Ontario County NY

Biography of Milo Freeman Webster

Milo Freeman, son of Otis A. Webster, was born at North Amherst, Ohio, November 14, 1866. He attended the public schools of Victor. New York, graduated from Canandaigua Academy in 1883 and from the College of Agriculture of Cornell University in 1888. He is a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity of that college. Since 1889 he has been engaged in farming and fire insurance at Victor. New York, where he has an excellent farm of seventy-five acres. In 1888-80 assistant to the secretary of the State Agricultural Society at Albany, New York. He is now (1910) secretary of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ebenezer Williams

Ebenezer (2), son of Justus Williams, was born in Amherst, Massachusetts. in 1779 (Amherst history gives 1783). He was educated there in the district schools and followed farming. A prominent and influential citizen for many years, he was selectman of Amherst in 1818, 1823. 1828, 1829, 1832 and 1843, a period of six years and he also represented the town in the general court. He married, January 21, 1808, Philomela Dickinson, who was born in Amherst about 1990 and died in 1854. He died in 1860. Children: Elijah; William; Mary; Margaret; Enos D.

Biography of Dr. John D. Cooke

Dr. John D. Cooke, a well known medical practitioner of Shortsville, Ontario county, New York. although a native of Canada, traces his descent to an American family, many generations of which lived at Hadley, Massachusetts, where they were among the early settlers, and bravely bore their share of the hardships and trials with which the early colonists were obliged to contend. Dr. Cooke has inherited many of the admirable traits which characterized these early hardy settlers, and he has followed his career with the sturdy determination to achieve the success which distinguished his forbears in their efforts to establish, in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Frank Allyn Griffith

Frank Allyn, son of John Watson Griffith, was born in Phelps, August 17, 1873, and was educated in the public schools of his native town and of Clifton Springs, New York. He commenced his business career as shipping clerk in the office of the Clifton Springs Manufacturing Company. After two years he returned, in 1893, to his native town and since then has followed farming there. In politics he is Republican, in religion a Methodist. He married, January 16, 1894, Christine Bennckenstein, born in New York City, daughter of Edward Bennckenstein, of New York City. Children: Charlotte, born March 12, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James Dixon

The late John Boynton Dixon, of Geneva, an expert tile and brickmaker, and the inventor of valuable improvements in the manufacture of clay products, belonged to an English family which for upwards of a century was identified with that business, both in England and America. His grandfather, James Dixon, a gallant soldier in the British army, holding the rank of sergeant, had the honor of serving tinder the renowned Duke of Wellington, and participated in the famous battle of Waterloo, which decided the fate of Europe and effectually terminated the imperial aspirations of the greatest military dictator of modern times. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Richard Vosburgh

Lee Vosburgh, a prosperous farmer of Clifton Springs, Ontario county, New York, and a man of prominence in the educational affairs of the county, traces his ancestry to the earliest settlers who came to what was then the wilderness of the state of New York. They have been farmers for many generations, and the land has been constantly and steadily improving in value under their capable management. (I) Richard Vosburgh, grandfather of Lee Vosburgh, spent his entire life in Hillsdale, Columbia county, New York, with which the family has been particularly associated. He married Caroline Van Dazen and they had … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James Le Roy

James Le Roy was born in Dutchess county, New York, September 10, 1820. His father was of the family mentioned above and a descendant in the fourth or fifth generation from Francis Le Roy, the first settler. His father lived and died in Dutchess county. James Le Roy was educated in the public schools in Phelps, Ontario county, whither he came when a boy. He followed farming all his active life and became one of the substantial and representative men of the town. He was active and prominent in the Methodist Episcopal church. He married (first) Fanny Palmiter and (second) … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Wright Wilbur

Wright, son of Brownell Wilbur, was born May 19 1783, died when a young man. He settled in Madison county, New York, and was a farmer. He married, , who died in 1849. Children: James, Owen, Christopher, Gideon, George, Brownell, William, Patty, Maria and several others.

Biographical Sketch of Charles L. Brown

Charles L., son of John N. and Eliza (Graham) Brown, was born in Lodi, New York. March 25. 1852. He attended the public and high schools of Rochester, and the knowledge thus acquired was supplemented by attendance at the Rochester Business University. ‘He followed commercial pursuits for a long period of time, these proving highly remunerative, and in 1890 engaged in the drug business in Victor, New York. continuing in the same up to the present time, achieving a large degree of success. In addition to his business career, he has been active in the political life of his adopted … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles H. Garlock

Charles H. Garlock, who has for many years served as trustee of the village of Phelps, Ontario county, New York, and is prominently connected with the financial and commercial interests of the county, is a descendant of one of the early Dutch settlers of this country, his greatgreat-grandfather having come to America from Holland. Another of his ancestors was Peter Cook, who was a native of New Jersey. Mr. Garlock was elected president of the village of Phelps, in March, 1911.

Biographical Sketch of John Webster

John, son of Jonathan Webster. was born at Tyringham. Massachusetts. February 2, 1790. When a young man he located at Franklin, Delaware county, New York, and later removed to Parma. Monroe county. New York. He married Mary Webster. He died in 1852 in Spencerport, Monroe county, New York; his wife Mary died at Victor, New York, in 1866. Children: Freeman, John Riley, Sarah F, Otis A., mentioned elsewhere; James Myron and Milo C.

Biographical Sketch of Herbert C. Flood

Herbert C., son of Luther Flood, was born in Coldwater, Michigan, February 18, 1860, and was educated there in the public schools. He came to Phelps, New York, when a young child and received his education in the public schools. He commenced his business life as a farm hand. Afterwards he leased a farm on shares and in 1903 bought it. He is one of the most industrious and prosperous farmers of the town, making a specialty of his dairy. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Phelps, and a member of its official board. In politics … Read more

Biography of Dr. Jay Byington Covert

Dr. Jay Byington Covert, one of the leading physicians of Geneva, Ontario county, New York, while still young in years, has already attained a foremost rank in the medical profession. His quick perception, sound judgment and thorough training, command the respect and confidence of all who know (1910) him, and he is held in the highest estimation by his fellow citizens. The fact is amply evidenced in the record of his daily life. He has devoted his life to a noble profession, and in all professions, but more especially in the medical, there are exalted heights to which genius itself … Read more

Biography of James Hornbeck

The Hornbeck family is of Dutch ancestry. Warnour Hornbeck was an early settler in Ulster county, New York. He married (first) Anna, daughter of Matthaus and Eva Abertse (Bradt) de Hooges. He married (second) Grietze Tyssen. By his two wives he had eighteen children and their descendants have been very numerous. Doubtless all of the name in New York are from this pioneer family. Lodwick Hornbeck, of this family, married, July 9, 1696, Maritze, eleventh child of Cornelis Cornissen Vernvoy and his wife Annatje Cornelis, daughter of Cornelis Barentsen Van de Cuyl and Lysbeth Arents. Lodwick and Cornelis Hornbeck were … Read more

Aikey, Virgil – Obituary

Sumpter, Oregon Virgil Aikey, 66, of Sumpter, died Oct. 16, 2004, at the Boise Veterans Hospital. There will be a wake in honor of his life at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Elkhorn Restaurant in Sumpter. Virgil was born on Aug. 7, 1938, at Canandaigua, N.Y. He moved to Southern California in 1960. He served in the U.S. Army in the 101st Airborne. He was the youngest journeyman in the heating and sheet metal business in the 1960s in Southern California. After that he became a swimming pool contractor for Bee Sunny Pools in Chatsworth, Calif. In 1988, he moved … Read more

Biography of Stephen Hart

Stephen Hart, who came to this country from Braintree, Essex county, England, with the company that settled at Braintree, Massachusetts, was the progenitor of the Hart families of Massachusetts and Connecticut. He was one of the fifty-four settlers at Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1632, and married there. In 1634 he was admitted a freeman, there, and was a member and deacon of the church of which the Rev. Thomas Hooker was pastor. He went to Hartford in 1635 with a company led by Mr. Hooker, and was one of the original proprietors of that place. His house lot was on the west … Read more

History of Ontario County New York

Canandaigua Lake PostCard

The second volume of the work, The History of Ontario County New York, and Its People, is a volume of genealogical and family history. In it are chronicles of the people who have made Ontario County what it is. These records are presented in a series of independent narratives relating to lineal family heads, and the most conspicuous representatives down to the 20th century, giving it a distinct personal interest. The first installment of this series includes over 900+ biographies.

Biographical Sketch of William Salisbury

William (2), son of William (1) and Lydia (Thomas) Salisbury, became an officer in the colonial military service and was for some time in command of the fort on Castle Island, Boston Harbor. He had a family of seven children, four of whom were sons, and among the latter were Stephen and John.

Biography of Martin Smith

Martin Smith, son of Asa Smith, was born in Ormstown, Canada, March 23, ,808, and came with his parents when he was a small boy to Manchester, Ontario county, New York. He was the eldest of fourteen children, of whom Edmund, Frederick, Rufus and Elvira, of Manchester, and Franklin D. Smith, of Phelps, are living. Martin Smith was a farmer at Manchester. He married Welthea Wells, born at Penfield, Monroe county, New York, July 15, 18,0, and came with her parents to Manchester when she was about four years old. Her sister Jane married Jonathan Fisk; and Delia married Alanson … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Preston J. Dorchester

Preston J., son of James G. and Clarissa (Backenstose) Dorchester, was born in Geneva, Ontario county, New York, in 1819, died in 1891. His school education was a scanty one, as he was the main support of the family and could spare but little time to devote to educational matters. All his later success and prosperity he owed to his own unaided efforts, and at the time of his death he had amassed a competency. He was the organizer of the hardware firm of Underhill, Dorchester & Brother, which succeeded Prouty & Chew, who were the successors of Phineas Prouty, … Read more