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History of Tioga County, PennsylvaniaIf You Have Photos of People Mentioned on the Page, Send Them In For Inclusion Return to 1883 Table of Contents |
History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania
Biographical Appendix
BRIEF SKETCHES OF PIONEERS AND LEADING
CITIZENS.
THOMAS W. AMES, son of Jonathan and Lydia Ames, was born in 1809, at Sterling, Vt. His father removed to Richmond, Tioga county, in 1818, to Sullivan in 1820, and in 1847 to Illinois, where he died. T. W. Ames married Miss Mary Card, of Sullivan, and settled on a farm. He now owns 106 acres. Of his five children only one survives.Many other biographical sketches, embraced in the body of the work, may be found by reference to the Table of Contents.
SULLIVAN TOWNSHIP, MAINESBURG BOROUGH
JEREMIAH AUSTIN'S birth occurred in 1826, at Butternuts, Otsego county, N.Y. His father removed to Caton, Steuben county, in 1837, where Jeremiah married Miss Sylvia A. Wing. In 1868 he located in Chatham, Pa. In 1870 he removed to Allegany county, N.Y., and in 1881 returned to Mainesburg and purchased a farm of 119 acres.
ROBERT B. BAILEY, son of Roswell Bailey, was born in 1808, at Mill Creek, Tioga county. He married Lucy Holden, and after her death, Julia Hager. He was formerly a teacher, but has resided on a farm for many years, and has held many township offices. His father, born in Massachusetts in 1782, came to Tioga county in 1805; was first lieutenant in the militia, and a trustee of the old Wellsboro Academy. He died in 1840.
RUEL BARTLETT, son of Eli and Flavilla Bartlett, was born in 1832, in Rutland, Pa., and married Miss Jane Gitchell, of Sullivan. He came to Sullivan in 1852 and purchased the farm of 144 acres on which he now resides. In 1871 he opened a stone quarry on his farm, which he sold in 1876 to Messrs. Bassett, Crandall, Edgar, and Hart Gilbert. It covers five acres and yields a fine quality of gray sandstone. Some 20 men are employed, of whom Mr. Bartlett has supervision.
HENRY B. CARD, son of Henry and Sally Card, was born in Bristol, R.I., September 13th 1815. In 1844 he moved to Tioga county, where he is successfully engaged in mixed farming. He married Sarah E. Fish, daughter of Robert and Sally Fish, of Rhode Island. They have two sons and one daughter. His mother's grandfather, Dr. Thomas Monroe, was a surgeon in the Revolutionary army.
W. P. CHAMBERLIN was born in Ridgebury, Pa., April 12th 1846. He enlisted in the 179th N.Y. infantry, February 19th 1864; was in the battle before Petersburg; was honorably discharged June 8th 1865, and has since been engaged in farming. He married Sarah, daughter of D. H. and Susan Burnham, of Bentley Creek, September 14th 1867; his children are Susan R., James A. and Elsie M.
JAMES CUDWORTH, son of James and Anna Cudworth, was born in Sullivan, August 17th 1826. His parents were early settlers. He has one of the finest farms in the township. His father died in 1836, and his mother in 1865. May 30th 1849 he married Lydia J., daughter of Peter and Ruth Whittaker, of Richmond. They have two daughters and a son. Mr. C. furnished two substitutes in the civil war, at an expense of $1,000.
C. H. DEWITT is a native of Middle Smithfield, Pa., born October 29th 1853. About 1859 his father, C. H. Dewitt sen., removed to Bradford county, and three years thereafter located in Sullivan, on the farm where Mr. Dewitt now resides. He has made the dairy a specialty. He was clerk a year for Reddington, Maxwell & Leonard, at Troy, Pa. In 1873 he married Josephine, daughter of George Smith, of Sullivan. They have one son and one daughter.
J. H. DEWITT was born in Middle Smithfield, Pa., December 20th 1846. He is a son of C. H. Dewitt sen., who located in Sullivan in 1858. He married a Miss Maine for his first wife, and Martha Smith for the second. They have two children. He is a farmer.
WILLIAM H. HAGAR was born March 12th 1831, at Pike, Pa., and is a son of Jonas and Harriet Hagar. February 17th 1847 he married Nancy Dewey, daughter of Dr. William Dewey. She died at the age of 34 years, leaving two children, now living; and December 24th 1857 Mr. Hagar married Louisa R., daughter of Russell Button, of Armenia, Pa. They have four children living. Mr. Hagar's occupation is farming, with dairying as a specialty.
GARWOOD H. HILL, who is of English descent, came to Sullivan with his parents at the age of 17. He was born May 7th 1811, at Wellsboro. December 25th 1834 he married Alpha G. Palmer, daughter of Stephen and Lydia Palmer, of Sullivan. She died March 12th 1876, having borne him eight children, of whom five are living. In 1877 he married Mrs. Mary A. Palmer, daughter of Ezekiel and Mary Barnes. He is a farmer.
PETER HULSLANDER, son of Jacob and Elizabeth Hulslander, was born in Orange county, N.Y., April 17th 1813. That year his parents removed to Tompkins county, N.Y., and in 1830 to the farm in Sullivan where Mr. Hulslander has since resided. October 16th 1834 he married Amanda, daughter of Roger and Melinda Soper, of Columbia, Pa. He has four sons and five daughters. Mr. Hulslander is a veterinary surgeon of some note.
CHARLES J. KNOWLTON was born December 23d 1853, in Sullivan, where he now resides. He started in business at Welsh Settlement in the manufacture of lumber, but his mill was burned at the end of three years, causing him a severe loss. He then engaged in raising grain and stock. In September 1879 he married Mary D., daughter of Mark and Angeline Palmer, of Sullivan. They have two sons. Mr. Knowlton's grandfather came from the east at an early day. His great-grandfather was in the war of 1812.
CORNISH MUDGE, son of Ira and Lucena Mudge, born in 1805 at Unadilla, N.Y., came to Tioga county in 1806, with his father, who took up 100 acres of land in Sullivan, having made his journey through the woods with an ox team. In 1830 Cornish Mudge married Caroline Squires, daughter of Aaron and Eunice Squires, formerly of Connecticut. He has been a successful farmer and a deacon in the Baptist church for many years.
CHARLES R. PALMER is a son of Mark and Angeline Palmer. He was born in Sullivan, March 22nd 1853, and commenced farming in 1880. September 22nd 1880 he married Della M., daughter of Asa and Frances Slingerland, of Sullivan.
J. H. PHILLIPS is a native of Sullivan, and was born in 1848. His father, Leonard, came from Massachusetts, and his mother, Nancy, was from New York; he is a farmer. He married Miss Rachel Rew, a grandaughter of Henry Rew, who located in Sullivan about 1819. He was one of the early postmasters of the town.
WILLIAM E. ROBBINS, born in 1818, in Cummington, Mass., came to Tioga county with his parents the same year. His wife was Sophronia Woodward, of Sullivan. Mr. Robbins is a gunsmith, and his guns have an excellent and widespread reputation. His father was Ahaz Robbins and his mother was Betsey Gloyd; their family consisted of eleven children, four of whom are now living.
E. S. ROSE, son of Daniel and Sally Rose, was born in Sullivan, June 18th 1817, and is descended from one of the pioneers of the town. October 28th 1841 he married Miss L. A. Morgan, daughter of Dennis and Betsey Morgan, who came from Massachusetts. They have three sons and a daughter. Mr. Rose is a farmer, and formerly made dairying a specialty.
CHARLES E. SEELYE, born in Sullivan, in 1849, married Sally Shelton, of Mainesburg, by whom he has five children. He is a farmer. His father, George Seelye, was born at Lawrenceville, in 1805, and married Emily Burley, of Mansfield, Pa., in 1835. He was county commissioner two terms. He died in 1879, and his wife in 1881. Only Charles E. survives of a family of eight children.
LENT D. SEELEY was born in 1814, and in 1839 took up the farm in Sullivan where his widow now resides. In 1866 he married Mrs. Amanda Rumsey, daughter of John and Catherine Ayers, of Wells, Pa. He contributed largely to church and school support. His death occurred in 1882.
R. G. SHELTON, born in Buckinghamshire, England, in 1822, is a son of Joseph Shelton, who came from England in 1832, lived in Chenango county, N.Y., four years, and then removed to Tioga county, where he died in 1867. R. G. Shelton is a farmer, and was a member of Company I 187th Pa. Volunteers, serving until the close of the war.
HARLIN D. SHEPARD, son of Ezra and Mary Shepard, was born in Tioga county, N. Y., in 1847; settled in Bradford county, Pa., in 1858; moved to Blossburg in 1868, thence to Morris Run, and in 1881 came to Elk Run, Sullivan township, where he is engaged in general merchandising. He married Miss Margaret L. Husted, of Blossburg. He enlisted in 1864 in Company C 11th Pa. Cavalry, and was honorably discharged August 15th 1865.
ASA SLINGERLAND, son of Tunis and Mary Slingerland, was born in Sullivan, March 10th 1837. At the age of 21 years he began farming, and has since made a specialty of dairying. In 1859 he married Frances, daughter of Ashman and Lovicia Sperry, of Sullivan. They have three daughters and two sons.
ALEXANDER C. SMITH is a son of Jasper and Betsey Smith, and was born at Hector, N.Y., December 13th 1826. He came to Sullivan with his parents in 1834. His first work for himself was done at the age of 20. Soon afterward he located on the farm where he now resides, engaged in dairying, fruit-growing, and sugar-making. In 1882 he made 1,600 pounds of sugar. October 18th 1849 he married Mary A., daughter of Joseph and Mary Bradford, of Sullivan. His children are Linnæus A., Mary E., Merton B., and L. Frank; his son Mark J. having died at the age of 14 years.
GEORGE M. SMITH is a native of Rutland, Pa., and was born July 23d 1846. He married Miss Matilda Williams, of Canton, Pa. He is engaged in agricultural pursuits.
NORTHROP SMITH, born in Ridgefield, Conn., in 1819, is a farmer. His first wife was Hannah Roblyer, of Rutland, who died in 1841, leaving two children. In 1842 he married Sally A. Roblyer, of Rutland. They have eight children living. Mr. Smith has been a magistrate many years. His parents, Rufus and Eunice Smith, came from Connecticut, to Tioga county, at an early day, with an ox team, and took up 100 acres of land. He has added 200 acres to his farm, reared a large family of children, and still resides on the old homestead, aged 84 years.
PHILETUS P. SMITH, born in Sullivan, in 1825, married Roxana E. Scouten, of Sullivan; they have seven children. He is now a farmer, owning 140 acres. He was formerly a school teacher, and has been school director many years. His father, Joshua Smith, a native of New Jersey, moved to Tioga county in 1824. He married Lydia Clark, of Tompkins county. He bought 170 acres of land in Sullivan, now owned principally by his son, Philetus, and died in 1859, leaving four children.
ISAAC SQUIRES was born in Sullivan, in 1830. He married Miss Huldah Smith, of the same township, and they have two children. His occupation is farming, and he owns 240 acres. He was magistrate five years from 1860; was elected again in 1872 and served ten years. He has also been constable and collector.
LAFAYETTE SQUIRES, son of William and Charlotte Squires, was born in Sullivan, in 1841. He married Miss Mary Wilson, of Rutland, Pa. They have one daughter. He is a farmer and owner of 100 acres.
GEORGE E. STAUFFER, son of Elias and Magdalena Stauffer, was born in 1834, at Mechanicstown, Md. He married Miss Alice M. Dewey, of Sullivan, in 1863. He has lived in Montgomery county, in Bradford county, and in Tioga county. In 1861 he returned to his native State, enlisted in 7th Md. volunteers, Company B, and served nine months; was taken prisoner in 1862 and paroled. He returned to Tioga county, where he has been occupied as a blacksmith.
ZOPHAR TEARS is a native of Montgomery, Orange county, N.Y., and was born in 1800. In 1825 he married Miss Laura Cowen, of Tompkins county, N.Y., by whom he has had three children, two of whom are now living. He located in Tioga county in 1828, and in 1836 purchased the farm of 84 acres where he now resides.
NELSON WELCH, son of Harry and Betsey Welch, was born July 16th 1842, on the farm in Sullivan which he now owns. His grandfather, Nathaniel Welch, settled in Tioga county about the year 1791. Mr. Welch married in 1867 Helen R., daughter of Uriah D. and Lucy Welch, of Sullivan. Their children are Minnie, Alanson E., Ransom U., and Earl. In 1875 Mr. Welch bought up all the heirship interests in the homestead farm, and he is now a successful agriculturist.
GEORGE WILKINS, who came with his parents to Sullivan in 1843, was born at Armitage, N.Y., January 14th 1835. At the age of 25 he began farming where he now resides, making a specialty of the dairy. April 5th 1868 he married Amanda, daughter of Mayhew and Elizabeth Horton, of Ward. Their children are Elizabeth, Mary Bell and George.