Martus Cline or Kline, immigrant ancestor of this family, came from Holland and settled in what is now (1910) Montgomery county, New York, before the revolution. He was living in 1790, according to the first federal census, and Jacob, John, William Henrik, doubtless his sons, were also heads of families in Montgomery county at that time.
(II) John Cline, son of Martus Cline or Kline, was born in 1764 or 1769, died in 1829. He had a grant from George the Third, according to one account, of a square mile of land on the north side of the Mohawk river. He removed to Victor, Ontario county, in 1814. Among his children was Mark, mentioned elsewhere.
(III) Mark, son of John Cline, was born at South Amsterdam, New York, June 1, 1802, and was educated in the district schools. He came with his parents to Victor, when he was twelve years old, and followed farming all his active life. He had a farm of one hundred and seventy acres at Victor. In politics he was a Whig, in religion a Methodist. He married Betsey Ann Wells, born January 6, 1805, at Mayfield, New York. Children : 1. Angeline, born September 7, 1823, married Harvey Holbrook, and had six children; she died in 1902. 2. Nancy, August … Read more
(IV) Richard, son of Mark Cline, was born at Victor, New York, September 18, 1829. His education was received in the public schools of his native town. He has been a farmer all his active life, and still makes his home in his native town. His farm contains about a hundred acres. In politics he is a Republican; in religion a Methodist, and for a number of years he was a trustee of the church. He married Jane Ann Van born, February 15, 1854, daughter of Peter Van born. She died August 25, 1897. Children: Amenzo M., born January 20, … Read more
(II) John (2), son of John (1) Collins, was born in Boston, about 1644. He was also a shoemaker. He removed in 1663 to Middletown, Connecticut, thence to Saybrook, later to Branford and Guilford. He married (first) Mary Trowbridge, who died in 1668; (second), June 3, 1669, Mary (Stephens) Hingnoth, widow of Henry Hingnoth; (third) Dorcas (Swain) Taintor, widow of John Taintor. He died at Branford about 1704. Children: John, born 1665, mentioned elsewhere; Robert, 1667; Mary, married Chapman.
DAVID LISTER. – David Lister of Tacoma, Washington, belongs to that class of men who have done so much for the material prosperity of our country by being the first to go into new places and build up new industries. He was born in England in 1821, and came to New York in 1847. He worked for steamboat companies in that city until 1854, when he went to Philadelphia and connected himself with the Delaware Canal Company, where he remained ten years. He then went to Pestico, Wisconsin, a town located among the pineries on Green Bay. In that place … Read more
ELISHA H. LEWIS. – This well-known gentlemen was born in New York in 1824. He was raised on a farm, and received a common-school education at his home on the slopes of the Catskill Mountains. In 1845 he went to Chicago and thence to Wisconsin, where he worked as millwright until 1849. Coming in that year by the Isthmus to California, he was mining in several camps with the usual checkered luck of those days, making a return to the “States” for a visit. In the spring of 1852 he returned by water to California, and in the fall of … Read more
HAMAN C. LEWIS. – This dauntless pioneer of the earliest times in our state was born in New York City January 31, 1803, and was the son of a ship carpenter. He early was apprenticed to learn the trade of a cooper, but while only a boy of fourteen went to sea, serving six months as cabin boy, and later was apprenticed to the ship carpenter. At eighteen he went as sailor – or perhaps more strictly speaking as “fillibusterer” – to the Gulf coast, taking service on a Mexican privateer. For a number of years he followed a most … Read more
HON. WM. P. LORD. – Judge William P. Lord of the supreme court was born in the city of Dover in 1838. He was carefully trained for his education in the private schools of his native place until his twentieth year, when he matriculated in Fairfield College, New York. In less than three years he graduated from that college with the highest honors, being the valedictorian of his class. he at once began the study of the law in his native city; but, before he had time to complete the course of study necessary to his admission to the bar, … Read more
(III) John (3), son of John (2) Collins, was born in Connecticut in 1665, died January 24, 1751. He married, July 23, 1691, Ann Leete, born August 5, 1671, died November 2, 1724, daughter of John Leete and granddaughter of Governor William Leete, descendant of a distinguished English ancestry. Children, born in Guilford: Asa, May 9, 1692; Mary, April 11, 1694, died February 2, 1729; John, February 23, 1696; Timothy, February 11, 1698, died February 19, 1698; Timothy, April 13, 1699, mentioned elsewhere; Daniel, June 13, 1701; Susanna, September 25, 1703, died October 30, 1703; Samuel, November 2, 1704; Mercy, … Read more
John Collins, immigrant ancestor, was born in England and came to Boston in 1638. He was a shoemaker and citizen of some prominence, a member of the Artillery Company (the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston). He died May 29, 1670. Administration was granted to Gideon Allen. He married Susan. Children: 1. Susanna, baptized April 5, 1645, aged three years twelve days; married, March 25, 1662, Thomas Walker. 2. John, mentioned elsewhere. 3. Thomas, October 15, 1645
(VI) Isaac (2), son or nephew of Isaac (1) Hathaway, was born October 28, 1955, in Rhode Island. He was one of the pioneers in Farmington, New York, and was doubtless with the settlers who went from Rhode Island to Adams, Massachusetts, and thence to central New York after the revolution. He married, in 1784, Jemima Comstock, born 1760, daughter of Nathan Comstock, born 1735, granddaughter of John, son of Samuel. Soon after their marriage his wife rode on horseback from Rhode Island, using a poplar sprout for a whip, and she planted it near the log house in which … Read more
Samuel Scribner, a native of Maine, brought his family to Stowe at an early day, the fifth to locate in the town, and settled upon the farm now owed by George Harris. His family was large, consisting of nine sons and three daughters, whose support lie with difficulty sustained. Mr. Scribner remained here about fourteen years, then removed to what was at that time the “far West,” near the present city of Rochester, N. Y., where he subsequently died, aged ninety-one years. Noah, his third son, was eight years of age when the family came here, and about six months … Read more
J.J.H. VAN BOKKELEN. – We constantly find among those that are here present lives of such incident and fullness, that any sketch must be so meager as to be well-nigh worthless. The active career of Mr. Von Bokkelen, covering more than half a century, is one of them. He inherits his name and much of his rugged mentality from an old Holland family on his father’s side, which at the time of the entrance of the French and flight of the King came to New York. There the grandfather became one of the first physicians, settling in the old Bowery, … Read more
THEODORE C. VAN EPPS. – Mr. Van Epps, a portrait of whom is placed among the illustrations of this work, is one of the best known men in Washington’s capital city. He was born in New Scotland, eight miles west of Albany, New York, February 15, 1847, and is the son of Charles and Angelica (Vedder) Van Epps, both of whom were born in New York of Holland parentage, his mother being a cousin of ex-President Martin Van Buren. His great-grandfather was from Holland, and founded the town of Amsterdam in New York State. At the age of six Theodore … Read more
JOHN R. LADD. – The stories told to the children of the generation hence of the abundance of gold and the immense profits of the early pioneers will fire their imaginations and set them on wild, and perhaps profitable, trips to the Andes or to Alaska. Mr. Ladd’s career will be thus exciting to his descendants, and to all who see this sketch. He was born in the Empire state in 1838. He came to California with his father in 1852, but returning East married Miss Rachel Knapp in Illinois. Here might be mentioned as a remarkable coincidence, that Mrs. … Read more
Curtis Brown of Belvidere, son of Lybeout and Betsey W. (Ward) Brown, was born in Coventry, Oct. 16, 1825. His father was the first Republican representative in the Legislature of the state, to which both his son and grandson have been elected. Mr. Brown was educated in the common schools of Coventry and afterwards at Waterbury, N. Y., residing with his parents till the age of twenty-one. At that time he purchased a farm in Belvidere, and in order to pay for it went to Massachusetts, where he worked industriously in a mill for several years until he had accomplished … Read more
Lewis, L. Halsey, of Hyde Park, son of David and Julia (Smith) Lewis, was born in the town of Blooming Grove, N. Y., Dec. 2, 1853. He received his education in the schools of New York City and Michigan, and when his education was completed, learned the printer’s trade at Middletown, N. Y. August 18, 1878, he settled in Hyde Park and purchased the Lamoille News. Three years after he united that paper with the Vermont Citizen. Since that time he has conducted the combination of the two papers under the title of the “News and Citizen” with offices at … Read more
Samuel Bryant, from Woodstock, Vt., came to Emore in 1824, and settled upon the farm owned by Benjamin Davis, on road 19. Here he resided for a few years, then removed to Morristown, where he cleared up the farm now the property of Alfred Dodge. In 1845, he returned to Elmore, remained here five years, then removed to Franklin county, N. Y., where he died, in April, 1882, aged about ninety-two years. His wife died five days later, aged over ninety-three years. Of their family of six children, three are now living, one, Joseph W., in this town. He was … Read more
AARON ROSE. – This gentleman, one of the earliest pioneers of the Umpqua valley, was born in Ulster county, in the State of New York, June 20, 1813, and was raised a farmer. He was married to Minerva Kelley in 1838. He crossed the plains with his family in 1851, arriving at Foster’s August 22d, and came directly to the valley of the South Umpqua, and settled at the mouth of Deer creek, upon the present site of the flourishing city of Roseburg, Oregon, September 23, 1851. He at once built a house and engaged in farming, in which he … Read more