
Delanti,  where  he  on  occasion  filled  the  pulpit  in  place 
of  a  regularly  ordained  minister.  He  married,  in  the 
year  1799,  Lucy  Grosvenor,  and  they  were  the  parents 
of  the  following  children  :  Almira,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Ethan  Cooley,  who  bore  him  a  child  who  died  in 
early  youth;  Harlow,  mentioned  below;  Jason,  who 
married  Roxana  Winsor,  a  daughter  of  the  Rev. 
Washington  Winsor,  by  whom  he  had  four  children : 
Mary,  Sardis,  Jirah.  Edward ;  Lucy,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Chauncy  Winsor,  of  Delanti,  to  whom  she  bore 
two  children.  Wealthy  Ann  and  Washington  ;  Cynthia, 
who  became  the  wife  of  Zalmon  Jennings,  and  removed 
to  Pennsylvania ;  Martha,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twelve 
years;  Samuel,  who  married  Julia  Grant,  by  whom  he 
had  three  children,  Lucy,  Forest.  Myra. 

(VI)  Harlow  Crissey,  son  of  Samuel  and  Lucy 
(Grosvenor)  Crissey,  was  born  Dec.  18,  1802,  at  Fair- 
fax, Vt.,  and  went  as  a  child  with  his  parents  to  Stock- 
ton, N.  Y.,  where  his  death  occurred  April  30,  1892. 
He  married,  Nov.  2,  1826,  Anna  Shepard,  born  in  Ash- 
field,  Mass.,  March  29,  1807.  Children;  Newton,  a 
sketch  of  whom  follows ;  Samuel  S.,  mentioned  in 
sketch  of  Jay  Crissey,  which  follows ;  Seward  M.,  men- 
tioned in  sketch  of  Miner  S.  Crissey,  which  follows; 
and  Elverton  B.,  of  this  review,  mentioned  below.  (A 
complete  sketch  of  Harlow  Crissey  follows  this  in  the 
work). 

(VII)  Elverton  B.  Crissey,  son  of  Harlow  and  .-\nna 
(Shepard)  Crissey,  was  born  June  23,  1843,  at  Stock- 
ton, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  died  at  Jamestown, 
Feb.  29,  1908.  As  a  lad  he  attended  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  place  and  Fredonia  Academy.  After 
completing  his  studies  at  the  last-named  institution, 
Mr.  Crissey  followed  for  a  time  the  profession  of 
teaching  in  the  schools  at  Stockton  and  Brocton,  N.  Y., 
and  Marengo,  111.  He  removed  in  the  spring  of  1870 
to  Missouri,  where  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  at 
King  City,  near  St.  Joseph,  and  made  his  home  there 
for  seven  years.  Mr.  Crissey  developed  a  strong  af- 
fection for  Missouri  and  this  remained  with  him  un- 
diminished until  the  close  of  his  life.  He  took  an  active 
part  in  public  affairs  in  that  community,  and  held  the 
office  of  county  assessor.  Later,  however.  Mr.  Crissey 
returned  to  Brocton,  N.  Y.,  and  there  for  a  time  re- 
sumed his  old  profession  of  teaching,  but,  feeling  that 
a  larger  opportunity  awaited  him  in  business,  eventu- 
ally gave  this  up  and  removed  to  Sinclairville.  where  he 
established  a  mill  and  conducted  that  for  a  time.  In 
1882.  in  association  with  Joy  Love,  he  organized  a  bank, 
under  the  firm  name  of  E.  B.  Crissey  &  Company, 
bankers.     This  was  his  first  introduction  to  banking,  a 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


line  which  he  continued  to  follow  uninterruptedly,  and 
with  the  highest  degree  of  success,  from  that  time  until 
his  death.  In  iSoo  he  organized  another  bank,  at 
Cherry  Creek,  X.  Y..  and  made  his  home  at  that  place 
for  about  twelve  months.  It  was  in  1891  that  he  first 
came  to  Jamestown,  where  he  organized  the  Farmers 
and  Mechanics  Bank  and  started  it  on  its  progress  to 
a  prosperous  development.  He  withdrew  from  that 
organization,  however,  in  order  to  organize  the  Union 
Trust  Company  of  Jamestown,  and  a  few  years  later 
sold  his  interest  in  the  latter  institution  to  accept  the 
office  of  president  of  the  Farmers  and  Mechanics  Bank, 
which  he  himself  had  founded  some  years  before.  This 
institution  he  continued  at  the  head  of  until  his 
death,  and  under  his  most  capable  management  it  grew 
to  be  one  of  the  leading  organizations  of  its  kind  in  the 
county.  In  addition  to  the  banks  organized  by  him- 
self, Mr.  Crissey  was  also  affiliated  with  a  number  of 
other  financial  institutions,  among  which  should  be 
mentioned  the  Cherry  Creek  Bank  and  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  at  Falconer.  He  also  organized  the  banking 
firm  of  E.  B.  Crissey  &  Company  at  South  Dayton,  and 
the  private  bank  of  Crissey  &  Crissey,  at  Little  Valley, 
X,  v..  which  was  later  managed  by  his  son,  Harlow 
J.  Crissey. 

Mr.  Crissey  has  enjoyed,  with  justice,  a  reputation 
as  one  of  the  most  successful  organizers  and  executives 
in  this  region  of  the  State,  and  during  his  life  was 
regarded  as  the  leading  financial  authority  here.  He 
was  also  exceedingly  active  in  the  public  affairs  of  the 
community,  and  held  a  number  of  important  offices  in 
the  gift  of  the  town,  including  a  membership  on  the 
Board  of  Public  Works,  in  which  he  rendered  invalu- 
able service  to  Jamestown.  He  was  public-spirited  in 
a  high  degree,  and  was  a  liberal  contributor  to  all 
worthy  objects  connected  with  the  betterment  of  civic 
affairs,  and  was  especially  generous  to  the  Associated 
Charities,  which  he  aided  in  organizing  and  in  which 
he  always  held  office.  Mr.  Crissey  was  independent  in 
his  religious  and  political  views,  and  was  not  affiliated 
formally  with  any  church  or  political  institution.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  local  lodges.  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons  and  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, and  was  a  well  known  figure  in  social  and  frater- 
nal circles  here.  He  was  a  man  of  profound  learning 
and  the  broadest  culture,  taking  a  keen  interest  in  lit- 
erature and  other  forms  of  art,  and  he  was  the  nosses- 
sor  of  a  splendid  library  in  which  he  found  his  chief 
recreation.  Hi^  record  as  an  organizer  is  practically 
unique  in  Western  New  York,  and  in  the  last  thirty 
years  of  his  life  he  founded  no  fewer  than  seven  banks, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  in  control  of  four 
large  and  prosperous  financial  institutions.  In  spite  of 
this  fact,  he  had  no  especial  ambition  to  become  wealthy, 
and  a  tale  is  told  of  him  characteristic  of  his  i)iiblic 
spirit.  It  appears  that  on  one  occasion  a  friend  sug- 
gested to  him  that  it  would  be  easier  for  him  and 
probably  bring  in  larger  returns  to  make  impersonal 
investments  in  general  securities,  rather  than  in  indi- 
vidual loans,  to  which  Mr.  Crissey  replied:  "My  business 
is  not  first  ''I  all  t'l  make  money;  it  is  to  do  good  in 
this  community."  He  retained  in  a  remarkable  degree 
his  youthful  energies  and  pfiint  of  view  to  the  last  of 
hii   life,  a    fart    whirh   is   attributed   by   the   many   wlio 


knew  and  admired  him,  to  his  always  preserving  his  i 
terest  in  others,  so  that  his  activities  always  contaim 
a  large  element  of  altruism.  He  possessed  an  unusual 
positive  character,  but  at  the  same  time  a  delightf 
personality,  and  his  companionship  was  regarded  as 
boon  by  all  who  knew  him.  So  strong  was  his  sense  1 
justice  and  the  rights  of  others  that  he  never  presst 
home  an  advantage  which  ran  counter  to  the  interes 
of  others,  and  he  often  was  willing  to  suffer  person 
loss  rather  than  transgress  his  own  exceedingly  hig 
standards  of  right. 

Elverton  B.  Crissey  was  united  in  marriage,  Jan. 
1867,  at  Sinclairville,  N.  Y.,  with  Mary  Langworth 
born  there  March  29,  1844,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  an 
Cornelia  (Love)  Langworthy,  and  a  member  of  a 
old  and  distinguished  X^ew  York  family.  The  Lo\ 
family  came  from  \'ermont  to  New  York  in  the  perse 
of  John  Love,  who  settled  at  Sinclairville,  where  I 
married.  His  daughter,  Cornelia  Love,  was  born  : 
Gerry,  N.  Y.,  and  died  Dec.  24,  1891,  at  the  age  c 
seventy-five  years  and  eight  months.  She  marrie 
Jacob  Langworthy  and  was  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Cri; 
scy.  Jacob  Langworthy  was  born  in  Washingto 
county.  N.  Y..  Sept.  30,  1806,  and  died  Oct.  4.  1883.  H 
was  the  son  of  James  and  Rhode  (Shaw)  Langworth; 
and  came  to  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  when  a  yout 
of  eighteen.  He  purchased  here  a  farm  of  200  acre 
situated  about  a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  Sinclairvilli 
where  he  carried  on  the  occupation  of  farming  wit 
much  success  until  the  close  of  his  life.  He  was 
man  of  very  high  character  and  enjoyed  the  afifectio 
and  respect  of  the  entire  community.  He  marriec 
March  6,  1834,  Cornelia  Love,  and  they  were  the  par 
ents  of  the  following  children  :  Ellen,  who  died  at  th 
age  of  fifteen;  John,  died  April  19,  1896;  Janet,  die 
at  the  age  of  eleven ;  Mary,  who  became  the  wife  o 
Elverton  B.  Crissey,  as  mentioned  above;  Lewis,  o 
Cherry  Creek ;  Emily,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty 
two  months ;  and  Charles,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirty 
three  years.  Jacob  Langworthy's  father,  Jame 
Langworthy,  came  from  Washington  county,  N.  Y 
where  he  had  been  a  successful  farmer,  to  Chautauqu: 
county,  a  few  years  before  his  death,  and  made  hi 
home  here  with  his  children.     The  children  of  Elvertoi 

B.  and  Mary  (Langworthy)  Crissey  were  as  follows 
I.  Lena  Cornelia,  born  Jan.  12,  1868;  became  the  wifi 
of  Frank  Merz,  president  of  the  Union  Trust  Compan; 
of  Jamestown,  to  whom  she  bore  the  following  chil 
drcn  :  Lucy  A.,  Elizabeth  L.,  Margaret  C,  and  Franci: 

C.  2.  Harlow  Jacob,  born  July  15,  1870;  now  presidcn 
of  the  Citizens  Trust  Company  of  Fredonia ;  he  mar- 
ried Jessie  Blackstone,  by  whom  he  had  three  chil 
dren  as  follows :  Rachel  V.,  Eleanor  V.,  and  Carolin( 
F.  3.  Lucy  Love,  born  July  17,  1873;  became  the  wif< 
of  Henry  P.  Robertson,  president  of  the  H.  P.  Robert- 
son I'urniture  Company  of  Jamestown;  they  were  th( 
parents  of  the  following  children :  Mary  Crissey,  Lu- 
cius Elverton.  4.  .Harold  Elverton,  born  Oct.  26,  1883 
now  vice-president  of  the  Farmers  and  Mechanics  Banl< 
of  Jamestown,  of  which  his  father  was  so  long  the  head 
Mrs.  Crissey  survives  her  husband  and  continues  tc 
make  her  home  at  Jamestown,  where  she  is  held  in  re- 
gard by  the  community. 

It    will    be   appro|)riate    to   conclude    tliis   brief    sketch 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


673 


with  some  of  the  resolutions  adopted  by  the  boards  of 
directors  of  the  many  institutions  which  owe  their 
origin  and  prosperity  to  him,  at  the  time  of  his  death : 

By  the  Farmers'  &  Mechanics'  Bank,  of  which  he  was 
the  founder  and  president:  There  was  about  Mr.  Cris- 
sey  a  personality  which  drew  men  to  him.  and  it  was 
to  him  they  went,  in  their  hours  of  adversity  as  in 
their  moments  of  success.  His  advice  and  his  encour- 
agement comforted  and  aided  them  in  their  adversity, 
as  did  his  congratulations  cheer  them  in  their  success. 
His  love  for  children  was  marked;  his  interest  in  the 
youns'  man  starting  nut  nn  life's  journey,  prompted 
him  to  extend  much  material  assistance.  He  was  a 
believer  in  men  and  in  all  that  was  characteristic  of 
the  man. 

By  the  First  National  Bank  of  Falconer:  Mr.  Crissey 
was  a  man  of  wide  experience,  rare  ability,  and  one  in 
whom  sympathy  had  to  do  with  judgment.  Many  a 
young'  man.  in  this  community,  looks  back  to  the  aid 
and  counsel  of  this  man  as  the  starting  point  of  his 
success. 

By  the  Associated  Charities:  Realizing  keenly  our 
loss  of  so  sincere  and  practical  a  friend,  we  desire  to 
place  on  record  our  deep  appreciation  of  his  helpful 
consideration  and  assistance,  and  of  his  willingness, 
amidst  his  many  duties,  to  give  of  his  time  and  ability 
to  the  furtherance  of  the  work  of  this  association,  in 
which  he  was  so  deeply  interested. 

In  the  diary  presented  by  Mr.  Crissey  to  the  cus- 
tomers of  the  bank,  he  had  cause  to  be  printed  the 
following : 

He  has  achieved  success  who  has  lived  well,  laughed 
often,  and  loved  much;  who  has  gained  the  respect  of 
intelligent  men  and  the  love  of  little  children:  who 
has  left  the  world  better  than  he  found  it:  who  has 
never  lacked  appreciation  of  earth's  beauty,  or  failed 
to  express  it:  who  has  always  looked  for  the  best  in 
others,  and  given  the  best  he  had;  whose  life  is  an 
inspiration,  whose  memory  a  benediction. 


HARLOW  CRISSEY— A  strong  will  and  a  loving, 
gentle  and  unselfish  nature,  firm  convictions  and  a 
modest  spirit,  keen  intellect  and  high  ideals,  marked 
business  ability,  and  a  humble  and  devout  Christian 
faith  and  practice,  were  characteristics  of  the  pioneer 
of  Chautauqua  county,  Harlow  Crissey,  who  was  born 
in  Fairfax,  Vt.,  Dec.  18,  1802.  Mr.  Crissey,  speaking 
at  a  reunion  of  the  Crissey  family  at  Stockton,  N.  Y., 
Aug.   14.  1886,  said : 

Our  family  history  here  represented  dates  back  to 
1815,  when  four  families  came  to  Stockton,  their  whole 
number  then  was  twenty.  Of  that  number  I  am  the 
only  one  left  in  town  to  speak  from  memory.  I  was 
then  in  my  thirteenth  year,  the  descendants  inheriting 
the  Crissey  name  at  this  time  nuniherinp  seventy-eifcht. 
Of  these  twenty-one  are  in  Stockton,  ten  in  Fredonia, 
six  in  Sinclairville,  five  in  Michigan,  two  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, three  in  Washington,  D.  C,  and  thirty-one  west 
of  Chicago.  Of  the  descendants  known  by  other  names 
there  are  forty-two,  making-  at  this  date  a  total  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty. 

Harlow  Crissey  was  the  next  to  the  oldest  of  seven 
children,  three  sons  and  four  daughters,  of  the  family 
of  Samuel  and  Lucy  (Grosvenor)  Crissey.  In  the  cold 
season  of  1816  Samuel  Crissey  came  with  his  family  to 
Stockton,  taking  up  100  acres  in  the  north  part  of  the 
town,  on  lot  No.  30,  where  he  resided  until  his  death, 
March  l,  1848,  aged  seventy-seven.  Harlow  Crissey 
had  only  a  few  weeks'  schooling  each  winter,  and  when 
scarcely  yet  of  age  began  teaching,  among  other  dis- 
tricts he  taught  two  terms  in  the  town  of  Charlotte  in 
the  Pickett  district,  where  lived  Judge  Burnell,  and  in 
the  intervals  he  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm.  He 
developed  unusual  literary  ability,  and  for  many  years 
was  the  correspondent   for   the   "Censor"  of  Fredonia, 


N.  Y.  His  articles,  especially  of  historic  reminiscences, 
were  very  interesting.  Among  the  best  of  these  was 
his  "Historical  Recollections,"  written  on  his  eightieth 
birthday.  Quoting  from  his  article  of  that  date,  Mr. 
Crissey  says : 

My  grandfather  died  in  my  fourth  year.  I  remember 
his  aged  look,  manly  voice,  and  his  death.  I  remem- 
ber the  great  eclipse  of  the  sun  in  June,  1806,  also  the 
cold  Friday  of  1807-08  is  vividly  in  my  mind.  A  little 
later  I  received  my  anti-slavery  impressions  when  a 
tall,  well  bv'ilt  negro,  who  was  stolen  from  Africa 
when  young,  and  who  had  experienced  the  horrors  of 
cruel  slavery,  and  was  released  by  military  enlistment, 
came  to  our  town.  I  attended  a  religious  meeting 
where  thi.s  Christian  man  told  of  his  life  sufferings. 
1  believed  every  word  he  said  and  from  then  on  never 
faltered  in  a  desire  for  the  emancipation  of  the  colored 
race.  The  War  of  1812,  as  we  lived  near  Canada, 
deeply  effected  all  classes  of  people.  Most  of  the  first 
battles  were  defeats,  however  there  were  naval  vic- 
tories on  the  ocean.  I  remember  on  Sunday,  Septem- 
ber 10,  1814.  we  distinctly  heard  the  naval  battle  on 
Lake  Champlain.  The  spring  of  1815  was  pleasant  and 
my  father,  with  two  of  his  nephews  and  their  families, 
arranged  to  move  westward  and  with  horse  and  ox- 
teams  started  on  the  20th  of  June.  The  wagons  were 
heavy  canvass  covered  with  eight  or  nine  inch  tires 
on  the  wheels;  we  passed  through  many  villages  and 
towns,  finally  coming  to  Buffalo,  which  at  that  time 
was  scarcely  anything  but  a  name.  We  reached  Pom- 
fret  in  about  forty  days,  a  distance  of  about  five  hun- 
dred miles.  A  partial  look  over  the  county,  we  con- 
cluded to  make  Stockton  our  home  and  there  located. 
Then  it  was  a  dense  forest,  scarcely  broken.  Fre- 
donia. with  its  few  stores  and  trades,  was  our  main 
resort.  Among  the  names  of  the  early  settlers  of  that 
time.  I  remember.  Miller,  Kelly.  Vial,  Bacheller, 
Thompson,  Haywood,  Colly  and  Sackett.  Our  town 
grew  rapidly.  I  think  the  largest  number  coming  in 
1823.  The  absence  of  a  market  and  money  required  an 
economy  horn  of  necessity.  Fifty  lp\iKht-ls  «(  uats  for  a 
barrel  of  salt.  Farm  laborers  got  fifty  cents  per  day 
working  from  sunrise  until  sunset.  Our  minister's 
salary  for  the  year  1822  was  by  agreement  to  be  $85, 
pajable  in  provisions.  The  arrival  of  General  Lafa- 
yette created  universal  enthusiasm.  He  was  accorded 
a  grand  reception  by  our  military  companies.  Lafa- 
yette's personal  appearance  was  not  impressive  of  a 
soldier.  He  was  below  medium  size,  dark  complexion, 
thin,  hair  tinged  with  white,  dre.^sed  very  plainly,  and 
limped   when  walking. 

In  my  early  memory  intoxicating  drinks  were  used 
by  all  classes  of  persons  with  as  little  compunction  as 
going  to  church  has  now.  but  from  1829  efforts  for  the 
suppression  of  intoxicating  beverages  have  been  unre- 
mitting. 

Mr.  Crissey  wrote  many  articles  on  various  subjects 
and  frequently  spoke  at  old  settlers'  meetings,  his 
speeches  holding  many  an  interested  listener.  He  was 
a  well  preserved  man  of  his  years,  of  rare  intelligence 
and  great  probity  of  character,  a  Christian  gentleman, 
greatly  respected  by  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances.  He 
was  strictly  conscientious  in  his  daily  life,  and  a 
leading  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  Although  his 
school  advantages  were  limited  in  those  early  times, 
yet  the  influence  of  his  teachings  in  the  rude  log  school 
houses  of  the  pioneers  will  be  felt  by  future  generations. 
Mr.  Crissey  was  first  a  Whig  in  politics,  and  then  a 
Republican.  He  held  various  town  offices,  was  justice 
about  1850,  and  county  supervisor  for  two  terms,  1864- 
1865. 

On  Nov.  2,  1826.  Harlow  Crissey  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Anna  Shepard  at  Stockton,  N.  Y.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Rachel  (Cobb)  Shepard, 
natives  of  Massachusetts,  who  were  married  June  17, 
1768.  He  was  a  farmer,  and  both  were  members  of 
tlie  Baptist  church.  Mrs.  Crissey  was  a  first  cousin 
of  Mary  Lyon,  the  founder  of  Mt.  Holyoke  College. 

On  the  evening  of  Nov.  2,   1886,  in  the  Universalist 


674 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


church  adjoining  the  Crissey  home,  was  celebrated  the 
sixtieth  anniversary  of  the  marriage  of  Harlow  Cris- 
sey and  wife.  (Diamond  Wedding').  There  were 
upwards  of  150  relatives  and  guests  present.  Mrs. 
Crissey  was  a  woman  of  strong  physical  and  mental 
temperament,  combining  an  active  religious  nature;  she 
was  the  ideal  pioneer  wife  and  mother.  Her  memory  of 
historic  persons  and  places  was  remarkable,  and  for 
years  she  was  an  authority  on  the  unwritten  history  of 
her  county.  She' was  born  in  Ashheld.  Franklin  county, 
Mass..  March  2Q.  1807.  and  came  to  Stockton,  N.  Y., 
with  her  parents  in  iSlO.  Mrs.  Crissey  passed  away 
Aug.  jS,  1804.  Mr-  Crissey's  demise  occurred  in  1892. 
To  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harlow  Crissey  was 
born  four  children:  Newton,  Samuel  S.,  Seward  M., 
Elverton  B.. 

To  such  men  as  Harlow  Crissey,  who  were  the  old 
pioneers  of  Chautauqua  county,  we  cannot  pay  too  much 
honor,  when  we  realize  the  hardships  they  endured  in 
subduing  the  forests  and  erecting  houses.  They  were 
men  of  strong  character,  trained  amidst  hardships,  and 
laid  the  foundations  of  our  society  broad  and  deep,  on 
enduring  principles  of  righteousness.  Mr.  Crissey  lived 
to  see  marvelous  changes  in  civilization,  and  Chautau- 
qua county  people  will  ever  hold  in  venerated  remem- 
brance the  pioneer  schoolmaster,  Harlow  Crissey, 
whose  work  instilled  noble  aspirations  and  righteous 
principles  into  their  youthful  minds. 


NEWTON  CRISSEY,  son  of  Harlow  and  Anna 
(  Shepard)  Crissey  (q.  v."),  was  born  April  6,  1828.  He 
grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  in  Stockton,  and 
in  the  district  schools  of  his  native  town  he  received  his 
education.  He  took  up  the  occupation  of  farming  in 
Stockton,  where  he  owned  and  operated  a  tract  of  land 
consisting  of  200  acres.  He  improved  this  land  and 
made  general  farming  his  business,  and  resided  there 
until  1892,  when  he  moved  to  Jamestown,  N.  V.,  where 
he  became  interested  in  banking,  and  was  a  stockholder 
and  director  of  the  Farmers  and  Mechanics  Bank,  which 
he  served  as  president  from  1894  to  1908,  when  he  re- 
signed and  retired  from  active  business  life.  He  was 
a  successful  man  and  this  was  because  he  was  a  good 
manager,  and  in  the  community  of  Stockton  he  was  well 
known  and  respected,  for  he  was  active  in  the  affairs 
of  the  town  of  Stockton.  In  his  political  belief  he  was 
a  Republican.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church 
of  Stockton  until  he  came  to  Jamestown;  he  then 
united  with  the  First  Baptist  Church  and  continued 
until  the  Calvary  Baptist  Church,  through  his  efforts, 
was  organized.  He  was  at  one  time  supervisor  of  the 
town,  as  was  his  father,  Harlow  Crissey,  many  years 
before  him. 

.N'ewton  Crissey  married  Cynthia  Miller,  a  daughter 
of  I.  R.  Miller.  She  died  on  May  8,  i^/i.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Newton  Crissey  were  the  parents  of  four  children, 
one  son  and  three  daughters,  as  follows :  Charles  Miller, 
deceased ;  Anna  L. ;  Mary  R. ;  and  Jennie  C.  Both 
Anna  L.  and  Mary  R.  reside  on  Lakevicw  avenue, 
Jamestown.  Jennie  C.  Crissey,  the  youngest  child  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crissey,  married  S.  B.  Burchard,  of 
Kankakee,  III.,  and  now  resides  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y. 
Newton  Crissey  died  on  May  i,  1914,  and  was  buried  at 


Lakeview  Cemetery,  Jamestown.  His  death  was  fe 
as  a  great  loss  not  only  by  his  many  friends  and  hi 
family,  but  by  the  county  in  which  he  had  resided  dm 
ing  his  entire  life. 


JAY  CRISSEY— For  two  decades.  Jay  Crissey,  pres 
ident  of  the  Star  Furniture  Company,  has  been  ident) 
tied  with  the  manufacturing  interests  of  Jaraestowi 
He  came  to  the  city  in  1900,  having  retired  from  th 
profession  which  had  claimed  him  from  the  time  o 
his  graduation — pedagogy.  A  successful  educator,  h 
has  duplicated  that  success  in  the  business  world  an 
holds  honorable  rank  among  Jamestown  manufactur 
ers.  He  is  a  son  of  Samuel  Shepard  and  Mary  A 
t Leonard)  Crissey,  of  well  known  Chautauqua  families 

Samuel  S.  Crissey  was  born  in  Stockton,  Chautauqu, 
county,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  13,  1833,  and  died  July  28,  191 1 
son  of  Harlow  and  Anna  (Shepard)  Crissey.  He  wa 
educated  in  the  district  schools  and  Fredonia  Academy 
and  after  completing  his  own  education  began  teaching 
Later  he  engaged  in  fruit  culture,  specializing  in  grapes 
becoming  a  local  authority  on  fruit  growing  and  fo 
seven  years  serving  the  Chautauqua  County  Horticul 
tural  Society  as  secretary.  He  was  a  member  of  tht 
board  of  trustees  of  the  Baptist  church  of  Fredoni: 
for  many  years,  and  the  author  of  a  "Centennial  His 
tory"  of  that  church.  That  work  is  an  indication  of  hi; 
thorougliness  and  faithfulness,  for  it  is  a  historica 
compilation  of  ever  increasing  value  as  a  referenci 
work.  He  was  well  and  most  favorably  known  as  j 
man  of  upright  life,  and  his  strong,  pleasing  personalitj 
lield  his  friends  to  him  until  the  end  of  his  useful  life 

Samuel  S.  Crissey  married  (first)  in  December,  1859 
Mary  A.  Leonard,  who  died  May  31,  1868,  daughter  ol 
George  V.  and  Anna  Leonard.  She  left  three  children 
Jay,  of  further  mention;  Crcorge  H.,  born  Dec.  24,  1864; 
Howard  B.,  born  Feb.  22,  1866,  died  Oct.  11,  1889.  Mr 
Crissey  married  (second)  Jan.  15.  1871,  Mrs.  Ella  K 
Wright,  widow  of  Dr.  A.  A.  Wright,  of  Fredonia. 
Their  only  child  to  survive  infancy  was  Newton  K. 
Crissey,  born    July  12,  1873. 

Jay  Crissey  was  born  in  Stockton,  Chautauqua  county, 
N.  Y.,  Jan.  15,  1861.  He  was  educated  in  Fredonia 
public  schools,  Fredonia  State  Normal  School,  and  col 
Ic.ge  summer  schools,  and  for  twenty  years  after  gradu- 
ation was  engaged  as  an  educator,  nine  of  those  years 
being  spent  as  principal  of  Belmont,  N.  Y.,  High 
School ;  one  year  as  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  Central 
City  Normal  School,  Chicago,  and  the  remaining  years 
until  1900  as  superintendent  of  schools  in  Penn  Yan, 
N.  Y. 

In  the  year  1900,  Mr.  Crissey  resigned  his  position 
as  superintendent  of  schools,  and  located  in  Jamestown, 
taking  a  position  with  the  Star  Furniture  Company. 
Later  he  was  elected  president  of  the  company,  a  po- 
sition which  he  has  efficiently  filled  until  the  present 
(i<)2i).  The  company  was  incorporated  in  1901,  and 
till-  plant  removed  to  its  present  location.  Institute  and 
f'.riggs  streets,  where  the  company  has  enjoyed  a  sat- 
isfactory degree  of  prosperity.  The  company  specializes 
ill  bedroom  furniture,  and  through  perfect  equipment 
and  artistic  designs  has  been  able  to  produce  furniture 
which  has  won  a  secure  place  in  the  trade.    The  officers 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


67s 


are :  Jay  Crissey,  president ;  Anna  L.  Crissey  and  Mary 
R.  Crissey,  vice-presidents;  H.  P.  Robertson,  secretary; 
Scott  Baker,  treasurer. 

Mr.  Crissey  is  a  Republican  in  politics.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  order,  and  the  Fraternal  Order 
of  Eagles.  His  clubs  are  the  University,  the  Saturday 
Night,  and  the  Norden. 

At  Fredonia,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  15,  1885,  Mr.  Crissey  mar- 
ried Alice  M.  Brown,  born  in  Montpelier,  Vt.  They  are 
the  parents  of  five  children :  Ruth,  Mary  Lyon,  Elsie 
G.,  Leonard  Phelps,  and  John  Davenport. 


Mr.  Crissey  married,  in  Jamestown.  Dec.  27,  1900, 
Grace  Relf.  daughter  of  Orvis  A.  and  Anna  (Johnston) 
Relf,  her  father  a  member  of  the  firm,  Ford  &  Relf, 
piano  dealers,  of  Jamestown.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crissey 
are  the  parents  of  two  children :  Anna  Pauline,  and 
Relf  Seward,  both  high  school  students. 


MINER  S.  CRISSEY— Now  in  active  charge  of  the 
business  of  Wilcox,  Crissey  &  Company,  of  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.,  Mr.  Crissey  is  taking  rank  with  the  able  busi- 
ness men  of  the  city,  and  reaping  a  rich  benefit  from 
the  experience  gained  in  his  twenty-two  years  of  life 
"on  the  road,"  as  salesman  for  the  house  of  which  he 
is  now  the  managing  head. 

Seward  M.  Crissey,  the  third  son  of  Harlow  and 
Anna  (Shepard)  Crissey  (q.  v.),  was  born  in  Stock- 
ton, Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  April  9,  1839,  died  in 
October,  1913.  He  was  a  farmer  of  Stockton,  but  later 
became  a  United  States  railway  clerk,  and  later  moved 
to  Jamestown.  He  married  Lucy  A.  Wood,  of  Perrys- 
burg,  Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  David 
Miles  Wood,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  that  section. 
They  were  the  parents  of  two  children  :  Belle,  married 
Frank  A.  Wilcox,  a  sketch  of  whom  follows;  Miner  S., 
of  further  mention. 

Miner  S.  Crissey,  the  only  son  of  Seward  M.  and 
Lucy  A.  (Wood)  Crissey,  was  born  at  the  home 
farm  in  Stockton,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  19, 
1872,  and  was  a  pupil  in  the  public  school,  afterwards 
attending  the  Fredonia  Normal  School  and  the  Angola 
High  School.  He  began  business  life  as  a  clerk  in  the 
bank  at  Cherry  Creek,  owned  by  his  uncle,  Elverton  B. 
Crissey,  which  was  operated  under  the  firm  name,  E.  B. 
Crissey  &  Company.  A  year  later  (1891)  E.  B.  Crissey 
moved  to  Jamestown,  where  he  organized  the  Farmers 
and  Mechanics  Bank,  his  nephew,  Miner  S.  Crissey, 
accompanying  him  and  taking  position  in  the  new  bank. 
There  he  continued  until  November,  1895,  when  he 
withdrew  to  become  a  partner  in  the  newly  organized 
firm,  Wilcox,  Burchard  &  Company,  he  taking  charge  of 
the  bookkeeping  department.  From  that  time  until  the 
present  he  has  been  connected  with  that  firm,  but 
shortly  after  its  organization  he  went  on  the  road  as 
salesman,  so  continuing  for  twenty-two  years.  The 
death  of  his  brother-in-law  and  partner,  Frank  A.  Wil- 
cox, caused  a  change  in  the  management,  Mr.  Crissey 
then  becoming  the  active  head  of  the  business.  Wilcox, 
Burchard  &  Company  existed  as  a  firm  until  191 7,  when 
it  was  incorporated  as  Wilcox,  Crissey  &  Company, 
wholesale  grocers,  Frank  A.  Wilcox,  president,  a  post 
now  filled  by  Miner  S.  Crissey.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Jamestown  Board  of  Commerce;  director  of  the 
Farmers  and  Mechanics  Bank,  and  a  director  of  the 
Wholesale  Grocers  Sales  Company,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. ; 
director  of  the  Davis  Warn  Company,  Inc.,  Jamestown, 
N.  Y.  His  clubs  are  the  Jamestown,  Rotary,  Chadakoin, 
and  Moon  Brook  Golf  Club,  all  of  Jamestown.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  is  an  attendant  of  the 
First  Methodist  Church. 


FRANK  ALONZO  WILCOX— An  adopted  son  of 
Chautauqua  county,  whose  business  life  was  spent 
largely  in  the  city  of  Jamestown,  Frank  A.  Wilco.x  won 
for  himself  the  high  regard  of  his  fellowmen,  and  at 
his  passing  bequeathed  the  memory  of  a  useful,  well 
spent  life.  Perhaps  the  following  prayer,  which  he 
loved  and  carried  with  him,  illustrates  his  attitude  to- 
ward life  better  than  words  of  eulogy: 

Teach  me,  O  Lord,  that  sixty  minutes  make  an  hour, 
si.xteen  ounces  one  pound,  and  one  hundred  cents  a 
dollar.  Help  me  so  to  live  that  I  may  lie  down  at 
nls'ht  with  a  clear  conscience,  unhaunted  by  the  faces 
of  those  to  whom  I  have  given  pain.  Blind  me  to  the 
faults  of  others,  but  reveal  to  me  my  own.  Keep  me 
young  enough  to  laugh  with  my  children. 

And  so  he  lived  and  so  he  died,  a  loving  husband  and 
father,  a  citizen  above  reproach,  a  man  faithful  to  every 
trust,  a  good  friend  and  neighbor.  He  was  the  son  of 
George  and  Melissa  (Tanner)  Wilcox,  grandson  of 
John  Wilcox,  born  in  the  State  of  Vermont,  later  a 
resident  of  New  York  State,  and  maternal  grandson  of 
Peabody  and  Roxanna   (Farrier)   Tanner. 

Frank  A.  Wilcox  was  born  in  Angola,  Erie  county, 
N.  Y.,  Nov.  22,  1858,  and  died  at  his  home  in  the  city 
of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  March  5,  191 9.  He  exhausted 
the  advantages  of  the  village  schools,  then  began  busi- 
ness as  a  clerk  in  a  grocery  store  at  Angola.  After 
graduating  from  the  village  retail  grocery  store,  he 
entered  the  large  wholesale  grocery  house.  Granger  & 
Company,  of  Bufi^alo.  Later  Granger  &  Company  es- 
tablished a  branch  of  their  business  in  Jamestown, 
making  Mr.  Wilcox  manager  of  the  branch.  He  had 
risen  rapidly  with  his  house  and  continued  the  efficient 
head  of  the  Jamestown  branch  until  1895,  when  he 
resigned  to  enter  business  for  himself.  He  formed  a 
partnership  with  Seneca  B.  Burchard,  and  as  Wilcox, 
Buchard  &  Company,  engaged  in  the  wholesale  grocery 
business  in  Jamestown,  operating  very  successfully 
without  change  of  firm,  personnel  or  name  until  1917. 
In  that  year  Mr.  Burchard  retired  from  the  firm  and 
the  business  was  reorganized  and  continued  as  Wilcox, 
Crissey  &  Company,  Frank  A.  Wilcox,  president.  This 
firm  pursued  the  same  plan  of  operation  as  its  prede- 
cessor, and  with  the  good  will  inherited  the  virtues  and 
principles  which  had  gained  Wilco.x,  Burchard  &  Com- 
pany a  recognized  place  in  the  market  as  merchants  of 
enterprise,  integrity  and  sterling  worth.  Mr.  Wilcox 
continued  head  of  Wilcox,  Crissey  &  Company  until 
his  death  in  the  spring  of  1919.  While  his  private  busi- 
ness was  naturally  his  greatest  concern,  Mr.  Wilcox 
acquired  other  important  interests.  He  was  a  director 
of  the  Fanners  and  Mechanics  Bank,  director  and  an 
early  vice-president  and  member  of  the  wholesale  divi- 
sion of  the  Jamestown  Board  of  Commerce;  member  of 
the  Wholesale  Grocers'  Association,  and  when  the  great 
World  War  laid  a  burden  upon  every  American  he 
"did  his  bit"  as  a  member  of  the  Jamestown  Council  of 
the    United    States    Food    .\dministration.     He   was   a 


676 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


regular  attendant  upon  the  services  of  the  First  Con- 
gregational Church,  and  a  generous  supporter  of  all 
good  causes.  He  was  keenly  alive  to  his  responsibili- 
ties as  a  citizen  and  warmly  supported  all  movements 
for  advancing  Jamestown's  interests.  In  1017  Mr. 
Wilcox  underwent  surgical  treatment  which  apparently 
gave  him  a  long  lease  on  life,  but  his  vigorous,  active 
appearance  was  deceptive,  and  death  came  very  imex- 
pectedly. 

Mr.  Wilcox  married,  June  23,  1889,  in  Stockton,  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  V.,  Belle  Crissey,  daughter  of  Seward 
Malcolm  and  Lucy  A.  (Wood)  Crissey.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wilcox  were  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Genevieve, 
who  after  attending  Jamestown  public  schools  was  a 
student  at  Ivy  Hall  Seminary.  She  married,  March  27, 
1020,  Harold  Rhodes  Zimmerman,  of  Daytona,  Fla. 

During  the  hours  of  the  funeral  of  Frank  A.  Wilcox, 
all  grocery  houses  in  Jamestown  closed  their  doors  in 
respect  for  the  memory  of  their  fallen  friend  and  busi- 
ness associate.  Delegations  were  present  from  the 
various  organizations  with  which  Mr.  \\  ilcox  had  been 
connected,  the  entire  body  of  employees  of  Wilcox, 
Crissey  &  Company  attending  in  a  body.  Resolutions 
of  respect  and  sympathy  were  sent  Mrs.  Wilcox  from 
the  wholesale  division  of  the  Board  of  Commerce,  the 
Farmers  and  Mechanics  Bank,  and  Jamestown  Council 
of  the  Federal  Food  .Administration. 

From  the  resolutions  passed  by  the  Board  of  Com- 
merce the  following  quotation  is  taken : 

Mr.  Wilcox  had  many  exceptional  traits  of  character, 
chief  of  which,  as  we  knew  him,  were  his  unswerving 
honesty  and  keen  desire  to  have  absolute  justice  done 
in  all  transactions  to  which  he  was  a  party.  He  was 
always  ready  to  support  worthy  objects  which  worked 
for  the  betterment  of  our  division,  for  the  Board  of 
Commerce  or  the  city  of  Jamestown,  both  morally  and 
financially. 

The  following  tribute  is  from  the  Food  Administra- 
tion : 

Those  associated  with  him  in  that  important  and 
patriotic  work  desire  to  place  on  record  their  under- 
standing of  his  value  as  an  ideal  man  and  citizen,  and 
their  appreciation  of  the  sterling  qualities  which  Mr. 
Wilrox  brought  Into  the  work  of  the  Food  Adminis- 
tration. 

At  all  times  he  displayed  the  highest  order  of 
patriotism  and  devotion  to  his  country  and  the  great 
cause  In  which  our  nation  was  engaged.  He  hesitated 
at  no  sacrifice  and  always  subordinated  his  personal 
Interests  to  the  necessities  of  our  work.  His  attitude 
toward  those  great  questions,  which  involved  human- 
ity and  the  civilization  of  the  world,  was  uncomprom- 
ising. Mis  integrity  was  unquestioned.  His  judgment 
was  Invaluable  and  constantly  sought  with  respect  to 
the  many  jierxilexing  problems  which  confronted  us. 
He  was  an  Inspiration  to  his  associates  and  held  the 
respect,  the  admiration  and  the  affection  of  every  one 
privileged  to  cooperate  with  him  In  this  important 
work.  He  did  much  for  his  rountrv  and  his  fellow  citi- 
zens, and  the  world  Is  better  for  his  having  lived  In  It. 
In  his  death  each  of  us  sustains  a  personal  loss  and  we 
mingle  our  t'rlef  with  all  those  who  knew  and  apprc- 
clalcd    his  sterling  worth. 

With  the  duties  of  his  life  nobly  done  his  sun  has 
sunk  below  the  horizon,  and  like  strains  of  sweet 
music  wafted  to  our  ears  the  precious  memories  of  his 
rare   character   will    echo    forever   In    our    souls. 

GARRETT  E.  RYCKMAN— Graixr  culture  and 
wine  makin;;  arc  two  industries  that  have  for  many 
years  played  an  important  part  in  the  growth  and  de- 
vel'/fmient  of  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  and  with 
them  the  name  of  Ryckman  is  inseparably  associated. 
In   fact,  the  great   advance   in   technical  perfection  and 


increase  in  magnitude  made  by  these  two  factors  in  th 
life  of  the  community  have  been  due  to  no  single  in 
dividual  to  so  great  an  extent  as  to  Garrett  E.  Ryckmar 
whose  entire  life  was  devoted  to  these  objects  ani 
whose  indefatigable  labors  were  rewarded  by  a  grea 
personal  success  which  placed  him  in  the  front  rani 
of  the  leaders  of  industrial  activity  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Ryckman  is  a  member  of  a  family  that  has  lonj 
been  prominent  in  the  region,  and  is  a  grandson  o 
Lawrence  F.  Ryckman.  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  th' 
county.  Lawrence  F.  Ryckman  and  his  forebears  wen 
conspicuous  in  the  politics  of  Eastern  New  York  ii 
pre-Revolutionary  times,  and  one  of  the  family  was  ; 
member  of  the  commission  appointed  by  King  Willian 
111  to  treat  with  the  Iroquois  in  the  effort  to  gain  thi 
friendship  of  the  great  confederation  of  the  Six  Nation; 
in  the  wars  between  the  British  and  French  colonists  fo: 
the  control  of  the  mighty  empire  of  the  New  World 
The  Ryckmans  made  their  home  in  the  vicinity  of  Al 
bany,  and  members  of  the  family  held  various  office: 
in  the  government  of  that  city  from  alderman  tc 
mayor,  Lawrence  F.  Ryckman  was  the  first  of  tht 
name  to  come  from  Eastern  New  York  to  Chautauqu: 
county,  his  immigration  taking  place  when  the  lattei 
region  was  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness,  and  to  th( 
natural  hardships  incident  to  pioneer  life  were  addec 
the  necessity  of  dealing  with  the  fierce  and  intractable 
savages  who  overran  this  section  of  the  country.  H( 
and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  a  number  of  children 
as  follows:  Garrett  W.,  born  in  1804;  Caroline,  borr 
in  1808;  Lawrence  F.,  Jr.,  of  further  mention;  Peter 
born  in  1814,  who  lost  his  life  in  the  service  of  his 
country  while  serving  in  the  Union  army  in  the  attack 
on   Fort  Fisher. 

Lawrence  F.  Ryckman,  Jr.,  was  born  in  the  year  181: 
and  as  a  lad  came  to  Fredonia  to  study  at  the  venerabk 
old  institution  of  the  Fredonia  Academy  which  has 
since  become  the  famous  normal  school.  He  learned 
the  trade  of  clothier  as  an  apprentice  of  Major  Gorham 
of  Laona,  and  later  removed  to  Herkimer  county  and 
became  associated  with  the  woolen  mills  at  Hartford 
and  Clayville,  continuing  for  many  years.  While  at 
Fredonia,  he  met  Lydia  E,  Fay,  whom  he  afterwards 
married,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Garrett  E.,  of  further  mention;  Lucy  F., 
who  became  the  wife  of  Henry  G.  Wilson,  of  Passa- 
dena,  Cal. ;  Mary  E.,  who  became  the  wife  of  S.  M, 
Munson,  also  of  Passadena,  Cal. 

Lydia  E.  Fay,  the  wife  of  Lawrence  F.  Ryckman,  Jr.. 
was  a  member  of  a  family  who  were  equally  early 
settlers  here  and  almost  equally  prominent  in  connec- 
tion with  grape  culture  in  the  county.  She  was  a 
il.-iughter  of  Deacon  Elijah  and  Lucy  (Bclnap)  Fay, 
natives  of  Weslboro,  Mass.,  from  which  place  they  came 
in  181 1  and  were  the  first  settlers  at  the  place  longi 
known  as  Salem  Cross  Roads,  which  afterwards  became 
the  town  of  Brocton,  The  farm  which  Mr.  Fay  owned 
was  the  site  of  the  present  town,  and  it  was  there  that 
Ktape  growing  may  be  said  to  have  commenced  for 
Chautauqua  county.  It  was  the  gcjod  deacon  who  first 
discovered  the  adaptability  of  the  soil  for  this  fruit, 
and  in  1824  planted  the  first  vineyard  in  this  part  of 
the  State.  In  the  course  of  an  article  on  the  grape  in- 
dustry prcjiariil    for  a  recent  history  of  the  county  by 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


677 


Garrett  E.  Ryckman  the  following  occurs  regarding  the 
part  played  by  Deacon  Fay : 

The  life  of  a  pioneer  was  not  an  easy  one,  and  Dea- 
con Fay  doubtless  longed  for  many  of  the  comforts  he 
had  left  behind.  lie.ollectinK  that  the  native  Fox 
grape  vines  flourished  in  great  profusion  on  the  banks 
of  the  New  KnKland  streams,  he  determined  to  trv  the 
experiment  of  transplanting  in  this  "western  wilder- 
ness. Procuring  a  few  vines  he  planted  them  carefully 
in  front  of  his  cabin  and  in  a  short  time  they  had 
taken  root  and  grew  with  a  vigor  that  indicated  the 
adaptability  of  the  soil  of  this  section  to  vine  culture. 

This  incident  is  mentioned,  not  because  it  is  impor- 
tant in  itself,  l)Ut  because  these  were  the  first  grape 
vines  planted  in  Chautauqua  county,  and  for  that  mat- 
ter in  Western  New  York,  and  their  planting  was  the 
beginning  of  an  industry  that  in  years  to  come  was 
destined  to  become  one  of  the  important  industries  of 
a  large  and  flourishing  community.  These  vines  were 
planted  in  1818, 

Deacon  Elijah  Fay  was  looked  up  to  and  honored  by 
all  his  fellow  settlers  in  the  neighborhood  on  account 
of  his  exemplary  and  pious  life.  He  and  his  wife  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Clinton  S, ;  Lydia 
E.,  who  became  Mrs,  Ryckman;  and  Joseph  B, 

Garrett  E.  Ryckman  was  born  March  16,  1835,  on  the 
old  Ryckman  farm  at  Brocton,  and  during  his  childhood 
and  youth  resided  with  his  maternal  grandfather, 
Deacon  Fay,  He  attended  the  local  district  schools  and 
later,  for  thirteen  weeks,  was  a  student  at  the  Fredonia 
Academy,  During  his  early  youth  he  assisted  his 
grandfather  in  the  work  on  the  latter's  farm,  and  was 
in  charge  of  the  marketing  of  the  apples,  pears,  peaches 
and  other  fruit  grown  on  the  property  of  that  notable 
agriculturist.  It  was  his  custom  to  drive  a  wagon 
loaded  with  fruit,  pies  and  gingerbread  and  other 
homemade  eatables  to  the  county  fairs,  regimental  bri- 
gade musters,  and  other  places  of  public  gathering, 
both  in  Chautauqua  county  and  adjacent  counties,  and 
there  he  drove  a  thriving  trade.  He  thus  grew  thor- 
oughly acquainted  with  the  best  methods  of  disposing 
of  fruit,  and  served  the  best  possible  apprenticeship  for 
his  later  activities  as  a  shipper  of  grapes  when  that 
had  become  so  important  a  business.  He  also  received 
from  his  grandfather  the  closest  and  most  conscientious 
instruction  in  the  actual  growing  of  grapes  which  were 
already  becoming  the  principal  product  of  the  farm. 
The  possibilities  of  wine  manufacture  were  also  be- 
coming recognized  at  about  this  time,  and  the  years 
between  1849  and  1852  witnessed  the  planting  of  the 
first  commercial  vineyards  in  the  section.  During  this 
period  also  the  first  experiments  in  wine  making  were 
attempted  on  a  commercial  scale,  and  two  years  later, 
these  having  proved  eminently  successful,  the  young 
man  himself  entered  the  field  in  which  he  was  to  be- 
come a  leader.  His  first  attempt  was  the  purchase  of 
a  quantity  of  Isabella  and  Catawba  grapes,  which  he 
turned  into  a  few  barrels  of  sweet  wine,  the  quality 
of  which  was  so  exceptionally  excellent  that  his  entire 
product  was  purchased  by  local  druggists  at  the  price 
of  two  dollars  a  gallon.  From  that  time  on  he  con- 
tinued in  this  line,  rapidly  and  steadily  increasing  the 
quantity  of  his  production,  and  never  varying  his  ex- 
treme care  in  attaining  the  same  high  quality.  So 
rapid,  indeed,  was  the  growth  of  the  enterprise,  that, 
in  1859,  Mr.  Ryckman  associated  himself  with  Capt. 
Joseph  B,  Fay  and  Col.  Rufus  Haywood  and  built  the 
Brocton  wine  cellars.     Of  this  venture  Mr,  Ryckman's 


account  in  the  article  already  quoted  from  will  give  the 
best  and  most  adequate  idea.     Says  Mr.   Ryckman: 

The  first  epoch  of  the  wine  industry  may  be  said  to 
date  from  the  year  1S59  wlien  thf  Hrocf'in  wine  cel- 
lars were  built  by  Joseph  B,  Fay.  Rufus  Haywood  and 
the  writer,  and  the  manufacture  of  wine  commenced  on 
a  larger  scale  under  tlie  firm  name  of  Fay,  Ityckman  and 
Haywood,  The  cellars  which  occupied  the  same  site  as 
the  present  cellars  were  originally  built  thirty  by  fifty 
feet  in  .size  with  sub-cellar;  eacli  c.f  these  cellars  were 
ten  feet  in  depth  and  they  were  as  a  whole  of  ample  size 
to  care  for  all  the  grapes  grown  at  that  time.  The 
first  .year  after  the  completion  of  the  cellars  two  thou- 
sand gallons  of  wine  were  made  and  the  manufacture 
increased  year  by  year  until  in  1865  there  were  in 
store   thirty-seven    thousand    gallons. 

It  is  estimated  that  at  the  time  of  the  completion  of 
the  wine  cellars  in  1859  there  were  about  twenty  acres 
of  bearing  vineyard  in  the  town  of  Portland.  This 
acreage,  of  course,  increased  rapidly,  although  there 
was  some  opposition  to  growing  grapes  for  wine  mak- 
ing purposes,  and  it  was  not  until  the  operations  of 
1865  and  a  few  years  following  that  this  opposition 
practically  disappeared. 

The  Brocton  wine  cellars  were  sold  in  1865  to  the 
Lake  Shore  Wine  Company,  which  instituted  a  period 
of  high  prices  which,  although  ruinous  to  the  company, 
were,  as  Mr,  Ryckman  remarks,  most  fortunate  for  the 
industry  as  a  whole  since  they  stimulated  grape  growing 
to  an  enormous  extent  among  the  farmers  of  the  county, 
all  an.xious  to  share  the  great  profits  to  be  had.  After 
various  vicissitudes,  which  witnessed  the  rise  and  fall 
of  a  number  of  companies,  although  the  industry  of 
wine  making  on  the  whole  steadily  increased,  the  wine 
cellars  finally  found  their  way  back  into  the  possession 
of  Mr.  Ryckman,  who  all  this  time,  by  his  prudence 
and  conservatism,  had  exercised  a  steadying  influence 
upon  what  had  at  times  tended  to  become  a  decidedly 
imprudently  speculative  enterprise,  and  is  now  owned 
by  the  firm  of  G.  E,  Ryckman  &  Son,  Their  original 
capacity  has  been  greatly  added  to  and  today  they 
have  a  capacity  of  above  500,000  gallons,  while  the 
amount  of  wine  actually  manufactured  there  has  ex- 
ceeded 300,000  gallons  yearly  for  several  years. 

Mr,  Ryckman  had  not  by  any  means  confined  his  ac- 
tivities to  wine  making,  however,  but  had  also  entered 
the  field  of  grape  culture  and  the  shipment  of  the  fruit 
in  its  original  form  to  the  great  markets  of  the  country. 
In  this  field  he  was  no  less  successful,  and  to  his  efforts 
in  a  large  measure  is  due  the  country-wide  acquaintance 
with  the  delicious  fruit  grown  in  Chautauqua  county. 
He  has  exhibited  his  grapes  at  many  important  fairs 
and  expositions,  including  the  World's  Columbian  Ex- 
position at  Chicago,  the  Pan-American  at  Buffalo,  and 
the  World's  Fair  at  St.  Louis,  besides  numerous  smaller 
and  local  fairs,  and  has  always  won  notable  awards  and 
prizes  for  the  splendid  quality  of  his  fruit.  He  was 
the  first  exporter  of  grapes  from  the  Chautauqua  grape 
belt  to  England,  where  he  shipped  200  baskets  in   1889. 

Mr.  Ryckman's  public  spirit  did  not  allow  him  to 
remain  aloof  from  the  public  afifairs  of  the  community 
of  which  he  has  been  so  great  a  benefactor,  and  although 
quite  unambitious  of  public  office  for  himself,  it  has 
always  been  his  effort  to  place  worthy  ollicials  for  the 
posts  of  public  responsibility  and  trust.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican in  political  belief  and  has  always  worked  for 
the  advancement  of  his  party  in  the  region.  As  a  child 
and  young  man  he  was  a  Baptist  in  religious  belief,  but 
later  joined  the  Methodist  church,  of  which  he  has  al- 


67i> 


CHAUTAUQUA   COUNTY 


ways  been  liberal  in  his  support.  Mr.  Rvclonan  is  a 
Mason,  having  joined  Forest  Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons,  as  a  young  man.  He  is  now  a  mem- 
ber of  Lake  Shore  Lodge.  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  of  Brocton.  and  has  also  been  prominent  in 
founding  the  various  Masonic  bodies  of  higher  degree 
at  Dunkirk,  and  Ismailia  Temple.  Ancient  Arabic 
Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  at  Buffalo.  He  is 
a_  member  of  the  Grange  and  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen.  He  was  largely  instrumental  in  or- 
ganizing the  village  of  Brocton,  and  received  the  dis- 
tinction of  being  unanimously  elected  its  first  president 
April  17.  iSq4. 

^Garrett  E.  Ryck-rnan  was  united  in  marriage,  Dec.  29, 
1875.  with  Jennie  .\.  Reynolds,  whose  ancestry  is  given 
at_  length  in  the  sketch  of  W.  W.  Pettit.  elsewhere  in 
this  work,  and  by  whom  he  has  had  two  children,  as 
follows;  I.  Lawrence  R.,  born  Oct.  26,  1876:  he  mar- 
ried Pearl  Winchester  in  November,  igoo.  and  they  are 
the  parents  of  five  children  :  Elizabeth  Ruth,  born  Sept. 
ir.  1901 :  Lucy  Carrol,  bom  Dec.  25,  1003  ;  Isabell,  bom 
July  20.  1905.  died  .A.ug.  I,  1906;  Gerrv  and  Edgar.  2. 
Ruth  E.,  bom  in  Januarj-,  1884. 


HARRY  SAMUEL  CORNELL— The  Cornell  fam- 
ily of  Chautauqua,  of  which  Harry  S.  Cornell  is  rep- 
resentative, have  long  been  identified  with  the  town  of 
Chautauqua,  its  agricultural  and  business  interests.  The 
pioneer  Cornell  in  Chautauqua  countv  was  John  W. 
Cornell,  a  son  of  Walter  Cornell,  of  Washington  county, 
N.  v.,  a  successful,  substantial  farmer,  a  breeder  of  fine 
cattle,  particularly  o.xen,  some  of  which  weighed  4,000 
pounds  and  which  he  sold  in  New  York  at  the  rate  of 
one  dollar  per  pound.  Walter  Cornell  was  a  man  of 
prominence  in  his  county,  and  represented  his  district 
in  the  New  York  Legislature. 

John  W.  Cornell,  son  of  Walter  Cornell,  came  from 
Washington  to  Chautauqua  county,  in  1835,  and  pur- 
chased a  large  strip  of  land  at  Bemus  Point,  which  he 
later  sold  and  bought  lands  at  Chautauqua  and  May- 
ville.  He  farmed  extensively  and  was  also  engaged  in 
lumbering.  He  married  .Anna  Durfee,  and  thev  were 
the  parents  of  William  J.,  of  whom  further. 

William  J.  Cornell,  son  of  John  W.  and  .Anna  (Dur- 
fee) Cornell,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Chautauqua, 
Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  I,  1858.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  Chautauqua  and  Mayville, 
finishing  at  Mayville  High  School.  In  earlv  manhood 
he  was  his  father's  farm  assistant,  but  later  was  in 
charge  of  the  oil  lights  of  Chautauqua.  In  1875  he 
established  a  row  Ix.at  fleet  at  Chautauqua,  which  he 
conducted  profitably  until  1890,  when  the  Chautauqua 
Institution  bought  his  boats  and  business.  He  then 
established  a  shop  on  the  Chautauqua  grounds  for  the 
sale  of  souvenirs,  engraved  glass.  Oriental  and  art 
goods,  the  many  visitors  at  Chautauqua  during  the 
summer  supplying  him  with  appreciative  buyers.  On 
July  5,  iHfj7.  he  wa<.  appointed  postmaster  of  Chautau- 
qua, a  position  he  h<ld  continuously  until  n^.  ]\c 
then,  in  association  with  his  son,  Harry  S.  Cornell, 
organized  the  W.  J.  Cornell  Ice  Company,  and  ten  years' 
later  ( I'jt- )  purchased  land  near  the  entrance  to  the 
grounds  of  the  Chautauqua  Institution,  and  erected  a 
store  building  and  a  garage.    He  oixined  a  general  store 


in  the  building,  which  he  has  since  operated,  and  has 
made  a  success  of  both  store  and  garage.  He  is  an 
able,  successful  business  man,  but  knows"  how  to  play, 
and  has  made  fifteen  hunting  and  fishing  trips  to  the 
States  of  Wyoming  and  Maine.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
iMasonic  order,  affiliating  with  Peacock  Lodge.  No.  696, 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Mayville.  He  is  a  sii^ 
knight  of  Jamestown  Commandcry,  Knights  Templar, 
a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  and  in  politics  a  Republican.  He  married  Laura 
A.  Little,  daughter  of  Samuel  Little,  who  for  seven- 
teen years  was  a  harbor  master  at  Erie,  Pa.  Later 
Samuel  Little  built  a  harbor  for  the  United  States 
government  at  Onekama.  Mich.  William  J.  and  Laura 
A.  (Little)  Cornell  are  the  parents  of  three  children: 
Harry  Samuel,  of  whom  further;  Lawrence  Robert, 
manager  of  the  Hotel  Athenaeum  at  Chautauqua,  N.  Y.[ 
and  the  Rumsey  Inn  at  Westfield,  N.  Y. ;  Ethel  Mar- 
garet,   married    Charles    F.    Strasmer,    Jr.,  of  Buffalo, 

Harry  Samuel  Comell,  son  of  William  J.  and  Laura 
.A.  (Little)  Cornell,  was  born  at  Chautauqua,  N.  Y., 
Sept.  5,  1883.  He  was  educated  in  Mavville  public 
schools,  finishing  in  high  school.  He  then  pursued  a 
business  course  of  study  at  Bryant  &  Stratton's  College, 
Buffalo^  N.  Y.,  and  after  graduation  was  for  eight 
years  assistant  postmaster  at  Chautauqua,  after  which 
he  engaged  in  oil  and  gas  well  drilling,  continuing  as 
a  contractor  in  that  line  for  several  years,  operating 
in  the  States  of  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  West  Vir- 
ginia and  Illinois.  After  leaving  the  oil  fields  he  en- 
gaged in  the  real  estate  business  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  con- 
tinuing until  1910,  when  he  returned  to  his  home  in 
Chautauqua,  and  engaged  in  farming,  cultivating  and 
managing  about  600  acres.  He  specializes  in  dairy 
farming  and  in  the  raising  of  cattle,  his  preference  be- 
ing for  the  Holstein  strain,  of  which  he  has  some  fine 
specimens  of  pure  blood.  In  1907  he  joined  with  his 
father  in  organizing  the  W.  J.  Cornell  Ice  Company, 
with  plant  at  Chautauqua,  the  business  of  that  company 
being  the  supplying  of  a  large  trade  in  wholesale  quan- 
tities. 

Harry  S.  Cornell  is  a  member  of  Peacock  Lodge, 
No.  696,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Mayville,  his 
father  also  affiliating  with  that  lodge.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Cornell  married,  in  Sherman,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  23, 
nios,  Mary  Miller,  of  that  town.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cornell 
are  the  parents  of  four  children;  Robert  W.,  Harold 
M.,   M.  Adelaide,  and  George  L. 


VERNON  A.  KENT,  who  was  for  many  years  asso- 
ciated with  the  firm  of  Herman  L.  Kent  &•  Company 
in  the  operation  of  the  Westfield  Paper  Mills,  and  is 
now  living  retired  from  active  business  at  that  place, 
is  a  native  of  Westfield.  born  Jan.  17,  1866,  and  the 
youngest  son  of  Lucian  H.  and  Mary  Fay  (McEwen) 
Kent,  oM  and  highly  respected  residents  here. 

The  grandfather  of  Mr.  Kent  was  Moses  Kent,  a 
iiative  of  Dorset,  Vt.,  who  in  1822  removed  from  that 
State  to  St.  Lawrence  county,  N.  Y.,  together  with  his 
wife  and  family.  The  journey  was  made  by  ox-team 
through  what  was  practically  a  wilderness,  and  the  little 
I'arty   encountered   many   perils   and   hardships   as   they 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


679 


traveled  in  the  middle  of  a  severe  winter  througli  a 
most  unfriendly  and  austere  country,  their  course  be- 
ing taken  over  what  was  known  as  the  Port  Kent  road. 
Moses  Kent  and  his  wife,  Jerusha  Kent,  were  the 
parents  of  a  number  of  children,  among  whom  was 
Lucian  H.  Kent,  father  of  the  Mr.  Kent  of  this  sketch. 
Lucian  H.  Kent  was  born  at  Dorset.  Vt..  and  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  hazardous  journey  through 
the  forests  of  Northern  New  York.  His  early  youth 
was  spent  in  St.  Lawrence  county,  where  he  had  prac- 
tically no  educational  advantages,  but  being  of  an 
ambitious  and  energetic  temperament,  he  secured  an 
academic  education  at  Poftsdam,  N.  Y.,  after  attaining 
his  majority.  In  1857  he  removed  to  French  Creek 
township.  Chautauqua  county,  and  purchased  a  farm  of 
300  acres,  situated  about  half  way  between  Clymer  and 
the  Marvin  postoffice.  In  the  spring  of  1862,  he  re- 
moved to  Westfield,  where  he  became  the  owner  of 
what  has  since  been  the  old  Kent  homestead,  where  he 
passed  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  a  man  of 
scholarly  tastes  and  for  more  than  half  a  century  was 
a  devoted  student,  not  only  of  the  best  literature  but  of 
many  scientific  and  philosophical  subjects.  He  was 
exceedingly  fond  of  nature,  and  in  all  probability  chose 
the  occupation  of  farming  because  it  brought  him  into 
such  close  touch  therewith.  The  rural  environment 
made  a  strong  appeal  to  his  exceedingly  poetic  nature, 
and  it  was  from  these  homely  surroundings  that  he 
derived  in  a  large  measure  his  inspiration  for  a  number 
of  poems  written  by  him.  These  were  published  later 
in  a  small  volume  entitled  "Sunshine  and  Storm,"  and 
include  a  number  of  very  charming  compositions. 
Among  these  should  be  mentioned  especially  one  entitled 
"The  Love  of  Life,"  which  perhaps  more  completely 
than  any  other  expressed  his  wholesome  outlook : 

THE  LOVE  OP  LIFE, 
I  love  to  live  because  the  skies 

In  beauty  from  above 
Shed  down  their  light  from  Paradise, 

In  forms  of  mildest  love. 

I  love  to  live  where  truth's  bright  beams 

Can  reach  the  awful  shade, 
That  wilful  falsehood  here  can  form 

In  light  which  God  has  made. 

Mr.  Kent's  life  was  passed  during  the  close  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  and  he  was  always  keenly  interested 
in  the  great  social  and  political  problems  of  his  day. 
His  death  occurred  March  g,  1900,  after  a  long  and 
exceedingly  useful  life.  He  married,  June  9,  1849, 
Mary  Fay  McEwen,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Deacon 
George  McEwen,  of  Lawrence,  N.  Y.  They  celebrated 
their  golden  wedding,  June  9,  1890.  at  the  old  home  in 
Westfield,  at  which  all  the  living  members  of  the  family 
were  present. 

Vernon  A,  Kent  was  born  in  Westfield,  Jan.  17,  18G6, 
and  as  a  lad  attended  the  Westfield  Academy  and  Union 
School,  and  graduated  from  the  University  of  the  State 
of  New  York  in  1882.  As  a  young  man  he  engaged  in 
a  retail  business  at  No.  13  Main  street.  Westfield,  con- 
tinuing for  several  years,  and  at  the  same  time  gave 
some  attention  to  farming  and  the  growing  of  grapes. 
He  later  became  associated  with  the  management  of 
the  Westfield  Paper  Mills,  but  finally  retired  from  active 
business  in  order  to  devote  his  time  more  completely  to 
the  many  interests  which  he  had  in  life  and  especially 


to  his  participation  in  the  public  affairs  of  the  com- 
munity. He  was  always  keenly  interested  from  the  time 
he  left  school,  in  local  affairs,  and  has  been  one  of  the 
most  prominent  figures  in  the  Republican  party  in  this 
region.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  Westfield  when  but  twenty-four  years  of 
age,  and  served  in  that  capacity  for  three  years,  being 
twice  appointed  chairman  of  the  finance  committee  dur- 
ing that  time.  In  1894,  he  was  elected  chairman  of  the 
Chautauqua  County  Republican  Committee,  and  his 
work  in  that  office  was  largely  instrumental  in  securing 
a  Republican  majority  of  more  than  7,500  votes  in  the 
political  campaign  of  that  year.  In  i8(;»8,  he  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  of  the  town  of  Westfield  by  Presi- 
dent McKinley,  and  was  reappointed  to  the  oflSce  by 
President  Roosevelt  in  1902.  During  his  incumbency  the 
postoffice  department  was  greatly  improved  and  made 
fully  adequate  to  the  needs  of  the  community,  and  his 
conduct  of  this  important  ofhce  has  met  with  the  ap- 
proval of  his  fellow-citizens  of  all  parties.  In  his  re- 
ligious belief,  Mr.  Kent  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  and  he  has  always  been  a  liberal  supporter 
thereof.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  Masonic  order,  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Royal  Arcanum, 
the  Protective  Home  Circle,  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
and  is  past  presiding  officer  of  the  last  mentioned  body 
and  a  member  of  its  Grand  Lodge.  In  1902,  he  held 
the  office  of  secretary  of  the  committee  on  exhibits  for 
the  centennial  celebration  of  Chautauqua  county,  and 
it  was  largely  owing  to  his  devoted  efiforts  that  this 
affair  was  the  great  success  that  it  proved  to  be.  He 
was  also  the  independent  Republican  candidate  for 
Congress  for  his  district  in  igi8,  being  urged  to  accept 
this  nomination  by  his  many  friends,  although  he  had 
not  himself  any  ambition  for  political  preferment. 

During  the  World  War,  Mr.  Kent  was  most  prom- 
inent in  the  work  pertaining  thereto,  was  chairman  of 
the  third  and  fourth  Liberty  Loan  committees  of  the 
county,  and  was  prominent  in  Red  Cross  work,  in  con- 
servation of  food,  etc.  He  was  chairman  of  the  West- 
field  Township  Welcome  Home  Committee,  which  gave 
a  big  celebration  upon  their  return. 

\'ernon  \.  Kent  married  (first)  March  12.  1885, 
the  youngest  daughter  of  William  H.  Arnold,  of 
Portland,  N.  Y.  Three  children  were  born  of  this 
union,  as  follows:  i.  Clara,  who  was  educated  at  the 
Mayville  Grammar  School,  Westfield  Academy,  and 
later  at  the  New  York  University;  she  became  the  wife 
of  James  Douglass,  a  prominent  business  man  of  West- 
field,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Mary 
Louise.  James  Douglass  is  a  son  of  W.  R.  Douglass, 
one  of  the  old  settlers  here.  2.  Emma,  who  was  also 
educated  at  the  Mayville  Grammar  School,  the  Westfield 
.\cademy,  and  New  York  L'niversity ;  she  became  the 
wife  of  Dr.  L.  J.  Brown,  who  is  mentioned  at  length 
elsewhere  in  this  work,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
two  children.  Martha  and  Kent.  3.  Marian,  educated 
in  the  Mayville  Grammar  School.  Westfield  .\cademy, 
and  the  New  York  University,  and  now  resides  with 
her  parents.  Vernon  A.  Kent  married  (second)  Sept. 
9,  1910,  Bessie  Koontz,  a  widow;  she  was  born  in  Union 
City.  Ind..  her  parents  old  settlers  there.  They  moved 
to  Springfield.  Ohio,  during  her  early  years.  She  has  a 
fine  education,  obtaining  a  college  degree. 


NDEX 


ADDENDA  AND  ERRATA 


Gushing,  p.  355,  ist  col.,  2nd  par.,  Milton  B.  Gushing  was   a   paymaster   in   the   United   States   Navy    (not 
Army),  and  served  as  such  all  through  the  Civil  War,  and  after  until  ill  health  caused  his  retirement. 

Gushing,  p.  357,  2nd  col.,  2nd  line,   should  be   fertility  of  invention'  in  place  of  futility  of  invention. 

Gifford,  p.  7,  2nd  col.,  7th  par.,  Horace  L.  should  be  Horace  H. 


Index 

Note — In  all  cases,  biographical  matter  was  submitted  in  proper  form  to  parties  in  interest   for  cor- 
rection. 

An  asterisk  (*)  set  against  a  name  refers  to  note  in  Addenda  and  Errata. 


Abbey,  Ghauncey,  406 

Charles  G.,  662 

Charles  C,  639 

David.   406 

Dorothy   L.,  277 

Gharles   E.,  267 

Ebenezer,   406 

Edward   L.,  96 

Gharles  E.,  Dr.,    363 

Elizabeth,  40" 

Edward  R.,  96 

Charles  J.,  513 

John,  406 

Elias,  96 

Gharles  W.,  639 

Samuel,  406 

Elisha,  430 

Christine,   646 

Abbott,   Gharles   S.,  57 

Ellery  G.,  277 

Clarence,  646 

Edwin  E..  57 

George  R.,  662 

Cora  S.,  371 

Pauline,   57 

Helen,    432 

Edith  M.,  373 

Active  Furniture  Go.,  578 

Margaret.   431 

Edith  W.,  639 

Adams,'  Bishop.  611,  648 

Martha  C.  96 

Edna   M.,   610 

Gharles  A.,  609 

Mary   R..  662 

Edwin,  371 

David,  611,  649 

Virginia   M..  431 

Elma  E.,  360 

Ernest  P.,  611 

Alliance  Furniture  Co.,  305 

Eric,   513 

Frank  M.,  648,   649 

Allied  Furniture  Co.,  266 

Frank  A.    L.,  242 

Ivan   D.,   610 

Alverson,  James,  303 

Frank  K.   H.,  371 

Jessie,  610 

James   W.,  303 

Fred  V.,  359 

John,  609 

Mary  A.,  303 

George   J.,   666 

Loren  A.,  610 

Raymond  W.,  303 

George  S.,  474,  475 

Martha  A.,  611 

Ames.    Charles.    309 

Grace  M.,  373 

Marvin  B.,  610 

Ezra   W.,   308 

Gustaf  A.,  643 

Sarah   E..  649 

Hermes   L.,   308 

Hall  A..  666 

Adelgren,  Albert,  666 

Loretta   M.,   308 

Henrietta   C.,   363 

Albertina   A.,  667 

Luther,  308 

lona,   635 

Carl  F.,  666 

Minta    E.,   309 

James   B.,   371 

Advance  Furniture  Co.,  261 

Amidon,  Arthur  A.,  116 

Jennie   M.,   637,   646 

Ainge,   Gliflford   D.,   581 

Eva  M.,   117 

John  A.,  359,  637 

Edith  M.,  581 

Henry,    115 

John   B..  636 

Frederick  W.,  581 

Jacob,   115 

Judith   J.,   267 

Harold  B.,  581 

Leonard,  115 

Louise,   513 

Louis  G.,  581 

Levi   L..   114,   117 

M.  Andrew,  636 

Percy  T.,  581 

Lewis,    116 

Mabel  A.,  513 

Susannah,   581 

Philip,  115 

Magnus,  646 

W.    Ely    Robins,    581 

Roger,  114 

Magfnus   O.,   438 

William   E.,  581 

Anchor  Furniture  Co..  245 

Maria    E.,  666 

Akin,   Dewitt  G.,  2S8 

Anderberg,  Alma  E.  C.,  196 

Marion,   610 

Howard,    288 

Rudolph,    196 

Mary,    474 

Ransom   J.,  289 

.'\nder50n,  Aaron  G.,  474 

Oscar  E.,  278,  279 

Roena,  289 

Albert,  636 

Peter   A..   242 

Alexander,    Daniel,    444 

Andrew,   279 

Vivian  R.,  643 

Emmett  W.,  444 

Andrew  J..  643 

William.  610 

Hugh,  444 

Anna   L.,  639 

Wilton   H.,  373 

Mary.   444 

Antonia,  279 

Andrews,  Horatio,  654 

Roy   G..   444 

Arthur,  646 

Marion,  Dr.,  654 

Seward  G.,  444 

August  A.,  63s 

Minerva,  654 

Allen.   Alfred   D„  4^1 

Augusta    F.,    243 

Andrus,  Cyrus,  610 

Alfred    D.,   Jr..   432 

Austin   E.,  266,   267 

Hiram   W.,   610 

Augustus  F.,431 

,'\xel  E.,  :^7:\ 

Nellie,   610 

Augustus  F.,  Col..  430 

Carl   A.,   438,  637 

Applevard,  Albert  E.,  69 

Charles,  662 

Carrie  M.,  438 

Edward,  68.  69 

Charles  E.,  Dr.,  277 

Celia.  636 

Francis  J.,  69 

684 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUXTY 


Isabella.   69 

John.  60 

Louise.  70 

Wilbur   E..  60 

William  S.,  69 
Armstrong,    Florence.   2^^ 

Fred  L^.  .'.u 

Fred  L..  Jr.,  235 

George.    164 

Nettie  J..  165 

Ruth    H..    164 

Thomas  G.,  164 
Arnold.   Alice.   611 

Cecelia.  246 

Claude  S..  245 

David  L.,  611' 

Edward   B..   6ll 

John,  304,  665 

Marv  B..  304 

MildVed.  246 

Minnie  C,  665 

Odin  B..  66s 

Ruth   P..  665 

Tryphena,   304 

William  H.,  245 
Arthur.   Alice,   241 

Charles  K..  41.  241 

J.    Marvin.   41 

John.  40 

Parmelia.   41 

Robert.  40.  41 

Robert    W.,   241 
Atlas   Furniture  Co..  361 
Autjenstine,    Christian'  H.,   57 
Clara.   58 
James  A.,  Dr.,  57 
Avery.  Andrew  J..  39 
Catherine  S.,  40 
Sara   D..  40 

Babcock.  Frances,  6ri 

Ralph   R.,  61  r 

Samuel   R.,  611 
Ba)?g.  Allen,  319,  475 

Bessie,  612 

C.  T..  612 

Clayton  T.,  475,  476 

Cora   M.,  319 

Edwin  A.,  319 

Marion   L..  612 

Xellie  E..  476 
Bailey  Table  Co.,  488 
Bailey.  Alice.  71 

B.  M..  488 

Ernest  J..  458 

Henrietta,  70 
James,  70 
John    J.,    458 
Milton,   488 
X.  W..  488 
Ruth   H..  459 
Samuel  J..  Capt.,  70 
William   S.,   488 
Baker.   F'crnice  A.,  439 
Blanche.  439 
Charles    S.,   439 
Grace    E.,   208 
Henry,   Col.,  206 
Mary    L..  207 
Richard  H.  f^Dick>,2o6,  207 
Samuel   W.,  2'';7 
Scott,  439 


Baldwin,  Curtis  C,  Rev.,  123 
Lizzie   M..   124 
Samuel,    123 
Samuel  A.,   12?,   124 
B.ill,   Charles   D..  658 
Ella,   659 
Gerald  A.,  658 
Joshua  J.,  658 
Bard.   Edith.  579 
John.  578 
Oscar  R.,  578 
Bargar,  Alice  E.,  531 
Alien    E.,    150 
.-\ndries,   531 
Crawford   X.,   532 
Elias   C.  531 
George,    150 
John,   531 
Mary  A.,  S'^2 
May'  H..    532 
Xathaniel.   531 
Xathaniel   C,   531 
Barker,  Charles   L.,  269 
Rachel  X.,  269 
Wilfred,  269 
Wilfred  C.  269 
Barmore,  Alice,  584 
Enimett    P..   440 
Frank   H..  584 
Frederick   V'.,   440 
Lewis.   584 
Mildred,   440 
Barnes.  Alpha,  570 
Evalyn,   571 
James,  570 
James  T.,  570 
Barney.   Constant.  490 
Daniel,  490 
Frank  D.,  489,  490 
Jacob.    490 
Joseph,   490 
Judiah   A.,  490 
Mariett  L,,  490 
Barrows.   Minerva,  90 

Ransom    J.,   go 
Bartholomew,   Andrew,  347 
Henry,  347 
Isabella,   347 
John,  346 
Joseph,  347 
William.  346 
Barton.  Byron  R.,  240 
Carrie,  240 
Emma   A.,  240 
Louis    B.,   240 
Ruwlan  L.,  240 
Rou-lan  S.,  24(1 
Batcheller,   Alice,    178 
Levant    B.,    178 
Salathiel,    178 
Bates,  Alace  M.,  530 
Charles   W.,  529 
Georgia,  276 
Harold   W.,  276 
Rov;il  M..  529,  530 
Waller   H.,  276' 
Hcardsley,    Nathan    E.,    Dr., 
378 
.\oah,  378 
Rose,  378 
Becker.    .'\.    .\ustin.    Dr.,    223, 
224 


Charles  S.,  224 
Maude  J.,  224 
Beckrink.  Abraham,  i66 
Blanche   M.,   167 
Harry,    166 
Marvin,    166 
Sarah   W.,   166 
Bedient,  Hattie,  653 
Jay  K.,  652 
William,  652 
Beers,    Bryan,  612 
Edward,  612 
Henry.  612 
P.   A.,  612 
Robert.  612 
Rosa    C,  612 
Bellinger,  Charles  J.,  320 
David,  320 
Mary,  320 
Belson,  Charles,  447 
Ellen,   447 
Jacob  W.,  446,  447 
John,   447 
Bemus.    Charles,  87 
George  H.,  Col.,  87,  88 
Helen   O.,  88 
Jane  A.,  90 
Joseph,   87 
Jotham.  Maj..  87 
Marv,  89 
Sarah  E.,  88 
Selden  B..  89 
William.    87 

William    M.,    Dr.,   88,  89 
William   M.,  Jr.,   Lieut., 
William    P.,    Dr.,   87,   88 
Bennett,  Clyde  L.,  613 
Donald    R.   A.,   314 
Glenn,  613 
Guy  R.,  613 
James  O.,  314 
Jane.  613 
Marshall,  314 
Rollin,   612 
Rollin  C,  612 
Ruby,  314 
Benson,  Andrew  W.,  638 
Bentz,  638 
Christine,  638 
Oscar  E.,  638 
Bentley,  Clark  E„  613 
Eugene,  613 
Neva,  613 
Berg,  Alice  E.,  161 
Amanda  C,  161 
Axel,  161 
Carl  S.,  161 
Fred  A.,   161 
Berggren,  John  F.,  642 

Matilda,  642 
Berglund,   Charles  W.,  250 
Claus   W.,  250 
Elizabeth,    251 
Bergfjuist.  .Andrew  G.,  196 
Edward,  196 
Eva   E.,    196 
Bergstrom,  Carl   E.,  303 
Charlotte,  303 
Eric,  303 
John    F..   ,302 
N.-ls    E..  302 
Bergvvall,    Florinc   A.,  434 


INDEX 


685 


Harold  J.,  434 

Joseph  A.,  433 

Milton   E.,  434 

Selma  V.,  434 
Bestor,  Arthur  E.,   Dr.,  93 

Laura  E.,  93 

Orson   P.,  93 
Bixby,   Alice,   244 

Clarence,  244 

Emily,  244 

Harry,  244 

Horace,   243 

Joseph,  109 

Lewis    B.,   243 
Black,  Charlotte  O.,  431 

Eliza,  363 

James,  431 

Thomas,  363 

Thomas  Henrv  (T.  Henry), 
363 
Blackstone   Mfg.  Co.,  650 

William   M.,  650 
Blanchard.  .Amos,  394 

.■\mos  F.,  Dr.,  205 

Caleb,   394 

Caroline,  394 

Eliza,   205 

Flint,  205,  358 

Henry  C,  Dr.,  394 

Henry  C,  Jr.,  394 

Lorene  A.,  358 

Morris   L.,  20s 

R.  Newland,  Dr.,  3';8 

Robert  B..  Dr.,  358 
Blomquist,   August  A.,  500 

Florence,    500 

Joseph  A.,  500 
Botsford,  Lucia  C,  472 

Myron  H.,  472 

William  R.,  472 
Boiick,  Arzetta,  438 

Gilbert  T.,  438 

John  F.,  438 
Bouton,  E.  H.,  355 

Mary    L,   355 
Bowman,  Lester  D..  Dr.,  209 

Lillian,  209 

Morris  L.,   Dr.,  210 

Thomas  J.,  209 
Boyd,   Florence,  25 j 

Harry   W.,   251 

William  H..  251 
Bozovsky,   Demetrius,   301 

Louise  M.,  301 

Mary   E.,  302 

Vacil    D.,    Dr.,   301 
Brand,  Ellen  V.,  227 

George  P.,  226,  22y 

Harry,   227 

Leon,  227 

Morell,  227 

Wilbur  J.,  227 
Breads,  Ada,  618 

Benjamin,   617 

Fred,  618 

Harlow    H.,   613 

Isaac,   613 

Joseph,  428,  429 

Lizzie,  613 

Mary,    429 

Polly,   618 


Ralph   H.,  613 

William,  617,  429 
Breed,   Emily,  473 

Henry   G.,  473 
Bremer,  C.  F.,  60 

Charles,  60 

Emilie,  60 
Brewer,  Eben,  525 

Ebenezer,   524 

Francis  B.,  Dr.,  524 

Francis   B.,  Jr.,  525 

George   E.,   525 

Susan   H.,   525 
Brickell,   Estelle  L.,  313 

Fred  S.,  Dr.,  313 

William  S.,  313 
Briggs,  .--Mfred  N.,  197 

,'\rthur  K.,  197 

Carey,  336 

David,   107 

Jane,  197 

John  E.,  660 

Margaret,  660 

Martha  A.,  197 

Minnie  E.,  336 

Samuel,    196,    197 

William  C,  336 

William   W.,   660 
Brightman,    Albert,   285 

Fay,   285 

Franc  C,  395 

Frederick  .A.,  395 

George,   285 

George   A.,  284 

Jennie,    285 

John  Y.,  284 

Joseph,   395 

Sarah,  285 

Seth,   285 
Broadberry,    Frances,    35 

Gilden  R.,  34,  35 

Henry,  35 
Broadhead,  A.   N.,  461 

S.  B.,  461 

W.  D.,  415 
Brockway,  Charles  B.,  211 

Emma   C,  211 

Frederick   B.,  211 
Bronson,   Alvin,  428 

Harvey,  428 

Lida,  428 

Walter  E.,  428 

Wesley  G..  428 
Brophy,  Agnes,  273 

John,    272 

William   H.,  272 
Brown,   Alexander   H.,  616 

.A.lexander    M.,   616 

Alexander  S.,  483,  616 

Carl   K.   W.,  446 

Charles,   614 

Charles  E.,  445 

Charles  H.,  136,  138 

Clifford   R.,  616 

Daniel,  Col.,   136 

Edna,  248 

Edward,   136 

Ettie  C.  614 

Eliphalet,  614 

Eva  A.,  616 

Grace,  483 


Helen,  138 

Henry   E.,    138 

James   L.,  483 

Joseph,  136 

Kate  M.,  241 

Lizzie  E.,  446 

Nicholas,  241 

Prudence   O.,   137 

Richard  J.,  Dr.,  241 

Samuel  A.,    136,   137,  247 

Samuel  A.,  Jr.,  247 

Theodore,  137 

Thomas,  Serg.,  136 

Will  F.,  614 

Willis   E.,  616 

Winsor,  445 
Buchanan,  David  A.,  328 

Edward   L.,  328 

Elnora  A.,  328 
Bullock,  Cassie,  461 

DeForest,   461 

Frank  W.,  461 
Burgess,  Catherine,  44 

Charles    P.,   44 

Edward,  44 

Florence,  45 

George   M.,  264 

Henry,    264 

Lottie,   264 

Mary   E.,   44 
Burnett,  .Albert  M.,  605,  606 

.Albert   S.,  606 

Edward   C.,  606 

Leonard  B.,  606 

Martin  D.,  606 

Sarah,  606 
Burns,  Barclay  J.,  473 

Edward  C,  473 

Isabella  S..  474 

Mary,   474 
Burt.  George  E.,  59 

Gertrude   M.,   59 

Wallace   D.,    Dr.,   59 
Bush,  Adelbart,  614 

Arthur  J.,  614 

.Azro  C,   616 

Bert   D.,   617 

Hattie  I.,  614 

Ida,  617 

Lyman,  616 
Button,   Alvin,  480 

Arnold,  605 

Earl,  481 

Edward   N.,  255 

Ellis   S.,  605 

Flora  A.,  255 

Franklin,  480 

George,  255 

Hattie  L.,  481 

Horace  H.,  481 

Ira,  640 

Joseph,  255 

Laura,  640 

Leon  E.,  480,  481 

Mary  I.,  605 

Cadwell,  Frank  W.,  307 

Jennie  M.,  307 
Cady,   Calvin,  447 

Helen,  447 

Nellie,  447 


686 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Peter,  447 

Willis  C,  447 
Camp,  Harold,  614 

Lavina,  614 

Merrit,  614 
Campbell.  Alma.  669 

Bert  M..  668,  669 

William,  669 
Caneen,  Bertha  S.,  366 

John   E.,   Dr.,  365 

Minerva,   366 

Thomas,  365 
Carlson,  Albin  J.,  317 

C.  J.,  578 

Carl   R.,   578 

Charles  J.,   476 

Daniel,   257 

Elim,   2Q5 

Elmer  W..  278 

Emma.  57S 

Eric  E..  299,  300 

I'reda  S.,  144 

Hanna,  317 

Henrv,  476 

Jane  H..  278 

Jessie    G.,    476 

John  p.,  144 

Joseph,  295 

Marie,   257 

P.  A.  E.,  299 

Samuel  A.,  143,  144 

Thelma  E.,  300 
Carlton.  Fred  R.,  191 

Mary.  191 

Merritt  S.,  191 
Carpenter.  Buddington  J.,  658 

Charles  J.,  457 

Charles    R.,   457 

Elial  P.,  392 

Elial  P.,  Col.,  393 

Eliza  X.,  658 

Florence  R.,  393 

Herbert   P.,   658 

Herbert   M.,  658 

Jennie.  457 

Julia  A.,  394 

Morrison,  658 

Orson   C,  259 

Sybbel  M.,  392 

William.  ,392,  457 

William.  Jr..  3131,  392 
Carra.   Catherine,   512 

Dalmatius,  512 

James  M.,  Rev.,  512 
Carris.   .Monzo  D.,  615 

Arthur   B.,  615 

Dewitt,  615 

Eunice.   615 
Case.  Charles  E,,  in,   112 

Esau.  112 

Ira  P.,  Ill,  1 12 

John,   112 

Joseph,   112 

Lucy,  237 

Marietta  L.,  113 

M.irth.T  .\1..  114 

Nathaniel,   112 

Salmon   T.,  236 

Theodore  A.,  236 

William,   iii,  112 
Cass,  Jan'.-  .^  ,  41 


Plinev.  41 

Willard.  41 
Castle,   Alexander  A.,  582 

Don   W.,  :;83 

John,   582 

Josephine.    158 

Louis.    158 

Marie.  583 

Russell,    157 

Vincent,  Dr.,  157,   158 
Catlin,  Ashbill  R.,  511 

Elial   C,  511 

Prank  L.,  511 

Linus,  511 

Marion  L.,  511 

Theron,  511 
Cawcroft,    Aquilla,    451 

Elizabeth,  451 

Ernest,  451 
Chace.    Clyde,   615 

Edwin,  615 

Ernest,  615 

George  W.,  615 

Grace.  615 
Chapman,   C.   Frank,  588 

Charles  T,  Dr.,  588 

May,  588 
Chase,   Albert  N.,  229 

Allen  J.,  229 

Berle  H.,  619 

Bert  N.,  229 

Charles   P.,  618 

Emelia  A.,  477 

Evaline,  229 

Prank  A.,  618 

George.  230,  618 

Gertrude  P.,  619 

Herbert  S.,  476 

Nelson,  229 

Philema,  477 

Stephen,  229,  230,  476,  618 
Chatfield.  George  A.,  181 

Josephine.    182 

Walter.    181 

Walter   M..    182 
Cheney,  A.  Morelle,  460 

.Knna,  616 

Ariel,   529 

Asa,  528,  529,  61S 

Calvin,  460,  529 

Catherine,   529 

E.  Maude,  461 

Ebenezcr,  556 

Emery  M.,  Dr.,  557 

Frank  W.,  529 

Gerald  G.,  616 

John  C,  529 

Jonathan,  460,   529 

Joshua,  460 

Lottie   B.,   SS8 

Morris   P.,  529,  615 

Nelson   E.,  557 

Thomas,  529 

W.   Bcecher,  529 

Wayne  N.,  556,  .1557 

William,  528,"  529,  556 
Chessman,  Adam  P.,  468 

Harry,   468 

M.    Gertrude,   468 
Chilli.  Joseph    L.,    Dr.,   295 

Louis,  29s 

Ixiuisa,  29s 


Clapp,  Aaron   W.,  Jr.,   154 
Marvin  L.,  154 
Mary   L.,   154 
Clark,  Amos,  30 
Annis  S..  iSo 
Arthur  R.,  29,  31 
Carevve,  485 
Carey.  485 
Cary,   540 
Coralinn,  333 
Darwin  R.,  433 
Darwin  R.,  Jr.,  433 
David  J.,  332,  333 
David  J.,  Jr.,  333 
Earl    W..   664 
Fitzgerald  H.,  Dr.,  486 
Prank   M.,  484,  485 
Gertrude  C,  664 
Gladys.    541 
Glenn    D..   540 
Harmanus  C,  581 
Henry    A.,   581 
J.    Henry,   581 
James  P.,   179,  180 
Johanna  S.,  31 
John,  484 
Joseph,  332,  484 
Joseph,   Jr.,   332 
Mabel,  486 
Marvin  D.,  485 
Mary,   581 
Milton  H.,  29,  30 
Minnie   M.,  433 
Nancy.    180 
Nathan,  30 
Nathaniel,    30 
Samuel,  30 
Stephen,  30 
Stephen  A.,  29,  30 
Susan,  333 
Thomas,  484 
Warren,  485 
William,  30,  i§o 
Cleland,  Byron,  539 
Charles   M.,  574 
Charles  S.,  Dr.,  572,  573 
Elmer   O.,   Dr.,   574 
Emma,    478 
Ethlvn,  574 
Glen   W.,   478 
Ida    L.,   574 
J.  Clayton,  574 
James,  539,  572 
John,  538,  539,  572,  573 
John,  Jr.,  538.  539,  572 
Lucinda  E.,  540 
Lucy,  540 
Nathan,  573 
Nathan   M.,  573 
Orrin,   478 
Orrin   W.,  478 
Owen  M.,  574 
Samuel,   478 
Clement,  Charles  D.,  617 
Prantcelia,  617 
George  W.,  617 
Cobl),  Albcrtus  A.,  S<)3 
Alice   M.,  503 
.Anne    E.,  324 
(;iau(le   W.,  324 
hreeman,   270 
Grant  J.,  270 


INDEX 


687 


John  H.,  503 

Josephine,  503 

Merle,  503 

Nathan  C,  324 

Oren    J.,    324 

Richmond,  324 

Sarah  J.,  270 
Cochrane,  David  J.,  296 

Isabella,  296 

William   N.,  296 
Cole,   Emma,  326 

Ina  M.,  326 

J.    Belle,  326 

William  W.,  Dr.,  326 
Colgrove,  Albert  H.,  562 

Carry  M.,  562 

Gerry  W.,  562 
Collins,  J.  B.,  231 

Louis  W.,  231 

Mary,  231 
Conley,  Arthur  R.,  480 

Benoni,  480 

Diiane  M..   480 

Lamont   H.,  480 

Lois  E.,  480 

Lois  L.,  480 
Conroy-Buchanan    Lumber 

Co.,  328 
Conroy,  Annie  L.,  327 

John   D..  327 

William  B.,  327 
Cook,  Ann  M.,  73 

Benjamin,  73 

Blanche  E.,  504 

Charles,  504 

Eliza  R.,  73 

Frank,   504 

Orsell,  73 
Cooper,  Ezra  W.,  668 

Flora  M.,  668 

Frank,   668 

John  B.,  668 
Cornell,  Earl,  643 

George,  412 

George  J.,   127 

Glen  W.,  643 

Harry   S.,  678 

Ida  L.,  127 

Jessie   B.,  643 

John  W.,   127,  678 

Mary,    412,    678 

Millard,  643 

Richard,  412 

Robert   B.,   643 

Roswell,  643 

Thomas,  412 

W.   E.,   127 

Walter,  678 

Walter  T.,  643 

William  J.,  678 

William  Z.,  643 
Costianes,  Antoinette,  650 

John  D.,  650 
Cottis,   Charles,    163 

Eliza,   164 

George  W.,  Dr.,  163 
Cowles,  Anna,  505 

Archibald  W.,  505,  607 

Emma  G.,  607 

George  S.,  607 

Ross  D.,  505 
Cox,   Henry,  584 


Joseph  C,  584 

Katherine  M.,  585 
Coxe,  Maude,  254 

Melvil  S.,   Dr.,  254 

Samuel   A.,  254 
Coyle,    Richard,    Rev.,    156, 

157 
Crandall,  Bertha  R.,  480 

Catliarine   L.,  85 

Charles   F.,  77 

Eber,  84 

Erie  R.,  480,  617 

Eugenia   M.,   571 

Francis  W.,  Maj.,  85 

Frank  W.,  83,  84 

George    A.,   480 

George  P.,  85 

Helen,   77 

Herbert  J.,  571 

Howard  D.,  480 

Jeremiah,  84 

John,   Rev.,  83 

John  D.,  479 

Marguerite  E.,  572 

Mildred  R.,  617 

Nellie,  85 

Ray  G.,  479,  617 

Samuel,  84 

Samuel  C  571 

Stephen,  84 

William,  571 

William  B.,  572 
Crane,  Alexis,  65 

Alexis,  Jr.,  65 

Emily,  66 

Imogen,  66 
Cree,    .'Amelia    C,  654 
•     Axel   E.,  654 

Cecilia   H..  654 

Charles  E.,  654,  660 

Elmo  M.,  660 

Odel   F.,  660 

Ruth   N.,  654 
Crick,  Ada,  618 

Adelbert,  618 

William  W.,  618 
Crissey   (Cresse),  Alice,  675 

Anna,   673 

Anna    L.,   674 

Cynthia,  674 

Daniel,  671 

Elverton  B.,  670,  671 

Grace,   675 

Harlow,  671,  673 

Harlow  J.,  672 

Harold    D.,   672 

Jay,   674 

John,  671 

Mary,  671 

Mary  R.,  674 

Mighil,    670 

Miner  S.,  675 

Newton,  674 

Samuel,  671 

Samuel   S.,  674 

Seward   M.,  675 
Crosbv,  George  G.,  387 

Harlev  N.,  118 

Helen'  I.,   118 

Mary,  387 

Ransom,  387 

Solomon  H.,  118 


Cross,   Alonzo,   619 

Ambrose,  618 

Ernest   P.,  618 

Henry    L„   228 

Lena  G.,  618 

Luther  L.,  619 

Luther   L.,   Jr.,  619 

Maria  S.,  620 

Marv  A.,  228 

Wilfiam,  228 
Culver,  Clayborn  J.,  515 

Doris  M.,  516 

Georgiana  V.,  481 

Grace  A.,  619 

James,  515,  619 

James,  Jr.,  619 

Smith  T.,  48r 
Cummings,  Adelbert  W.,  27 

Albert   W.,  27 

Asahel   A.,   27 

Flora  F.,  27 
Curtis  Machine  Corp.,  500 
Curtis,   Alonzo   M.,   501 

Don  A.,  502 

E.   A.,  501 

Edward  W.,  501 

Ethel,  501 

Frank   G..   501 

Fred  M.,  501 

Susan  B.,  503 
Curtiss,   Caroline,    133,    134 

Edward  J.,   132 

J.   Delevan,   132,   133 

John,  132 
Gushing,  Abigail   B.,  354 

Charles,    108 

Edmund,   108 

J.   Stearns,    108 

Jacob,   108 

John,  107,  108 

Katherine  A.,  357 

Katherine  L.,  357 

Mary  B.,  355 

Mary  L.,  357 

Matthew.   107,   108 
*Milton  B.,  Dr.,  354,  355 

Peter,  107 

Rachel,    354 

Thomas,   107 

William,   107,  108 
*WiIliam  B.,  355,  357 

Zattu,  353 
Cushman,  Joshua  E.,  477 

Mason,   477 

Millie   E.,   478 

Robert.    477 

\'era  C,  478 

DeLaney,  Elizabeth  K.,  337 

Harriet,   449 

Jonathan,   449 

Joseph  R.,  337 

Paul,  337 

Wilton   H.,  449 
Dahlstrom    Metallic    Door 

Co.,  494 
Dahlstrom,  Anna  E.  P.,  368 

Charles    P.,    367 

Lars   P.,  367 
Damon.   Addie   M.,  477 

Charles,  477 

Edmund,  477 


688 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Edmund  L.,  4-7 

Harris   A..  4"- 

Hiram  A..  4-7 

Milton    E..   477 
Danielson.  Gustaf  D.,  2^7 

Sarah  A.,  258 
Darling,  Alfred.  59 

Arloiiine    I..  278 

Burt  E.,  :;o 

Charles  B.,  277 

Charles  H.,   ;g 

Ella   G..  59   ' 

Glenn  C,  J77 

Phoebe  J.,  59 
Darrow,  Cornelius.  620 

Floyd  L.,  620 

Tames  E..  620 

John  A..  Dr.,  620 

Julia.  620 

Lucy   M.,   620 

Lynn   S..  620 

Wayne  H..  620 

Wilton  J.,  620 
Davis.    Clinton.   620 

Effie  M..  620 

Ezra  W.,  42,^ 

Fred  C.  620 

Gilbert    L.,    192 

Herschell  C.  192 

Laura  J.,  192 

Margaret   W..  423 

Murray  H.,  191,  192 

Paul,   Rev.,  192 

Paul   .-K..   192 

Ro.xina  L.,  423 

Simeon  C,  192 
Dawley.  .^Imena,  258 

Dorothv.  2^8 

Frank  C.  258 

Jennie.  258 

John.  258 

Josephine   K.,  258 

Thomas.  258 
Dean,   Benjamin  S.,  165 

Bonny   B.,   165 

Emma  F.,  37 

Emyle  C..   165 

Gilbert,  36 

Gilbert,    Capt.,   36 

Isaac,  .36 

Luther  R..  36,  37 

Philo   N.,    165 
Denn,   .^rdcn    K.,  620 

Florence   E.,   620 

Lorenzo   H.,  620 
Derby,  John    K.,  210 

Joseph.    210 

Louisa  A.,  210 

Phinca>i,   210 

Ruth.  210 
Desmond.  .At'nes,  330 

Cornelius   W.,  329 

John.  329 

Mary.  329 

Timothy,    329 

Timothy  J.,  329 

Timothv  J.,  Jr.,  329 
Dibble.    Ernest    H.,  604 

Georjcc   E.,  O04 

St<:Ila.  605 
Dickie,   Ellen,  $Cyj 


Henry,  569 

John   H.,  569 
Dix,   Benjamin,  66 

Horatio,  66 

Joseph,  66 
Dods.   Abraham   W.   (A.  Wil- 
son V  Dr.,  340 

Aura.  340 

Helen   T.,   341 

John  P.,  340 

Thomas   P.,  340 
Doty,   Amaziah,   455 

Bertha.  455 

Ebenezer,    455 

Edward,   455 

Jolin,  455 

Joseph  C..  Capt.,  295 

Martha.   295 

William   J.,  294,  295 
Doubleday,    Henry,   415 

John  W.,  415 

Maria   L.,  416 

Nellie  C,  416 
Douglas,  Ledyard,  242 

Maria,   242 

Mittie,   242 

Richard.   Rev..  242 

Richard   B..   242 
Dow,  Albert  G.,  552 

Charles  M.,  552 

Eleanor,  553 

Howard,  553 

Richard,  552 

Solomon,  552 
Drake,  Ada  F.,  541 

Alphans  S.,  311 

Dexter  M.,  541 

Henry  C,  541 

Inez  M.,  311 

Levant   R.,   Dr..  311 
Drayton,  .A.lvah  I.,  604 

Evert   E.,  6ao 

Martenette  P.,  604 
Droege.  Carl,  310 

Crawford  H.,  310 

Henry   H.,  310 

Susie,  310 
Duffee,  Edward  E.,  370,  371 

Ellery,  371 

Neil,  371 
Duke,  Beryl.  232 

Jefferson,  232 

Lucille    232 

Mary,  232 

Raphael,  232 

William  C,  Dr.,  232 
Dunham,  Julius  A.,  549 

Julius  S.  (].  .Slierwood),  549 

Montrose  C.,  .=549 
Durand,  Carrie  A.,  170 

Frank  E.,   170 

Loye  T.,  T70 
Dye.  Alta.  620 

Elisha,  620 

Ernest  B.,  620 

Eckird.    lilrinclic,    218 

I.  Edward.  218 

Joseph,  218 
Eckman,  A^nes,  386 

Charles  L.,  386 


Edvena,  515 

John  A., 'sis 

N.  P..  386 

Nets  P.,  515 
Eddy,  Eugene  R.,  363 

James,  502 

John,  363 

John  S.,  363 

Jonathan.  363 

Lucius  B.,  363 

Lynn  W..  502 

Martin  C,  363 

Mary  A.,  502 

Mercy  M.,  363 

Willis  L.,  502 
Edmunds,    Henry    S.    (H.    Sa- 
lem), Dr.,  347 

Kathrine,  344 

Mable  A.,  345 

Walter  A..  344 
Edson,  Barney,  268 

Edwin  H.,  268 

Edwin  H.,  Jr..  268 

Emily  A.,  403 

Florence  L.,  269 

Florilla  B.,  404 

John  M.,  400,  402,  403 

"Obed,  400,  401,  402 

Samuel,  401 

Walter  H.,  403 
Eggert,  Clara  M.,  655 

Frederick.  6=;5 

William  F.,  655 
Ehlers,  Charles,  226 

Herman  C,  226 

Lydia  L.,  226 
Eigenbroadt,  Augusta  H.,  340 

Clora,  340 

Daniel,  340 

Delos  J.,  339,  340 

Peter.  340 
Elk  Furniture  Co.,  188 
Ellis,  Erastus  R.,  178 

Francis,  179 

George  E.,  Dr.,  178 

Neil  C,  179 

Norma,  179 
Endress.  Abby  V.  B.,  562 

.Andress.  559 

Christian  F.  L.,  Rev.,  559 

Dora  E.,  561 

Isaac  L.,  559 

John  Z.,  55^9 

Nicholas,  559 

Peter,  559 

Philip  J.,  559 

William  F.,  Capt,  561 

William  F.,  Col.,  559,  560 
Erickson,  Carrell  M.,  300 

Charles  A.,  300 

Harry  C,  293 

Hulda  F.,  301 

.'^wan,  293 

Thea,  293 
Evans.  Frank  M.,  Dr.,  441 

John,  441 

.Mabel,  441 
Everett   (Evcritt) 

Ada,  397 

Catherine,  397 

Emily  J.,  396 


INDEX 


689 


John,  395,  396 
Marvin  N.,  395,  396 
Viola  D.,  396 
Walter  R.,  396 

Fairbanks.  Monroe,  572 

S.  Ray,  572 

Sara  E.,  572 
Falconer,  Abbie  L..  374 

Archibald  D.,  374 

Robert,  374 

William  T.,  374 
Falldine.  Bertha.  246 

Charles  F.,  246 

Gust  A.,  246 
Fargo.  Frederick  A..  621 

Martinette.  621 

O.  A..  621 

Ray  W.,  621 
Farnham,  Archoles  K.,  641 

Tuva  M.,  642 

Leslie  A..  641 
Farr,  Alfred  E.,  193 

Elsworth  J.,  193 

Harman,  192 

Haze!  Jf.,  193 

Pauline  M..  193 

Thomas.  192 

William.  103 
Fay.  Albert  A.,  324 

Alice  R..  29 

Almira  A..  29 

Carey  S..  29 

Catherine.  641 

Clinton  S..  28 

Elijah.  27.  28 

Franklin.  641 

Fred.  640,  641 

Joseph   B..  20 

Joseph  B.,  Capt.,  324 

Joseph  R.,  29 

Lucy.  28 

Luke  H..  324.  325 

Maria  M.,  29 

Martha,  29 

Mary  F.,  325 

Nathaniel.  28,  640 
Fenner.  Bvron.  51 

Claude  E.,  52 

James.  Dr.,  51 

Julia.  52 

Resolved  W.,  51 

Thayer.  52 
Fenton,  Alice,  10 

F.benezer,  416 

Elizabeth.  4 

Emery  W..  416.  417 

Evangeline  D..  10 

Cxeorce  W..  3.  9 

George  W.,  Jr.,  10 

J.  Grace.  417 

Jacob,  416 

Jane,  4 

Lillian  M.,  5 

Louise,  417 

Lulu  E.,  417 

Lydia  A.,  10 

Reuben  E.,  Gov.,  3 

Reuben  E..  Jr.,  5 

Robert,  416 

Roswell,  3 


Thomas  J.,  9,  10 

William,  416 
Ferncliff  Worsted  Mills,  471 
Ferrara,  John,  293 

Michael  L.,  293 
Fess,  John,  55 

Lulu,  56 

Raymond  C,  Dr.,  55 
Field,  Florence  L.,  451 

Leonard  J.,  450 

Myron.  450 
Fischer,  Carrie  H.,  240 

Henry,  240 

William  F.,  240 
Fish,  Dena,  120 

Elbert  L..  Dr.,  120 

Glenn  R.,  120 
Fisher,  Daniel  E.,  538 

Ethel  B.,  538 

Ezra  J.,  661 

Helen  B..  538 

Horace  O.,  661 

Imogene.  537 

Jerome  B.   (i),  536 

Jerome  B.   (2),  535,  536 

Jerome  B.   (3),  537 

Julia  E.,  537 

Marion  H..  537,  538 

Miranda,  661 

Reuben  F.,   Capt..  55? 
Fisk,  Charles  E.,  496,  497 

David,  407 

John,  497 

Minnie,  497 
Fitch,  Attilla,  640 

Joseph,  640 

Turner.  640 
Fitzpatrick.  Daniel,  63 

Liol  D..  Dr.,  63 

Marie  C.  64 

Paul  C,  63 
Fleek.  Frank.  213 

Glenn  B.,  Dr.,  213 

Julia  E..  213 
Fleming,  Clifford  M.,  550 

Hugh  M.,  550 

John,  550 

Maila,  550 

Viola,  550 
Flint,  Abial.  375 

Arkalis,  375 

Byron  H..  376 

Henry,  376 

Nancy  A..  376 

Virgil  H..  ^76 
Forbush,  Luther,  169 

Luther  A.,  169 

Martha,  170 
Foss.  Amelia,  244 

John,  244 

John  F..  Dr.,  244 
Foster,  Earl  T.,  445 

Elizabeth.  566 

Frederick  J..  187 

Henry  A.,  566 

John  H.,  566 

Julia  A.,  566 

Mary,  445 

Oliver  D..  566 

Roswell  F.,  Dr.,  187 

Ruth  A.,  187 

William,  445 


Fowler,  Charles  S.,  125 

James  L,  125 

Laura,  126 
Fox,  Charles  J.,  472 

Clarissa,  473 

Joseph,  472 
Francis,  Ada  C,  523 

Elihu,  523 

George  W.,  621 

Joseph,  621 

Len  R.,  523 

Lois  E.,  621 
Frank,  Dwight  D.,  507 

Glenn  A.,  507 

Ora  L.,  507 
Franzen,  Carl  V.,  297 

Selma  A.,  297 
Fredonia-Salsina  Canning  Co., 

568 
Fredricksnn,  Alliert  L..  372 

Alfred  D..  371,  499 

Delmar  T.,  371 

Ellen,  372 

Esther  M.,  499 

Paul  W.,  499 

Pearl  L.,  372 
Freling,  Albert,  292 

August,  292 

Carl,  292 

Wilhelmina,  292 
French,  Albert  F.,  218 

Emma  P.,  218 

Joseph,  218 
Frick,  David.  194 

Helen,  195 

Joseph  L.,  194 
Frink,  Addie  J.,  511 

Albert.  512 

John.  Rev..  512 

Walter  P.,  511,  512 
Frisbee.  Earl  R.,  441 

Edna  M.,  441 

George  F.,  441 
Frissell,  George  C.  603 

Jennie  W.,  604 

William  P.,  603 
Fuller,  Berdena,  156 

Carl  T..  603 

Donald  C.  156 

Ebenezer,  155 

Edward,  154 

Ezra.  603 

George  W..  154,  156,  603 

Henry  B.,  603 

John,  155 

John  W.,  603 

Mary  L.,  603 

Perrv,  603 

Ralph  D.,  156 

Samuel.  154 

Thomas.  155 

Galloway,  Fred  J..  195 

John,  195 

Sarah,  195 
Garfield,  Benjamin,  419 

Charles  B.,  419 

Edward,  419 

Eliakim,  419 

Fred  H.,  419 

Frederick  M.,  420 

Mary,  420 


690 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Robert  M.,  -po 

Teiia,  420 
Garrity,  Elizabeth  F.,  6^46 

Patrick  H..  646 

Thomas.  646 
Cjates.  Anna  E.,  206 

Luther,  20; 

Oscar  S..  J05 

Stephen.  205 
Geer.  Francis,  366 

Julia.  366 

Louise  E..  366 

Samuel.  366 
Gelm.  Andrew  P..  172 

Ellen  A..  172 

Georsre  E.,  172 

John  P..  172 

Margorie  E..  172 
Gihbs.  Charles  E..  Dr.,  499 

Charles  P..  138 

Claudine  L..  ^00 

Edith  B.,  500^" 

Ethel  B.,  139 

George  W.,  400 

Gerald  G.,  138' 

Nellie  L.,  139 
Gibson.   Charles   R..  414 

Liliian  \\'.,  414 
Giesler.  Adolph,  602 

Frank  \\'.,  602 

Frcderica,  603 

John.  603 
Gifford.  Abiel.  7 

Benjamin.  113.  114 

Caleb.  113 

Charles  D..  444 

Charles   H.,  6,  7 

Elihu,  114 

Elmer  C.  444 

Frank  E..  6 

Grace.  8 

Horace.  7 

Horace  H..  6 

Jeremiah.  7,   113 

Pearl,  444 

Pelig.  7,   113 

Rhode  L.,  6 

Robert.  7.  113 

Wilb'am.  6,  7,  113 

William   ?..  6 
GillicTt.  Charles,  657 

F.dwin  S..  660 

Hazel.  65R 

Henry,  347 

Isabellc  B..  348 

John  F..  347 

Louis  v..  657 

Mary,  66r 

Mason  A..  660,  661 

Orison,  f/n 

Samuel,  347 
Glea'ion.  Abraham  L.  (A.  Lin- 
coln), .365 

Ariel,  410 

Charlfs,  410 

Johanna,  365 

John,  410 

hury  A..  410 

Rufus,  36;,  410 

Thomas,  410 

William,  410 
Godard,  .Mbcrt  H.,  234 


Anson  G.,  235 

Anson  H.,  234 

Libby,  235 
Gokey,  Harriet,  13 

Joseph,  12 

Marvin  N..  i  ^ 

Noah  W..  12' 

William  N..  12 
Goldsmith.  James,  328 

Tessie,  32S 

Ross  L,  32S 
Goodell,  Albert.  148 

Charles  E.,  Dr.,  148 

Francesca,  149 

John  W..  148 

Robert,  148 
Goodwin,  Clara  L,  198 

Frank  P.,  Dr.,  198 

Perry  W.,  198 
Goranson,  Arthur  R.,  589 

Evelvn,  589 

Nels'R.,  589 
Goucher,  Curtis  N.,  Dr..  414 

G.  Lemar,  415 

Ma  Belle,  415 

William  E.,  Dr.,  414 
Gouinlock,  Herbert  L.  S76 

Herbert  J.,  Jr.,  576 

Tohn,  576 

"Mabel,'  576 
Gould,  Allen  A.,  120,  121 

Amaretta  A.,  121 

Everett  N.,  225 

Florence  E.,  225 

Joel  H.,  225 

^Tary  E.,  121 

Otis  S..  121 
Grafstrom,  Axel  V.,  Dr.,  567 

Carl  A..  Col..  567 

Julia.  567 
Grandin.  Belle  E.,  391 

Daniel,  390 

Daniel  H.,  390,  391 

John,  390 

Martha  T.,  391 

Samuel,  390 

Theodore  E.,  Com..  390,  391 
Green,  Augusta  E.,  148 

Charlotte  L,  544 

Clara  L.,  147 

Conrad,  543 

Conrad  W.,  543 

Edward  J.,  147 

Eleazrr.   147 

Ella  W.,  147 

George  W.,  202 

Harriet  S.,  203 

James  H.,  202 

Mary  E.,  147 
Groonleo,  Alta  F...  669 

Ivan   H..  06<) 

J.  ICarl,  669 

.Marion  I„.  669 
GrecnUind.  Arthur  H.,  12R 

Jessie.   128 
Greenwood,   Annie.  607 

lohn   W..  606,  607 

T.  Holder.  Cx,? 
Grinrnh.  Ellen  Y.,  621 

Fayette,  473 

Jeremiah,  481 

I,anrcncc  W.,  481 


Rhoda,  481 

Sackett,  621 

Wcllinglon  H.,  481 
Griswold,  Daniel,  149 

Daniel  B.,  149 

John,  149 

ALirtha,  150 
Gron,  Andrew,  186 

Bertha,  186 

Caroline  M.,  186 
^  Frederick  A.,  185,  186 
Gucntber,  Adam  J..  194 

Enmia  C,  194 

Henry,  194 

John  A.,  194 

John  H.,  194 
Gugino,  Antonia  A.,  569 

Josephine,  569 

Mary,  569 

Samuel  C,  569 
Guinnane,  Irene  K.,  183 

Tohn,  182 

Patrick  S.,  182 
Gustafson,  Anna  M.  M.,  304 

Jennie  O.,  634 

John  A..  303 

\'ictor  G.,  634 

Haas,  Charles  C,  521 

Huldah  G.,  521 

Peter,  521 
Hagg,  Grace  F.,  504 

Harrv  H.,  504 
Hale,  Alfred,  621 

Ariett,  621 

Chestina,  621 

Elijah  E..  621 

Eliza  J.,  Ill 

Helena  J.,  Ill 

Horace,  no 

James,  no 

John  W.,  109,  no 

Josiah,  no 

Milton  A.,  621 

William.  621 
Hall.  .\.  Augusta.  lOl 

Abira.  200.  212 

Alfred  E.,  23 

Asa.  141 

Benjamin,  411 

Carroll  M..  24 

Charlotte.  243 

Deliverance,  411 

Edward  L.,  243 

Eliza  A..  141 

Elizabeth  H..  23 

Elliot  C,  Rev.,  14=; 

Elliot  S.  (E.  Sneli),  146 

Erie,  141 

I'rederirk  P.,   iRR,  552 

Frederick  P.,  Jr.,  390 

George,  141 

Helen,  ,390 

Henri  M.,  389 

JrMnes,  loi.   too 

James  A.,  Dr.,  212 

James  E.,  141 

James  P.,  243 

Jessie,  390 

Jessie  F..,  141 

John  A.,  243.  ,388 

Julia,  145,  3^3 


INDEX 


691 


Laura,  200 
Levant  AL,  390 
Lewis,  loi 
Lucy,  389 
Marv  J..  213 
Mildred,  390 
Ralph  A.,  212 
Shirley  McE.,  24 
Tirzah,  145 
W.  C.  J.,  Maj.,  23 
William,  144.  383.  4" 
William,  Jr.,  144 
Halladav,  Alonzo,  641 
Fletcher  J.,  641 
Sarah  A.,  641 
Hallberg,  Edith  E.,  303 

Elliot,  303 
Hallin.  Anna  M.,  188 
Carl  J.,  187 
John  A.,  187 
Hallock,  Albert,  585 
Clara  M.,  383 
Emma.  585 
John  S.,  58s 
Moses,  Rev.,  383 
Peter,  383 
William,  383 
William  A.,  585 
William  A.,  Rev.,  383 
Hamilton,  Bertha  C,  520 
Charles  M.,  519 
Lucius  G.,  519 
Hanchett,  Charlotte  R.,  334 
Donald  C,  334 
Emily,  44 
Frank  E..  44 
Lathrop  L.,  43 
Theodore  D.,  334 
William,  43,  334 
Hansen.  .Alice.  298 
Ella  M.,  298 
Herman  M.,  297.  298 
Powell,  298 
Hanson,  .^nna  B.,  46.5 
August,  635 
Augusta  £.,  670 
Bartholomew  C,  67O 
Benght,  640 
Carl,  294 
Christina,  294 
Elof,  670 

Ernest  J..  639,  640 
James,  464 
James  E..  464 
Martha.  635 
Oliver  H..  670 
Ruth  R.,  640 
Hanvev,  Charles  .A.,  Dr.,  534. 
535 
Henrv  P.,  535 
Mabel  M.,  535 
Hapgood.  Emma  C,  426 
Herbert  L.,  426 
Lyman  P.,  426 
Harkness,  Brainard  T.,  455 
Effie  B.,  455 
Henderson,  455 
Louis  T.,  456 
Harmon.  Carl.  236 
Ernest  C,  236 
Francis  B..  236 
Harrigan.  John  H.,  510 


Marv,  510 

Thomas  H.,  Rev.,  510 
Harrington,  Addison  S.,  294 
Andrew  M.,  66 
Catherine  V.,  67 
Clarence  J.,  294 
Claude  L.,  294 
Daniel  J.,  446 
Helen,  446 

James,  446  " 

James  A.,  294 
Kate  L,  67 
Keziah,  66 
Laura  J.,  294 
Noah  W.,  66 
Sarah  G.,  67 
Harris,  Clara,  467 
Cora,  467 
Emilv,  467 
Eva  H.,  669 
Flory  B..  467 
Francis  E.,  466 
George  R..  669 
Gilbert  D.,  467 
John,  466 
John  G.,  669 
Jonathan,  466 
Lvdia  H.,  466 
Rdllin  A..  Dr.,  467 
Harrison,  James  J.,  Dr.,  457 
Marv,  458 
William  H.,  457 
Harter.  .Abby  J.,  641 
Frank  J.,  641 
James  P.,  641 
Harvey,  Anna,  622 
Carl  S.,  622 
Oscar,  622 
Ha.skin.  Claud  D.,  583 
Edith,  584 
Helen  L.,  583 
Ralph,  583 
Warren.  583 
Haskins,  Albert  H.,  669 
Henrv,  660 
Nellie  P.,  669 
Haves.  Floyd  W.,  Dr.,  563 
Ida  L.,  563 
John  B..  563 
Hayner,  Anna,  623 
Edgar  M.,  622 
Herman  D.,  622 
Lizzie.  622 
Phillip  P.,  622 
Morris  P.,  622 
Havward,  Frederic  C.  623 
Levi  M..  623 
Sarah  T..  623 
Hazard,  Caleb.  513 
Cassius  C,  514 
Columbus  C,  513.  514 
Eliza,  514 
Sylvester,  513 
Hazeltine,  .Abner,  95 
Alice  L.  96 
.Mton  E.,  439 
Daniel  C,  439 
Edward  L.,  Dr..  104 
Elizabeth  H.,  96 
Fanny.  96 
Gertrude.  104 
Henrv   M..   Rev.,  95 


Jennie  W.,  440 
Katherine,  105 
Laban,  Dr.,  103,  104 
Matilda,  95 
Polly,  95 
Richard  F.,  104 
Stella  J.,  104 
Hazzard,  Alma,  665 
Brownell  P.,  665 
Cyrus,  640 
George,  665 
Nellie  M..  640 
Sumner  M.,  640 
Wesley  M.,  665 
Hcdin,  .\ndrew  O.,  634 
John  G.,  634 
Selma,  634 
Helgran,  A.  Fred.  449 
A.  Gordon.  450 
Chester,  450 
John,  449 
Mary  L.,  450 
Helminiak,   Michael    F.,   Rev., 

470 
Henderson,  Lucia  T.,  168 
Martha  Y.,  168 
Svlvanus  L.,  168 
W'illiam  W.,  168 
Henning,  Charles  L.,  654 
Frederick,  654 
Ida,  65=; 
Heppell,  Harriet  S.,  547 
Richard  H.,  =47 
Richard  W.,  547 
Herrick.  Anson  L..  448 
Charles  W.,  448 
Gertrude  E.,  448 
John  D.,  623 
Rebecca,  623 
William  M..  623 
Hersperger,  Adam,  297 
.Adam,  Jr.,  297 
Mabel  T..  297 
Howes,  Cassius  M.  C,  659 
Daniel,  253 
Daniel  H.,  362 
Ella,  254 
George  W.,  253 
Tared,  362 
Lorilla.  .362 
Olive,  6S9 
Robert  P..  650 
Walter  W..  .362 
Hickey,  Anna  M.,  260 
Connor,  259 
Frank  H..  509 
Franklin  H.,  260 
Harold  H.,  Dr.,  509 
Harry  B.,  260 
John,  259 
Mildred.  509 
Higgins,  Bertha,  259 
Henry  T.,  259 
Patrick  J.,  259 
Hillberg,  Hannah  C.  372 
Tohn,  Rev.,  372 
John  E..  Rev.,  372 
Hilton.  .Anne,  175 
Clarence  L.,  276 
David.  175 
Elizabeth  O.,  276 
Esther,  175 


6Q2 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Frederick  E.,  276 

Tames.  175 

John  H..  J-O 

Richard.  175 

Thomas.  175 

Thomas  E.,  275 

Thomas  E..  Jr.,  276 

William,  27; 
Hitchcock,  Charles,  6.45 

Daniel,  645 

Freeman,  645 

George.  645 

George  F.,  645 

Henry,  645 

John,  645 

Margaret,  645 

Margaret  G..  645 
Hoag.  Eugene  A..  661 

lona  M..  661 

Warren.  661 
Hoard.  Elicna.  666 

Tesse  >;..  666 

John.  666 
Holdredce.  Amv.  62^ 

E.  Mabel.  623 

Hilton.  62-^ 

Howard  C.  623 

T.  Warren.  623 
Hollenbeck.  Clifton  D.,  6.1? 

Daniel.  6j8 

Minnie.  6j? 
Holmbere.  Elim  E.,  2S0 

Gust..  2^•o 

Marina.  281 
Holmes.  Adaline,  61 

Alircd,  3-'3 

Annie.  426 

Ellen  T..  M3 

Henry  S..  426 

Jane  E..  644 

Jonathan.  644 

Tustin.  61 

'M.  C.  426 

Phebe  L..  62 

Preston.  61 

Thomas  C..  644 
H<-okcr.  Carrie  E.,  ^65 

Charles   I..  :;65 

Etta  E..  40: 

Frr-d  H..  565 

John.  J04 

Sherman  A..  405 

Warren  B..  404 
Hopkins.  Byron  J..  623.  624 

Catherine.  ^41 

Ed-.v-n  R..  Dr..  ^I 

Ella  A..  624 

Emily  E.   :.!  r 

Ezra.  541,  623 

Ir>T.fS.  272 

'Msry.  272 
Hor.sr.n.  Adelaide  J..  408 

Charles  O..  408 

Harold  P..  408 

Harrv  R.,  407,  4r»8 

Harry  P...  Jr.,  408 

John.  JfO 

Linus.  407 

Lvman.  407 

M.-Ttha.  407 

T.faudc  \'..  A'^ 

Kfl--on.  408 


Philo,  407 

Samuel.  407 
Horton.  Charles  R.,  624 

David.  624 

Emily  A..  624 

Ezra.  624 

Ezra,  Jr„  624 

Ezra  A„  624 

Naomi,  624 

Nathan  T„  261 

Sally,  624 

Susie  E.,  262 

Truman,  Rev.,  261 
Houghton,  Effie  .-\„  3S7 

Henrv  R..  3S6 

Tames  B.,  3S7 

"Leon  E.,  ,387 

Thomas  B.,  3S6 
Hoiighwout,  Bessie  L.,  256 

Irvin  B.,  256 

Isaac,  255 

Sumner  I.,  255 
House,  David,  602 

Emmit  D.,  602 

Lizzie  .■\..  602 
Howes.  .-Kngeline,  314 

Cl-.arloltc  L.,  314 

Simeon,  313 

Svlvanus,  313 
Hovt,  Charles  D.,  566 

Harold  P..  s66 

Mildred  M.,'  567 
Hiiltquist,  Carl  A.,  3S; 

Carlotta  M.,  385 

Clarence,  222 

Clarence  A..  385 

Ear!  O.,  381 

Earle  O..  222 

Marguerite  G..  222 
Hunn.  .■Mexander.  196 

John  W..  106 

kitty.  106 
Hunt,  Emily,  40 

Herbert  A.,  Dr.,  49 

Samuel  M.,  40 
Hunter,  Florence  I\r.,  319 

Garnet  M.,  Dr.,  319 

Samuel  J.,  310 
Huntington,  Nancy,  514 

■Wesley,  514 
Hyde,  Carrie  J.,  331 

Francis  E..  331 

Frederick  W.,  Maj.,  331 

Henry,  Capt.,  331 

Henry  AV.,  331 

William  L.,  Rev.,  331 

Ips<-,n,   Charles,   171 

Heiidrick,  171 

John  H.,  172 

Sophia,  172 
Irons,  Albert  L..  481 

Albert  N..  481 

L.  Blanche,  481 
Irvin,  Arthur  C,   178 

Ernest   C,   178 

lohn.   176 

T'.hn  M..  176,  177 

Xanrv.   178 
Irvine.  Francis  A.,  4i.i 

''tadclyn.  4.1.=; 

Oscar.  4^: 


Isbell,  Henry.  540 
Richard,  540 
Susan  M.,  538,  540 

Jackson,  Anna  C,  191 

Edward  M.,  602 

Elijah,  357 

Irene  A.,  358 

John,  191 

John  E.,   191 

"Margaret  A.,  602 

Marvin  W.,  191 

Obadiah,  602 

Olive  B.,  6o2 

Robert  H.,  357 

Townsend,  602 

William  E.,  357 
Jackway,  -\rras,  462 

Clarence  D.,  462 

John,  462 
Jacobson,  Frank  A.,  188 
James,  Harry,  321 

John  W.,  321 

Kate  S.,  321 
Jamestown  Lighting  &  Power 

Co.,  461 
Jamestown  Panel  Co,,  252 
Jamestown  Table  Co,,  249 
Jamestown  L^pholstery  Co., 

Inc.,  4-9 
JefFerds,  Lamont  A.,  326 

Owel,  326 

Tillie  M.,  327 
Jenncr,  Asher,  220 

Charles  J.,  220 

Inez  C,  221 
Jensen,  Andeas,  667 

Tens  A.,  667 

"Sofie  P.,  667 
Tobes,  .Mton  D.,  Dr.,  465 

Hattie  V..  465 

Vernon  LeR.,  465 

W'illiam,  465 
Johnson,  Addie,  601 

Adolf  F..  176 

Albert  G.,  184 

.■Mbertina,  640 

.Mbertina  C,  270 

Alice  v.,  448 

Alma  C,  667 

Alton  S..  Dr.,  235 

.Andrew  J.,  251 

Au.cust,  661 

Bertha,  644 

Bessie,  50 

Charles  A.,  360 

Edward  L.,  225 

Edward  P.,  251 

Elmer  M.,  661 

Emma  A.,  245 

Emy,  225 

Frank  A.,  184 

Fred,  184 

Hannah,  361 

Herbert  B.,  .=;i 

James.  225 

Joban,  245 

lohn,  40 

bihn  D.,  40 

Jr.bn    F.,    22q 

L.bn  M.,  640 
Jr.bu  N.,  .147 


INDEX 


693 


John  P.,  269 

Jones  E.,  24s 

Julia  A.,  251 

Lillian,  661 

Ludvvick,  644 

Margaret,  184 

May  A.,  185 

Melvin  P.,  6oi 

Mildred,  236 

Milton  J.,  51 

N.  Oscar,  245 

Nels  P.,  176 

Nelson  A.,  Dr.,  447 

Oscar  F.,  662 

Otto  B.,  235 

Otto  F.,  640 

Peter  M.,  269 

Richard,  51 

Sofia,  176 

Stella  v.,  SI 

Theodore  O.,  667 

Titus,  601 

Victor  C,  176 

Vida,  662 
Jones,  Andrew  P.,  444 

Anna  S.,  332,  444 

Augustus  W.,  452 

Celinda,  442 

Charles  P.,  641 

Charles  R.,  444 

Christine,  641 

Clayton  M„  444 

David.  442 

Earl  C,  44^ 

Ebenezer,  582 

Edgar,  650 

Elisha  L.,  554 

Eliza  H.,  217 

Ellen  E.,  217 

Elmer  A.,  Dr.,  452 

Emily,  554 

Estclle.  456 

Eva  M.,  217 

Frank  W..  641 

Hannah  C,  423 

Harvey  F.,  456 

Helen  B.,  452 

Isaiah,  456 

Jacob  H.,  442 

Jehu  P.,  456 

John,  641 

John  A.,  423 

Lucius,  216 

Lucius,  Jr..  215,  216 

Margaret  J..  650 

Mary  E.,  582 

Orrin  M..'650 

Robert  E.,  582 

Sidney,  331,  332 

Solomon,  331 

Thomas,  442 
Jordan,  Albert,  117 

Emma  L.,  Dr.,  117 

Vera  V.,  118 
Jude,  George  W.,  361 

Joseph,  361 

Lyda  P.,  362 

Kane,  Daniel,  385 
Frank  J..  Dr.,  385 
Mary,  385 

Karin,  Louise  A.,  542 


Michael.  542 

Simon  J.,  542 
Karlson,  Albin  J.  E.,  317 
Kase,  Emma  E.,  422 

John,  422 

John  E.,  422 

Ralph  S.,  422 

Simeon  J.,  422 
Kellogg,  Blanche,  275 

James  H.,  Dr.,  274,  275 

Silas,  275 
Kent,  Alba  M.,  417 

Albert  J.,  257,  645 

Archibald,  417 

Bessie,  679 

Edna  M.,  318 

Eleanor,  418 

Elisha,  417 

Elisha,  Rev.,  417 

Elmore  M.,  317,  318 

Elvina,  458 

Eva  M.,  645 

Floyd  E.,  257 

George,  458 

Herman,  458 

Ivan  E.,  418 

John,  417 

Joseph  M.,  256 

Lucian  H.,  317,  678,  679 

Marvin  H.,  458 

Maude  E.,  257 

Morgan  B.,  417,  418 

Moses.  317,  678 

Rov  P.,  2S7 

Roy  VV.,  583 

Sadie  E.,  583 

Samuel,  417 

Thomas,  417 

Vernon  A.,  678,  679 

William  H.,  257 

William    L.,    256,    257,    583, 
645 
Keopka,  Emma,  608 

Frederick,  608 

William  F.,  608 
Kerr,  David  E.,  547 

George  W.,  547 

Hubert  F.,  S48 

John  \y.,  548 

Josephine.  548 
Kessel.  Charles  A.,  624 

John,  624 

Leroy  C,  625 

Margaret,  624 
Kettle,  Arthur  W.,  307 

Ida  E.,  308 

Joseph.  Rev.,  307 
Kidder,  Ezbai,  463 

Flora.  464 

Samuel,  463,  464 

Samuel  P.,  463,  464 
Kimbel,  Ellen  C,  565 

Horace.  565 

Horace  E.,  565 

Stephen,  565 
King,  Edgar,  563 

William  E.,  562 

Ziba,  563 
Kingman,  Charles  H.,  241 

Florence  V.,  241 

John,  241 

John  F.,  240 


Kinney,  Charles,  108 

Sarah  J.,  108 
Kling,  Andrew  P.,  429 

Anna  A.,  430 

John  A.,  429 
Knapp,  Caleb,  351 

Darius,  351 

Ellen,  351 

James,  351 

John,  351 

Lewis,  352 

Nicholas,  351 
Knowlton,  Anna  A.,  238 

Augustus  E.,  238 

Rachel  L,  238 

William  A.,  238 
Koch,  Frederick,  233 

Herman,  232 

Herman  L.,  233 

Louis,  233 

Wilhelmina,  233 
Koenig,  Anna  M.,  247 

Frederick  F.,  Dr.,  247 

William,  247 
Kofod,  Andrew,  642 

Anna,  642 

Peter,  642 
Kolpien,  Alice,  482 

.-Mton  L.,  482 

Frank,  482 

Frank  L.,  481,  482 
Krause,  Louis,  592 

Otto,  592 

Otto  F.,  592 

Margaret,  592 

La  Paglia.,  Caroline,  299 

James,  299 

Joseph  R.,  Dr.,  299 
Lahl.  John,  633 
Lake.  Daniel,  ^68 

Daniel  F.,  568 

Edwin  F.,  568 

George  E.,  s68 

Henry,  568  ' 

Mary  E.,  568 
Landers.  Charles.  sS-s 

Frank,  580 

George,  580 

John  J.,  Rev.,  5S0 

Marv  A.,  s8o 

WiU'iam,  580 
Lanning,  Aaron  A.,  625 

Charles  D.,  625 

Edgar  J.,  625 

Francis,  625 

Fred  L.,  62s 

John,  625 

Lizzie,  625 

William  H.,  625 
Larson,  Elmer  E.,  442 

Harry  R.,  442 

Henry  J.,  606 

John  A.,  606 

Margaret,  606 

Oscar,  606 

Peter,  441 

Peter  E.,  441 

Plenney  S.,  442 

Sophia,  442 

Walter,  442 


694 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Lawrence.  Albro,  6oi 

AHda.  ixii 

Annis  S.,  I  So 

Lewis  M..  Rev..  iSo 

Simon.  6oi 
Lawson.  Archie,  274 

August  J..  039 

Aucusta  M.,  274 

Carl  C.  2-4 

Charles  P.,  274 

Donald  E..  039 

John,  274 

John  E..  274 

Nelse  P..  639 

\'elma,  639 
Lazell.  Esto  L,  35 

Hiram.  35 

Lavern  \V..  35 
Leach.  Aaron  H.,  322 

Charles  G.,  322 

Jacob.  322 

Joseph,  322 

Martha  J..  322 
Lenhart.  Dora  B.,  250 

John  J..  Dr.,  249 

Peter.  249 
Len:ia.  Hilda  M.,  $33 

Oscar  A.,  533 
Letocha,  Petrus,  Rev.,  501 

Simon,  501 
Level  Furniture  Co.,  543 
Levin.  Andrew,  632 

Axel,  632 

Hedvig.  633 
Lewis.  Br>-ce,  459 

Charles  A.,  459 

Frances,  459 

Harriet.  459 

Harry  R..  459 

Harry  R.,  Jr..  459 

Jane.'  459 

Richard,  439 
Leworthy,  Arabelle,  454 

Henry,  453 

Henry  K.,  454 

John,  453 

Ralph  fl.,  4^4 

William  B.,^453 
Liodlilad,  .Augusta  O..  277 

Carl  L.,  276 

Carl  S..  277 

Frederick,  276 
Lillibridge,  Emma  B.,  58 

Frank  G..  58 

George.  ^8 

Polly  M.',  38 
Lincoln,  Annie,  400 

Harrison,  400 

Newton,  460 
Lindhcck,  Charles,  294 

Charles  J.,  290 

Ida  E.,  294 

Myrtle  ^^.  2'/j 

7<ichard  N.,  Dr.,  290 
Linrll)l:i'l,  August,  291 

John,  291 

-Matilda,  291 

Olof  J.,  291 
Lindcll,  Adia  M.,  r/;S 

Eric  A..  f/j7 

John,  f/17 
Lindcrholm.  T.  E.,  1R8 


Lindquist,  Alfred  T.,  666 

Esther  A.,  666 

Jacob  A.,  666 
Lindsey,  Charles  G.,  254 

Melita,  253 
Linquest,  Alfred,  172 

Bertha,  173 

Ida,  173 

Oscar  B.,  172 

Walter  L.,  173 
Linsmeier,  Joseph  C,  Rev.,  48 
Livingston,'Alfred  T.,  Dr.,  382 

Catherine.  383 

John,  382 

Jolin  J..  383 

Nellie  E.,  383 

William,  Dr.,  382 
Lockwood,  George  L.,  435 

Lillian,  435 

Melzar  A.,  435 
Lodico,  Frank.  450 

Louis  J.,  Dr..  430 

Mary,  450 
Lofgren.  Andrew  G.,  288 

Axel  G..  288 

C.  A.  Ravmond,  Dr.,  288 

Ida  C,  288 
Look,  Agnes  E.,  558 

Arthur  W.,  558" 

Warren  P...  558 
Loomis,  Daniel,  668 

Levi,  668 

Marie  E.,  668 
Lord,  Blanche,  236 

Clark  L.,  236 

Clark  T..  236 

Dehart  E.,  236 

Elon.  236 

Frank,  639 

Jennie,  639 

Samuel,  639 
Loucks,  Elizabeth,  2,30 

George,  230 

John,  230 

Newcomb  L.,  230 

Thomas,  230 

William  J.,  230 
Love,  Andrew,  215 

Henry   F.,   215 

John,   213 

Marine  M.,  213 
Lowe,    Carrie,   609 

Daniel,  609 

James   B..  608,  609 
Lowell,  Clyde  M.,  202 

Fred  A..  202 

James   W.,  201 

Martha   L.,  202 

Slierman    J.,   201 
F^ozza,  Charles,  363 

Mary,  363 

I'eter,    Rev.,   363 
Luce,  Joseph,  454 

Levi,    434 

Minnie,  454 
LiukI,  Augusta,  273 

C.   !•.,  273 

Ctertrude,  436 

Gu-itaf  A.,   273 

Henry   M.,  436 

Jame^,  436 
Lundgren,   I'.criha,  6or 


Carl  0.,  600 

James,  600 
Lundquist,  Carl  A.,  286 

Ellen   B.,  286 

George  C,  287 

Harold  V.,  287 

Paul   H.,  287 

Ralph  E.,  287 
Lupean,    Frederick,   625 

Nellie  E.,  626 

William   F..   623 
Lvon,  Jane  C,  127 

Harry  B.,  Dr.,  126 

Marjorie,  127 

Willard,   126 

McCalluni,  Alice  M.,  232 

Clarence    K.,   232 

James  S.,  231,  232 

William  W.,  231 
McCartney,   George  M.,   Dr., 
193 

Mary,    193 

William  P.,  193 

William  T.,  193 
McDowell,  James,  600 

James  A.,  600 

Pearl,  600 
McEwen,  Charles,  281 

George  B.,  281 

Mabel,   281 
McGinnies,  Anna,  323 

Joseph  A.,  522 

William,   322 
McMillan,  Andrew  J.,  638 

Emma  L.,  638 

John  L..  638 

Mackinzie.  Amy,  633 

Ilenrv   S..  653 

William    P.,  "633 
Mackowiak,   Agnes,  301 

John   A.,  301 

Michael,  301 
Maddox,  Alice,  76 

Barton  J.,   76 

John,  yy 

Thomas,  74 

William  J.,  74 
Mahle,   Ella,  298 

Grace  E.,  298 

Hclvin,  298 

Jeremiah,  298 
Mahoney,   John   J.,    Dr.,   219,. 
220 

Mary  M.,  220 

Thomas,  219 
Main,  C'harles  J.,  63 

Fred  R.,  242 

Maurice  C,  63 

Melissa  P.,  242 

My  rile,  65 

VVilli.im,  242 
M.-inii,  Anna,  519 

Jeremiah,  319 
Markham,  Adelbert,  600 

Grace   L.,   600 

Mark,  600 

Warren  M.,  600 
M.-niin,  Abraham,  387 

Alice,  608 

Alonzo  D.,  608 


INDEX 


695 


Alonzo  J.,  608 

Eliza   M.,   608 

Frederick.   588 

George  B.,  587 

Inez    M.,  647 

Joseph   B.,  646 

Roscoe  B.,  646 

Telia,  588 

William,  Capt.,  587 
Marvin,  Alice  L.,  358 

Henry    F.,    358 

Isabella,  14 

Marv  E.,  16 

Richard    P.,    14 

Robert   N.,   15 

William  H.,  358 
Mason,  Caroline  J.,  384 

Clarence,  523 

John  C,  383.  384 

Levant  L.,  383,  384 

Lillian,  S24 

Perry  A.,  523 

William   C,  384 
Mathews,  Alvah,  197 

Elma,  198 

Vernon,  197 
Mattocks,  Augusta,  629 

John  B.,  629 
Mecusker,  Dudley,  626 

Edna,   626 

Glen,  626 

Patrick,   626 

Walter,   626 
Medd,   Charlotte  M.,  234 

Edward,  233 

Frank  B.,  234 

Frank  B.,  Sr.,  233 

George  H.,  234 

Lionel  A.,  234 

Lucy,  234 
Mee,  Berle,  626 

Josephine,  638 

Ralph  T.,   626 
"    Stanley,   626 

Thomas,  626 

William,  637 

W'illiam,  Jr.,  637 
Meerdink,   Frank  W.,  475 

Garrett,  475 

Mary    E.,    475 
Melvin,   Charles   L.,  586 

Tames,  586 

"Kate  M.,  586 
Menges,  Angeline,  638 

Henry,  638 

Philipp  A.,  638 
Meredith,   Florence  B.,  98 

George  O.,  97 

Thomas,  97 
Merrill,   Edwin   F.,   169 

Emma  L.,  i6g 

Marcus  F.,   i6g 
Merz,   Frank,  80 

Lena  C,  81 

Sebastian,  80 
Messinger,  Arthur  C,  597 

Calvin,   597 

Cordelia.  598 
Mettendorff,  Gertrude,  551 
Harry  A.,   551 
Peter,  551 
Militello,  Antony,  656 


Jennie,  657 
Joseph,   656 
Miller,   Alida  M.,  669 

George,   669 

Lewis,  94 

Ray,  669 
Mills,  Guy  L.,  316 

Leslie   G.,  316 

Samuel,   316 

Vesta,  316 
IVIilspaw,  Guy  W.,  443 

Jennie  A.,  443 

William,  443 
Mitchell,  Eliphalet,  25 

Sophronia.  25 
Monarch  Furniture  Co.,  279 
Monchow,   Carlina  M.,  498 

Edward,   498 

Elizabeth,  498 
?\Iong,  Cora,   170 

E.    Benton,   170 
Monroe,  Anna,  506 

Ellen,  214 

Elmon.  506 

Harry   C.,  214 

Henry  A.,  213 

Louis   G.,  506 

Nelson  H.,  214 

Simon,  213 

Simon  F.,  214 
iilontague,  Annie  E.,  493 

Elijah,  492 

Esther  A.,  493 

Frank  W.,  493- 

George  E..  493 

Mary  A.,  493 

Myron,  492 
Moore,  Arthur  R.,  353 

Charles   W.,   598 

Iva   F..  598 

James   M..   598 

Martha  S.,  353 

Matthew  S..  Dr.,  352 

Mvrtie  R.,  598 

Sally  D.,  353 
Moran,   Albert  T.,  316 

Charles,   316 

Cornelius,  315 

Edward  J.,  316 

Frank,  316 

George  S.,  316 

Lueila.  316 

Thomas,  315,  3i6 
Morris,   Henry  G.,  34 

James,  34 

Josiah  \^^,   Dr.,  34 

Mary,  34 

Sidney,  34 
Morrison,  Earl  R.,  252 

Frank,  252 

Georgia,  252 
Morse,   Adda  M.,  327 

Fred  E..  327 

Harrv    P.,   327 

H^ram  P..  327 
Mosher,  Charles  B.,  Dr.,  175 

Ephraim,  399 

Francis  R..  582 

George  D.,  175 

Henry   E..   398,  399 

Marcia,    582 

Martha  M.,  399 


Mary,  175 

Peter,  399 

Stiles  B.,  399 

Thomas  W.,  582 
Mott,  Aaron  V.  R.,  131 

Flora,    131 

Frank  H.,  130,  131 
Moynihan,  Cornelius  J.,  498 

Daniel,    498 

Delia,  499 

John  P.,  650 
Myers,   Edgar  E.,   188,   189 

F.    Laverne,    188 

Frank   C,   607 

J.  Floyd,  188 

John  G.,   189 

Maud,  607 

Minnie  E.,   189 

Roberta  A.,   189 

Stuart,  607 

W.   S.,   188 

William    C,    607 

Neate,  Blanche  W..  309 

Menzo   W.,   309 

Nathan   M.,  310 

Reuben,   309 
Negus,  Clayton  W.,  597 

Elwood,  597 

Emmeline  C.,  597 

John,   597 

Mary  E.,  597 

Ray.'  597 
Nelson,  M.   R.,  Dry  Goods 

Co.,   555 
Nelson,  Ada,  556 

Albert,   595 

Alfreda.  668 

Alma  C,  643 

Anna  M.,  597 

Anton.  668 

August,   596 

August  F.,  437 

Augustus   C,  438 

Belle.  479 

Bessie   N.,  479 

Carl   R.,  636 

Charles,   59S 

Charles  A..  555 

Clarence,  644 

Elin   E.,  425 

Elizabeth  C,  642 

Ernest   L.,   555 

Frank  C,  643 

Fred  A..  478 

Frederick,  642 

George  E.,  644 

Gustaf  A.,  437 

Hannah  E.,  637 

James  P..  643 

Joseph.    345 

Joseph,  Jr.,  345 

Julia  A.,  346 

Mabel.  555 

Martin  R.,  555 

Mary,  438 

Mary  O.,  595 

Nels  A.,  425 

Oscar,  636 

Peter  A..  596 

Robert.  345 

Sven  E.,  425 


696 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


\'erner.  608 

\'ictor  F.,  478 
Newell.  Fred  H.,  627 

Mabel.  627 

Milton  G.,  627 
Xewman.  Grace,  664 

Philip.  664 

William.  664 

William  J.,  664 
Xewton.  Abraham  F.,  186 

Alice   A..    187 

Frank.    187 

George.   187 

Harriett.  462 

Hattie.  187 

Henr\-.  462 

N'athan  P..  186 

Nathan   P..  Jr.,   187 

Robert  L..  462 
Nichols.  Andrew,  545 

Benjamin.    S4S 

Charles  J..  656 

Charles  M..  541.  ^46 

Charles  W..'6^6"^ 

Clifford   W..  47 

David.  545 

Elizabeth,  47 

Frederick  H.,   Dr.,  47 

George,  6i6 

Helen,   656 

Raymond.  656 

Sadie    (Sara'),    547 

Thomas.  545 
Nisson,    Frederick    W.,    Dr., 
283 

Lucv,  28^ 

Wiliiam   F.,   283 
Nixon,   Marion    G.,  312 

Samuel  F.,312 

Samuel  F..  Jr..  312 
Nolan.  Charles  E..  642 

Elizabeth    M.,   642 
Norby,  Jennie,  667 

Nicholas.  667 

Olaf.  667 
Nord.  Alfred  A.,  377 

.Mldor.  377 

Andrew   M.,  377 

Andrew  P.,  54,  55 

Anna    E..    377 

.'\rtlnir   M.,  55 

.\uKust    F..   376 

Edward   C,  377 

Esther,   377 

John  M.,  54 

Julia   A.,  S5 

Rose  H.,  377 
Xordstrum,  Chester,  463 

Frank  G..  462,  463 

May  F.,  463 
.N'orman,   Allan    J.,   644 

Grace.  645 

Jeremiah.  644 

John   C,  644 
Nor'iuist.  .\.  (■.  Co..  Inc..  82 
Norqui.^t,  .Nuxust  C,  82 

Augusta  C,  83 

Charles   E.,  83 

Charles  J.,  82 

(';iydc    L.,    83 

Frank  O.,  82,  265,  260 

Glc-n   H.,  83 


John  M.,  82.  266 

Josephine   W.,   266 

Ralph  A..  83 

Reynold.  266 
Northrop,  John  L.,  279 

Joseph,  270 

Rhoda.  280 
Norton.   Elijah.  139 

Elizabeth  P.,  140 

John,  409 

Levi  W.,  Rev.,  139 

Lucy  S.,  140 

Mercy,   410 

Richard,  409 

Thomas.  409,   410 

William,   409 
Nundy,  Bertha  M.,  596 

Charles  H.,  596 

O'Connor.   Edmund   J.,   Rev., 

541 
O'Hara,  Charles  H.,  Rev.,  508 

Ellen,  508 

James.  508 
Oakes.  Gerald,  627 

Grace.    627 

John,  627 

Ralph.  627 

Reuben.   627 
Oburg.   Bebe.  397 

Elon  M.,  397 

Oscar.    397 

Peter,   397 

Victor   F..  398 
Odell,  Agnes,  153 

Henry  L.,   120,   153 

Henry  W.,   118,   119 

John.    119 

John   P.,   119 

Jonathan,  119 

Lonna.    120 

William,    118.    119 
Ognibene,   Frank  A.,   Dr.,  332 

Ross.  332 

Sarah,  332 
Okcrlind,   Charles  A.,   174 

Elvena,  174 

Melin  A.,  174 
Olnfson.   Carl,  289 

Mary.   289 
Olson  fOlsen),  August  P.,  343 

C.   Elmer,  506 

Charles   V.,   506 

Christine,  506 

Evelyn  L,  343 

Frideborg  M.,  306 

Ida,  343 

Jens.   343 

Louis   A..   343 

William  J.,  306 
Oprlykc    rCjpdyck-Opdvcke), 

All)ert,  52s 

George,    526 

George   F.,  525,  528 

Ida.  528 

Johannes,  5^5 

Joshua,   525 

T-cwis  J.,  525 

Lula   E.,  528 

Luther,    =;26 

Wilbur   F..   528 
Cjrmes,   Cornelius,    Dr.,   129 


Cornelius   F..  Dr.,  130 

Francis  D.,  Dr.,   129,  130 

John.   129 

Jonathan,   129 

Leona,   130 
Osgood.  Edmond  B.,  548 

Edmond  O.,  548 

Elizabeth,  548 
Ostrander,  Alton  C,  652 

Celestia   T.,   652 

David,  652 

Egbert  S.,  652 

Forest    E..  652 

Fort  L.,  652 
Ottaway,  Arthur  B.,  518,  519 

Horace,  483 

James,    325,   482 

John  E.,  325,  S18 

Mabel,  326 

Myrtle,  519 

Orrie  A.,  325 

Osmer  J.,  325 

Susie,  483 

\\'illiam  H.,  482,  483 

Palmer.  Alice  V.,  551 

Joseph  N.,  SSI 

Ralph  J.,  SSI 
Paquin.  Catherine  C,  588 

Joseph,  588 

Martin  J.,  s88 
Park.  Mary  G.,  215 

Nehemiah,  214 

Robert  L,  214 
Parker,  Aaron  H.,  637 

Anna,  428 

Bert.  428 

Fred.  428 

Grace.  428 

Grant.  428 

Harvev  W,,  427 

Joel  R..  223 

Julius  J.,  223 

Lucy  H.,  223 

Mary,  223 

Mary  F.,  637 

Quincy  O.,  637 

William,  427 
Parks.  Anna  M.,  341 

Charles  E.,  341 

Ella  A.,  341 

Simeon,  341 

Simeon  W.,  341 
Parlato.  Archie  V.,  Dr.,  379 

Frances,  379 

Vincent,  379 
Partridge,  Anna  E.,  19 

Ezekiel,  18 

Frank  E.,  18,  19 

James.  18 

Joel.  18,  19 

John,  18 
Patterson,  Frances  DeE.,  87 

George  W.   (l),  86 

George  W.  (2),  86 

George  W.  (3),  87 

John.  86 

Peter,  86 

Robert,  86 

Thomas,  86 
Pearl  City  Laundry,  188 
Pearson,  Frans,  670 


INDEX 


697 


Freda,  670 
Helena  A.,  670 
Pierre,  670 
Pease,  Abel,  491 
Earl  E.,  470 
Ebenezer,  491 
Eva  E.,  470 
Everett  H.,  469.  470 
Hiram  G.,  469 
John,  Capt.,  491 
Leslie  A.,  49i,  492 
Luna  B.,  492 
Rennie    S.,   4/0 
Truman  A.,  Dr.,  491.  492 
Penhollow,  Elowyn  S.,  586 
Jesse  A.,  586 
Nathan,  586 
Patience  E.,  586 
Winfield  S.,  586 
Perkins,  Darwin  C,  Dr.,  190 
Margaret,  191 
Truman  H.,  190 
Perry,  Christine,  664 
Clinton,  663,  664 
James  C,  663 
Ray,  664 
Persons,  Caroline,  628 
Charles,  628 
Charles  D.,  425 
Elizabeth  T.,  425 
Harold,  628 
Jay,  628 
Mary,  628 
Minnie,  628 
Orris,  627 
Paul  S.,  Dr.,  425 
Walter  E..  627 
Peters,  Henry  D.,  637 
Henry  T.,  637 
Selma,  637 
Theodore,  637 
Peterson,  Albert,  302 
Alvin  E.,  445.  628 
Andrew,  186 
Augusta  M.,  56 
Anguste   B.    (A.   Eartholdi), 

Maj.,  5^^ 
Carl  O.,  300 
Charles,  296 
Charles  A.,  639.  665 
Charles  G.,  542 
Clarissa  M.,  534 
Clayton.  543 
Edward  A.,  533 
Emma,  628 
Frank  P.,  296 
Gust  C,  542 
Hannah,  665 
Hildra,  543 
Ida  C,  302 
Ida  J.,  639 
Jennie  M.,  445 
John.  302 
Karl,  289 
Lisa  L..  445.  628 
Mable  C,  296 
Nells  O.,  56 
Otto,  445.  628 
Perry,  665 
Peter.  186,  639 
Rudolph  E.,  56 


Swen  G.,  300 
Victor,  56 
Pettit,  George,  R.,  199 
Henry  W.,  I99 
James  J.,  I99 
Laura  E.,  I99 
William  W.,  i99 
Philippbaar,  Catharma,  60 
Clara  H.,  60 
Daniel,  59 
Fred,  60 
Kate,  60 
Louis,  60 
Michael,  59 
Rudolph,  60 
Theresa,  60  . 

Philo  Burt  Manufacturing  Co., 

90 
Pickard,  Alonzo  C,  452 
Clare  A.,  452,  453 
Henry,  Maj.,  452 
John,  452 
Rachael  453 
Pickett.  Blanche,  230 
Whitfield.  230 
William  W.,  230 
Pickup,  Chancy  W.,  59° 
Jessie  M.,  596 
Philip  B..  506 
Pierce,  Abigail  W.,  117 

John,  117 
Pierpont.  Chauncy,  607 
Florence,  608 
Florence  M.,  608 
Jessie  M.,  608 
Tohn  E..  607.  608 
Pittsburgh   and   Freeport   Coal 

Co.,  498 
Policy,  Clayton  L.,  595 
Eugene,  595 
Mae  E..  595 
Porter,  Edwin  S.,  240 
Elijah,  239 
Grace,  136 
Hubert  E.  V.,  135 
Israel,  135 
Israel  W.,  135 
Tohn.  135 
Marshall  A.,  239 
Nellie  T.,  239 
Samuel,  13S 
Volnev  H.,  135 
Powell,  Annie  R.,  502 

Jesse,  502 
Powers,  Edgar  L.,  189 
Elmer  W.,  Dr.,  329 
Gertrude.  329 
Irvine,  34 
loel,  329 
"Tohn  C.  W.,  34 
Toseph  B.,  .33 
L.  Delos,  189 
Leslie  E.,  190 
Lucretia  L.,  34 
Luther.  189 
Mary  J.,  189 
Rollin  D.,  32.  33  ^    „„ 
Prather,  Abraham  C,  00 
Abraham  S.,  88 
Henrv,  88 
Sarah,  88 
Thomas  H..  88 


Pratt,  Edwards  H.,  Maj.,  224 

Jason  E.,  594 
John  G.,  594 
Marv  E.,  594 
Miner  G.,  Rev.,  224 
Rufus.  594 
Sarah,  224 
Prendergast,  Clara  S.,  518 
Emma,  62 
James,  517 
James  H.,  516,  518 
John  H.,  517 
Martin,  123,  51/ 
Matthew,  123.  517 
Phoebe,  123 
Thomas,  121 
William,  62,  121,  516 
William,  Dr.,  121,  123,  517 
Price,  Frances,  305 
George  F.,  305 
Walter  F.,  305 
Pritchard,  Abraham,  198 
Daniel,  Rev.,  198 
Daniel  R.,  198,  I99 
Mariette,  I99 
Prosser.  Jefferson  W.,  217 

Sarah   E.,   217 
Proudfit,  Ellen  E.,  loi 
William  H.,  100 
William  P.,  100 
Purcell,  Elizabeth,  228 
Fred  C.  Dr.,  227 
Thomas,  227 
Putnam,  Abner,  322 
Allan,  609 
Allen,  379 
Alvira,  487 
Andrew,  487 
Angelia  E.,  20Q 
Charles  R.,  594 
Clesson  A.,  379 
Edgar  P..  Mai..  208 
Edward,  486 
Edwin,  322 
Edwin  D.,  Dr.,  323 
Elisha,  487 
Ellen  M.,  609 
Fern,  594 
Frank,  594 
Harriet  A..  323 
Helen  P..  323 
Herbert  E.,  609 
James  R.,  208 
Jane  V.,  380 
John,  208,  486 
Lorimer  A.,  609 
Mary  A.,  323 
Mary  E.,  209 
Oren,  Rev.,  487 
Persis,  380 
Susannah.  609 
Thomas,  Lieut.,  486 
William  .\..  Dr.,  3^^-  3-^ 

Randall,  Larry,  662 

Moses,  662 
Rappole.  Adam,  339 

Albertus  W.,  456 

Celina,  339 

Elizabeth   R..  457 

George,  456 


698 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Henn-,  330 

\  elona.  450 
Rater,  Allen.  595 

Bert.  651 

Charles,  503,  651 

Edward  A..  595 

Frank,  651 

Franklin  C,  503 

Frederick  H.,  595 

Henry.  505,  651 

Ining,  651 

Julius,  579 

Margaret  J.,  651 

Mary,  595 

Minne,  593 

Minnie,  579 

William  H.,  579 
Ratkowski,  Florence  B.,  379 

Michael,  ^8 

Michael  ]..  378 
Raynor.  George  R.,  506 

John,  506 
Reagan.  Edward  D.,  522 

Frances  C.  522 

John.  ^22 
Record.   Israel.  432 

John.  Rev..  432 

John  G..  432 

Jfiner\a  P.,  433 

Xellie  M..  433 

Walter.  432.  433 
Reid.  Florence  A.,  =04 

Herbert  H..  655 

Robert.  504.  655 

\"era,  565 

William  H..  504 
Remington,  Arthur  E.,  593 

Frank  O..  593 

Jessie  E..  ^93 

William  W..  593 
Rexford,  May,  161 

Thomas  J.,  160 

Warner  S.,  160 
Rhine-hart.  George,  636 

Isabelle.  636 

James.  459 

John  F.,  459 

Mcrtie,  460 

Murray,  460 

Rose  B..  460 

Ross.  460 
Rice.  Charles  H..  440 

Charles  W.,  159 

E.  Frankie.  441 

Fanny  E..  I'Jo 

Fred  C.  Dr.,  159 

Kloid  S..  440 
Rickenbrode.  Alice  E.,  230 

Charles  L..  250 

Ella  F..  .^W  ■ 

Franklin  W.,  388 

Henry,  388 

William  B.,  2=0 
Rider,  .Alton  A.,  232 

David,  2Tt.  252 

Floyd,  252 

Gnerney,  252 

Leon,  232 

Silas,  252 

Sophia  C..  252 
Rieger,  Boniface,  170 


Eliza  C.  170 

Joseph.  Dr.,  170 
Riplev,  lennie,  278 

M. 'Watson,  27S 

Kefine  H..  278 
Robbins,  Charles  M.,  628,  629 

Dorothy,  568 

Jesse  J..  629 

Joel.  629 

Tulius,  !;67 

Nettie,  629 

Nora  M..  629 

Samuel  B.,  567 
Rodgers,  Howard  S.,  194 
Roesch,  Elizabeth  A.,  219 

Lewis,  219 

Milton  E.,  219 

Phillip,  219 

Sidney  C,  219 

Sophia  H..  219 
Rogers.  Celeste  E.,  17 

Harold  L.,  17 

Jesse  F.,  17 

Rovillus  R.,  17 
Rogerson.  David  M.,  158 

Eleanor  E..  is8 

T.  Russell.  158 
Rolph.  Ethel  S..  593 

Worthy  A.,  593 

\\'orthy  J.,  593 
Romer,  Andrew  C,  162 

Andrews,  162 

Jane  C,  162 

Jennie  C.,  162 

John.  162 

Mary  E.,  163 

Nicholas,  162 
Rood,  Alexander  J.,  577 

Annette,  577 

Carl  A..  577 

Chauncev  A.,  Dr.,  287,  288 

Clifford  D.,  288 

Ida  M.,  288 

Mabel  M..  287 

William  W..  287 

Wilson.  577 
Rosencrantz.  Elof,  64 

Minnie,   64 

Paul  B..  64 
Rosenquist.    Hialmar.     188 

Nellie,  188 

Theodore.  t88 
Ross,  Anna  F.,  448 

Anna  M..  23 

Art'jnins.   Dr..  425 

Benjamin.  21 

C.  Edward,  23 

(■I;,r;.    C.   ..M 

R.  Win  field,  23 

Emery  A.,  21,  22 

Kr.imi-t    II..   44H 

C,corge  A.,  42s 

Joseph,  21 

Jo<;eph  I'.,  424 

Julia  A.,  424 

.\I;iry  P.,  426 

K'hoda  P..  23 

Robert  H..  424 

Sicphcn.  21 

Warren,  23 

Wrlcome  ]'..  424 

William,  4.48 


Rublee,  Frances  W.,  643 

Leroy.  642 

Lynn  H..  642 
Rumsey,  Almira  M.,  211 

Argyle  W.,  210,  211 

Argyle  Z.,  211 
Rush,  Israel,  290 

John  B.,  290,  291 

Mary  A.,  291 
Ryckman,  Garrett  E.,  676,  677 

Jennie  A.,  678 

Lawrence  F.,  676 

Lawrence  F.,  Jr.,  676 

Lawrence  R.,  678 

Sacred  Heart  Church,  510 
Sahle,  Fred,  504,  505 

Harriet.  505 

John,  504',  50s 

Margaret.  505 
Salhoff,  Bessie,  299 

Harry  F.,  298 

Lewis,  298 
Salisbury  Axle  Co.,  Inc.,  551 
Sample.   Edith   M.,  375 

Edwin  F.,  374,  375 

Hugh,  374 
Samuelson,  F.  A.,  303 

Frank  T.,  303 

Maud,  303 
Sandbcrg,  Alfred  R.,  261 

August  A.,  261 

Elsie  M.,  578 

Emelia,  261 

George  O..  578 
Sandburg.     Charles    A.,     Maj., 
loi,  102 

Ella  M.,  103 

Lewis,  102 
Schnrf.   Ernest,  246 

Jennie,  246 

Lester  W.,  246,  247 

Milton  W.,  246,  247 

William  H.,  246 
Schermerhorn,  Frank  S.,  629 

Fred  E..  630 

Grace,  629 

Irene  G.,  630 

Joseph  F..  630 

Myra  L.,  630 

William,  629 
Schlcnder,  Benjamin  O.,  475 

Henry,  475 

Olive  D.,  47S 
Schulze.  Edna,  547 

Rudolph  W..  547 
Schuyler.  Clyde'H.,  Dr.,  423 

Henry  C.  423 
Schwan,  .Anna  M.,  508 

Charles  F.,  509 

Christopher,  508 

Robert  C,  509 

Werner,  ■;o9 

William  F.,  so8 

William  G..  308 
Scaburg     Manufacturing     Co., 

Inc.,   500 
Seaburg,  A.  H.,  500 

E.  B.,  500 

E.  J.,  500 

!•:.  T..  5-X) 

L.   W.,  son 


INDEX 


699 


O.  T..  soo 

R.  H.,  soo 

V.  B.,  500 
Sellstrom,  Elmer  W.,  530 

Emily  E.,  '^30 

Gustaf  F.   (Fabian),  530 

P.  Adolph,  530 

V.  Emily,  531 
Sharpe,  Annabel,  68 

George  W.,  67 
Shattuck.  Benjamin,  Rev.,  409 

Desire,  409 

Timothy,  409 

William,  409 
Shaw,  Alice  P.,  629 

Daniel.  629 

John,  629 
Shearman,  Audrey  M..  550 

Catherine,  125 

Daniel,  114,  592 

E.  D.,  552 

Frank  E.,  124 

Frank  E.,  Jr.,  125 

Gideon  A.,  592 

Henry,  114 

Humphrey,  114 

Isaac,  113.  114 

Isaac  A.,  S92 

John  C,  i"25 

Lilla,  592 

Merle,  549 

Peleg,  114 

Richard,  125 

Rov  N.,  S92 

Rufus  P.'  124 

Samuel,  114 

Seth,  114 

Thomas,  114 

William  R.,  125 

Winslow,  549 
Sheldon,  Benjamin  T.,  575,  576 

Daniel.  S75 

Gad,  71' 

Harry  P.,  72 

Isaac.  575 

Jonathan,  575 

^larv,  72 

Nettie  L..   s-e 

Philo  B.,  96 

Porter,  71 

Ralph  C.,  72 

Royal  E.,  575 

Seth,  575 

Tichenor,  575 
Shepardson.  Emma  J.,  630 

George  W.,  629 

Walter.  629 
Sherman.  Eber,  412 

Henry.  412 

Henr>-,  Capt.,  412 

Mary  E.,  412 

Philip.  412 
Shores.  Ebbie  P.,  342 

Ebenczcr  P.,  342 

Margaret  E.,  343 
Shufelt,  Clark  H.,  598 

Jeremiah.  598 

Lee  H.,  599 

Mary.  599 
S'luilte^.  Chester  R.,  650 

D.  Ida.  651 

Lament,  651 


Shumaker,  Adell,  274 

Charles,  273 

Charles  F..  273 
Simmons.  Adelbert  P.,  420 

Alice   M..  41 

Florence  E.,  421 

Frank  C,  421 

Lester  A.,  41 

Philander,  420 

Russel,  42 
Simon,    Babette,    222 

Hedwig,  222 

Johann    F.,    221 

Philip  F.,  221 
Sinden.  Charles  \V.,  647 

George   H.,  647 

Mary.    647 

William,   647 
Skellie,  Andrew,  477 

Mary  E.,  477 

Walter,  477 
Skiff.   Bertha,  20 

James,  20 

Mary  L.,  20 

Mason  M..  19,  20 

Obediah.  20 

Sophie  A..  20 

Valentine    W.,   20 

Warner   M.,  20 
Skinner.   Albert,  281 

Albert  LeR.,  282 

Bessie,  321 

Clara.  282 

Daniel,  281,  320 

David.  320,   550 

Edward  N.,  550 

Elial  W..  320 

Elmer.  206 

Frank.  550 

Jessie.  206 

Lester  H..  281 

Lydia  A.,  551 

Melissa,  282 

Raymond,  206 

Robert.  206 

Viola  B..  321 

William  E.,  320 
Slocum,  Anthony,  410 

Ebenezcr,  411 

Eliezer.  410 

George  W.,  411 

Giles,  410 

Rhoda  C.  V.  E..  411 

Samuel,   411 
Smiley,  Asel,  591 

Estella,  592 

Frank  A..  510 

Freeborn   L.,  510 

George  W.,  591 

Georgia  C,  511 

Joseph,  591 

Louise  F.,  511 

William,   591 
Smith.  Adele  M.,  421 

Austin.   26 

Chrysostom,  Rev.,  497 

Clayton,   591 

Clifford,   591 

Edith,    636 

Elnora,   491 

Ezekiel,  491 

Frank  W.,  591 


George   E.,  Dr.,  387 

George  R.,  21 

George   W.,  421 

Henry    D.,   491 

Hiram,  21 

Howard  P.,  387 

Isaac,  21 

Jesse,  491 

Jesse   H.,  491 

John   F.,  421 

Lillian,  591 

Lydia  A.,  388 

Melissa   P.,  21 

Minerva  P.,  39 

Rodney  B.,  21 

Rose  v.,  421 

Royal,  636 

Royal  A.,  636 

Samuel,    Lieut.,  38 

Sarah  A..  26 

Walter.  38 

Wesley  W..  636 

William,  591 

William   M.,  636 
Snow,  Alice  J.,  183 

Hervey  D.,  183 

Lilla    B.,    183 

Louis  H.,  Dr.,  183 
Soch,  Albert  F.,  Dr.,  421 

Charles,  421 

Mary  E.,  422 
Spear,  Ellmora,  284 

Robert,  283 

Thomas,  283 

William    N.,   283.   284 
Spencer,  Abbie,  205 

David,  204 

Hattie  B.,  591 

John  W..  203,  204 

R.  Listen.  590 

Smith,   590 

Violanti.   205 
Sprague,  Archie,  515 

Harry,   515 

Josiah,  515 

Titus,  515 

Viola  T.,  514 
Spurr,   Amy,   471 

Edith,  471 

Harry,  470 
Squire,   Arab,  585 

Roxa.    586 

Verne.   586 

Ziba  L.,  585 
Stage,  Clayton,  630 

Delos  L.,  630 

Henry,   630 

John,  630 

Lillie,  630 

Otto,  630 
Stanley.  Adelbert  F..  239 

Frank  A.,  Dr.,  239 

Ruby  E.,  239 
Starr,  Henry,  466 

Lillie  R.,  466 

Park  L.,  466 
Stearns.  Crawford,  151 

Harold   C.   152 

Helen  L.,  153 

Lester  F.,  151 

Lester   O.,   152,   153 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Mary    H..   15- 

Roger  \'..  15,? 
Steele.  Adam.  41-: 

Francis    D..    41J.   413 

Harrv  A..  41  ? 

Ida  M.,  41.5 

John  A.,  41 J 
Stegelske,   Constance,   1S5 

Francis  S.,    1S5 

Joseph,    1S5 
Sterling   Hardward  and   Elec- 
trical Corp..  577 
Stevens.  Anna,  64S 

Charles    M.,  649 

David,  46S 

Ellen,   650 

James    D.,  649 

John.  468,  648 

Man-  L.,  469 

Mel  ford.  648 

Milton  E.,  469 

Moses  S..  468,  469 

Xellie,   469 
Stewart,   Alvin   D.,    Dr.,   140 

Alvin   J..   Dr.,   140 

Elizabeth  K.,  140 
Stimson.    Helen,   330 

Morris    H.,   330 

Warren  B.,  330 
Stolkrantz,  Bertha  O.,  304 

John   \\'.,  ,W4 
Stone.   Ara   \'.,   100 

Arthur  M.,  100 

Charles,  631 

Ezra.  98 

George  H.,  100 

Harold  S.,   100 

Lucinda,  632 

Marian   E..  203 

Martin    V.,    Rev.,    98,   99 

Mary  B.,  99 

Mary  G.,  100 

Xelsa  A.,   631 

Ozial,  98 

Richard    L.,  98 

X'ictor   r..,  20^ 
Storms,  Ellis  W.,  Dr.,  580 

Frederick,  5S0 

Pearl  M.,  580 
Stow,   Emily,  471 

Fred  S.,  471 

John,  471 

Manassah,  471 

Samuel,  471 
Strandbcr),',  !->ank  O.,  361 
Stratford,  Carl  F.,  360 

Edith.  360 

Eli  T.,  360 
Stratton.  John,   133 

Jonathan,   133 

Jo'.cph,    133 

Samuel.   133 
Stroehcl,   Carrie,  2K7 

Fred,  287 

Gf.'orge,  287 

•"leorKc  Jr.,  287 

Henry,  2K7 

Michael,  2K7 
Stromgrcn,  Eric  A,,  O70 

Garnet,  670 

Jacob,  670 
Strong,  Allan  T.,  u/. 


Charles   M.,    106 

David,   494 

Ella,   494 

Elsie  R.,  106 

Erie  J.,  494 

George    H.,   494 

Gilbert,  493 

J.  Pamelia,  494 

James  A.,   106 

Jediah.    106 

John,   105 

Louie   C,   105,   106 

Richard,  105 

Solomon.   106 

Walter  E.,  493,  494 
Strunk,  Alvin,  631 

Aiirilla,  590 

Bert  C.,'6?i 

Cliarles   H..  590 

Charles   R.,  '590 

Henry,   590 

Henry  S.,  590 

Jacob,  590 

John,    590 

Maria,   631 

William  H.,  631 
Stuart,  Clinton  L.,  637 

Martha,   67 

Thomas,   67 

Walter,   Dr.,  67 
Studley,    Charles    A.,    330 

Kathrine,    331 

Loretta.  330 

Philemon,   330 
Suckow,  Christopher,  505 

Edwin  J.,  505 

Grace  O..  506 
Sullivan,  Daniel  A.,  369 

Irene   S.,  370 

Jeremiah  J..  Dr.,  467 

Margaret,   468 

Mary  E,,  370 

Michael,  369,  467 

Paul  R..  370 

Ursula,  370 
Sundquist,    Ernest,    196 

Julia   E..   196 
Superior  Furniture  Co.,  267 
Supkoska,  Arthur  B.,  305 

Joseph,  305 

Mary.  ,!0S 
Sutton,  Fred  J.,  437 

Mildred,   437 

William,  437 
Swan,  Artliur  W.,  384 

Daniel   S.,  384 

Sadie  M.,  385 
.Swanson,    Charles,    264 

Charles  A.,  285 

Charles   W.,  45 

Curth  A.,  264 

Fdler   H.,  272 

ICliz.ibeth  O.,  474 

Evan  A.,  271 

■  ■'lorcncc  A.,  265 

Frank  A.,  271 

Hilma,  45 

Ihilda    ]<..    286 

J.   Harol'l,  474 

John  A..  474 

John   M..  4."; 

r^awrence  W.,  45 


Leland  H.,  45 

Richard  L.,  286 
Swart,  Ada  R.,  587 

Alfred  C,  587 

C.  Archie,  587 

Charles   C.   5S6 

Clemence,   586 

Lafavette,   5S7 

Polly  J.,   587 
Sweet,  Isaac,  167 

Regina,   167 

Samuel,   167 

Walter,    167 

Taylor,  A.  Coralyn,  599 

;\aron.    248 

Bravity,  599 

Charles  H.,  597 

Clarence  N.,  599 

Cyrus  B.,  229 

Duncan.  248 

Eli,  597 

Emma  A.,  229 

Flora  B..  597 

George  A..  248 

Lena  R.,  249 

Lvnn  H.,  597 

Ralph  W.,  248 

Walter  W.,  228,  229 
Teall,  Edward  N.,  523 
Tefift,  Bartlett  D.,  282 

Bvron  H„  282 

Eiias  A.,  282 

Henry,  282 

Jennie,  282 
Tennant,  Arthur  S.,  25,  26 

Deloss  G.,  25 

Grace  R.,  27 

Moses  A.,  25 

Moses  D.,  25 
Terry,  Harriet  M.,  662 

Hiram,  662 

Mason  H.,  662 
Tervvilliger,    Herbert    D.    (H. 
Deyo),  442 

John,  442 

Josephine  A.,  443 
Tew,  Caroline,  11 

Cora,  72 

George  W.,  10,  11 

George  W.,  Jr.,  11 

Harvey  W.,  62,  63 

Henry.  62 

Henry,  Capt.,  62 

Herbert  W..  12.  72 

Tames  D.,  63 

John,  62 

Lucia  A.,  12 

Mary  D.,  1 1 

Mary  E.,  12 

Richard,  62 

Susan  D.,  63 

Willinin,   10,  62 

William  H.,  63 

Willis,  12 
Thavor,  Amos  M..  52 

Clarence  J.,  228 

I'Vcd  M.,  228 

Icliabod,  52 

James,  228 

Jessie,  443 

Manlcy,  443 


INDEX 


701 


Alartha  A.,  22S 

Alertie  L.,  22S 

Ralph  E.,  443 

Robert  L..  443 

Sanders  M..  443 

Sidney  H.,  52 
Thies,  Frank  J.,  426.  427 

Gertrude,  427 

John  C,  426 
Thompson,  Abel,  366 

Adele  H.,  521 

Charles  C,  350 

De  Hart,  345' 

Edward  B.,  499 

Elnora  A.,  345 

Emily,  350 

Emma  L.,  349 

Harry  B..  345 

Hattie,  350 

Herbert  F.,  521 

Howard  E.,  278 

Huah  W.,  ^20 

Hugh  W.,  jr.,  520 

John,  349 

John  F.,  350 

Josephine  A.,  499 

Kate  F.,  367 

Lulu  B.,  258 

Nellie,  278 

Newell  C,  366 

Norman  R.,  366 

Quincv,  2t8 

Robert  H.,  2,8 

Rollin  R.,  2^8 

Selh  W.,  14S,  ?49 

William  H.,  258 
Thorstenberg,  Samuel,  iSl 
Tickner,  Hiram,  609 

Kate  M..  609 

Leo  A..  609 

Pearl  C,  609 
Tiffaiiv.  Albert  J.,  256 

Benjamin,  256 

Coralvn,  2s6 

Jehiel,  2;6 

Lucv,  168 

Silas  D..  168 
Tinkhara,  Florence,  179 

Frank  M.,  179,  509 

Fred  B.,  179,  500 

Grove  L..  179,  509 

Rosa  A.,  ^00 
Todd,  Edwin  L.,  Dr.,  260 

Gretchen  W.,  261 

Homer,  260 
Tompkins,  Blanche,  513 

George  N.,  512 

Hubert  D.,  513 

Nathaniel.  512 
Totman,  Abijah,  532 

Daniel,  .!;32 

Elvira  P.,  532 

Harvey,  532 

Joshua,  532 

Roy,  532 
Tousley.  John  H..  370 

John  H.,  Jr.,  370 

Marv  E.,  370 

Ruth  C,  370 

William.  -^70 
Towle,  .\delle.  68 

Charles  J.,  68 


Joshua  J.,  Dr.,  68 

William,  68 

William  E.,  68 
Toy,  Frederick  Y.,  434 

Lena  C,  435 

Thomas  B.,  434 
Trask,  Claude  D.,  635 

Eben,  635 

Eliza,  635 

Mary  A.".  635 

Silas,  63s 
Trill,  Bertha,  504 

Edward  C,  504 

Thomas,  504 
Tripp,  Alfred  R.,  504 

Mae  J.,  504 

Rassander  G.,  504 
Tucker,  George  F.,  654 

Lizzie  A.,  654 

Merle  S.,  654 

^^'a!ter  A.,  654 

Union  Furniture  Co..  ^76 
L'sborne,  Lucy  M.,  408 

Thomas  W.,  408 

William,  408 

YP-i  Buren.  Henry  B.,  348 

James  H.,  348 

James  L.,  348 

James  L.,  Jr.,  348 

Joseph  N.,  34S 

Julia,  348 
Van  Deusen,  Caroline,  185 

Frank  P.,  183 

James,  i8t 

John  G.,  18=; 
Van  Dyke,  Charles  G..  657 

Elizabeth,  657 

Lister,  657 

Morris,  657 
Van  Mack  '<  Van  Vleck ) ,  Abra- 
ham, 310 

Daniel  A..  310 

Florence  A.,  311 

George  W.,  310 

Isaac,  310 

John,  310 

Lynn  R.,  310 

Tielman,  310 
Vande  Wark,  Artie,  6^8 

John,  658 

Juliette.  659 
Valone,  Belvola,  315 

James  F.,  Dr.,  315 

Louis.  472 

Minnie,  472 

Peter,  472 

Vincent,  315 
Vandervoort   Supply   Co.,  3J2 
Vandervoort,  Charles  R.,  342 

Lucile.  342 

Sherman  B.,  342 
Vanoli,  .Arnoldo,  Rev.,  263 
Vincent.  Earl  R.,  369 

Edward  F.,  369 

Elizabeth.  92 

George  E.,  Dr.,  92 

Herbert  B..  369 

John  H.,  Rev.,  91 

Tulia  A..  369 

Willard  E.,  369 


Vosburg,  Lucilla,  271 
Norton  N.,  271 
Walter  H.,  Dr.,  271 

Wade,  Arthur  C,  142 

Frances,  143 

George  L.,  142 
Waite,  Carrie,  540 

Charles  M.,  540 

Elizabeth,  540 

Galusha  M.,  540 

George  B.,  540 

Henrietta  E.,  663 

Tames  A..  S40 

John  B.,  662 

Josephine,  540 

Marcus  L.,  662 
Waith,  Frank  L.,  670 

George,  222 

George  B..  222,  223 

Glenn  L.,  670 

Mary  S.,  223 

Ruth,  670 
Walker,  .Mice  M.,  631 

Edward  W.,  631 

Edward  W.,  Jr.,  631 

Elora   B..  64,; 

Frances,  631 

Gardner  D.,  251,  2^2 

Gardner  J.,  252 

Herbert,  643 

Horace,  631 

Jesse,  2,2 

John  M..  643 

Thomas,  631 
A\'alkerman.  Joseph  ?iL,  280 

Laura,  280 

Rav  J.,  Dr.,  280 
Walter,  Millie,  378 

Otto  E.,  378 
Ward,  Aaron,  667 

E.  A.,  667 

Emma  C,  667 

George  E.,  667 

Henry  .A.,  667 

Isabella,  667 

Theodore  A.,  667 
Warn,  .Andrew  M..  633 

Harriet,  634 
Warner,   Charles,   633 

Ephraim,  16 

Frederick  H,,   17 

John,   506 

Lewis   L..   506 

Lucius  B.,  16 

Mary  M.,   17 

Maude,  633 

Ralph,  633 

Rhoda,  506 

Summcrficld,    506 
Warren,  .Adele,  273 

Chauncey,   273 

Chauncey  G.,  273 

Jabez,  27;^ 
\\'atson,  Clara,  24 

Henry,  21 

Henry  W.,  24 

Kittie,  2, 

William   W.,   2^ 
Webber,  John   W.,   655 

Katharine,  655 


702 


CHAUTAUQUA  COUNTY 


Munroe.  655 
William.  O^S 
Weeks,  Charles  E.,  78 
Clara.   7S 
Tames   L.,  77,  7S 
Louise   A..   7S 
Welch.   Charles   E.,   Dr.,  42 
Edgar  T..  43 
Jennie.  43 
John    F.,    43 
Julia,   43 
Paul  R..  43 
Thomas  B..  Dr..  4J 
William  T..  43 
Wellard.  Henry  D.,  432 
Joseph,  451 
Joseph   C.  451 
Marv,  4^2 
Wellm'an,  Ada,  382 
Arthur    M.,   381 
Barnabas,  380,  398 
Bertha  J.,  381 
Dora,  381 
Elmer   E.,  381 
Ford.   380 
Henry,    398 
Laura  L..  380 
Pamela,   398 
Thomas,   ^gS 
Warren   D..    Dr..   .380 
William.   398 
William   D.,   ,^80 
West.    Carrie  T..   351 

Julius   E..  351 
We^tman.  John   A..  496 

Signe    .■\.    L..   406 
Whailon,   Martin   P..  341 

Mary  G..  341 
William.  341 
\\'illiam  M.,  341 
Wheeler.   Annie,   244 

Dwight.   244 

Homer  D..  244 
Wheelock.  .Albert.  631 

Cclia.  631 

Frank.  631 
White.  Delos  W'.,  588 

Devillo   .^.,  45,  46 

George   W.,  276 

Harold   C,  276 

Isabelle.  47 

Lamira,  46 

Maie,  276 

F^ercgrine,  46 

Rosa   E.,   589 

Squire,   Dr.,  46 

William,   46 

Willis  H..  .^88,  .S89 
Whitney.  George  O.,  324 

Mary  A.,  324 

Myron  A.,  323,  324 

Orange,   323 
Witorg.  Charles  H.,  454 

Christine,   4.S4 

Jacob  N.,  454 
Wicks,   Charles   H.,    1.58 

Corrie  J.,    159 

Emma  L..  .544 

Florence   R.,   159 

James   H.,  158 

John  G.,  544 

Walter   D.,  544 


Wilbur.   Harry.  48 
Henry   T.,   47 
Kathrvn    C,   48 
Nellie   C.  48 
Orlando.  47 
Wilcox.  Aaron.  262 
Belle.  676 
Ebbie.   263 
Edson   L,  262 
Erastus  B..  508 
Fern,  508 
Frank  A.,  675 
George,  675 
Gerry  H.,  507,  508 
Helen  C,  263 
Irving  A.,  262 
John,  67s 
Martin   H.,  508 
Thomas,   507 
William,  262 
Wilde,  Daphne  B.,  326 

Harrv,  326 
Wilkinson.  A.  B.,  663 
Nellie  E..  663 
Samuel  A..  663 
Willett,    Arena,    231 
Homer,   231 
John  L.,  231 
Williams,  Amy,  439 
Davis,  659 
Ernest  A.,  583 
Glen   N.,  659 
Hattie   J.,   583 
Jesse  P.,  439 
Mina   M.,   659 
Norman,    659 
Norman   D.,  438 
Reuben   R.,  438 
Volney  M.,  583 
Williamson,   Harry   C,   100 
James  W.,   100 
Lucy  B.,  TOO 
Willing,  Alice  L,  590 
Dorothy  E.,  590 
Elmer  E..  589 
Minnie   E.,   590 
William  J.,  589 
Willse,  H.  Ralph,  Dr..  373 

Hudson    G..    Dr.,   373 

Lillian,  373 
Willson,  John,  217 

Mark,  217 

Sarah,  217 

Susannah  A,,  217 
Wilson,   ,'\ngie   L.,  54 

.Anna,  414 

Charles  C,  .S79 

Elizabeth,  ,W7 

I'lovil   E.,   Dr.,   195 

I'red   H.,  53 

Frederick,    195 

Gertrude,  54 

James,   413  , 

James,  Jr.,  414 

John,  306 

John   T.,   306,  307,   579 

Jonathan,  315 

Katherine   A.,    54 

[.■.■!ell    L.,  413,  414 

Miria  S.,  414 

Marictte   J..   307 

Marvin   C,  579 


Mary,   579 
Matthew   P.,  315 
Paula   M.,   195 
Pearl  M.,  315 
William,  53 
Wiltsie,  Caroline  P.,  359 
David,  359 
Lawrence  W.,  359 
Winnberg,  John  M.,  265 
W'inslow.  Edward  H.,  660 
Hazelton,  660 
William   S..  660 
Winter.  Franklyn  D.,  584 
Genevieve.  584 
William.  584 
Wiquist.  Alma  A.,  283 
Cecil.  283 
David  E.,  2S3 
Edward,  283 
Floyd,  283 
Freida,  425 
Otto,  424 
Otto  W.,  282 
Paul,  283 
Paul    B.,   424 
Wirtner,  Albert  S.,  73 
Charles  J.,  73 
Jacob,  72 
Jacob,   Jr.,   72 
John  E.,  7i 
Mary,  7;^ 
Pauline,  73 
Withers.  James,  465 
Jennie   B.,   465 
John   W..  465 
Wnlcott,   Charles   H.,  632 
Ella   I.,  632 
Fleury  J..  632 
Wood.  Abigail,  109 
Almeda,  484 
Catherine,   484 
Henry,    109 
Hiram,  484 
Myron  A.,  484 
Woodard,   Clifford,   565 
James  D.,  564 
Jed.    564 
Leonia  J.,   565 
Woodward,  John  D.,  200 
Lizzie  C,  201 
Reuben,  200 
Samuel  J.,  200 
Wooley,   Alta,   248 
Clyde  G..  248 
Daniel  D.,  248 
Wright.  Augustin,  272 
,\ugustin,   Jr.,  273 
Daniel,   488 
Effa   L.,  488 
Emma  L,  514 
Judson  S.,  487,  488 
Mary,  272 
Robert,   5 '4 
Thomas  R.,  SM 

Yates,  Ellen  P.,  237 

Henry   J.,   237 

Julia   H.,  237 
■V'nutig.  Abner  E.,  234 

Albert  DeF.,  Dr.,  558 

Alice    M.,    160 


INDEX 


703 


Charles   W.,   160 
Donald  C,  559 
Eleanor,   558 
Ella.   4.^6 
Emily  J.,   160 
Floyd  F.,  436,  599 
Frederick,  436 
George  A.,  234 
George    W.,    160 


Harry   M.,  585 
Herbert  A.,   234 
Ira,  599 
James,  558,  668 
James  M.,  234 
John  F.,  58s 
Kate  L.,  585 
Martin  \'.  B.,  436 
Mary  A.,  234 


Rose  M.,  599 
Ruth.  668 
Stanley   D..   $^9 
Wesley  J..  668 

Zenns,   Charle<    H.,   321 
Helen,   321 
Joseph,  321 
Xavier  J.,  321 


1526