Short Biographies

Various short biographies submitted by our visitors.

Annable Family of Hope

Leonard ANNABLE b about 1800 in Hope, Hamilton Cty, NY married Lydia ? about 1825 in Hope, Hamilton Cty, NY.
Samuel Leonard ANNABLE (could be the son of Leonard but I have not got that link) married Emeline BROWNELL Dec. 28, 1847 in Hope, Hamilton Cty, NY.
Info submitted by: Audrey Annable Franklin

Bell and Lanphear Families of Indian Lake

Hiram Bell b. Nov. 23,1807 Dunstable,NH, moved to Indian Lake with first wife Ester Rist and her family. Ester died in1851 in Indian Lake. Their children were James, Lois and George. Hiram married Sarah "Sally" Lanphear the daughter of Leander Lanphear and Abigail Parker. Their children were Nancy, Lorindy, Charles, Mary, Hiram S. and Julia. Hiram died about 1882 in the town of Minerva.
We are looking for information to confirm his death. We only have an excerpt from a diary that said Aug. 7, 1882 went to Mr. Bells wake. Sarah died about 1898, this information came from her granddaughter Mary Jane "Jennie" Moulton. Again it is just hearsay Jennie said she was 4 when her grandmother died. Jennie was born in the town of Indian Lake March 29, 1894 the daughter of Charles Moulton and Julia Bell.
Leander Lanphear and Abigail Parker were born in Vt. and died in Indian Lake. We have no information on Leander's death. Their children were Sopronia, Henry Wesley, Sarah, Leander, George, Jane, Lorenda, and Albert. Sophronia m. Darwin Parker, Henry m. Elizabeth Hill, Sarh m. Hiram Bell, Leander m. Emiline Plue, George m. Emily Plue, and Loinda m. William Plue. The Plues are descendants of Peter Plue of Germany. I have sent all my information on Wheeler's to Bill Zullo, Indian Lake town historian.. If you would like you can contact him on that family.
Update:

In the Biography for Hiram Bell we had a possibility that he had been the man listed as Mr. Bell in a diary dated August 7, 1882. Hiram Bell was still alive in 1884 and had been assaulted by Robert Lindsey, who was shot by Charles Bell. Hiram had a son James Bell who was last seen in the 1880 census. James may be the Mr. Bell in the 1882 diary entry.
We have also found Lorinda Bell, who married 5 times, the first being to Robert Lindsey. The other husbands were John Dukat, Jacob Flannigan, Sidney Loop and Benjamin Gifford. Lorinda died 29 December 1922 in the town of Bolton, Warren County.

Info submitted by: Georgia Anderson

Basile Bennett of Morehouse

Basile Bennett, born about 1809 in France, married in 1832 to Josephine Girard. He immigrated to the US about 1833 and was an early settler of Morehouseville. He purchased land from Andrew K. Morehouse in 1834 and again in 1836. Both times he is listed on the deed as being from NYC. By the 1840 census he was living in the town of Morehouse. He was elected justice of the peace in 1845. In 1864, he took over the end of the term of the town Supervisor (appointed, not elected to the position, to fill a vacancy). He also served on the War Committee during the Civil War. In 1867 he moved to town of Ohio, Herkimer county, NY, where he was again elected justice of the peace.
Josephine was born in 1799 and died on 5 May 1864 and is buried in the old Catholic cemetery about 1 mile west of Hoffmeister (in what used to be called Morehouseville). Their two children are also buried there: a daughter, Adell (who married Eugene Maheux), and a son, Anatol (who married Mary Kreuzer).
In one biography Josephine is said to have left Basile 3 children. I believe that the 3 children referenced are her living daughter, Adell, and her two young grand-daughters, children of Anatol (deceased). Anatol's widow remarried to Adam Wurster a year later and their family (4 children born to Adam and Mary) continued to live with Basile most if not all of his life. Adam is mistakenly called Adam Bennett in several census reports, but once he moves away from Morehouse the census records and all other records thus far found on him refer to him as Adam Wurster. His military records (Civil War) are also consistent with Wooster, Worster or Wurster variant spellings.
Basile is found in the 1880 census record in the town of Ohio, Herkimer county, but nothing is found afterward. Adam Wurster had apparently moved to NYC by 1876 or so and is found there in the 1880 census record, but his wife and children are still living with Basile. The eldest daughter of Anatol and Mary Kreuzer Bennett was married on 6 Oct 1878 in Manhattan to Frank Durwanger. The younger daughter of Anatol was blind and she was still living with Basile in 1880. The rest of the Wurster's as well as Anatol's younger daughter apparently moved by 1882 to NYC where they remained. Eugene Maheux had moved to NYC by about 1875/6 and died there on 11 May 1881, but his wife continued to live in Morehouse.
I'm still looking for a death record and burial place for Basile and would enjoy getting in touch with any descendants of the Durwanger or Wurster families.
Info submitted by: Lisa K. Slaski

Edward Berry of Wells

Edward Baril/Berry came from Batiscan, Quebec with perhaps two other brothers. Edward lived with his wife Lavina Bratt in Wells, NY for some years and was instrumental in having a covered bridge built over the Sacandaga River at Wells. He was a carpenter by trade and moved to Northville where he died in 1906.
Lavina was from a long line that originally came to this country from Norway via Holland.
They had 4 children that I believe were born in Wells. I continue to research the reason for Edward and others changing their names and anything further that can be found on these families.
Info submitted by: Ken Berry
(great-grandson of Edward and Lavina Berry)

Berry-Briggs-Howland

I have been looking into my wife's family .. Briggs - Berry- and adopted family Howland on her mothers side. Her father's side was Monroe -Olden. All lived in Hamiliton Co.

Click to Enlarge
George Burr Howland
1876-1945
Hamilton Co. Game Warden & hunting guide
Click to Enlarge
Thelma Berry Howland
taken about 1935

Thelma Levina Berry Howland [adopted by George Burr Howland b 9/27/1876 d 4/27/1945 and Geace May Mealus b 11/4/1883 d 3/10/1975 at 3 months old], wife of Kenneth Levi Monroe. She was the youngest of 9 children of Russell J Berry b 1877 d 1946 wife Myra Isabella Briggs b 1885 d 7/6/1916 [died at childbirth] of North River, Wells, NY. She is buried in the Wells Cemetery next to her adopted parents.

Clarence Howland [son] of Gloversville
Grace Mealus Howland [mother] of Gloversville
and George L. Howland [son] of Hope NY about 1970.
Grace was wife of George B. Howland.
Myra's parents: Roselle Briggs b 1956 d 1927 wife Sara T. ? b 1858 d 1910 -- children of Roselle and Sara Briggs were-- Ernest Briggs b 1874 d 1918 - Myra Briggs Berry b 1885 d 1916 - Edna Briggs Jackson-b 1900 d 1989- Grace Briggs Lobdell - William Briggs - Bessie Briggs Hall - Flossie Briggs Lawton.
If there are relatives with info. to share I am at:
Edward MacDonald

Julius Frary Bowman of Hope

Julius Frary Bowman was born Jan. 4, 1834 in Columbia Co., NY. He was the son of Isaac Bowman who came to Hamilton Co. in 1840 and settled in Hope. Julius enlisted on Dec. 9, 1861 in the 93rd Regiment Company D NY Inf.. He was wounded several times and upon his honorable discharge on July 12, 1865. He was First Sergeant. He was in the Army of the Potomac and fought in numerous battles, some of which included, Yorktown, Fredericksburg, The Wilderness, Spottsylvania, and Cold Harbor.
Julius married Matilda Lobdell on April 8, 1857 and they had two children; Ward (born 1859) who married Libbie Ames and Isaac E. (born 1861) who was a photographer in Northville for many years. Matilda Lobdell was the daughter of Jacob Elias Lobdell. Her sister Lydia married Benjamin Scribner.
Info submitted by: Marcia Buffett

Joseph Gillis of Hope

Joseph Gillis, was born in Londonderry, New Hamphire about 1743. He served in the Rev. War and was a pensioner living in Hope NY and various other towns in the area. Joseph had a brother whose name was Robert, he also served in the Rev. War, and was a resident of Victor, Ontario Co., NY by 1810.
His father's name was also Joseph. The family lived in Colrain MA during the Rev. War.
Info submitted by: Arleen Craig Ellis

John Groff of Hope

John Groff was born 1762 and died Dec. 5, 1846 at the age of 84. He is buried in Hope (Willard Cem.). He was in the Albany Co., Militia during the revolutionary war. He served in the 14th Regiment under Col. John Knickerbocker and Col. Peter Yates. He was listed as having "land bounty rights" under the Albany Co. Militia. He was one of six settlers to make his home near the Sacandaga River in Hope about 1791. All the Groff's in Northville are his descendants, including the Mayor!
John's parents are unknown, but we are hoping to try and prove that he was a son of Jacob Graff/Groff who was a brother to the Christian Groff line of Montgomery county.
Info submitted by: Marcia Buffett

Eugene Maheux of Morehouse

Eugene Maheux, born about 1832 in France. His parentage is unknown. In 1851 Eugene purchased property in the town of Morehouse and was "of Norway, Herkimer co., NY". He married Adell Bennett Maheux. She was born 10 Apr 1836 in Hamilton county, probably in the town of Morehouse, daughter of Basile Bennett and Josephine Girard. Her family were one of the first settlers of Morehouseville; one of the families from France who purchased land from Andrew K. Morehouse in the early 1830s.
1843: a George A. Maheux of NYC is mentioned in Aber and King's history of Hamilton Co..
1845: a Pierre Maheux on French Road is mentioned about this year in Aber and King's history of Hamilton Co..
1846: James Mahew of Flushing, Queens, NY, purchased land in Hamilton county from Gerret Smith of Peterboro.
1847: George A. Mayhew of NYC purchased 100 acres in Arietta from Darius Moore of Northville, Fulton co., NY.
1850: census: no Maheux's found in either Herkimer or Hamilton county census, though there is a Eugene Mayo, age 19, b. in NY, laborer, of Norway residing with Joseph Nickolls and his family (farmer). Perhaps this is Eugene Maheux?
1851: Eugene Maheux of Norway, Herkimer co., NY purchased 50 acres in Morehouse from Henry Tucker of Morehouse.
1855: Eugene Maheux and Adell are found in Salisbury, Herkimer county, NY.
1859: Peter Maheux of Morehouseville sold land to Anna Barbara of NYC, "being the same land conveyed by George A. Maheux by his attorney Andrew K. Morehouse May 31, 1852"
1860: census: Peter Maheux, age 56, in Morehouse with family; Eugene and family are in the town of Salisbury, Herkimer co.
1861: Eugene Maheux of Salisbury sold land to Caroline H. Stanton of Russia, Herkimer, NY.
1863: Eugene Maheux of Morehouse purchased 50 acres in Morehouse from John Louis Martin and wife Susan.
1870: census: both Eugene and Peter are listed next to each other in the town of Morehouse.
1880: census: Adell is listed with her daughter and family in Wilmurt, Herkimer co. Peter's wife is remarried and she and her youngest daughter is listed with her 2nd husband in Morehouse.
1881: Eugene dies in NYC on 11 May 1881. Family verbal history states that he died on a "business trip" and the family was too poor to ship his body back to Hamilton county for burial. He is buried in the Evergreens cemetery in the Bronx.
1886: Adell gives a deposition confirming family verbal info.
1900: Adell is listed with her daughter, Emily Richard, and family.
1902: Adell dies in the town of Wilmurt, Herkimer county, NY on 18 May 1902 and is buried in the Catholic cemetery in Morehouseville.
The following reference to Adell was found:

"The History of Hamilton County,"
by Ted Aber and Stella King, Great Wildreness Books, page 134
"Shingle making provided needed occupation for the early settlers at Morehouse, who had come with such great promise of lush farmlands only to find a short growing season and rough, rocky soil. These products of their hands were carted heavily to Utica and Little Falls, and provisions brought back in the wagons. Adell Maheux was known to make the tiresome journey over the roughest of roads down through Jerseyfield to deliver the shingles to market at Little Falls."

Eugene and Adell had two daughters: Josephine Eugenia, born about 1855, who married Daniel Theodore Partello and lived in Morehouse; and Emily Mary, born 23 Sep 1861, who married John Melchior Richard, a son of John C. Richard of Wilmurt twp, Herkimer county, NY and they lived in Wilmurt and then Herkimer.
Info submitted by: Lisa K. Slaski

Olmsted Family of Hope

According to my OLMSTED Family Genealogy book, and French's Gazette, Jeremiah Olmsted and his brother Gideon settled in Hope, NY, right after the Revolutionary War. Gideon died, but Jeremiah removed to Spafford, NY, with several members of his family before 1840. I have not been able to trace her where his wife Mercy WELLS came from.
Info submitted by: Carl Hommel

David Shotwell Parker

David Shotwell Parker, was born June 6th, 1834 and died: April 18th, 1919. He was born in Elba, in Genesee County, New York to Orange Parker and ?? Allen Parker. I do know that Orange's ancestors came over from England in 1634, and one helped found the city of Hartford, Connecticut. Orange's wife was a great-granddaughter of Ethan Allen, of Revolutionary War fame. I've not been able to track David's childhood at all. A farmer, he enlisted in the Civil War in October of 1861; his residence was listed then as Fabius, in Onondaga County. He served honorably with the 61rst New York Infantry in many of the major battles of the war, and was wounded during the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2nd, causing the amputation of part of his left leg. Discharged from the Army in March of 1864, he returned home (I can't remember where to) to marry Miss Mary Burns (Barnes, Barns) in January of 1865. Her father's name was John. To David and Mary were born four daughters and a son; only a son, Robert, and a daughter Ammie Grace, lived to adulthood. Mary Parker died in 1907, I don't know what city, and David was living in Buffalo as late as 1913, when he moved to Silver Lake, Washington, to be near his daughter. He died at the ripe old age of almost 85 years, and is buried in Bellingham, Washington.
Info submitted by: Debbie Dunn

Selah A. Porter of Hope

My ggrandfather was Selah A. Porter (1847-1888). He married Alice Kenney (1855-1936). He was about 28 yrs old when he moved to the area to work in the growing timber trade around Hope, NY. You will find his name in the book, The History of Hamilton County under the section about the logging business. He is listed as one of the laborers under his nickname Seely Porter. One of the other laborers listed there is Forest Snell. He married Nettie Porter of Giffords Corners. She is a cousin of Selah's. Selah and his 7mo old daughter, Mamie, are buried in the Northville Village Cemetery on Main St. He married Alice Kenney around 1875 and in 1877 my grandfather, Bela J. Porter was born. Mamie was born in 1887 and died in 1888, the same year that Seely died of exposure during the Blizzard of '88.
The name Selah is both masculine or feminine in the Celtic language. In the 1880 census he is listed with his wife Alice Kenny and my grandfather, Bela J. Porter, age 2. But go back ten yearrs to the 1870 census and he is a 20y/o female according to the census taker with his parents, Felix Porter and Mother Sally Gifford. And his name was Seely. Go back to the 1860 census and he is a man again. And Go back to the 1850 and there is his whole family with him age 2mo and a male. He was one of 8 children to Felix and Sally. Felix was 60 when Selah was born and his mother was 48. They hailed from Northampton and moved to Hope when he and Alice married and Selah began working in the lumber business. Apparently, the only time he used his real name, Selah, was on his birth certificate and death certificate. All other times he was either Seeley or Seely and changed sex according to the census taker.
Alice Kenney came from the Benson area and, I believe had siblings there as well. I believe she had brothers, Giles and Chester who are buried with their mother, Mary, Wife of Abner Kenney in the Giffords Valley Cemetery near the old Hubbs Point Restaurant. I have been unable to find other siblings, but family members say there was a Riley Kenney in that family as well. Cannot prove it though......can you??? The Kenneys are buried about 20 feet from the Graves of Forest Snell and his wife, Nettie and her father, Sumner W. Porter and her brother Mortimer LeRoy Porter, his two wives and two children.
Info submitted by: Bob Porter

Satterlee Family of Lake Pleasant

My gggrandfather Norman Satterlee was from Northville, Fulton county and we know that his father John S. Satterlee died in Little Falls, Herkimer county. We don't know much about John S. or who his parents were. In the 1850 census index there is a John S. listed in Lake Pleasant and also there is a listing of a John S. in the History of Hamilton County. We find that there is another Satterlee family; Barber in Lake Pleasant at the same time. It is established that Barber's father is Gideon and that Gideon is descended from the Rhode Island Satterlees. We found in a history book of Fulton County that said that Norman's ancesters were from Rhode Island. It is also established that Gideon had a son John, but John's birthdate has been guessed at and no other information is known about him. Gideon had 4 brothers and 9 male children. So our John S. could be a brother or a cousin of Barber. There are also Satterlee families in Herkimer county and they are all related in some way, as there were 3 Satterlee brothers that came to this country in the 1600's; one to Rhode Island, one to Connecticut and one to Long Island. Most of the Herkimer county Satterlees are descended from the Rhode Island Satterlees.
Info submitted by: Doug Benson

John Van Slyke of Benson

I am interested in the family of a John Van Slyke who was in Benson ca. 1880s-1900 and then moved to Mayfield, one of my wife's aunts remebers her mother taking them up there on picnics to where their mother was born and grew up (apparently the house was gone. even in the 1930s) also recalled her mother putting flowers on a grave there. So far I think there was a son of John Van Slyke that one one recalled, (I found him in the census), who might be the person buried there.. Most of the people I am working on are to the South in Northampton and Mayfield...but some were lumbering in Hamilton Co.
Info submitted by: Lee Garlock

Eliphalet Washburn of Benson

Eliphalet Washburn born 14 Jun 1799 in Hardwick, Worcester, MA. Father was Rufus Washburn, mother: Thankful Cotting/Cutting, died in Kansas (no date), married in (bef 1826) Benson, New York to Pamilia Hall, born 1804, died January 1848. Children: Alfred Brunson Washburn, Lucy Washburn, Reuel Washburn, William N. Washburn, 1826; Nancy Maria Washburn, b17 May 1829, near Benson, HamiltonCo. NY, m 4 Feb 1847 in Gloversville, NY; Calvin Washburn, b 1839; Calvin Washburn 1840. (Understand that the first Calvin died early)
Info submitted by: Pat Groves