"F" Surname Family Sketches
From The Story of Geneva; compiled by E. Thayles Emmons; 1931;
Charles Washington Fairfax was born in Geneva Sept. 2, 1862. He
was educated in the Geneva public schools and then worked as a clerk in
his father's wall paper store. In 1880 he formed a partnership with his
brother, Geo. S. Fairfax, and they took over their father's business,
giving him an opportunity to retire from active life. For a number of
years the business was conducted under the firm name of Geo. S. and
Chas. W. Fairfax, but in 1903, a third brother, Frank E. Fairfax, was
taken into the firm. They at once built a four-story block on the
corner of Castle and Linden Streets which still houses the business.
Four years later they incorporated as the Geneva Wall Paper Co., with
capital stock of $70,000. Mr. Geo. S. Fairfax died May 11, 1925, and
Mr. Charles W. Fairfax died on Sept. 9, 1929, since which time the
business has been conducted by Frank E. Fairfax. Charles W. Fairfax was
active in public affairs and was alderman from the Fourth Ward and was
president of the Common Council. Later he had a place on important city
commissions. In 1909 he was a Republican nominee for mayor, but was
defeated. He was actively associated with the affairs of Company B. and
had had considerable military experience. This was used to the
advantage of the city on numerous occasions when parades or
celebrations had to be organized and at this, Col. Fairfax was
singularly adept. His last public activity was as chairman of the
celebration of the Sullivan SesquiCentennial in 1929. Mr. Fairfax died
in the midst of the preparations for this event.
From The Story of Geneva; compiled by E. Thayles Emmons; 1931;
John Eden Farwell, vice president and manager of the Geneva
Permanent Savings and Loan Association, was born in Geneva, April 4,
1890, the son of John G. Farwell and Mary E. Goff. He was
educated in the Geneva schools and graduated from Amherst College in
1913. Returning to Geneva he took a position with the Loan Association,
of which his father was then manager, and after his death succeeded
him. He is a member of Elks, the Masons, the Chamber of Commerce, Theta
Delta Chi, Beta Sigma Clubs, Geneva Auto Club, Masonic Club, Geneva
Country Club; he is a member of the finance commission of the city and
a director of the Land Bank of the State of New York. His wife was Miss
Olive Stryker of Phelps and they reside at 382 Washington
street.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by Lewis Cass Aldrich;
edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
John G. Farwell,
Geneva, son of Samuel P., was born in the town of Ischua, Cattaraugus
county July 17,1861, and when twelve years old his father removed to
Elmira N. Y. John G. graduated from the grammar school and the
Free Academy of the latter city, and in 1880 removed to Geneva and
entered the law office of John E. Bean, esq. He was admitted to
the bar at Buffalo on June 5, 1885, and in October of the same year was
united in marriage with Minnie E. Goff. On the first of
January following, he opened an
office in Geneva, where he is now practicing. He has been a
justice
of the peace since 1885, and was local editor of the Geneva Gazette for
five years. Mr. Farwell is also an extensive dealer in Geneva and
Buffalo real estate.
From The Story of Geneva; compiled by E. Thayles Emmons;
1931;
Walter L. Fay, long connected with the Fay & Bowen Engine
Co., was born in Auburn, Feb. 5, 1859. He was educated in the Pingry
School, Elizabeth, N. J., graduating when eighteen. He immediately
entered upon a business career, working for his father for a short time
and in 1879 entered the employ of D. M. Osborne & Co., where he
remained for four years, when he accepted a position with A. W. Stevens
& Son, the senior member of this firm being a pioneer in the field
of thresher and steam engine building. Mr. Fay continued with this firm
for thirteen years, then started in business for himself in partnership
with Ernest S. Bowen manufacturing bicycle spokes and spoke nipples.
Five years later they sold out to an Eastern combination and then
commenced the manufacture of gasoline engines and launches. The
business was incorporated in the Fall of 1903 and in the following year
removed to Geneva, where it has since been located and under a recent
reorganization since Mr. Fay's retirement, is called Fay-Bow Boats, Inc.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Harrison B. Ferguson, Canandaigua, was born in Phelps April 22,
1842, a son of John H., a native of the county, a farmer and afterwards
a merchant of Orleans. He had four children, of whom our subject
was the second one. He was educated in the common schools and at
Lima Seminary, and after leaving school spent two years in his father's
store, and August 22, 1862, he enlisted in the One Hundred and
Twenty-sixth Regiment N. Y. Vols., and served with them until December
25, 1864,
when he received his discharge from the army and entered the Ordnance
Bureau of the War Department at Washington, where he was employed until
October 1, 1865. He then came to Canandaigua and engaged in the
insurance business. He was also in the book business about five
years. In the fall of 1875 Mr. Ferguson was elected county
treasurer,
and afterwards re-elected. He entered the employ of the First
National Bank of Canandaigua as clerk, and rose to the position of
cashier,
which position he held until the close of the bank, and assisted in its
voluntary liquidation. He is still engaged with Mr. Munger, who
was president of the bank. He is secretary and treasurer of the
Canandaigua Gas and Electric Light Companies; treasurer of Union Free
School
District No. 1, and secretary of the Canandaigua Cemetery
Association. Mr. Ferguson married in 1866 Ella C., daughter of
Rev. Jacob A. Wades,
of Orleans, and they have four children: Clara Louise, Julia May,
J. Arden and Harry W.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by Lewis Cass Aldrich;
edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Robert B. Ferguson, Geneva, was born in Phelps, August
27, 1822, he being one of nine children of Robert and Mary
(Baggerly) Ferguson, natives of Maryland. The grandfather,
William, was of English descent. The father came to Phelps and settled
in 1805. Robert B. married, December 5, 1855, Maria, daughter of Hiram
and Mary (Knapp) Warner, of Phelps, and they
have
these children: Sumner J., Mrs. Mary Belle Ottley, Alice May,
who died in September, 1892; Margaret Clay, a teacher of botany in
Wellesley
College; Clara Ann, wife of Marshall King; and Everett Warner.
Mr. Ferguson has lived for fifty years upon his farm of 200 acres,
where
is is a large raiser of grain and has an apple orchard of about
seventeen acres, producing about 500 barrels per year.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by Lewis Cass Aldrich;
edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
The late Smith Ferguson was born in Orange county in 1798. His
ancestor, John Ferguson, settled in Westchester county, N. Y., in 1700,
the family having in possession papers showing he was,
soon after purchasing real estate, in the "Borough" of Westchester.
February 12, 1824, he married Emily, daughter of Sarah Wooden and
Zephaniah Townsend of Ulster county, and they had seven
children: Sarah C., Amelia T., Ann A., George A., Mary I., Josephine
E., and Everard D. They came to reside in this town in 1851. Their
father died December 9, 1886; the mother, December 23, 1886. Sarah
married Chauncey Ferguson, and died January 29, 1881; Amelia married
Fayette Jones, and died May 7, 1860; Ann A. married Benjamin Perkins,
and has a son and daughter;
Mary I. married Herman Ferguson, and resides in Newburgh, N. Y.;
Josephine
E. married M. D. Skinner; Everard D., a physician in Troy,
married
Marion A. Farley of Crown Point, Ind., and has a son and
daughter;
George and Josephine reside on the homestead. The family are of English
and Scotch ancestry.
From "Pioneer and General History of Geauga County." Historical Society of
Geauga County, O. (Ohio), 1880.
CONSTANTINE C. FIELD was born February
18, 1813, in the township of Phelps, Ontario county, New York. He came to
Concord, Geauga (now Lake) county, in the spring of 1836; removed to East
Claridon in 1839 and engaged in the mercantile business. He was twice elected
assessor for Claridon township; in 1850 was elected justice of the peace, and
served one term He was elected county auditor in 1856, and re-elected in 1858,
1860, and 1862. In January, 1866, he was appointed county treasurer for the
unexpired term of the lamented O. R. Newcomb, deceased. He removed to
Painesville in the fall of 1866, and again engaged in the mercantile business.
In 1870 he was elected a member of the State board of equalization for the
district, comprising Ashtabula, Lake, and Geauga counties. He now resides in
East Claridon, Geauga county, Ohio. Mr. Field discharged his duties in all
positions with ability and integrity. [page 351]
Thanks to Martha Magill for this contribution.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Horace M. Finley, Canandaigua, was born in Canandaigua in
1839, a son of Marshall, a native of Vermont, born in 1815. He came to
Ontario county and was a teacher for a number of years, then
established
a daguerreotype gallery in Canandaigua, which he conducted until his
age prevented him from active business, and it has since been conducted
by his son, Horace M. The latter was educated in common schools and at
Canandaigua Academy, and on leaving school went into his father's
gallery
to learn photography. In the early sixties he joined his father as a
partner,
and has ever since had an interest in the business. In 1888 he was
joined
in partnership by William N. Freeman, and their gallery is now located
in the Finley block on Main street, where they are prepared to do
first-class
work either in photographs, crayons or out-door work. Mr. Finley
married
in 1866 Louisa H., daughter of Alfred B. Field, a former
merchant
of this town, and they have one child, Mrs. M. C. Beard, of
Canandaigua.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Charles Fisher, was born in Stockbridge, Mass., November 30, 1796,
and came with his parents to Woodstock, Madison county, when he was two
months old, and afterwards, in the year 1811, to Henrietta, Monroe
county. In the year of 1814 he located permanently at Fisher's,
in the town of Victor. He was among the earliest settlers here,
and the place was named after him. He was justice of the peace
for a term of years, postmaster, and entertained travelers until there
was a hotel started in the place. He married twice, first July
29, 1821, Rebeckah Gaskell, of Victor. They had two sons
and three daughters: Harriet; Charles, now of Newton, Kansas;
Almira;
Robert, an attorney of Victor village; and Mary R. Mrs. Fisher
died
September 7, 1848, and he married second Helen J. Pardee, on
October
21, 1850. They had two sons, Henry P., born December 27, 1851,
died
June 25, 1893, who married Lucy E. Bushman, November 9, 1875,
and
had two children: Clara and Charles. William F. was born
March
9, 1854; September 6, 1882, he married Addie C., daughter of Almon and
Emily Preston, of Battle Creek, Mich. They have two sons,
Almon
P. and Henry S. Mr. Fisher was a produce dealer with his brother
for
some time, but is now farming on the old homestead. He is a
member of Milner Lodge, No. 139, F. & A. M., Victor, and Excelsior
Chapter, No. 164, R. A. M., Canandaigua.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Harlan M. Fisher, a native and resident of Bristol, was born
February 25, 1850, and is a son of Alphonso G., a son of Nathaniel,
whose father, Nathaniel, was a native of Dighton Mass., who about 1800
came to Bristol and settled. Nathaniel, jr., was born in Dighton,
Mass.,
and came to Bristol with his parents. He was a colonel in the
War of 1812, and was a prominent man. He was held in great
respect
by the Indians, who often stopped on their hunting expeditions to stay
over night with Ski-a-na-gha, as they called him, perhaps leaving some
of their trophies of the chase as they departed in the morning.
His wife was Lovice Phillips of Dighton, Mass., who bore him
one son and two daughters. He died in Bristol in 1855, and his
wife in
1863. Alphonso was born in Bristol November 16, 1816, and married
Almeda, daughter of John Worrallo, who was lost on Lake
Erie. Mr. Fisher and wife had two sons: Harlan M. and Edgar
N., the latter a farmer of Bristol. Mr. Fisher was an active
politician, yet never accepted office. He died November 19, 1891,
and his wife resides on
the old homestead. Subject was educated in Canandaigua Academy,
graduating in 1878, and taught school for nineteen years in connection
with farming. He owns 165 acres of land and is a general
farmer. He makes a specialty of breeding bronze turkeys, Holstein
cattle and Berkshire swine. He is a member of the Ontario County
Agricultural Society, and for four years has lectured at Farmers'
Institutes in New York, under the auspices of the State Agricultural
Society, on various subjects connected with agriculture, and is
considered a drainage expert. He is a Republican, and was
assessor two terms. In 1872, he married Helen L., daughter of the
late Benjamin F. Phillips of Bristol. They reside on the
farm settled by Elnathan Gooding, grandfather of Mrs. Fisher
and the
first settler of Bristol, who came there at the age of seventeen and
remained
alone the first winter. One incident is perhaps worthy of mention
as
illustrating the material of the sturdy yeomanry of New England who
settled
the Empire State. While young Gooding was chopping down the thick
forest
to clear for crops, he heard a twig snap, and glancing over his
shoulder
saw a large savage standing back of him with a tomahawk raised to deal
the
deadly blow. Without deigning to give the Indian further notice,
he
kept on chopping, never missing a single stroke. The Indian,
admiring
his coolness in the trying circumstances, quietly slipped the tomahawk
in his belt with an "Ugh, white man no scare", disappeared in the dense
woods. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Fisher are: Ethel L.,
Ada E., Harlan A., Rex P., Almeda L., and Marion E. Ethel L. is a
student at Cook Academy at Havana NY.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Henry P. Fisher, Victor, was born at Fisher's, Victor, December 27,
1851. He was educated in the public schools, was a produce dealer
for some time, and later a farmer. November 9, 1875, he married
Lucy E., daughter of Abner and Phoebe P. (King) Bushman of East
Mendon, and they had two children: Clara B. and Charles H.
Mrs. Fisher's father, Abner Bushman, was born in Monroe county November
28, 1801, was a school teacher, farmer, and also justice of the peace
for twenty years. He married twice, first to Jane Ely,
and they had one daughter, Mrs. Bentley Corby, of
Pittsford. April 14, 1849, he married second Phoebe F. King
of Brighton, Monroe county, and they had seven children, three died in
infancy, four survive: Hanford E.; Lucy E.; Clara M.; and Julia who
died at the age of eight years. A branch of her family named
Hopkins dates back to the
Mayflower. His grandfather on his mother's side, Silas Pardee
from Columbia county, was a lieutenant in the Revolutionary War, and
Mrs.
Fisher's great-grandfather, Rufus King, was in the Revolutionary
War.
Henry P. was a staunch Democrat. He died June 25, 1893.
From The Story of Geneva; compiled by E. Thayles Emmons; 1931;
J. G. Fitzwater was born at Bluff Point, Yates County, on
October 2, 1853. For many years he conducted a boot and shoe repair
store in this city, retiring in 1927. He re-entered active business for
a short time and retired on March 13, 1927. Prior to coming to Geneva
he conducted a shoe and clothing business in Penn Yan for 14 years. Mr.
Fitzwater married Miss Lois A. Dean of Penn Yan and they now
reside at 93 Main street. Mr. Fitzwater is an ardent fisherman and many
fine catches of Seneca Lake fish have been recorded by him.
From The Story of Geneva; compiled by E. Thayles Emmons; 1931;
George S. Flint was born in Canandaigua and lived in that city
until 15 years of age when the family moved to Clifton Springs. After
two years residence there, he went to Naples and at the age of 19 moved
to Geneva where he has lived since. For the past 20 years Mr. Flint has
had charge of the retail business of the Geneva Refrigerating
Corporation, of which he is a director. In 1910 he was appointed
coroner by Governor Charles E. Hughes to fill a vacancy and thereafter
served two terms by election. Retiring from office he was, after six
years, again elected coroner on the Republican ticket in 1924. He was
elected county clerk in 1930 taking office January 1, 1931. He is a
veteran of the Spanish-American War; a member of Geneva Lodge B. P. O.
E., No. 1054; Geneva Lodge, F. and A. M. and the United Commercial
Travellers. He resides at 4 Hoffman Avenue.
From The Story of Geneva; compiled by E. Thayles Emmons;
1931;
Charles J. Folger - Another eminent citizen and member of the
Geneva Bar was Judge Charles J. Folger, who won a nation-wide
reputation, becoming distinguished as a lawyer, jurist and statesman.
He was born in Nantucket, Mass., April 16, 1818, and came with his
parents to Geneva in 1830. Two years later he entered Hobart College,
graduating in 1836. Soon after he entered the office of Sibley and
Worden in Canandaigua and began the study of law, being admitted to the
bar in 1839. As early as 1844 he was appointed county judge and served
continuously until 1855. During the legislative sessions of 1862 and
'63 and then continuously until 1869, Mr. Folger represented Ontario
County in the State Senate and in 1867 he also was one of the delegates
at large to the Constitutional Convention. On May 17, 1870, he was
elected Judge of the Court of Appeals and ten years later, May 20,
1880, was elected chief judge of the same court. In 1881, on the 27th
of October, Judge Folger was appointed by President Arthur as secretary
of the treasury of the United States and in order to accept the
appointment he resigned from the Court of Appeals on November 14th.
In 1882 he became a candidate of the Republican party for the office of
Governor of New York but in the memorable campaign of that year which
brought widespread disaster to the Republican party he was defeated. He
then returned to his cabinet position, but only for a short time,
inasmuch as he died Sept. 4th, 1884, at his home in Geneva.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Charles Worth Folger, Geneva, son of Judge Charles J. Folger,
was born October 9, 1847. He graduated from Williams College in 1868,
then engaged with E. C. Selover in the nursery business. He was
purchasing agent in the Bureau of Engraving at Washington, D. C., two
years. In 1875 he married Susie Depew, daughter of George W.
Depew, and they had five children. Mr. Folger died January 11, 1885.
From Ontario County Journal 31 December 1886; News
from Reed's Corners;
John Fonda, was born in the town of Gorham, in 1852. He is the
oldest of four boys. Nineteen years ago he commenced work with George
Noble, to learn the trade of the blacksmith. He remained with
him during a period of nearly, or quite seven years. His ambition to
do something for himself prompted him to build a shop of his own, and
he started out just then on his own responsibility. His earnest
determination,
and the quality of his work soon brought him custom. He soon enlarged
his area for business, bought more ground and now has a thriving
business.
He does not confine his work to any special line, but accommodates all
who
come, in any desired class of work. His motto is "work and win."
From The Story of Geneva; compiled by E. Thayles Emmons;
1931;
George Frederick Fordon, a well-known farmer and fruit grower
whose home was just west of Geneva, was born in the town of Seneca,
January 11, 1850. He was educated in the country district schools and
at Geneva High School. After graduation, for a time during the winter
months, he taught in country District School No. 7. This was between
1869 and 1876, after which he purchased a farm in the conduct of which
he was very successful. Mr. Fordon married, November 1, 1876, Caroline
Elizabeth Tills, and their children were William Frederick
born Oct. 8, 1877; Lucy Eliza born Oct. 17, 1879; Sarah Frances, born
July 30, 1896. William Frederick continues to reside on the farm which
was operated by his father. Mr. Fordon died June 17, 1922. (Note: Name
of one daughter, Caroline Matilda, omitted. Birth dates also confused
by omission.)
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
The late William Forster, was born near Newcastle,
Northumberland county, England, April 7, 1792; came to the United
States in 1817, landing at Boston, Mass., worked in the country about
two years, and came to Hall's Corners in 1819. He was in Clyde one year
in the butcher business with a Mr. Parker. Returning to Hall's Corners
he became a farmer with others, and subsequently for himself,
purchasing the homestead northeast of the Corners. September 18, 1823,
he married Mary Caward, of this town, formerly of Yorkshire,
England; they had nine children: John 1st, who died in infancy; George,
who died in his eighteenth year; Mary, Jane, William D., who married
Martha Britt, of Catskill, and has two sons and a daughter;
Edward H., John M. and Thomas W. are not married and occupy part of the
home farm. John M. is a school teacher, having followed the profession
ten years in
several States; Ursilla E. died in her twentieth year, and Clark, who
married
Mary E. Ritchie. Their father died September 12, 1881, and
their mother, February 13, 1888. One of their relatives, George Caward,
was one of the
largest barley dealers west of Albany.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Leander Forsyth, East Bloomfield, a native of New London county CT,
was born August 12, 1820, a son of Elisha, whose father, Lathan, was a
native of Salem, Conn. Lathan was twice married and the father of
seventeen children. He was a private in the Revolutionary War,
and died about 1830. Elisha, a native of Salem, Conn., was born
in 1787, and was a farmer and a cooper. He married Sallie,
daughter of Joseph Chester of Salem, Conn., who was born March
17, 1731, and died in 1803. Mr. Forsyth came to East Bloomfield and
there
spent the remainder of his days, dying in 1857, and his wife in
1861.
They had three sons and two daughters. Leander was reared on a
farm
and received a common school education. At the age of seventeen
he started in life for himself. Coming to East Bloomfield he
worked
by the month for two years, and then went to Michigan where he learned
the cooper's trade, which he followed forty years, but after six years
he returned to East Bloomfield where he has since resided. Of
late
years he has been engaged in farming, and for twenty years has been a
successful
grower of onions. May 24, 1847, Mr. Forsyth married Lucy Quick,
a native of Lyons, born January 6, 1819, and a daughter of Peter
Quick. Their children are: Kate, who was educated in East
Bloomfield Academy, and Frank, a carpenter of East Bloomfield. He
married a Miss Sage of Mendon, and they have one daughter,
Lucy. Mr. Forsyth is a
Republican in politics, and has been highway commissioner twelve years
in succession and excise commissioner three years. He and family
are Baptists.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Frank F. Foster, Gorham, was born in Prattsburg, Steuben county,
July 6, 1851, one of seven children of George and Ann (Stevenson)
Foster of Yorkshire, England, who in 1850 came to America and now
reside in Prattsburg. In 1871 Mrs. Foster died, and he married
Salina Horton. Frank F. was reared on a farm and educated
in the common schools and in Prattsburg Academy. February 25,
1879,
he married Flora L. Lord, a native of Gorham, born March 3,
1834. She is a daughter of Ethan and Paulina Lord. Mr.
Foster follows
farming, and makes a specialty of breeding draft horses. He owns
130 acres, on which he has resided since 1880. Here he has
erected fine buildings. Mr. Foster is a Republican.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
John G. Foster, Canandaigua, was born in Victory, Cayuga
county, August 22, 1836, a son of George W. of that town. The family on
both sides were natives of Rhode Island. George W. was born in that
State in 1793, and married in Rhode Island, Maria Estes, daughter
of a sea captain. Soon after his marriage he came to this State and
engaged in mercantile
business in and about Auburn, later conducting a farm in Cayuga, where
he
died in 1882. He had ten children, four of whom are living. John G.
spent
his boyhood on the farm, and when sixteen years of age, he learned the
trade
of carriage making, in which he has always been engaged. He went to
Buffalo
when about eighteen and lived there until the breaking out of the war.
December
16, 1863, he enlisted in the Eighth New York Heavy Artillery, and saw
service in seven of the greatest battles of the war: Spottsylvania,
North Ann River, Weldon Railroad, Wilderness, Gaines Farm, Cold Harbor,
Petersburg, etc. At Petersburg, June 18, 1865, he was severely wounded
and spent eleven months in the hospital. He was mustered out June 20,
1865, and returned to Batavia, from whence he went to LeRoy where he
spent seven years. In 1872 he came to Canandaigua and worked as a
journeyman for seven years, and then established a business for
himself, and has since been a manufacturer of carriages, wagons,
sleighs, and does general repairing. Mr. Foster married, May 20, 1857,
Cordelia Ryan of Buffalo, and they have four children: Charles
H., a commercial traveler; Bert M., one of the inventors and
proprietors of the Foster Paint Company; Jennie L., wife of D. F. Thurston,
a commercial traveler of Chicago; and John S. of Geneseo, a dealer
in carriages.
From The Story of Geneva; compiled by E. Thayles Emmons; 1931;
Albert Fowle, retired Geneva baker, is one of the few living
Genevans who clearly recall the sensation which the news of the death
of Abraham Lincoln aroused here. He was a newsboy at the time and was
one of the first in the city to receive the news. For 50 years he
conducted a bakery at 77 Seneca street, retiring on March 27, 1926. He
now resides at 71 Main street.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Reuben W. Fowler, Gorham, was born in Cuyahoga county,
O., August 22, 1838, a son of Harvey, who was a son of Reuben W., a
native of Connecticut, who married Sybil Sawyer and had seven
children. About 1800 Mr. Fowler came to Gorham and settled on what is
known as the Stark farm. He bought the land of the Indians, paying $1
worth of flour for an acre of land, carrying the flour on his back from
Albany. He was worth at his death about $40,000. He died in 1854 at the
age of seventy-five years, and his wife in 1875 at the age of
ninety-four
years. Harvey Fowler was born in 1811 on the homestead, and at the age
of twenty-two married Fannie, daughter of James and Nancy Blair, of
Pine Corners, and had six children, five of whom survive. He purchased
a farm in Cuyahoga county, O., and there resided several years, when he
returned to New York and purchased the Deacon Hatfield farm. In 1876 he
went to live with is son-in-law, John Wilson, where he died
May 9, 1892. His wife died September 15, 1883. Reuben W. attended the
Rushville Academy. March 11, 1861, he married Caroline Sawyer, a
native of
Marshall, Mich., born July 22, 1842. She is a daughter of C. H. and
Ruth
A. (Comstock) Sawyer, who in 1851 moved to Hornellsville, and
there
died, November 12, 1853. His wife died March 11, 1876. Subject and wife
had had two children: Charlotte A., wife of Frank C. Twitchell, a
native of Middlesex, and a grape grower; and Harris C., who died
December 20, 1866, at the age of fourteen months. Mr. Fowler has been a
successful grape grower for twenty years. He is a Republican, but never
cared for
public office. He is a member of the Royal Templars at Middlesex.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Herman F. Fox, Geneva, was born in Savoy, Germany, May
13, 1843, and came to the United States with his parents at the age
of five years. He was educated in the public schools and learned the
cabinet trade. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Company E, One Hundred
and Twenty-sixth N. Y. Vols., and was in the following battles:
Harper's
Ferry, Gettysburg, Auburn Ford, and Bristow Station. October 14, 1863,
he was captured in the last named battle, taken to Libbie prison, and
from
there to Belle Isle, where he remained six months, rejoining his
regiment
May 17, 1864. He was in the battle of Tolopotomy and Cold Harbor. He
was
then detailed color bearer at brigade headquarters, serving in that
capacity
in the following engagements: In front and at the left of Petersburg,
Deep
Bottom, Strawberry Plains, Reams Station, assault around Petersburg,
Boydton
Plank Road, and Sutherland Station. While charging the enemy's works,
April
2, 1865, he was severely wounded the second time, losing his hand.
Falling
from his horse he still held the flag in his other hand, which the
rebels
tried to wrench from his loyal grasp. The brigade was successful in its
second charge and Mr. Fox was carried into our lines, and was honorably
discharged at the close of the war. Upon his return to Geneva he
learned
telegraphy. In 1869 he began the manufacture of cigars, also opened a
cigar
store, which is continued until the present. In 1885 he was doorkeeper
of
the Assembly in the State Legislature. On March 30, 1889, he was
appointed
postmaster of Geneva by the Harrison administration, serving his full
term. In 1872 he married Mary Winkler, formerly of Lyons,
Wayne
county, and they had three children: Carrie A., Charles H., and
Frederick
H. Mrs. Fox died March 6, 1877. His father, Ernest, was born at the old
home
in Savoy, Germany, in 1817, and married Amelia Gerber of his
native
place. They had twelve children, and came to the United States in 1848.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Joseph Fox, Geneva, was born in Troy, N. Y., in August, 1850.
He was educated in the public schools, and learned the trade of stove
mounting. March 27, 1883, he married Catherine O'Connor, of
Troy, and they have six children, four sons and two daughters: Joseph
T., William and Mary K. (twins), John, Winefred A. and George. Mr.
Fox's father, Joseph F.,
was born in County Caven, Ireland, in 1801, and came to the United
States
when a young man. He married Bridget McMahon, formerly of his
native
place, and they had two children, Joseph and Mary. His father's brother
was killed by Indians in the West. Mrs. Fox's father, Thomas O'Connor,
was born in Roscommon, Ireland, and married Margaret Tanney, of
his
native place. They had nine children; five were born in Ireland.
From Biographical History La Crosse, Monroe and Juneau
Counties, Wisconsin: Lewis Publishing Co.; 1892; Pages 176 - 177.
W. D. Fox, hotel proprietor, La Crosse, Wisconsin.-
A city
had
always among its distinguishing features one which person of all
degrees
thoroughly understand and appreciate, namely, a homelike and elegantly
appointed
hotel. La Crosse had many establishments of this kind, a noteworthy one
being
the Cameron House, conducted by W. D. Fox and D. P. Smith.
Mr. Fox was born in Ontario county, New York, December 6,
1826, and is a son of George and Huldah (Sheldon) Fox
, natives
of Connecticut and New York respectively. He received his education in
the common schools, and at the age of twenty years went to Ohio, soon
after removing to Wisconsin; there he was engaged in the milling
business for ten years. Later he turned his attention to the hotel
business, and has kept hostelries all along the line of the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad; first he was at Portage, where he
remained twenty-five years and had an enviable reputation. In March,
1880, he came to La Crosse to take charge of the
Cameron House. Here everything will be found necessary the
fitting
up of a high-class
hotel, and the cuisine bears deservedly a high and wide-spread
reputation
among the best classes of the traveling public. During the past decade
Mr.
Fox had also been connected with the lumber interest here,
and has found them quite remunerative. He has associated with him
in the hotel business D. P. Smith, possessing qualifications
that especially
fit him for the management of a hotel.
Submitted by: Arlene Goodwin
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
John B. Francis, was born in Wethersfield, Conn., January 29, 1813,
of Huguenot ancestry. He was educated in the common schools in
Wethersfield, and at the age of sixteen went with Daniel Dewey, of
Hartford, Conn., to learn the trade of cabinet worker. He went to
Bristol, Conn., in 1832, and worked for Seneca C. Hemenway and George
Mitchell, the manufacturers of clock cases, where he was engaged for
five years. In 1837 he came to Waterloo, where he was with Hart
Gillam & Co., in the furniture business, for about two years, and
then spent about eighteen months conducting a furniture store, and in
April, 1841, came to Canandaigua where he worked for Mr. Kellogg one
year, and then established a store for himself. About 1850 he
added undertaking to his furniture business, and has ever since
conducted it, making over forty years in the business in this
town. He is now retired from active life, and is living in
Waterloo. He is a Mason, and was until he moved from town the
oldest Mason there; a member of Canandaigua Lodge No. 294, and
Excelsior Chapter No 164. He has also held a membership in the
Monroe Commandry No. 12 K. T. Mr. Francis married, April 22,
1838, Harriet Ives, of Bristol, Conn., daughter of Orrin Hart,
of
Canandaigua. They have never had any children. She died
March
12, 1892, at seventy-three years of age.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Job Francisco, Canadice, was born in Canadice, November 21, 1831. His father, Jacob, was born in Manlius, Onondaga County, about 1808, and died at the age of seventy-seven. He came to this town when thirteen years old, and on arriving at Cayuga bridge, where the toll was located, a man invited him into his wagon, covering him with a blanket, thus passing the boy free. He returned to Onondaga county, and came again permanently when nineteen years of age. He was a blacksmith by trade, and worked at the business until disabled by infirmity. He married Lovisa Goodfellow, a native of Onondaga county, who bore him eight children: John, who died in Portage in 1891, aged sixty-four years; Sophronia, Cordelia, Solomon, Job, Emeline, Francis Marion, who enlisted in the late war and died in the Florence prison pen; Harrison Eugene was in the army and died in 1891 in Parma, Monroe county; and Mary Persis, wife of Alonzo Holmes. Later in life Jacob purchased a sixty-six acre farm, which he worked. Job learned the blacksmith's trade. He married Maria Trowbridge, of West Bloomfield, whose grandfather, Cruger, came from Massachusetts. Of their four children, on son, Henry, died at the age of twenty-two. The others are Stella, wife of Charles Caldwell, of Richmond; Nellie, wife of Harry Thomas, of Steuben county; and Ida, who is also at home. Mr. Francisco has always lived in this town. He has sixty-five acres on the homestead and forty-six acres on the Lake Road. He has lived on his present place twenty-three years. In politics he is a Republican, as are also his sons. His great-grandfather emigrated to this country from France and settled in the East, and it is claimed that he lived to attain the great age of 133 years, as appears by a pamphlet published long ago.
Kindly donated by Robert Hiller; (email address invalid 16 Jun 2020) Robert would like contact with others interested in Francisco surname.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Dales F. Frankish, was born in Gorham, October 12, 1863. His
father was Thomas, a native of England, born October 11, 1830, who came
to America about 1843 and in 1863 purchased a farm of 110 acres. He now
owns 283 acres. In 1856 he married Rebecca Pearson, a native
of England, and a daughter of John Pearson of England, who came to
America in 1844, To Mr. Frankish and wife were born six children, two
of whom are living, George, a farmer of Gorham, and Dales F. Mr.
Frankish is a Republican and a member of Reed's Corners Grange. Mrs.
Frankish died December 16, 1892. Dales F. was educated in the common
schools and Canandaigua Academy. December 18, 1889, he married Mary Smith,
a native of Geneva, and daughter of Virgil and Fannie (Mitchell)
Smith, he a native of Gorham and she of New Jersey. Subject and wife
have one child, Maud.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Edward H. Frary, Canandaigua, was born in Lyndon, Cattaraugus
county, April 25, 1840. As far back as 1640 the ancestors of this
family have been natives of this country. When Edward was but
five
years old his father died. He was educated in the common schools
and at Rushford Academy, and after leaving school learned the
carpenter's trade. In 1860 he came to Canandaigua, where he
followed his trade until August 26, 1862, when he enlisted in Company
A., Ninety-seventh Regiment NY Vols., known as the Conkling Rifles, and
saw service with the Army of the Potomac from Antietam to the
Wilderness. He was wounded
May 6, 1864, at the battle of the Wilderness by a ball passing through
his left shoulder and lung. He was carried from the field and
left
for dead, but good care brought him around, though he was never able to
do duty again. He was discharged February 15, 1865, on account of
wounds, and returned to this place, where he has since lived. In
1869
he was elected collector for this town, and 1870-71-72 held the office
of
constable. In 1872 he went into Cooley's store, where he spent
about
eight years. In 1880 he was appointed census enumerator, and in
1880-81
was village collector; 1882-83-84-85, school collector for District No.
11, and from 1888 to 1893 collector of District No. 1. In 1887
he was elected on the Republican ticket justice of the peace, and
re-elected
in 1891. He married in 1860 Emily A. Cross of Canandaigua
(who died April 20, 1893), and they have three children: Nellie
A., wife of H. E. Osborn of Batavia; Edward W. of Canandaigua;
and
Minnie B. Mr. Frary is Past Commander of Albert H. Murray Post G.
A. R., No. 162.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
William H. Frautz, Geneva, was born in Geneva, November 25,
1855. He was educated in the public schools and learned the trade of a
mason. For some years he has been a contractor and builder, with his
business enlarging continually. March 15, 1875, he married Amanda J. Tyler
of Geneva, formerly of Lenox, Mass., and they have had six children.
Charles died when three months old, five survive: N. Elizabeth, Nancy
D., Mary A., William H. jr., and Catherine. Mr. Frautz's father, David,
was born in Germany in the year of 1822, and came to the United States
when a young man. He married Elizabeth Dove of Geneva, and
they had three children: Charles, who resides in this village; William,
who died when a month old; and William H. His father died in 1857, and
his mother in 1869.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
John P. Frazer, Victor, was born in Newton, Sussex county NJ
February 28, 1828, where he was educated in the district schools.
October 17, 1845, at the age of seventeen years he came to Canandaigua,
and learned to be a tinsmith with his brother, B. P. Frazer. In
1849 he came to Victor and worked as a journeyman at his trade with A.
P. Dickinson and others. In 1851 he began business on his own
account, manufacturing and selling tinware, afterwards he added the
hardware
business, and has conducted it since. November 28, 1849, he
married
Abby J. Kenfield of Naples, Ontario county, and they have one
adopted son, Charles. Mr. Frazer's father, John, was also born in
New Jersey in 1788 and married Sarah Predmore of New Jersey,
who
was born November 21, 1786. They had seven children:
Horatio N.; Benjamin P.; Mary A.; Joseph P.; William A.; Sarah E.; and
John P. His grandfather, John Frazer, was born in Iverness,
Scotland, and came
to the United States when he was sixteen years old; he was obliged to
seek shelter here on account of playing Yankee Doodle on his
bagpipe. Mrs. Frazer's father, John Kenfield, was born in
Massachusetts in 1800, and married Ruth Bump of his native
State. They had nine children,
eight grew to maturity: Mary A.; Salmon; Harriet; Lorenzo D; Abby
J.; John; Wesley; and Lucina E. They came to Naples in
1842. Mr. Kenfield died February 1, 1881. Mr. Frazer has
been overseer of the poor of the town four years, also superintendent
of the county poor six years, has been president of the village two
years, member of the board of education six years, trustee of the M. E.
Church for thirty years, and he and his wife are members of the same.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Charles E. Freer, Canandaigua, was born in Canandaigua March 23,
1853, a son of Henry, a farmer of this town. Henry Freer was born
in Allegany county near the village of Nunda, about seventy-four years
ago. He was a boy when he came to Canandaigua and lived with the
Grangers, for whom he was gardener and coachman many years. He
married when twenty-two years of age Ann Eliza Pease of
Canandaigua by whom he had two children, but one now living, Mrs. Edna Randall
of Bristol Springs. Mrs. Freer died in 1850, and he married
second Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Price, a native of
England, who came to America in 1819, and to Canandaigua in 1838, who
had been a resident of New Jersey and later of this county. They
had two children: Hiram residing on the old homestead, and
Charles E., our subject. The whole life of the latter with the
exception of three years, has been spent in this town. He was
educated in the common schools and Canandaigua Academy, and made his
home on his father's farm until twenty-five. He worked one year
at Brigham Hall, and his father's farms on shares until 1880, when he
bought eighty-nine acres in East Bloomfield which he sold in 1883, and
bought his present place of 110 acres in one of the most beautiful
locations on the lake shore, on which he has made many improvements,
having set out fifteen acres for vineyard, 1,000 pear trees, 1,500
peach trees and 500 plums and considerable small fruit. He has
made his farm
one of the largest fruit producers of its size in this town. Has
also erected new buildings and a commodious cottage on the shore.
He
married in 1878 Jennie, daughter of James Worrell of
Canandaigua, and
they have two children: Eleanor, who is in her fourteenth year,
and
Grace in her twelfth year. James Worrell was a native of England
and
had been a resident of Canandaigua for fifty years. He died
December 30, 1892.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Hiram W. Freer, Canandaigua, was born in Canandaigua, near
Cheshire, August 20, 1860, the youngest son of Henry Freer. His present
residence was bought by his father about twenty-five years ago, and is
a fine farm of 100 acres on the west shore of Canandaigua Lake,
considered one of the best in this section. Hiram was educated in the
common schools, and his first
business venture was in 1890, when he bought all that part of the
homestead
farm lying between the highway and Canandaigua Lake. Here he set out
fifteen
acres of vineyard, five acres of pears, plums and quinces, and an acre
of
peaches. He has also erected a commodious horse barn and a summer
cottage
on the lake shore. Mr. Freer is a Republican, but not a politician, his
interests being centered in his farm. He married February 17, 1886,
Emma,
daughter of William H. Bennett, a native of Orleans county, by
whom
he had one child, Louis B., born September 14, 1887. Mrs. Freer is a
member
of the Wesleyan Methodist church.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Seward French, West Bloomfield, was born at East Bloomfield
February 28, 1856. He was preparing for Hamilton College when his
father died, and he was called home to attend duties there.
He became a school teacher and later a deputy sheriff, in which office
he was successful in apprehending thirty-one men out of thirty-three
warrants had in one year. In 1879 he began the study of law in
the office of the noted criminal lawyer, Hon. George Raines of
Rochester,
with such close application that on an examination three and a half
years later for admission to the bar, he was one of the foremost in his
class of thirty. He practiced in Rochester until 1889, then
removed
to Miller's Corners where he has one of the finest law offices in the
county, and which has a museum of criminal relics and implements
secured by his perseverance, as evidence in cases. He has also
two other
offices at East Bloomfield and Victor, and branch offices in Chicago
and Sioux Falls for divorces for parties wishing these
facilities. Mr. French devotes himself most especially to
criminal law, and within five years was successful council in
ninety-two criminal and that line
of cases, one of the most important being the celebrated John Kelly
homicide case, which was three years in the courts. He tries a
case with
boldness and skill, and is a rapid thinker. His father, Reuben
E., was born in East Bloomfield, and married Maria H. McMichael,
born in Canandaigua, of Scotch-Irish descent. Reuben was three
times supervisor and owned a fine farm near Miller's Corners, now owned
by his son Seward, was born in Massachusetts and came to Victor among
the early settlers. Subject is a 32d degree Mason, is notary
public
for Ontario, Livingston and Monroe counties. He married in 1876
Jennie L. Jefferson, daughter of John Jefferson of Miller's
Corners,
and they have three children living: Reuben, Lyra and
Florine. One daughter, Floice, is deceased.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
George W. Freshour, Hopewell, was born in Hopewell, N. Y., June
6, 1823, on the farm he now owns, a son of John, whose father was a
native of Germany and came to America previous to the French and Indian
war, in which he took part. He also participated in the Revolutionary
War. Mr. Freshour had three sons and three daughters, and settled in
Frederick, Md., 1789. He had a common school education in both English
and German, and in 1810
married Mary Angleberger, of Frederick county, Md. He settled
in Hopewell
and purchased 150 acres of the Phelps and Gorham purchase, and added to
it
until he owned about 500 acres. They had four sons and two daughters,
two
of whom are living, George W., and Alexander, a resident of Gorham. Mr.
Freshour
was a Whig, and a commissioner of highways. He died in 1859 and his
wife
in 1869. Subject was educated in common schools and in Canandaigua
Academy,
and in 1849 married Leonora, daughter of Abraham I. Failing, of
Montgomery county, whose father was Captain Failing. To subject and
wife was born
one son Byron, who married Alice Warner, an adopted daughter of
Milton Warner, of Hopewell. Mr. Freshour is a Democrat, and has been
justice
of peace twelve years, overseer of the poor six years, justice of
sessions
two terms, and in 1891 he was nominated for assemblyman. He is a member
of Canandaigua Lodge No. 292 and of Hopewell Centre Grange No. 454.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
John C. Freshour, Gorham, was born March 25, 1840, a son of Edward
A. (son of John), who was born in Hopewell
October 10, 1816. December 30, 1838, he married
Lany M. Brizee, a native of Woodstock, Ulster county, born
September 7, 1818, daughter of Cornelius and Sarah (Van Benschoten)
Brizee. Her father was born in Columbia county November 14, 1792, and
her mother in Woodstock October 31, 1795.
Mr. and Mrs. Brizee had four sons and three daughters. He died
October 27, 1878 , and his wife November 12, 1878. Edward
A. Freshour and wife had two sons and a daughter, of whom John C. is
the only one living. In 1854 Edward A. Freshour came to Gorham
and bought a farm, but now lives retired. J. C. Freshour was
educated in East Bloomfield Academy and Genesee Wesleyan
Seminary. In 1882 he went to Boston where he engaged for a time
in real estate. He has also spent some time as a florist, but is
now engaged in farming and dealing in live stock. In 1863 he
married Genie M., daughter of Olney and Jane Rice, early
settlers of Gorham, where Olney Rice Sr. owned a carding mill.
Mr. and Mrs. Freshour have one daughter, Rosabelle, wife of W. L. Lines,
of New Haven Conn. For some years
Mrs. Lines received private lessons in Boston, in the languages and
instrumental music, the latter under William H. Sherwood. She
is now a noted pianist. She spent one year with the Emerson
Pierce
Grand Concert Company and has played in all the leading halls of
Boston.
She has been highly complimented by the Boston press. Mr.
Freshour
is a member of Stanley Lodge No. 434 I. O. O. F. and of Seneca Grange,
and is a Democrat in politics.
From the HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY; compiled by
Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893;
Dr. William Frisbie, Phelps, was born in Saratoga
county May
22, 1769. He attended lectures at the Medical College of Albany
where he graduated. He was the first physician of that name that
came to the village of Vienna, Ontario county. It was afterwards
called Phelps, and is now known by that name. In the year 1819 he
moved with his wife (Elizabeth Davidson of Peterboro NH) and
their six children from Pittsford, Rutland county, VT, to Phelps.
He resumed his practice of medicine; he was eminent in his profession,
a man of great moral worth, and exerted a strong and healthful
religious influence in the town; he continued steadfast in the
maintenance of sound principles, beloved and honored until his death,
which occurred at
Phelps in 1857. His oldest son, Dr. E. Willard Frisbie, was born
at Pittsford VT on May 12, 1799. He came to Phelps when he was
twenty years old, having graduated at Castleton VT, about the time the
family removed to Phelps. He went into practice with his father,
who had a large and extensive business; they owned an acre of land,
which was a beautiful garden, in the center of the east village, just
across from the old Edmonston tavern. When the boom struck the
town in 1837, he sold it and purchased the Redfield property, just half
a mile west of the village, on the street leading to Clifton
Springs. Here
in this ample and beautiful Christian home, the poor and outcast
classes and color found a shelter; it was renowned for being one of the
Underground Railroad stations. Here the drunkard or homeless
found firm friends in the doctor and his wife (who was Miss Sophronia Boynton,
the second daughter of Hon. Jonathan Boynton of Walworth, Wayne
county. They had six children: Ann Elizabeth, Frances
Maria, William, Irene Caroline (who died at Phelps 1857), Garret S. and
Mary Boynton. Garret S. Frisbie is the only one of the family who
is living now at Phelps. He married Jane Hubbell
, the
only child of Geo. Hubbell of Phelps. They have four
children: Gertrude, Julia Etta, Georgia, and Charles.
Died at his residence in Phelps, Ontario county, near Clifton
Springs, on Tuesday, July 31, 1860, Dr. E. Willard Frisbie.
Doctor Frisbie had for many years been extensively known. He was
eminently a religious man and devoted much of his time, talents
and substance to the cause of benevolence. He was among the
first to embrace the doctrines and practice of temperance, and is love
of liberty was no silent, calculating sentimentalism, but a living,
fearless, outspoken principle, and regarding all men as made by the
great Author of all being one blood, and entitled to life liberty and
the pursuit of happiness, he claimed equal freedom for all. His
education with his strong and well disciplined mind enabled him to make
his influence felt. In the early periods of these reforms he
experienced
the truth of the declaration that "they that will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution", and it was none the less trying to
have
a full share of this persecution come from the church. His name
has often been before the public as a nominee of the Liberty Party for
high and responsible offices, and more than once as member of
congress. At times his oppressors manifested great bitterness and
hatred at the
reforms he advocated, yet such was his dignity and his justice that
could
but respect the man. His course has been onward, never turning to
the right nor left for popular favor. An incident is remembered
which was so characteristic that we give it a record. The the
first
celebration of the West India Emancipation at Geneva, about the year
1840,
a large number had gathered under the call and direction of a very
respectable
committee of colored people. A procession was formed with a band
of music and with appropriate banners. But it was soon discovered
that the procession was made up of wholly colored people except Doctor
Frisbie, and the writer (the writer here referred to was his beloved
friend,
Hon. Henry Bradley, of Penn Yan), who, without thought or concert, had
dropped into the line side by side, attracting the gaze and it was
understood
the sneers of the fastidious and the refined, who thought they were
opposed
to amalgamation. On Monday night, Doctor Frisbie went into his
door
yard to nurse a sick young horse. The horse in its struggles
kicked
the doctor, striking him in the abdomen. He returned to his house
and told his family that he was fatally wounded. Viewing death as
near at hand and certain, it might be expected that he would repent of
his
past ultraisms and adopt the popular conservatism to die by. Not
so,
he met death in twenty hours without shrinking, and died as he lived, a
Christian.
From Victor Herald Newspaper 6 July 1895
Memorial Held at St. Paul's Universalist Church,
Victor, N. Y. - James Frost was born Sept. 14, 1794, at Madison,
Madison
county, N. Y. He was married to Lena DeMott Jan. 12, 1814. They
lived at Farmington and at Batavia before they came to Victor. They had
five children, three sons and two daughters, only one of whom is
living. As a man
and citizen, he was honest and upright in all his dealings. He was a
strictly
temperate man. We know at one time he was a Baptist, because among old
papers
was found part of a letter from the "First Baptist church of Christ of
Batavia
recommending James and Lena Frost to any other church of our faith."
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