Table of Contents
The following 10 biographical sketches were extracted from the Geographical gazetteer of Jefferson county, N.Y., 1685-1890.
Abram Green
Abram Green, from Connecticut, married Anna Bass, in 1793, and they had nine children, viz.: Stephen, who died in Ohio in 1833; Isaac; Cyrena (Mrs. Asa Copeland), who also died in Ohio; Zeruah (Mrs. Samuel Putnam), who died in Clayton; Servalla (Mrs. Able Tucker), who died in the town of Orleans; Abram, who died in Rodman; Ephraim, who died in Salt Lake City, Utah; Winslow, who died in Adams in 1881; and Nancy, who married William Rosa, of Watertown. Abram Green, born in 1804, located in Rodman with his parents when two years of age. He married Lucy, daughter of Charles and Cynthia (Pease) Cook, in 1833, by whom he had two children, viz.: Alma A. (Mrs. A. R. Cornwell), of Lorraine, and Charles A. The latter was born January 22, 1837, was reared upon his father’s farm, and was educated at Union Academy, at Belleville. He married Matilda Elizabeth, daughter of Lorenzo and Aurilla (Jones) Green, January 17, 1866, by whom he has two daughters, viz.: Grace Lucy, born March 20, 1869, a student at Adams Collegiate Institute, and Nora H., also a student in the same school. Abram Green died August 3, 1876. Charles A. owns the homestead in Rodman, but has retired from farm life and resides on Church street, in Adams village.
T. V. Maxon
T. V. Maxon, son of Joseph S. and Elizabeth (Vars) Maxon, was born in Petersburg, N. Y., March 26, 1823, and was reared upon a farm. He married Alma A., daughter of Benjamin and Maria (Jones) Hull, in 1849, and soon after moved to this town and located on road 59. He had born to him two daughters, viz.: Maria E. (Mrs. W. S. Tifft), of Buffalo, and Helen H. (Mrs. William W. Hart). Mrs. Maxon died in 1869. Mr. Maxon is a wholesale seed grower and breeder of Percheron horses and Jersey cattle.
Albert G. Thomas
Albert G. Thomas, son of John, was born in Vermont in 1819, and about 1850 came to Adams and located on the farm now occupied by his son Eli S. He married Nancy Shelding, by whom he had four sons and one daughter, of whom Albert M. and Eli S. reside in this town, and Eddie P. in Kansas. Eli S., born in 1860, married Anna, daughter of Garret and Josephine (Simmons) Palmeter, in 1880, and they have one daughter, Maude Lillian, born in 1883.
John J. Stillman
John J. Stillman, son of John and Mary (Enos) Stillman, was born in Unadilla Forks, N. Y., in 1836. He became a clerk and subsequently engaged in business for himself in Rome, N. Y. About 1850 he came to Adams and was employed as clerk in J. H. Whipple’s store. He married Mariette, daughter of George and Roxiana (Doxtater) Cooper, in 1868, and they have two daughters, viz.: Henrietta, a student in Adams Collegiate Institute, class of 1889, and Grace C., who resides at home.
Martin E. Dealing
Martin E. Dealing, son of Benjamin D. and Sarah S. (Green) Dealing, was born in 1847, and in 1851 came with his parents to Adams. August 15, 1864, when only 17 years of age, he enlisted in Co. C, 186th Regt. N. Y. Vols., and served to the close of the war. He returned to Adams and engaged in the grocery business, and also worked at the carpenters’ trade. In 1882, with his father, he built the mills now occupied as grist, turning, and cider-mills. Mr. Dealing married Charlotte E., daughter of Moses and Sarah E. (Munson) Keller, in 1866, by whom he has five children, viz.: Lulu, a school teacher, Lilliam L., Clinton, Ina E., and Alice Belle.
Alfred H. York
Alfred H. York, son of Stephen and Artimesia (Fletcher) York, born in Adams, followed the dual occupation of carpenter and farmer. He married Betsey T., daughter of Elijah and Mabel (Thomson) Harrington, by whom he had three sons and two daughters, of whom two died in infancy; Stephen H. was born August 24, 1851, graduated from the New York Medical University, and now resides in California; Dow B. resides in Smithville; Hattie married, first, George Cooley, by whom she had two daughters, Mabel and Alice, and second, John Hock, and now resides in Colorado. Dow B. York, born October 17, 1853, was reared upon a farm, and was educated in Union Academy, at Belleville. He married Katie S., daughter of La Fayette and Caroline (Hunting) Stanley, November 2, 1873, and they have two daughters, Florence Stanley, born October 16, 1874, and Marion Fay, born October 20, 1881. Mr. York is postmaster at Smithville and resides on Maple street.
Captain W. A. Collins
Captain W. A. Collins, son of John and Elizabeth (Mumery) Collins, was born in the parish of Saltwood, Kent, England, in 1814. In youth he was apprenticed; but not liking the situation he ran away when 14 years old and went to sea, and for 20 years followed a seafaring life. He then came to America and was a sailor on the great lakes till near the close of his life. In 1853 he married Almira W. Wiles, and located in the village of Smithville. He invented the Collins elastic truss, and also a medical compound, which his widow is still engaged in manufacturing, at Smithville. Mr. Collins died January 9, 1886.
James Hammond
James Hammond, son of Elnathan and Clarissa (Perrigo) Hammond, was born in Vermont, whence he removed to Adams when a young man, and learned the coopers’ trade. He married Lois, daughter of John Sargent, and six children were born to them, namely: Edwin M., of Adams Center; Sarah R. (Mrs. Solomon Sidmore), of Rodman; Clark and Lincoln, who died in infancy; and Willis H. and Lewis G., of Syracuse. Edwin M. Hammond was born in Adams Center in 1850, and when 20 years of age engaged in railroading. He married Nellie H., daughter of Leonard and Lydia (Dual) Smith, in 1875, by whom he had a daughter, Lois Blanche, born September 19, 1878. His wife died in April, 1879. For his second wife he married, November 16, 1887, Nettie R., daughter of Stephen and Sarah Jane (Grummons) Irons, of Adams.
Gardner Towle
Gardner Towle, son of Perley, was born in Vermont, and when a young man located in the town of Ellisburgh and learned the masons’ trade. About 1830 he took up a large tract of land in Lorraine and there built a saw-mill. He married Desire Spink, of Ellisburgh, and they had four children, of whom Ira N. and Gardner, Jr., reside in Lorraine. The latter married Electa, daughter of William McAuley, in 1852, and they reared four sons and four daughters, of whom Ernest E., Nathaniel, and Perley reside in this town. Ernest E. Towle was born November 2, 1853. November 24, 1886, he married Eda P., daughter of Frank and Polly (Turney) Fellows. He learned the marble and granite business in New York city, and is now engaged in that business in Adams village.
Charles H. Andrus
Charles H. Andrus, son of Ira and Melinda (Taft) Andrus, was born in 1830, and was reared upon a farm. He married Theresa I., daughter of Archibald and Sarah A. (Davis) Barritt, in 1859, and they had one son and three daughters, namely: Frances E., who married William H. Potter, in 1879, and has three daughters, Cora M., Minnie A., and Frances T.; Edeline H., who died young; and Nellie L., who married Jay S. Armstrong and has a son, Frank G. Mr. Andrus is proprietor of a livery stable, and owns the Andrus block in Adams village.
Source: Child, Hamilton. Geographical gazetteer of Jefferson county, N.Y., 1685-1890, part one, p. 234-236. Syracuse, N.Y.: The Syracuse journal company, printers and binders. 1890.