127 
 f12 T6 
 opy 2 
 
 By B. FITCH TOMPKINS, Esq. 
 
 i«) 
 
 Published by (he 
 
 Madison County Historical Society 
 
 1911 
 
1 
 
 I 
 
 J 
 
1806-1906 
 Biographical Sketches 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Madison County Bench and Bar 
 
 AN ADDRESS BY 
 B. FITCH TOMPKINS. ESQ. 
 
 (Clerk of the Surroi^ate's Court) 
 
 Delivered before the Madison County 
 
 Historical Society at the Court 
 
 House in Wampsville 
 
 April 19, 1911 
 
 Published by the Madison County Historical Society 
 Oneida. New Tork, 1911 
 
 ^ 
 
 n 
 
 a> 
 

 (i 
 
 1911 
 
 THK ONEIDA I>IS1'ATCH PRKSS 
 
 (»NKII>A. .NKW VOIIK 
 
 7 DEC 19)1 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 This little booklet contains an interesting address by 
 B. Fitch Tompkins, Esq., Clerk of the Surrogate's Court of 
 Madison County, delivered before the Madison County 
 Historical Society April 19, 1 9 11 , at the Court House in 
 Wampsville. It was prepared by the author with much 
 care, research of records and painstaking, with a view of 
 being thoroughly reliable and correcting several errors of 
 historical importance, among other things adding an honor- 
 able name to the chain of Madison County judges, strange- 
 ly enough overlooked by other local historians. The ad- 
 dress is a most valuable acquisition. It has been kindly 
 donated to the Society by Mr. Tompkins, himself an hon- 
 ored member. 
 
 SAMUEL A. MAXON, 
 
 Secretary 
 
Forew^ord 
 
 It; 
 
 Ml'. President and Members of the Historical Society: 
 
 I think I ought to apologize for not before attending a meeting 
 of the Society, although a member for some years. 
 
 I know some apology is nee<led for this appearance, for though 
 I i-ealize that it is my misfortune I did not attend before, it is prob- 
 ably yours that I did this time. 
 
 In searching the records of the past I have discovered that all 
 my eight great-grandparents, the Tompkins, Simmons, Fitch, Brown, 
 Babcock, Lewis, etc., families were early pioneers of the county, 
 most of them of the Rhode Island Colony of 1793, and have always 
 resided here, so I account myself a genuine native; and I have be- 
 come, perhaps for that reason, intensely interested in these early actors 
 on our local life's stage and have discovered some matters of history 
 (decidedly profane history, T may say) which I hope I may be able 
 to correct and in so doing bore you with some uninteresting details. 
 But that I take it is part of the real and serious purpose of our or- 
 ganization. 
 
 In these remarks I have taken up the portraits of the Judges 
 first and in chronological order, and will devote more time to those 
 older ones which are perhaps less known to most of us. 
 
Judges of Madison County 
 
 KV 
 
 To get in touch with the period and people we are to talk 
 about, let us hastily recall that the actual settlement of our county 
 commenced about 1790, not long after the Revolutionary War, and 
 was thereafter quite rapid. It was the time of the great Napoleon 
 in France. In 1806 Thomas Jefferson was President of the TJnited 
 States; George Clinton, succeeding Aaron Burr, was Vice-President; 
 Morgan Lewis, succeeding George Clinton and preceding Daniel 
 Tompkins, was Governor of the State, and John Boone was Lieut- 
 enant-Governor. 
 
 The now towns of Hamilton, Madison, Eaton and Lebanon, 
 comprising the first town of Hamilton, nearly one-fourth the area of 
 our county, in 1799 voted a few more than 600 votes; five towns 
 made irp the county. The population of the county I have not been 
 able to learn, but that of the entire State was only between six and 
 nine hundred thousand. Roads — if they might be so-called — were 
 in their infancy in this locality and the great turnpikes were being 
 agitated and (constructed. Indians were numerous, but settlement 
 was rapid in this great wilderness, and in 1806, only a little more 
 than a dozen years after settlement began, the Legislature set us 
 off from Chenango in a division of our own and provided for the ap- 
 pointment of ojir public officials. 
 
 Among the first prominent officials was 
 
 PETER SMITH 
 
 whom we style the First Judge of Madison county. The medallion 
 colored bas-relief of his profile hangs at the rear west side of the 
 court room gallery and is of considerable age. It was presented to 
 the county some years ago by his granddaughter, Elizabeth S. Miller 
 of Geneva. He was heavy of build, not tall; and, as you observe, 
 had rather stern features, heavy dark straight hair, and large wild 
 eyes, almost fierce. 
 
 He was appointed by the "Council of Appointment" on the for- 
 mation of our county in March one of the Common Pleas Court 
 Judges with four others, and that appointment with its large, heavy 
 attached seal is still on file with the County Clerk. His designation 
 
(8) 
 
 aw "h'ir.sl .Jml^e," a.s distiiigiii.slie*! from the other four (ami whieh 
 we are lolil wu« |>erlia))^ iiuule a^ a rewartl for his fjuj>[j<jrt of (Jover- 
 uor Ixjwisj, wuij not made until later, on .June 1(», 1S07. Hit* «wlh 
 a» HUfh ii) on tile, taken .Julv 2, ISUT. 
 
 The first court for the new tx>unty — ant! uhiih «urreH|K)udK to 
 mir prebent county c<mrt — wa8 heitl in the wliool ln>use near liar- 
 nai\i'b at tiuality Hill, in the then town of Sullivan, 'i'uesday, June 
 3, ISUO; and, an the record re<'it«t>, Hon. Svlvanu.s Sinalley of Sul- 
 livan, IVter Smith of IVtcrlxiro, l^lwanl (ireenof lirtntkHeld, i'llisha 
 Pavneof Hamilton and 1 )aviil ( ook of Sullivan, J'>«juire*< anil 
 Judges, were all present. Smalley, it seeniH, was at the time (jf di- 
 vision one of the jiulji^es of the old county of Chenango, and had 
 been electe*l one of tiie as.semblynjen of our new county, hut he did 
 not ol)je<'t t<» holding two important oHici^s at the same tinje. He 
 did not aj»p«ir, iiowever, at the next term in ( Ktober at the school 
 house near Elisha Payne's in Hamilton. Peter Smith was there; 
 and on .July :5, 1807, at a term of the Oyer and Terminer Court held 
 ut Sullivan by Supreme Court dudjre William W. X'anNess, the 
 reiord re<-ites that l^eter Smith, ".lud^e <tf Madison County," Elisha 
 Payne and Daviil Cook, Assistiint Juilj^es, were also present. Here 
 was tried Alpheufi Hitchcock, the music teacher, for murder. 
 
 Our country was then, as we have seen, a primitive one, and the 
 inhabitants actual hardy pioneers, more note«l for their enterprise, 
 sturdiness and relij^ious zeal than for their learning, and 1 persume 
 this tirst jurist of our county was fully comj^etent and c|ualiHed ac- 
 fordin^ to the re<|uirement.s of the times and the demands of his 
 leliow.s. Tile country had, of «'t>urse, aclvaiicetl some since the 
 perio«J Irvinj^ tells us about when the e;irly settlers t)f Connecticut 
 proclaimetl they wouhi be ^overne<l by the law.*: of (jotl "until the\ 
 had time to make better," and no doubt our first jud^je was «-jdle<.l 
 iip<^n to apply >ome of tliene "l>etter" laws our wise leu;islators had 
 already enacte<l. Whether he was a re^idarly admitte«l attorney I 
 have not learne«l, but I am leil to tloubt it, as before he was thirty he 
 had uctjuiretl a ipiasi title from the Inilians of a modest strip of only 
 .■)((,(|(H) acres, afterwards known as the New Petersbur^h Tract; had 
 previsously si>eut three yesirs in New York, a ye-.ir near Little Falls 
 and about ten ye:irs in and about IJtica in the mercantile business, 
 and had l>e<'«ime note<l as an Indian trader. His spare moments, if 
 any he had, nnist luive l)een before he was sixteen, ami his time for 
 storing up le^^d lore was very limited. We al.-^o know that he held 
 the ollii-e of SheritT of Herkimer c(»unty (when Mailison was a jnirt t)f 
 
(9) 
 
 it) by appointment February 18, 1795. We are told by historians 
 that his knowledge of human nature was profound (which we can 
 readily believe) and his mental characteristics such as to enable him 
 to judge the right and wrong clearly; his decisions were satisfactory 
 and his integrity unquestioned; which would certainly call for no 
 apology from the bar because presided over for sixteen years by 
 one who might not have been in the first instance an admitte<l at- 
 torney. 
 
 The first court when it met appointed two constables to look 
 after the Grand Jury, received its report of no presentations, and ad- 
 journed in a few hours. The next one appointed William Hatch to 
 the be-cobwebbed and unless office of court crier, adjourned from 
 the school house to the meeting house, and adopted our county seal. 
 If these are samples of the arduous one-day sessions, his legal lore 
 was not seriously taxed. However, his was later a very busy court 
 and he had the distinction of sitting as associate to the Supreme or 
 Circuit judges in the murder trials of Alpheus Hitchcock, previously 
 mentioned, and Mary or Polly Anthony, as the record has it, or 
 "Antone" as she was better known, in 1815. The last term over 
 which he presided was at Morrisville, June, 1822. 
 
 His judicial duties did not absorb all of his attention by any 
 means, for he was busy selling his land in 50 and 200 acre lots; was 
 Supervisor of his town; one of the commissioners to superintend the 
 erection of the first court house and gaol at Cazenovia; established 
 the first newspaper in the county, the Madison Freeholder, in 1808; 
 was interested in many business enterprises of the time, including one 
 of the first glass factories. He was pre-eminently a money getter. 
 It was said he was probably one of if not the largest land owners in 
 the country, having title to between 500,000 and 1,000,000 acres. 
 This he secured in many ways — by leasing from the Indians for 99 
 years and buying large wild tracts at tax sales. It is said he bought 
 at one time 80,000 aci'es in Oneida county, frequently whole town- 
 ships, and $8.40 an acre was the highest he paid for any of it. In 
 1819 or 1820 he turned over all of his property to his son Gerrit. 
 This consisted of property worth about $400,000 with $75,000 of 
 debts. He reserved for himself the income from $125,000, and 
 from this start in the few remaining years of his life, and while de- 
 voting his time to religious matters, he accumulated a fortune that 
 amounted to about $800,000 at his death. 
 
 He was married, February 5, 1792, to Elizabeth Livingston, 
 who lived only till August 27, 1818. Shortlv afterward he married 
 
(10) 
 
 Sarah l*<»ji;s4»i» of C'liarleston, S. ('., who was litenirv ami so<ial in 
 her nature, ami the union |irove<l im*hl iiniia|»[)y. She soon left iiint 
 ami relurne«l to her old lumie in the .S»uth, where she dieil after the 
 ( "ivil War. llisnon, IVter Shenamloah Smith, nanieil after hi.*; 
 Irienil, the famous Intlian chief, Sjienan«lo:ili, was a .sourre (»f nuieh 
 worrv to his father l)e«>ause of his erratic ways and lack of I>iisine88 
 aciinien ami st:il>ility, and this son later Im-jiteil in ( >swet^o c«)nnty, 
 where he reside<l until his desith, hut his Hon, (ierrit, whom we 8lmll 
 refer to later, well merite<l the »-onlidenfe and esteem freely tjiven 
 him. 
 
 While this uni«|ue judj^e t-areil nothing for the wwalleil laws of 
 relij^ious institutions, was fretjnently, we are told, profane, still he 
 was nevertheless verv fons<'ientious, strictly honest ami fair, and de- 
 voteil much of his time U> labor with the }>eo|»le alxtut reliijitjiis 
 matters and to the distribution of religions tr.icts — so nnich so that 
 in 1S2"», after turning over his |>roj»erty to his son, he reniove<l t«) 
 S<-hene<-tad\ and spent a large part of his time in later life traveling 
 on his religiitus missions for the Americim Tra*'! SM-ietv, with whi«'h 
 he was intimately connectetl and Hnancially atwisteil. 
 
 liorn at or ne:ir 'rapj>an, Ko<klaml county, N. Y., November 
 l.'t, ITiiS, he die<l at S<hene<*ta(ly, Ajiril I), 1.S87, and his remains 
 werr burieil at I'eterikoru. the betiiitifiii little li:unlet he founded, 
 which henurtureil and dre:ime<l might sometinje l>e a metro|>olis of 
 the Mirronnding country, ('ertiiinlv this is a character to remember 
 and to <tudv with profit. 
 
 JUSTIN DWINELLE 
 
 Illustrating the comjKiraitive youthfulness of our county is the 
 fact that in Decemlier last the profile cast of Justin l>winelle, the 
 r.u»'»*es-»iir (if inw l''irst .ludge. I'eter Smith, ^\a^ presenletl tothe«-ounty 
 by his tlaughter, Mi.ss Ijouise S. Dwinelle, now living at the age of 
 eighty-four in ("a/.enovia. This me<lallion was made irom a plaster 
 «-ast taken after the ileath of Mr. Dwiuelle, and is the work of the 
 eminent wulptor, Laun«-elot Thompson, late of New York city, and 
 i-^ ac«-ounle«l to be a line work of art and by his daughter "stated to 
 be an e.xcellent likeness. 
 
 Judge Dwinelle was born at Shaftsl)ury, N'ermont, October JS, 
 178'). lie graduate<l from Yale College in 1 SOS and enteretl upon 
 the studv of law in the otlice of John Hickenson at Trt»y. lie was 
 iidmitte«l to the b:ir in August. ISJI. ami the next month remnvetl 
 
to Cazeiiovia and began the practice of his professiou. lu 1813 he 
 married l^ouisa Whipple of Cazenovia, and of their nine children 
 seven lived to maturity, tive boys and two girls. Two of the boys 
 became doctors and three followed the profession of their father. 
 Miss Dwinelle alone survives. 
 
 February 7, 1S23, he was appointed First Judge of the Court 
 of (Jommon Pleas of our county and he presided over his first term 
 October, 1823. The last mention of his name as presiding judge 
 was the February 1828 term, and his name appears many times sub- 
 sequent as practicing attorney in that court. The State Civil List 
 and the histories of Mrs. Hammond, Judge Smith and Justice 
 Chester and the History of Chenango and Madison Counties would 
 seem to make his term as judge ten years and his daughter so under- 
 stands, but as Judge Eldridge held the June 1828 term and the 
 name of Judge Dwinelle does not again appear in the records, it 
 must be an error and his term was the usual one at that time — five 
 years. In July, 1823, he sat with Circuit Judge Nathan Williams 
 in the trial of Abraham Antone for murder. 
 
 Just prior to his appointment as judge, in the years 1821 and 
 1822, he was one of the members of Assembly from the county, and 
 for the term 1823—25 he was elected Representative to the U. S. 
 Congress. In 1837, as the histories state, he was appointed District 
 Attorney for the county; however, his oath of office as such was 
 taken and filed October 3, 1838, and he served until the appoint- 
 ment of Charles Mason in 1845, during which time he prosecuted 
 the murderer, Lewis Wilber, being assisted by B. D. Noxon of 
 Syracuse and Timothy Jenkins of Oneida Castle, both noted at- 
 torneys. 
 
 He was one of the organizers of the old Madison County Bank 
 in 1831 and from 1840 to 1842 was postmaster at Cazenovia. He 
 died at the latter place September 17, 1850. 
 
 Mr. Dwinelle did not always write his name with the final "e," 
 but it was afterwards adopted by the family as more nearly approxi- 
 mating the French spelling "Doninelle." 
 
 JAMES B. ELDRIDGE 
 
 James B. Eldridge succeeded Justice Dwinelle as First Judge 
 of the county. He is named first among the judges, according to 
 the record, at the term of the court held June 17, 1828, and, with 
 the exception of the February 1829 term, his name appears first 
 
(12) 
 
 aiiitiii^ tlif ii>t vi jutlgt'f' uiitil .luiif, l^il'l. Again w** are «x»u- 
 froiiteti with an error in tlit> hit>U»rieH and the Civil List, fur the date 
 of hi.s a|>|M»intiiieiit ih thfif given a^ Manh Id, IS:*;;, while tiie t^jurt 
 nt-dni.'. .sh»Av that in l'VI)niar\ , ls:5!», he held hi.-* last term and hi^ 
 name thuts not apjHnir among the presiding jinlgt*s after that. No 
 donht his term l)egan in IS'JS anil he held till Fehruarv, \S'.j'.), for the 
 original (>4)urt re<t>nls tut show it and it W(»uld nuike jnst a Hve-year 
 term, which was the prestTllKMl term at that time. 
 
 1 have not the date of his hirth or admi>^ion to the har. 11«- 
 wa« one of the members of AHsembly of tiie c\>unty in I si 7 ami 
 iwit-e snl).se«|uently in IS'JT and l.S2*>. On .Vpril 12, IS'Jo, he was 
 a|t|>oint(*4l one of the <-ommi.ssioners to lay out a road from Norwich 
 llirongh Mailison «'ountv to inter.se«'t the Krie canal in the ti»wn (»f 
 l,*nox at or ne:ir Oneida ereek. Aside from being County .Jndge 
 he was the fifth Surrogate of the ixjuiity from February IS, 1H40, t*» 
 IS-tll. He was a partner of the late A. N. .Shehlon of Hamilton, 
 once District .\ttornev, from lS-}."» to 1S4S, and he ilieil at the hitter 
 lilm-e, September 1 '•, lSr»4, at alxtut the age of TH. 
 
 JOHN B. YATES 
 
 Ihe coiirl records show that .Mr. Vates was I'iiat .1 udge of the 
 ( onunon Ple:is Court beginning with the term of June l.S, lt>38; 
 that he was not present in 1S:|-|, but was in l^'A'). He died July 
 10, l.S;i»;, very smldenly. Mrs. Hannnond in her history gives the 
 date of his apjxiintment as l.silS, an«l stiites that after a short time he 
 resigne«l and was later re-ap|M(inted. This 1 believe was in jwrt true. 
 He was, however, probably appointed iu 183li, resigned at the end 
 of the year, and for ]S'.\\ no First Judge was designateil as the line 
 lor the name of the first jmlge in the court it^-ords is left blank 
 that year; and he serve* 1 from 1 S;5.") until his deiith. The Civil List, 
 which gives the date of his appointment as ISotJ or 18:i7, and Judge 
 Smith's History, which makes his term from 1837 to January, 1843, 
 wIhmi he was de:id an«l l»urie<l, are clejtrlv in error. 
 
 This note«l man was born at ScheneeUidy in 17JS4 and was ad- 
 mitted to the bar in IHOo, after graduating at an early age from 
 I'nion College in ISO'J. Forseveral years he pnictiseii at Shenect- 
 ttdy, but in IS I2 was coinmissioned by (iovernor Tompkins as Captain 
 and raise<l a coiu|KUiy of artillery and parti«-ipate<l in the unfortunate 
 campaign m northern New Y<»rk in 1S13. In ISl'j and 1810 he 
 wa« member of Congress for the 1 Ith District, comprising the 
 
(13) 
 
 counties of Schenectady and Schoharie. He then removed to Utica, 
 where he took up the profession for a short time before locating in 
 Chittenaugo. 
 
 He was also a prominent merchant and proprietor of a packet 
 line; was interested in oil and woolen mills and in the manufacture of 
 plaster and water lime, industries which he fostered in the village; 
 was a large investor in other enterprises. He owned much land in 
 and about Chittenango and was the real builder of the village. 
 Quite a large tract of laud he laid off at different times in the village 
 and subdivided into building lots, many of which are still unoccupied. 
 He was at one time appointed to supervise the State lotteries for the 
 promotion of literature which necessitated his removal to New York, 
 where he resided for about eight years, from 1817 to 1825. He 
 was one of the incorporators of the Chittenango Canal Company in 
 1818, mention of which is found in many deecis in the village. He 
 was also largely interested in a railroad from Chittenango to De- 
 Ruyter and southern towns and on which he commenced grading at 
 his own expense when he was suddenly called by death July 10, 
 1836, holding at the time the offices of First Judge of the Court of 
 Common Pleas and Assemblyman for the county. 
 
 He was greatly interested in education and it is said at one 
 time saved his alma mater from financial disaster by advancing large 
 sums from his own funds. He is perhaps best known and remem- 
 bered for the establishment at Chittenango of the Yates Polytechnic 
 Institute, in 1824, which for several years he maintained at his own 
 expense. His brother was the first principal, and the school was 
 advertised and noted for its originality, but it was closed in 1832 for 
 lack of patronage. This plan of practical education was less popu- 
 lar then than today, but he was firm in his belief of its practicability 
 and usefulness, and while he realized he was ahead of the ideas of 
 the times, as the provisions of his long will show, for in it he made 
 mention of the necessity of educating the people to the idea by means 
 of publications, etc., showing its desirability and utility. Such an 
 institution was one of his dreams and he made careful plans for the 
 same by this will, but the opportunity was not accepted and the pro- 
 ject was doomed to die from lack of popular interest, the very danger 
 he feared. At Cornell we find the idea developed as he hoped his 
 executors and the State might do. A rich, influential, generous, 
 public spirited and highly respected citizen was Judge John B. Yatesi 
 He was to Chittenango what Peter Smith and his son Gerrit were to 
 Peterboro, and it is interesting to note the many similar characteris- 
 
{'u'H ill the livtw of tlita*e two ^(mmI ineii. Keen, active and Huc<'essful 
 iiienuntile men, ricli, larjje land-ownere, pnietically founderh of the 
 n>.«i|H*<-tive villages they e:ich ^lI•«lllu^l would one (hiy l)e ^reat centei-s 
 of |>o|)nhition antl iiiartM of trade, enterj»risin^ in all inattens of piihlic 
 interest, pnictieal in muKt things, each jiid^e, and each planning and 
 devoting their ^rejitewt efTort« to henetit mankind — one l)y his e<iucii- 
 tiitiial work.s ami designs, the other by hi« reli^iont* lalxjrs and ex- 
 h<irtati<»ns. I)re:imers, you may Kiy, hut our j^reat men are simply 
 dreamers who liveil to make and see their dre;ims come true, lioth 
 are live« from the study of which we can ^ain much good and in- 
 spinition, not alone from what they did, hut more, })eihapH, from 
 what thev aiine<l at and dreame*! about. 
 
 EDWARD ROGERS 
 
 John n. Yates dieil in .luly, 1S:')(), while First .Iiidj;e. The 
 c«)unty histories and the State Civil List make no mention of l^xlward 
 Itogera, who I tind took his oath as "First Jud^e of the County 
 Court of the County of Madison" February 1, 1837, whicli is on 
 lile in the County Clerk's otHce. On February (>, 1837, w^ the court 
 records show, he presidetl over the Common Pleas Court, which with 
 only a few exceptions, probably due to his al)sence in ( oni^ress, he 
 held for five years until the end of 1842 and the appointment of 
 Jud^e liarlow. I have shown that errors exist in the list of judpes 
 publishcnl as U) date«, and it is to be reg^retted that the name of this 
 able man has been entirely omitteil in the ])ul)lications of our local 
 history and 1 have tiiken pains to include it in the list of Madison 
 County Judges I recently had printed. 
 
 He was born at Cornwall, Conn., May 30, 1787; gnnliiate<l at 
 Yale, and was one of the lirst lawyers of the village of Madison, 
 liM'jiting at that village about the close of the \Var of 1812. He was 
 admitted to j)nictice in Common Plesjs Court, February S, 181,'). 
 There he practice<l for thirty years. He was one of the first trus- 
 tees of the village on inc<)rj)onition in 181G; Supervisor of the town 
 in 1820 and 1821. With litinik lieckwith and John Knowles he 
 was a representative of this countv to the Constitutional State Con- 
 vention of 1S21. This was the memorable assembla^re that destroye<l 
 the ini(|uitous Counsil of A j)[)ointment, restore<l to the j>e<)ph* the 
 light more fully to choose their own officers and, registeretl the 
 triumph of the more democratic town meeting ideas of the eastern 
 .settlers jiver the aristocratic, monarchial ones that had l>een handeil 
 
(15) 
 
 down from the times of the colonies in our own State. Of this con- 
 vention it has been said by competent authorities that it "presented 
 an array of talent, political experience and moral worth never sur- 
 passed by any assemblage of men elected from a single State." Vice 
 President Tompkins presided and Martin Van Bureu was the leading 
 debater. Chancellor Kent, that famous legal authority, and Judges 
 Ambrose Spejicer, William VanNess (who used to sit in our county 
 and presided at the Hitchcock murder trial), Piatt, James Tallmage 
 and many other noted men of the times were members. 
 
 Just a word about the Counsil of Appointment, so we may 
 judge more clearly about the appointment of our first oificers. The 
 original Constitution of 1777 provided for this machinery and the 
 provision was probably drafted by John Jay, then 31 years old, and 
 by Gouverneur Morris and Robert Livingston, still younger. The 
 Counsil consisted of the Governor and four Senators, one from each 
 Senate District, openly appointed by the Assembly every year, and 
 whose members could not serve two years in succession. The Gov- 
 ernor's powers were not clearly defined and it was sometimes con- 
 tended he had simply a vote iu case of tie. The Constitution of 
 1801 continued these, but the Governor assumed the real power of 
 appointment. And some of the early commissions on file in our 
 county sliow the appointment was made by the Governor by and with 
 the advice and consent of the Counsil of Appointment. There 
 seems to have been some dispute as to this concerning some of the 
 appointments, the Counsil claiming the right to appoint when the 
 majority so decreed without the nomination or appointment by the 
 Governor. This power came to be used by the Governor as a poli- 
 tical whip and tool. Gov. Lewis appointed Daniel D. Tompkins 
 Assistant Justice of the Supreme Court. In three years Tompkins, 
 elected Governor by Clinton's friends, began to throw out of office 
 the Lewis supporters. The strife was bitter and the Federalists or 
 anti-Clintonians were shortly again in power and again began re- 
 moval only to be checked shortly by the re-election of Tompkins in 
 1809 and the ascendancy of Clinton as a power in the State and 
 nation. In 1815 the power was in the hands of the Republicans 
 (not the present party by that name) and in 1817 again thependelum 
 swung back to Clinton and he was still in control in 1819 when 
 Van Buren was removed as Attorney General. The next year the 
 Republicans were in control and a constitutional convention was 
 called. Roger Skinner was a power at this time, being a Fetleral 
 Judge, State Senator and a member of the Counsil of Appointment. 
 
(10) 
 
 The convt'iiti'iii *li<l iiuicli t<» lessen the jxiwer of ajt|M>iiiiiin-iii, ImiI 
 t»iir iuil^w ••oiitiiuieil to Ik.* appoiiittHl down to ISJT. While the 
 >triijrj;le wiim {^oin^ on it is iiiterestinj; to note that I'l'ter Smith, who 
 was or^inally aj)|K)inte<l by (Jov. l>e\\is and it id said perhaps for liis 
 sii|»j>ort of lAJNvis and opj)OHition to Tompkins, still eontinueil to 
 hold liis olllce down to the time of the (•onventi«)n and after. 
 
 .Imljxe Ivoj^ers was also Representative in ( 'on^^ress from our 
 (•Ji>d) distrift in 1S:}'.> and ISiO. History tells ns he was a writer 
 of al)ility and ])Mblishe<l several works, hut negle<'ts to tell uh the 
 nature of these. He dietl at (ialway, Sjirato^a county, May 29, 
 1 S.")!, at the age of seventy. He is l)urie<l at Madison, X. Y., and 
 the l)eauliful monument erected by l)r. (Joidd of West Cornwall, 
 .\. ^'., his brother-in-law, has inscribe<l on it the following: "A 
 s<holar and a sound lawyer, an impartial judjre and an incorrupt- 
 ible reprcsciitive of the j)eople." 
 
 His son, H. (louid Rogers, was consul to Sjirdinia under the 
 adniini>ti:i(i(in of I'resiilcnt Taylor. 
 
 THOMAS BARLOW 
 
 \\ ;i> the last ap|)ointe<l Judge of our county, holding the ollice 
 of Kir>t Judge from 1843 to 1847, and was the father of our co- 
 meml»cr, M. Kiigene l>arl(»w of Canastota. He was Imrn at Duanes- 
 iHirgh, N. Y., over one hundre<l years ago, March 14, 180"), anil in 
 him we lind a man, like n)ost of his predecessors, more noteil to 
 posterity for his industrious and studious activities than his legal and 
 judicial experiences, (iraduating from Hamilton College with the 
 degree of A. H., he was shortly, in 1S:{4, admitte«l to the bar and 
 practict?<l at C'anastot;i during a long and active life, his death at the 
 age of 'Jl occuring in C'anastota as recently as Septeml^er 18, 1890. 
 
 His picture, which hangs in the renter of the circle, was pre- 
 sente<l to the county by himself, and was ])ainte<l by his son, Va\- 
 ward ( i. Harlow, and is, I am told, l)(»th an excellent painting and 
 likeness. 
 
 The family possess, among other valuable mementoes, theeetifi- 
 t-ate of his appointment as sergeant Major of Artillery in 183],signe<l 
 by F. 10. Spinner, ( 'olonel, who wasafterwards Treasurer of the l'nite<l 
 Stiites at the time of the Civil War and whose signature 
 was well known during the circulation of the old greenback cur- 
 rency. 
 
 I'cfore his app<iintment as Judge he was Su|>erintendent of 
 Couuuon S'IkhJs in 1S42, and while .ludge he was twice Senator, 
 
0") 
 
 1844-48, at the time the Senate was also the appellate court, called 
 "Court of Errors." 
 
 Judge Barlow was a most industrious man and a profound and 
 enthusiastic student of nature, as is evidenced by large and very com- 
 plete collections of birds, animals, insects, minerals and curios of 
 various kinds. He also took pride in a large collection of original 
 signatures of noted persons. The greater part of his natural 
 specimens he gave to his alma mater, Hamilton. He was a corres- 
 ponding member of the New York Historical Society, New Orleans 
 Academy of Silences, Wisconsin Historical Society, Buffalo So- 
 ciety of Natural Science, a member of the Association for the Ad- 
 vancement of Science, and also many others. Like Jefferson, his 
 violin furnished much pleasure and recreation and on it he played 
 with considerable ability. 
 
 He was a Free Soil Democrat until 1856, when he joined the 
 Republican party and supported its principles until the close of the 
 war, when he returned to the Democracy. He was an upright, fear- 
 less man, highly respected, and leaves to posterity much to honor 
 and perpetuate his memory. 
 
 '^,^ JAMES WARREN NYE 
 
 I regret to say the county does not possess a portrait of this 
 first elected judge of our county. He was born at DeRuyter, this 
 county, June 10, 1815, and attended Cortland Academy at Homer, 
 N. Y., was a driver on a stage line, and studied law at Troy, N. Y. 
 In company with Lorenzo Sherwood, of the Sherwood brothers, also 
 of DeRuyter, he practiced law at Hamilton. Sherwood went to 
 Texas soon after its annexation and Nye continued there alone. 
 Early he was appointed a Brigadier General, and when but 29 years 
 old, Feb. 6, 1844, he was appointed Surrogate of Madison county, 
 which office he held when elected County Judge and Surrogate un- 
 der the new constitution, June, 1847, holding the same until Janu- 
 ary 1, 1852. In 1848 he was a candidate for Congress as a Free 
 Soil Democrat, but was defeated. After his term as Judge he re- 
 moved to Syracuse, where he practiced a few years with such men as 
 AVilliam J. Hough, also from this county. February 19, 1855, he 
 was one of the attorneys with LeRoy Morgan, afterwards Justice of 
 the Supreme Court, and David D. Hillis defending Alfred Flyer for 
 the murder of his wife. Although probably guilty as his subse- 
 quent life tended to indicate, he was acquitted. Judge Charles 
 
Amlrews, tlini Imt 27 ye:irs oM, \v:i.s Dlstrirt Atl«)rn('y ami was as- 
 HisttMl bv llirtf other proiniiu'iit attt)riK'\>i in the priise<Miti«iii uf this 
 trial. 
 
 In IS.')?, when the Metropolitiin I'oliee Ji»»aril for the City of 
 New York was ere;itetl, he bei-anie it*« first president ami renioveil to 
 New York, lie was also at tme time appointed a Master and Ex- 
 aminer in Chancery. In l.SJll Presitlenl Lineoln appointe<l him 
 Governor of the new Territory of Nevada, where he e.\erte<l a stronj; 
 intlnence in opposition to tJie pro-slavery party there, and when the 
 territory was admilte<l as a Slate (Oft. I>1, ISd-l) he was ele<'te<l 
 I '^. S. Senator for the term ISd.l-Oy, and was aj^ain re-elefte<l for 
 the fnll term in ISOT. While in the Senate he served as chairman 
 of the Committee.M on Enrolled Bills and Kevolutioiuiry Claims, and 
 also on the Committees on Naval Affairs and Territories. 
 
 He was a member of the National Connnittee in IS*}.") whii'hac- 
 (*ompanie<l the remains of the martyred Lincoln to the final resting 
 ])lace at Sprin;^field, 111. 
 
 He was a('counte<l one of the ablest lawyers of his time and es- 
 pecially for his oratorical abilities, and his efforts connte<l ft»r nnuh 
 in the establishment of law and order in the new State. He was 
 identitle<l with the Itej)nl)lican party from its formation, and his elo- 
 <|ucnce and stronjjj sense of humor made him an efTe<"tive and poj)n- 
 lar stnmp sj)eaker, esj)e<'i:illy in the c:imi)aii;;i of ISJiO, when he 
 made a speaking tonr in the west with William II. Seward. Me 
 was nndonbte<lly one of the strongest attorneys and most prominent 
 men our c(»nnty has pro<lnced. He ditnl at White I'lains, N. Y., 
 l)ecember *J.">, 1S7(». He was a short, thick set man, with dark 
 ciirlcy hair, a fancy dresser, and <|nite a favorite of the opposite sc\. 
 
 SIDNEY T. HOLMES 
 
 Mr. Hobnes was a j)rominent figure in our comity from lSr)l)to 
 1S7(). Alniut his e^irly life and aLso after he left the county I liave 
 not been able to leiirn mu(;h. 
 
 His f iher was Epiienetus Holmes, one of the first lawyers at 
 Morrisville, and .Judge Holmes was probal)ly born there. 1 find 
 that in IS-l'.) he was Clerk of the Hoard of Snj)ervisors an<l in l.Sol 
 was elected County Judge and Surrogate, which jiosition he held for 
 about ten y«irs. 
 
 He was our Kepri'sentative in ( 'ongress from the*J'J<l Hislrii-t for 
 two tciins M S( '),"-'( i'.M and xiuu tlM'rc;ifl«'r, in 1871, r»'nioved lo Wav 
 
(19) 
 
 City, where lie continued to reside until his death in 1890. His 
 body was brought to Morrisville for burial February 21, 1890. 
 
 His activity in our county was about the time of the war and I 
 find he was appointed one of the commissioners to raise an $80,000 
 war loan for the county in 18()2. 
 
 CHARLES L. KENNEDY 
 
 Charles L. Kennedy, whose picture hangs on the east side of 
 the circle, was a son of Dr. Samuel Kennedy, who was an early 
 prominent and much beloved physician of Chittenango and an early 
 Abolitionist who died at that village in 1849, at the age of 59. 
 
 Judge Kennedy was born at Chittenango, N. Y., November 15, 
 1825. He studied law at Morrisville with Duane Brown, Esq., aud 
 was admitted to the bar in 1847. He remained with Brown two 
 years, then removed to Chittenango to enter partnership with 
 William E. Lansing. Lansing was elected County Clerk in 1856 
 and Judge Kennedy came to Morrisville with him as deputy in 
 charge of the orKce. He was elected to succeed Lansing as Clerk in 
 1858 and after his term as Clerk he practiced for a time at Morris- 
 ville with Judge S. T. Holmes. He was elected Judge of the 
 county in 1808 and held the same to the time of his death in 1883. 
 His term of fifteen years was, with the exception of those of Peter 
 Smith and Alfred D. Kennedy, the longest of any of our judges. 
 As his continued retention shows, he was a most popular, careful, re- 
 spected and competent official. During the later years of his term 
 Judge Coman, now of Oneida, was appointed by him Clerk of the 
 Surrogate's Court, which position he held during the term of Judge 
 Chapman and part of the term of Judge Alfred D. Kennedy. 
 Charles L. Kennedy died at Morrisville, January 12, 1883, and his 
 widow some years after. One son, Charles L. Kennedy of Syracuse, 
 survives. 
 
 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN CHAPMAN 
 
 Judge Chapman was the son of a self-made lawyer and passed 
 most of his active live at Clockville, where he was born on March 
 24, 1817, and lived until about 1880, when he located at Oneida 
 and built his beautiful home in which his daughter, Mrs. Charles 
 E. Reniich, still resides. 
 
 He was educated at Stockbridge Academy, Hudson River 
 Seminary, Manlius and Fayetteville Academies, and graduated from 
 
(20) 
 
 Hamilton Col lt*«je in 1S:^,0. This tliorou^rh c<lnoation «levf!o|»e(l a 
 natural aptitutle for literature and in later life lie was note<l a8 a 
 le<'turer, *<oine of them hein^ "Wa^liin^ton and Itt* Defenses," 
 "Har|)er'8 Ferry," "Salem Witchcraft," etc. 
 
 He wa.s a prominent and helpfid citi/en, lioldinij^ the po.sition of 
 ]H>8tma.ster at Clockville ft>r thirty ye;ii> and hcin;; S;ij)crvisor of his 
 town in ISTd. He wa.s admitted to the bar in ISll and practiced 
 at ('l(K"kville for forty years, where he was also much in demaml as 
 a t^kilUnl surscyor. 
 
 in .laiinary, 1 SS3, Governor Clevehuul app<)inte<l him ("oiinty 
 .Indj^e and Surniirate of our county to lill the vacancy cjinsed hy the 
 deiith of Charles Kennedy, and he served until the (|ualific:ition of 
 Jud^e Alfred Kenneily the followin;; January. He died at Oneida, 
 March 20, 1S1)2. 
 
 ALFRED D. KENNEDY 
 
 This is an excellent likeness of .hid;;e Kennedy, who died only 
 a few years ap;o at Morrisville (February, ISDO), while servin;; his 
 sixtwnth year as County Judi;e and Surrof^ate, one of the lonjjfest 
 terms of any who have held that ollice. 
 
 His jwrenta were of Scotch descent and his an<'cstors were 
 banishe<I from the Kirk of Closburn, a smrdl place in Scotland, on 
 ac<'ninit of relii^iotis i)elief, Ixrmi; ScoU'h Presbyterians. 
 
 He was born at \'oliuitown, Conn., Xovember 10, lS3o, and 
 after the dejith of his father he attended school and taught school 
 before entering; on cmjtloyment in a dry <x(»()ds store at T'oston. His 
 older brother, John M. (now livin;; !>t Oneida), havin;j; taken a farm 
 near Oneida, he shortly followed him then' in 1855 and wjis a clerk 
 in the store of James Tomlinson. (^nite soon lie entered the ollice of 
 Timothy Jenkins at Oneida Castle and when admittc«l to the bar en- 
 tere<l into a partnership with Jnd«;e Barlow at Canastoti, where In* 
 continued until his election as Comity Clerk in ISTO. He served 
 one term and was for some years also Justice of the Peace of the old 
 town of Lenox. 
 
 We was elected County Judp:e and Surrogate in 1SS3 and by 
 re-elections was still actintr at the time of his death in 1800. 
 
(21) 
 
 GERRIT A. FORBES 
 
 Judge Forbes was well known to most of you. He was the 
 soJi of a farmer, Isaac Forbes, and was born near Clockville, May 
 30, 1836, and it is said was named Gerrit in honor of Gerrit Smith, 
 who was a schoolmate of his mother, Abigail Sayles Forbes. 
 
 After obtaining a common school education he entered the office 
 of B. F. Chapman (afterwards County Judge and Surrogate) at 
 Clockville, in 1860, and in May, 1863, at the General Term in 
 Binghamton, was admitted to the bar. He practiced for a time at 
 Clockville with Judge Chapman. In 3 871 he was elected District 
 Attorney, which office he held for three years, making a most ener- 
 getic and capable official. 
 
 He moved to Canastota in 1868, where he practiced, except for 
 a time succeeding 188-1. when he was a member of the lii'm of 
 Forbes, Brown & Tracy of Syracuse, matil his election to 
 the Supreme Court Bench in November, 1887. He was afterwards 
 re-elected and served in that position nntil the time of his death at 
 Canastota, September- 22, 1906. He was married, July 10, 1862, 
 to Ellen Brooks, who still survives. 
 
 For 12 years he was president of the Board of Education at 
 Canastota, where he was a prominent and useful citizen. 
 
 His life being so well known to nearly all of you, it is not nec- 
 essary to speak of his superior capabilities as a practitioner and his 
 high standing as a judicial oHicer. 
 
 JOHN E. SMITH 
 
 Judge Smith was one of the most active members of the 
 committee which had in charge the collecting of this excellent group 
 of pictures we are inspecting. His own, which hangs near the center 
 of the circle in the main court room, is a good likeness of this prom- 
 inent, kind hearted and well known citizen who so recently passed 
 away. 
 
 Judge Smith was born in the town of Nelson, August 4, 1843. 
 His par.euts died when he was quite young and he was left to the 
 fartherly care of his half brother, S. Perry Smith, who in after life 
 studied law with his brother, and although some advanced in life, be- 
 came a lawyer of considerable prominence, practicing at INIorrisville. 
 
(22) 
 
 Aflt-r aUi'iidiii^; hIhm»I at Ca/tMnivia and a short tiiiif at the 
 Alhaiiv Law S-h<»(»l, where President MeKinley wat* als«i a student 
 at aUint that time, he wan admittetl to the l)ar at the (General Term 
 at Albany, May, ISJ}", ain«l inimeiliately took up the prartire at 
 Morrisville, where at ditlerent times he wa8 with Nathaniel F«M)te, 
 Smith iV: Haskell, Smith iV: ("ramphin and Snnth tV: Smith, the latter 
 firm being himself and his son, (J. Wells Smith. l'\»r a time he was 
 also a member of the lirm of Smith, Kellojjjj; cV: Wells of Syrui'iiee. 
 He was eleetetl District Attorney of our eounty and served from 
 1S77 to 1S7'.> inclusive; and the next incumbent of the ottice, H. 
 Harclay, resii^ninj; very soon after his elc<'tion on a<'count of ill 
 health, he was aj>j>ointe<l to till the vacancy by ( lovern(»r t'ornell anil 
 8erve<l until 188:3. lie was ele<'tetl Stiite Senator for the 2:>d Dis- 
 trict (Herkimer, Madison, and Otsego counties) for the term 
 1SS()-S7. In Jidy, ISS*.), he was aj)|M)inted First Assistant V. S. 
 Di>(rict Attorney for the Northern District of New York and spent 
 c(»nsiderable of his time in Butlalo, where he was in charge of much 
 iniportant litigation, among the important cases being the (iould 
 l):iid< cjises and the celel)rate<l S. A. Mers;in an<l Charles M. Ross 
 murder cases. He served in this position until IS'.tl; and after a 
 memorable political light he se«'ure<l the Kepubiiran nomination for 
 SUite Senator on the '.(iiSth ballot, was electe<l by a goo«l majority, 
 and served for the term lSi>2-0o. 
 
 l''or manv yenrs he was a leading trial lawver of the county 
 and was intereste<l in much of the important litigation in this and 
 n^ir by counties, both civil and criminal. 
 
 For fourteen years he was one of the examiners of candidates 
 for admission to the bar — lirst in the Third anil then in the Fourth 
 Department, when the examinations were largely ond. He thus be- 
 cjime acijuainteil with a large number of the yoiuiger members of the 
 profession. His own ollice was continually supplied with student.s 
 with whom he devottnl much time in their instruction and care in di- 
 recting their risiding, and in whose welfare he took an active interest, 
 as I, who was the last of these from 180.") to 1808, e:in testify. On 
 manv long rides with him he seemed to delight in j)assing the tin)e 
 in discussing legal propositions ami in drawing forth and cori'ti-ting 
 the information I had sernreil from study. 
 
 I'pon the dejith of Judge A. D. Kenntnly, he was ap]>ointe«l his 
 successor as County Judge by CJovernor Roosevelt in 1S!»0 and at the 
 next election was ele<-tcil for the term HMIO-l tMIC). After a spirited 
 and close light he was defeated for re-election, nujuing on an inde- 
 
(23) 
 
 pendent ticket, and although his health had been impaired for some 
 time he continued to practice nearly up to the time of his death, 
 which occurred at Morrisville, August 23, 1907. 
 
 Much could be said about the active and useful life of this 
 affable lawyer, but his departure was so recent and his smiling 
 countenance so familiar to you all it is not necessary here. No one 
 probably had a larger personal acquaintance throughout the county 
 than he enjoyed, 
 
 PHILO GRIDLEY 
 
 About the time this county was being first settled, at Paris in 
 our adjoing county of Oneida, September 16, 1796 Philo Gridley 
 was born. In his early days he taught school. In 1816 he gradu- 
 ated from Hamilton College, and in 1820 he was admitted to the 
 bar and for a time practiced at Waterville. Later he came to Ham- 
 ilton and for a time was a partner of Surrogate Stower. In 1829 
 he succeeded William K. Fuller as District Attorney for our county, 
 which oflice he held for about seven years, until 1836. This appoint- 
 ment was probably made under the provisions of the Constitution of 
 1821 which provided that a District Attorney for each county should 
 be appointed by the County Courts. His residence in our county 
 was comparatively brief, for in 1838 he was appointed Circuit Judge 
 for the 5th Circuit of the State. These Judges had practically the 
 same powers as our Supreme Court Justices. They held courts 
 throughout the district the same as our Supreme Court Justices do 
 now. One Judge was appointed for each Senate District. These 
 courts were sometime held with the Oyer and Terminer for criminal 
 business in which case the Circuit Judge had to associate with him 
 two other Judges of the county. While Judge Gridley was not ap- 
 pointed for our district, he was probably living here at the time as I 
 found on file his oath of office as such taken before Ephenetus 
 Holnjes of Morrisville, August 2, 1838. He removed at once to 
 Utica and when the new constitution was adopted in 1847 he was 
 elected Supreme Court Judge. He died at Utiea, August 16, 1864. 
 
 AVhile Circuit Judge he presided at one of the most important 
 and noted criminal trials in our country. One Alexander Mcl^eod 
 was indicted for the murder of Amos Durfee by pistol shot Dee. 
 30, 1837, the night of the burning of the steamer "Caroline" and 
 sending her over Niagara Falls, during the so-called ''Patriot War." 
 
(24) 
 
 McI.«etHl was a Hritish subject aiul liis poverimient deinandtil liis re- 
 lease. Daniel Webster, tlien Se<Tetiiry of State for l^>ite«l States, 
 was in favor of granting the reijuest, but tlie (jovernor of Xew York 
 wouUI not eonsent. On motion of the defendant the place of trial 
 was rhaii<;e<l frouj Krie founty, where the feeliuj^ was very hostile, 
 to Oneida rounty, and .lud^e (Iridley assij^iie** to the c-ase. The 
 State Attorney (ieneral, Willis Hall, District Attorney of Krie 
 e<iunty .John L. Wiwjd, and the District Attorney of Oneiila county, 
 Timothy Jenkins (whose life we will later diseuss), proset-uted. 
 (irejit I'ritiiin re-ally t<.K>k charge of the defen<-e and appropriated 
 nionev for the purpose and (iardner iV: Hnidley with .Joshua A. 
 Spencer (another Madis«jn county man), all prominent attorneys, con- 
 ducte<l the defense. lioth (U)untries were intensely intereste<l and it 
 was fe:ire<l that a conviction would brin^ on war, but (iridley charjred 
 the jurv that if the evidence warraiite<l it to <'(»nvict even if it should 
 "lij^iit up the laud with the llame of war." LcI/eo<l was, however, 
 ac<piitte<l. Sj)encer was one of the foremost advocates in the country. 
 His orif^inal minutes in this trial are preserveil by the Oneida 
 Historic:il»S)ciety at I'ticn. For his services in this case it is re- 
 port e<l that (J rrat Britain |»:iid him $10,000 — a very large fee for 
 those times. 
 
 Joshua Sj^encer was a Madison county attorney, born at (Jre^it 
 Harrington, Mass., May 1)>, 171*0. He was a clerk in a store after 
 he cjime to Len«>.\ in this county, enliste<l in the War of 1S12, and 
 served at Sackett's Harbor; was subse<piently admitted to the bar 
 !ind |)r:icticed here f(tr a time when, in 1S2'.), he forme<la partnership 
 with William II. M.iynard and rcmove<l to Tticii. In IS-ll he was 
 appointed \\ S. District .\ttorncy for the Northern District of Xew 
 Y(»rk. Jn 1842 he was elected State Senator; in IS IS he wasele<-t- 
 e<I Mayor of Utioa, about which time he informetl his son that he 
 had tried c:ises in every county of the state. Ilis eminence at the bar 
 was well deserved and he was a power with the jury. lie died at 
 rtica, April 2'), 1S.')7. 
 
 CHARLES STEBBINS, SR. 
 
 The original of tiiis pi<'tiire was taken by Weld of C'azenovia 
 and presented to the county by his son, Charles Stebbins, Jr. 
 
 ( "harles Stebbins, senior, was born at Williamstown, Mass., in 
 Mav, 17S1>, and was graduateil fnun \\'iUianis ('ollcge in 1S07. He 
 remove*! to C'azenovia in ISIO, where he continued to live till the 
 
(25) 
 
 time of his death and was one of the most prominent and influential 
 citizens of the community. He was admitted to the bar in 1813; 
 served as Aide-de-Camp on the staff of General Hurd, his fellow 
 townsman and prominent military man, in the War of 1812; was 
 Clerk of Cazenovia village 1814-21 and its President from 1824 to 
 1826; one of the trustees of the Seminary of the Genesee Conference 
 (now Cazenovia Seminary) in 1825; one of the incorporators of the 
 old Madison County Bank in 1831; director of the Madison Mutual 
 Insurance Company in 1836; first President of the Bank of Caze- 
 novia in 1856. 
 
 In 1825 he ran for State Senator in opposition to Gerrit Smith, 
 who was on the anti-Masonic ticket, and defeated him. He was re- 
 elected and was acting Lieutenant-Governor of the State for a short 
 period in 1829, when Enos T. Throop became Governor on the res- 
 ignation of Martin VanBuren, by virtue of his being at the time the 
 President of the Senate. He also held the position of State Bank 
 Commissioner from 1830 to 1840. He died March 23, 1873, at 
 Cazenovia, where his descendants occupy honored and prominent 
 positions in the life of the beavitiful village he helped to build up. 
 
 GERRIT SMITH 
 
 Gerrit Smith probably had the largest national fame of any 
 Madison County man. His picture, which hangs in the west gallery 
 of the court room, was presented to the county by his daughter, the 
 late Elizabeth S. Miller of Geneva. 
 
 He was born at Utica, March 6, 1797, being the fourth son of 
 Peter (pur first county judge) and Elizabeth Livingston Smith. The 
 family moved to Whitesboro about five years after his birth and in 
 1806 came to Peterboro. In 1813 he entered school at Clinton and 
 in 1818 graduated from Hamilton College. His brother Peter went 
 with him, but stayed only a couple of years. In 1819, soon after 
 the death of his mother and his graduation, he married Welthy Ann 
 Bachus, only daughter of Dr. Azel Bachus, the first president of 
 Hamilton College. She died of brain trouble in seven months, and 
 in January, 1822, he married Ann Carroll, daughter of AVilliam 
 Fitzhugh of Geneseo, N. Y. He was a man of considerable wealth 
 for those times, and his fine home at Peterboro was maintained much 
 like the rich estates in the South and was noted for its hospitality. 
 
 His investments were largely in real estate, which finally cen- 
 tered in and about Oswego in the canal, harbor and ships. The 
 
(20) 
 
 linaiK'ial <lt'j»rest«iun of lS.'>.j-37 iu*:irly swept :i\v:iv his fortuiu', Imt 
 Ije l)(>rn»\vetl .^J.")! ),()()( I from .I<»lm .Ijnol) Astor on little stH'iirily l>iit 
 his naked proniise and was soon on his feet a^ain. His bioi^raplier 
 utateH he had an income of from fifty to sixty thousand doUarsa yesir 
 for twenty-live years and for the hist ten years $S(), ()()(), His wealth 
 enahled him to advance ami make prominent many of his theories 
 an<l policies and he attained nnicli prominence in the ^reiit world of 
 alTairs. Although a c:indidate many tinu's, about the only )>olilic3d 
 oHice he held was Congressman from the Oswego-Madison distri<t in 
 I .sr)"J- '):>. He was a candidate for President on tlu' Liberty |>arty 
 ticket in ISlS and l.S."j"J, for the Industrial Congress in 1S.")(» — ihree 
 times a candidate for the Presidency, equalling the record of ^Vill- 
 iam J. Jiryan. In IS 10 and l.S.')8 he was a c:indi(hite for (Jovernor 
 of New York of the anti-Slavery party, and was defejite<l for the 
 Stjite Senate, running on tiie anti-Masonic ticket. 
 
 He was always interested in l(M-al affairs and was one of the 
 trustees of the IVterboro Academy. In 17 IS he purcliastnl this, and 
 with land he had ]>reviously donated that institution and the old 
 Presbyterian church he ac(|uired, donate<l them for the Home for 
 Destitute Children of Madi.son County, that admirable in.stitution in 
 which we take great pride. 
 
 He was not a lawyer by profession, but in 18''<> he became in- 
 teresteil in William Zecher, a Dutchman, accusetl of murdering John 
 liuck of Nelson with an a.xe. He learned that ZiM-her <":ime from 
 the s;ime part of Holland as his fathers family and luH-ameconvince^l 
 he was innocent. He was a.'<signetl with D. Brown and W. H. Kin- 
 ney as counsel for the defendant, while David Mitchell ])ro.><ecuted. 
 He spoke for six hours on summing uj) in his hi^jirty, natund ami 
 ingenious wav and the jury acipiitted. W lictlier this was due to the 
 elotjuence of his plea or the lack of convicting evidence I c(»uld not 
 say, but no doubt his advoca«'y of the defendant's cau.se was a deter- 
 mining factor in the deci.-i(tn. 
 
 He fonnde<l a chiir<-h at Petei'boro, free from ecclesiasticism and 
 <Tee<l obligation, and its imlpit was lilled liy many men of fame. 
 
 Xote<l throughout the country as an anti-slavery advocate, and 
 for his aifl to that «'au>c, however he should re<'eive full homage as a 
 suj-cesi^ftd business man, of a beautiful religious nature, a great and 
 staunch temperance worker, but pre-eminently a humaniUuMan. 
 
 If hi.-' one legal etTort was a mist.ake, there being some (|Uestion 
 lis to /(H'her's innoccn<'«', it \\as a mistake C3Hise<l by his tin) great 
 
(27) 
 
 sympathy for and ready confidence in the unxortunate; we are proud 
 of the great uplift to society those qualities enabled him to exert. 
 
 He died at New York while on a holiday visit, December 28, 
 1874. His biography by Octavus B. Frothingham, published in 
 1879, is interesting and complete, and it has been difficult to make 
 from it so condensed a sketch as this. 
 
 NATHANIEL KING 
 
 Nathaniel King was the son of Samuel King, a farmer, and 
 was born at Amenia, Dutchess County, N. Y., December 26, 1767. 
 His mother was early left a widow, with little means, but was intel- 
 ligent, pious and literary and saw that their son was well educated 
 and admitted to the bar. He graduated from Yale in 1792. When 
 thirty years of age he came to Hamilton, then "Payne's Settlement," 
 and commenced the practice of his profession. He had studied in 
 Albany and became ac(|uainted Avith many prominent men of the 
 State, and in 1798 he was sent to Albany to secure a division of the 
 old county of Herkimer, which resulted in the creation of the old 
 county of Chenango. In April he was elected the first Assembly- 
 man from this new county and was re-elected the next year, in 1799. 
 In 1800 he ran for Senator, but was second best in a large field; 
 however, the next year he was elected Assemblyman again. He was 
 earlier an Assistant Assessor and Justice of the Peace. 
 
 In 1803 he married Ottillia Mayer, step-daughter of Deacon 
 Olmsted, who died suddenly in 1816, and later he married Mary 
 Biites of Paris, Oneida County, who left him an infant son in addi- 
 tion to the five children by his first wife. These his third wife, Mrs. , 
 Elizabeth Tefft, whom he married in 1818, ably assisted him to bring 
 up. He purchased a large tract of land in Hamilton and erected a 
 large office. Several students of note studied with him, including 
 John G. Stower, afterwards Surrogate of our county. He was ap- 
 pointed Master in Chancery and in 1907 was appointed District 
 Attorney for the counties of Herkimer, Onondaga, Cayuga, Cortland 
 and Madison, but in 1812 he resigned this office and joined the then 
 Republican party. He was subsequently one of the Common Pleas 
 Judges of the county. 
 
 Mr. King was a student and educator, being well versed in 
 Latin and Greek, all branches of mathematics, rhetoric, grammar, 
 composition and elocution. He carrie<l on discussions with such 
 
(28) 
 
 niatheinaticiaiiM a« Professors Strong of llainilton Colle^ ami A. M. 
 Fisher of Yule. His solutions of diflicuit problems were published 
 in several nuij^azines. His mefhanittil genius is also illustnite<l by 
 his invention of the Tellurian fur illustrating the motions of the 
 earth and e>pe<'iall\' the precession of the etpiinoxes. In 1818 he 
 was one of the twenty-four trustees to found liatnilton Academy. 
 He contributetl materials and money for the erection of buildings 
 and was the first te.icher. He had been a teacher in his early yesirs 
 and took great delight in the w(»rU, in which he was most su<-ce>sful. 
 He was also a succt^sful farmer, devoting nuich lime to the raiding 
 of winter wliejit and cultivating a fine orchard, priHuring st-ions from 
 sueh dist;uices as Ixjng Island and New Jersey. 
 
 Mr. King was also a noted military man. He was ejirly <'om- 
 missiomHl Colonel of Militia and conducted his ''tnunings" with 
 nuich skill. lie was later promoted to .Major (Jeneral ami in ISl 1 
 he reipu'stcd his friend, (Jov. Tompkins, to send him into service and 
 went to .Suckets Harbor, where he was in conunaiul of all the militia 
 iu this xicinity, although Gen. Jacob iirown of the regular U. S. 
 troops was afterwards in supreme conunand. The position was made 
 s«) strong that the expe<'ted attack by the Hritish was not ma<le, and 
 in l.Sl.'), after pe;ice was declared, lie came h«»me and superintendeil 
 the militia courts martial for a time beft)re he resignetl. 
 
 In Mr. King he have one of the successful men of his day. -\s 
 a lawyer, e<lucator, farmer and man of litenirv })ursuits (often in- 
 <lulging in poeticsil comj>osition.s) he made an enviable reputation. 
 He died at Hamilton, .Iidy 'lit, 1848, and was 8urvive«l but a few 
 
 months by Jiis last \vife. 
 
 WILLIAM KENDALL FULLER 
 
 (Jeneral Fuller was born about the time the settlement of our 
 eounty began at SchentnUidv, X. Y., November 21, 17'.>2, was 
 graduateil at Union College, and was admittinl to the bar in IS] j. 
 He |)racti<«'<l at I'tica for a time with J<thn 1>. Yates and was at- 
 torney for the Oiu'ida, St(M-kl>ridge and lirothertown Indians and 
 Master in Chancery from 1814 to 181(1. In ISUl with his partner, 
 John IJ. Yates, he moved to Chittenango, where he be<-ame a promi- 
 nent citi/en. He was Supervisor of Sullivan for live years from 
 1S27 to l.s:!l and l*resi<lent of the Hoard in 1S:5(), and held many 
 other (»nices such as Conunon Fleiis Ju<lge, .lustice of the I'-.'ace, 
 Town Clerk, Postmaster, S'IkhW Tru.stee, Highway Commi.ssioner. 
 
(29) 
 
 From 1821 to 1828 he was District Attorney of the county, being 
 called upon to prosecute Abraham Antoue for murder in July, 1823. 
 
 For the terras 1833-5-7 he was Member of Congress for the 
 23d District (Madison and Onondaga), and as State Surveyor was en- 
 gaged in settling the boundary line with Canada. 
 
 He had a long militar)^ experience: was Quartermaster of a 
 regiment of militia at Utica, Aide-de-camp to the general of brigade 
 with rank of Captain; Brigade Judge Advocate with rank of Major; 
 Division Inspector with rank of Colonel; Adjutant General of the 
 State of New York appointed by Governor Yates and continued for 
 six months by Governor Clinton, who complimented him by issuing 
 and publishing in the state paper a General Order. 
 
 He died at his native city of Schenectady, to which he had 
 given a city hall, on November 11, 1883, at the advanced age of 91. 
 
 DAVID J. MITCHELL 
 
 David J. Mitchell with Henry C. Goodwin studied fonr years 
 with A. V. Bentley at DeRuyter and obtained much experience in 
 an extensive justice court practice he enjoyed. They were both 
 Delluyter boys, and when admitted both removed to Hamilton and 
 opened an office as partners. Mr. Mitchell was a brother of D. Q,. 
 Mitchell, another DeRuyter attoi'ney, and an uncle of William H. 
 Manchester, for a long time the capable Clerk of our Surrogate's 
 Court. 
 
 He was born about 1827. Not long after their removal to 
 Hamilton Goodwin was elected District Attorney for the county in 
 1847, and in 1853, the next succeeding term but one held by Lans- 
 ing, Mitchell was elected to that important office, at which time he 
 prosecuted Zecher for murder, Gerrit Smith defending. About five 
 yejirs after his term expired, in ] 860, he moved to Syracuse as many 
 of our prominent attorneys have done, and entered into partnership 
 with Dauiel Pratt and Wilbur M. Brown. Their firm had a large 
 clientelle and Mitchell was accounted one of the brighest attorneys 
 of his time. He was one of the attorneys for General George W. 
 Cole, who was indicted and tried for the murder of L. Harris Hitch- 
 cock, a prominent attorney of Syrat;use, whom he shot in the head at 
 the Stanwix hotel in Albany for alleged improper conduct with the 
 former's wife. This was a noted case at the time, the jury failing 
 
(.SO) 
 
 to aj^ree Jit lli»' first trial aiitl reiulerinir a vcnli<'t «»f :ii'(|iiittal at the 
 8ec(>n(l trial. 
 
 Mr. Mitilu'll (li»'«l at Syracuse, Sept. li 1. 1S7 I, at tlii' t-urly a;^e 
 of fifty. 
 
 EPHENETUS HOLMES 
 
 Kphenetiis Holmes \va8 borii at Aineiiia, DiitclieBS County, N. Y., 
 December 1, 17.S1, and was adniillnl to the bar at S-hajxhticoke, 
 N. Y., iu ISOH. After pnieticinii; at that plaee for a time he re- 
 inove<l to Morri.8vi lie about LSIW, where with Andrew S. Sloan they 
 estjibli.'<lie<l themselves iifi the first attorneys at the county seiit. He 
 was elci'tetl . Justice of the l*e:ice and for ten years he was one of the 
 C'onun. in IMeas Jud^eH of the county. He was nuich intereste<l in 
 educiition and was one «»f the first trustees of the old MorrLsville 
 Academy. 
 
 In ISHl and 1S:V2 he was ("lerU of the Koard of Supervisors, 
 which position he afterward held fnun is;').") to '17. 
 
 He was the father of Judpe Sidney T. Holmes. His picture, 
 which han;;s in the west corridor, was presented to the county by 
 his (laughter, .lulia I. B. Holmes of Hay City, Mi<h. He die<l 
 about 1800 or '•;!. 
 
 JOHN KNOWLES 
 
 This picture was painted in October, IS 11, by A. I>. F, Wliit- 
 nev and was presented t<» the county some years ajfo by his ian)ily. 
 Miss Kstelle Ivnowles, a }xrejit-^rand<lauirhter of the subjwl, is now 
 livin<r in Chittenan^o, but can ^ive little information about this 
 ancestor. 
 
 Mr. KiiowU-s Wius a prominent man of his town duriiij; the 
 eiirlv vt':irs ot our countv and at one time praetiee<l at Uridireport, 
 where he settb*<l alioul lS(m, before the f(U-matiou of the <'ounty. lie 
 was many times Supervisor of his town of Sidlivan, in ISlti, '17, 'IS, 
 '20, '21, '22, '34 and "M. A man by the .same name was president 
 of the village of ( 'hittenanj^o in isr)2. 
 
 In ISK) he, with IVrry H. Childs of Cazenovia and .Nathaniel 
 Cole, was a|)pointe<l by tlie Court of Conunon Pleas under an act of 
 the Legislature to su|)erintend the dmiuaj^e of the great swamp or 
 
(31) 
 
 marsh on Canasaraga creek in the towns of Sullivan and Lenox. In 
 
 1817 he was one of the commission appointed by the Supervisors to 
 sell the old Court House and Goal at Cazenovia for |l,500. In 
 
 1818 he was one of the incorporators of the Chittenango Canal Com- 
 pany formed for the purpose of building a canal from Chittenango 
 to the Erie. He was also one of the incorporators of the Madison 
 County Railroad in 1829 to construct a single or double track rail- 
 road from Chittenango to Cazenovia and south, which was never 
 bnilt. He doubtless later lived at Chittenango and was buried in 
 the Walnut Grove Cemetery about a mile south of that village. I 
 have not learned when or where he was born or when he died, prob- 
 ably prior to 1860. 
 
 MATTHEW J. SHOECRAFT 
 
 Mr. Shoecraft was a son of Joseph Shoecraft, a noted mathe- 
 matician, and was born in Herkimer County in 1818. He prepared 
 for college at Union Academy at Belleville, N. Y., and graduated 
 from Union College iu 1840. For a time he taught school and 
 studied law in his spare motnents and was admitted to the bar in 
 1849. He removed to Oneida^ where he practiced until his death 
 about 190,5. 
 
 In his early years he was a prominent figure in Oneida, where 
 he was one time president of the village. He was elected Demo- 
 cratic Presidential Elector at one time and was a candidate of his 
 party for Congress, State Senator, District Attorney and other 
 offices. 
 
 At the age of 80 he prepared an address for a meeting of the 
 Madison County Bar Association at Morrisville, but was unable to 
 deliver it in person on account of illness. 
 
 TIMOTHY JENKINS 
 
 Timothy Jenkins was not a Madison county attorney, although 
 he practiced here a great deal, being located at Oneida Castle. He 
 was born at Barre, ]Mass., January 29, 1799, removed to Washing- 
 ton county and received an academic education, went to Utica and 
 studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1825. He was Distinct 
 Attorney for Oneida county fi'om 1840 to 1845, and it was during 
 
(32) 
 
 liiH term that tlit' iiiiDou.'* -M«lie«j(l murder trial \va.'< lield iH'fore Judge 
 Gridlev and in whirh he wuii assisted in the prosecution by the State 
 Attorney (irnenil and the District Attorney of Erie county. For 
 about ten ye:iix lie wa.s tiie attorney for the Oneida Indians and otui- 
 ductetl important litigation for them in the highest courtis. 
 
 He wiiH tlire*' times elected ats ]{epref*entative in Congress, in 
 1H44, lH-ir» and 1S.")(), ',uu\ was there accounttnl one of the le:»diiig 
 members. It is sjiid he may have been the originator of the famous 
 *'S\ ilniot I'rovi.Ho." 
 
 He was calletl one of the best attorneys Oneida c(Minty has had, 
 and was a staunch DeiiKKTat until slaverv times. He was, however, 
 one of the delegates to the Pliiladelpliia convention in 1S.")C» which 
 forme<l the Kepublican party, and he 8upporte<l Fremont and the 
 Kepubli«'an candidates therej\fter. He died at ( )neida ( a.stle, De- 
 cember 24, IS")'*. 
 
 DANIEL D. WALRATH 
 
 Mr. Walrath was born at C'hittenaiigo, March 7, 1821, and his 
 picture, which was taken from a likeness about 1SS4, hangs in the 
 east corridor. He was an attorney, admitteii to the bar in 1.S47 and 
 the U. S. Circuit Court in 1S(»7, and was a prominent figure in the 
 liM-jility. In 1.S42 he was one of the trustees of the village and in 
 1.S4V) was elected President. He was Supervisor of the town of 
 Sullivan in 1SI'>4 and again in 1S7«'). He die«l at Chittenango, Feb- 
 ruary 2, ISSC). 
 
 CHARLES STEBBINS, JR. 
 
 Mr. Stebbins was born at Ca/enovia, .luly :3, 1827, where he 
 continued to reside and practice uj) to the time of his de:ith, e.xcept 
 the two vears he was in practice at Synicu.se. He read law with 
 Stebbins iN: Fairchild and was adn)itte<l to the bar in 1S|;», having 
 graduate<l from Hobart College in IS 1(1. lie was Clerk t»f the vil- 
 lage of ('a/>enovia from 1858 to 18(jl, again in ISd;', and 18()0; 
 l*resident in 1H()7 and 18(58; Supervisor of his town in 18t(7 and 
 1870; and was interestetl in the establishment of the Home for Des- 
 titute Childivn at I'eterboro, having in'ge<l the matter (»f a sepanite 
 home while he was on the lioard, and his report as one of the com- 
 mittee having the esUiblishment in hand you will Hnd in the Su|)er- 
 
(33) 
 
 visorg Journal of 1871 — probably drafted by him. A humorous 
 and flowery speech made by him at the close of the session of the 
 Board of 1867 is reported in full in the Journal (being about the 
 only speech having the distinction of being recorded). It is full of 
 jokes and puns and descriptions of the towns, and is well worth 
 reading. 
 
 He was one of the commissioners to revise the Statutes and Code 
 appointed Jnly 1, 1871, and serving till Jan. 1, 1875, at which 
 time he was appointed the private secretary to Governor Tilden. He 
 died May 4, 1898. 
 
 This crayon was made from a photograph taken by Kurtz at 
 Albany in 1875 and was presented to the county by his wife, Mary 
 M. Stebbins, who with two daughters and four sons survived him. 
 
 SAMUEL SIDNEY BREESE 
 
 Mr. Breese was one of the J ustices of the Peace on the formation 
 of the county (in 1806) for the then town of Cazenovia, and is said 
 to be the tirst resident lawyer of the county. He was born at Phil- 
 adelphia, Pa., September 26, 1768. He was the first County Clerk 
 of Chenango county in 1798. For some time he practiced in the 
 county with Jonas Piatt, the firm of Piatt & Breese being well 
 known at that time, and I found on the Court records at the Febru- 
 ary, 1814, term it was ordered that iu all suits prosecuted or defend- 
 ed by Piatt & Breese Samuel S. Breese should thereafter act as at- 
 torney, said Jonas Piatt having been promoted to the bench of the 
 Supreme Court, May 11, 1814. He subsequently moved to Oneida 
 county and became one of the most prominent members of the bar 
 of that county. He was also elected Member of Assembly there in 
 1828. He was a member of the State Constitutional Convention of 
 1821, but was one of those who did not sign the document, as was 
 also his friend. Judge Piatt, Judge VanNess and several others. He 
 died at Vernon, N. Y., October 15, 1848, being 80 years old. 
 
 The beautiful painted portrait which hangs in the east corridor 
 was copied by Albert J. Purdy in 1 890 from a portrait by Prof. S. 
 F. B. Morse, inventor of the telegraph, and was presented to the 
 county by Sidney B. Breese of Oneida. 
 
 GEN. WILLIAM J. HOUGH 
 
 General Hough was born sit Paris Hill, N. Y., in the year 
 1775, oi Revolutionary fame, and was educated at Pompey Hill, N, 
 
V. 1 1-<' rejul I:i\v jiikI prmiice*! at ( "a/.t*in»via f<»r forty y«jrt», where 
 lie wuti » prominent figure in the I'oninuinity. lie wa« Clerk of that 
 vilhi^e froiD' IS'J'.J to l.S;J3 and airain in 1S:;(>; '\tn President in 
 1 s:;,s :iHd ISlS, He wa.s a prominent (Jenenil in the Militia and 
 l'ie*<ideiK I'oJk tenderetl him the ntlice of Brigadier (Jenenil in the 
 armv at the time of the Mexic:in War. 
 
 \n l-S'^.T aiwi lH;i(» he win* a Meniher of A.sf*enibly from this 
 coiintv ;mmI was electetl as Ivepresentative in ( 'ongress from the 'I'-'td 
 district »> iS'i.'t and re-ele<'te<| in I.S17. He was appointe<l one «>f 
 the iit^entri of the Smithsonian Institute at \\'ashinpt<in, D. ( "., in 
 isn*, an<i was much intereste<l in the admind)le worU it (•:irrieil on 
 and ('ontinne<i in that position down t«) the time of his d(>:ith. In 
 IS.'tf) he removnl to Svra<'nse, where he attained a prominent 
 standing in the profession and was intrnste<i with many important 
 matters. He was Viee-Presiident of the ohl .Synieuse ( ity lianU 
 and for two terms was President of the «'ity Board of I'Mueation. 
 
 His picture in the ejist corridor was painteil by .1. liniylon 
 Wilcox in 1890 and presented to the county by his family. He 
 lli^^l at Syracuse, October 4, 1S(5'.I, at the ripe age of *M. 
 
 SYLVESTER BEECHER 
 
 This excellent jKiinting was made by Melvin H. Ilay and was 
 copie<l from a painting by Fretlerick Spencer from a likeness taken in 
 IS II or Mf). It was presente<I to the county by his ilaughter, Mrs. 
 Daniel N. ('rouse of I'tica. 
 
 Sylvester lieet;her was lM)rn at W olcott, Conn., .January 0, 
 1781. He was one of the Assemblyn)en from this county in 1827, 
 with .bunes B. Kldri<lge and JytMuuel White. He was Supervisor 
 of the old town of Lenox in 1817, and sid)se<picntly in 18:'.:> and 
 "M, and during the last two years was Chairman of the I^)ard. He 
 was one of the lirst dire<"tors of the Madi.son County Hi\i\k in 18;'.2 
 and was for seveni I years one of the C«iinmon PK-.is .Indira's in the 
 'thirties or thereabouts. He also servtnl as ( 'aptain in the militia in 
 llic war during 1812-'!."). He died at Canastota. .Vugust P.t, l.S4'.». 
 
 PERRY G. CHILDS 
 
 This prominent attorney was Inirn at Pittslield, .Ma.ss., in 177n, 
 and was admitte<l to the bar in ISOl. He was one of the ejirliest 
 settlers of ( 'a/cnovia and l>c<-aiMc a large land owner and an inlluen- 
 
(35) 
 
 tial man in the community where he spent his entire life. He was 
 one of the most active trial lawyers at the time immediately follow- 
 ing the establishment of our county, and was the attorney for the de- 
 fendant in the first action noted on our Common Pleas Court 
 minutes at the first session of the court, and the court records show 
 the large and varied practice he and his firm of Childs & Stebbins 
 enjoyed for many years. 
 
 He was appointed Master in Chancery in 1806 and was one of 
 the board of the first trustees of the village of Cazenovia when in- 
 corporated in 1810. He was President of the old Madison County 
 Bank and from 1819 to 1822 he was State Senator from this dis- 
 trict. In January, 1822, he was elected one of the famous "Counsil 
 of Appointment" which had the selection of many of the State and 
 local officers. His palatial residence and grounds was one of the 
 ornaments of this beautiful lake village, and he was the grandfather 
 of Mrs. John Stebbins, who later owned it. Charles S. Fairchilds, 
 who was one of President Cleveland's cabinet officers, was his grand- 
 son. He died at Cazenovia in 1 835. 
 
 HARRIS COATS MINER 
 
 Mr. Miner was born at Pharsalia, Chenango County, August 
 31, 1817, and his rather limited education was received at the 
 Pitcher Springs Academy. His ancestors came from Connecticut 
 and were early settlers in the locality. He remained on the farm 
 until about twenty-one, when he came to DeKuyter and was em- 
 ployed in the store of Israel Smith for about nine years. When 
 Sadock T. Bentley, his townsman, was elected County Clerk, in 
 1843, Miner went with him to Morrisville, where he was Deputy 
 County Clerk for three years. For about a year thereafter he en- 
 gaged in mercantile business at Syracuse, where Milton S. Price 
 and Judge Charles Andrews, then young men, clerked in his store. 
 He married Cynthia Bunker, a DeRuyter girl, August 29, 1844, 
 and his only child, a young lady of seventeen, died in 1869. 
 
 While at Morrisville he devoted some time to the study of law 
 and was admitted to the bar of the county December 26, 1849, and 
 later at Cooperstown to all the State courts, and in 1867 to the U. S. 
 Courts. He spent a long, active and useful life at DeRuyter, where 
 he built up an extensive practice, first as a partner of A. Scott Sloan, 
 then with his brother, R. L. Miner, from 1859 to '63, and again 
 
with l^atnlH'i-t L. Kcni fi »m ISf.l to '70. \\v (lie<l :it Deliiiyter, 
 Jaunarv "JS, ISIM. 
 
 He wa« Sii|)ervi8or of his town iu 1802, rrewident of his vil- 
 lage in l.Sr>7, ISJJS and 1S72, and als<» licld tlie <)tti( es of Town 
 Clerk, trnstee and other ollice^. 
 
 He wari u man of wonderful enerj;y, strong nerve and powerful 
 |)livsi(|iie, which with a frank au<l generous nature enable*! him to 
 win a position of proinin«'n<r in his profession and the coinniunity 
 which his late start and limiteil education might otherwise have 
 denie*l him. Thit^ portnut was presentetl to the county by his 
 w idow, ( ynlhia, now deteiisetl. 
 
 CHARLES MASON 
 
 Judge Mason was probably the most distinguished jurist our 
 county can lay claim to. For over twenty-two yejirs he was Justice 
 t)f the Supreme Court of the State for the Sixth District and his de- 
 cisions, manv of which will be found re|)orted in the oilicial reports 
 of this State, bear witness to his high standing as a man (»f I«irning 
 and keen intellect. On the death of Judge Wright of the Court <»f 
 Ap|>eals — the highest court of our SUite — he was appointe<l to that 
 <'ourt under the provisions of the Constitution, wliere he served for 
 the vears l.StiS and '051 and was forcnl to retire bec;iuse of the age 
 limit. 
 
 He was lM»rn at Phittsburg, Xew York, June IS, ISIO; 
 8tu<Iie<l with William l{<»gcrs of W'atertown, N. Y., and was ad- 
 mitte<l to the bar. When IMiilo Cridley was appointed to the Cir- 
 cuit Court bench lie removed to Hamilton to take the jilace left va- 
 cant by him there. 
 
 He was ele<'ted I)istri<-t Attorney of the county, which position 
 he resignc<| when elect«><l .lustii^e of the Supreme ('ouit in .lune, 
 1847. 
 
 After his retirement from the Court of Ajipcals he was a j)- 
 j)ointe<l ( 'lerk of the I'. S. ( 'ircuit Court and remove<l to Cticji, 
 where he die<l May 'A], 1S7!>. He was a brother of the Judge of 
 our conntv, Joseph Mason of Hamilton, still residing at that village. 
 His picture hung in the t'liambers of Justi«'e Forlxv at Canastota for 
 a numl)er of vears and is now in tliose of the late Justice ('onian. 
 
(•57) 
 
 THOMAS HILL HUBBARD 
 
 Judge Hubbard was the first Surrogate of our county — tlieu a 
 separate office. His portrait hangs at the right of the Surrogate's 
 trial bench. It was copied in 1890 by Marshall Bros, of Cazenovia 
 from a painting by Harding at AVashington, D. C, in 1822, when 
 he was about 40 years of age, and was presented to the county b}- 
 his son, Robert James Hubbard, father of Robert F. Hubbard of 
 Cazeno^^a. 
 
 This prominent man was born at New Haven, Conn., Dec. (i, 
 1781; studied law at Troy, N. Y., and was admitted to the bu- in 
 1804 or 1805. He was the second attorney to settle in Hamilton, 
 about 1805, and was very shortly appointed Surrogate, March 2G, 
 1806, when the county was foi-med. He was on hand at the tirst 
 Common Pleas Court for our county June 3, 1800, and with ten 
 others, including Nathaniel King, Arthur lireese, John Kirkland and 
 Perry G. Childs, was admitted to practice in the new court. The 
 tirst case on record in the new county's minutes was brought by 
 him as attorney and defended by Perry G. Childs. At the June, 1810, 
 term Hubbard and Hubbard & Smith had 41 cases brought foriirst 
 orders. In 1813 he, with A. D. Van Home and Nehemiah Hunt- 
 ington, were appointed to revise the Conuiion Pleas Court Rules. 
 He discharged the duties of Surrogate with much ability for nearly 
 ten years until Feb. 26, 1816. He was appointed a commissioner 
 under the Insolvent Law in 1812; Master in Chancery in 1815; 
 District Attorney for the seventh district, Oneida, Herkimer, Madi- 
 son and Otsego counties, 1816, and again for our own county in 
 1818, when separate officers were appointed for each county, thus 
 being also the first District Attorney for our separate county, and 
 being, as f am informed, the second one ever appointed from the 
 county. Daniel Kellogg was appointed District Attorney in 1809 
 as stated in Judue Chester's Legal and Judicial Historv of New 
 York. 
 
 He was twice elected Representative in Congress from the 1 7th 
 District (Madison and Herkimer counties), serving the years 1817- 
 1818, 1821-1822. He was a Presidential Elector in 1812, 1844, 
 1852. He removed to Utica in 1824 and formed a partnership 
 with Greene C. Bronson and was later appointed Clerk of the Su- 
 preme Court, which position he held many years. He retired in 
 later years, having accummulated ample means, and died at Utica, 
 
(38) 
 
 Mav Jl, IM.'jT. Ill lier lii.stt»rv, Mi>. liaiinnoml .-civn: "He war a 
 man greatly beloved for his many virtiieK aii<l tin- juirity of l^i^* lift'." 
 
 OTIS P. GRANGER 
 
 Mr, (irauger was \nnn at Sullielil, ( oiui., I'l'briiary "Jl. IT'.K'i. 
 and wan one of the early settlers of Morri.->\nlIe, where his life \\a.- 
 H[>ent. lie was atlmlttiHl to the har at l'tic:i, .Inly II, 1S21. aiul 
 for over sixty years was a pniniinent lawyer at the et»nnty seat, .\pril 
 21, 1K"J7, he was a|)|>ointe<l by (Governor DeW itt Clinton as Snrnn 
 j^te of the fonnfy, which inijM)rtant otlice he held for twelve vesirs 
 nntil Febrnary IS. 1.S40, di.><<-har^in^ the duties with nineh esire and 
 satisfaction. 
 
 lie was a <lelef;ate t<> the .\atii»Mal eoiiveiition at r>altiiii<)i-e 
 when Martin \'an Hiiren was noniinatt'd foi- the Presidency. 
 
 His death occurred at M<irrisville, Anjjust '2'.\ \ss:',, ant! his 
 portr.iit was presented to the county l)y his d.iu^hter, .Mrs. .\jrnt*i 
 K. (Jroves, now living in his tine old home at that place. 
 
 DELOS W. CAMERON 
 
 Mr. C'amertjn was born at I'eterlxiro, .January 18, 1832, where 
 he received his preliminary e<lut"ation. He r«nl law with Judge 
 Sidnev T. Holmes at Morrisville and was admittetl to the bar in 
 Januarv, ISfti;. For a couple of years he practiced at Chittenaniro 
 and in 1 S.">.S remove^l to ( "a/.eiutvia, where he was hx-atetl until his 
 death, which occurred in .liiiie. I'.MI.'i. 
 
 In ISC)!' he was elei'te<l r)istrict .Attorney for the county, which 
 jKwition he held with nnich distinction for the term of three y»^:irs. 
 He was cjdled upon to pro8e<Mite one of the dre:KhHl Ixxmiis "gang," 
 and after sei-uring a conviction after a hard tight w;ismin'h «'hagrine«l 
 when the court onlv inij»oscd a tine of $'>i), which w:»s prompt l\ 
 p.iid 1>\ the defendant in <oMrt. 
 
 He Wiis Collector of Internal Kevenue for the twenty-se<-ond I )is- 
 trict of New York in 1S7(I and '71, and was liefertv in IJankruptc\ 
 for the ("ounlv under the last ai-t, which o|]i<«' he held at the time of 
 his death. 
 
 He was well verse<i in the law, and note<| for his t-itrrttt 
 interpi-etati<in of the statutes. This couphMl with his keemiess. acti\- 
 
(:.^0) 
 
 ity and forceful pleading won for liini an extensive practice during- the 
 early years. Judge M. H. Kiley studied with him, and after his 
 admission was for a time in partnership with him, the firm being 
 known as Cameron & Kiley. 
 
 This picture was presented to the county by hi« wife, Ellen, 
 now living at Cazenovia, and was made from a photograph taken 
 about 1 88() or 'ST. 
 
 WILLIAM E. LANSING 
 
 Mr, J^ansing for thirty years was a successfid practitioner at 
 Chittenango. At one time he was going over with an important 
 witness the testimony she was to give in one of his cases and discov- 
 ered that she was living with a man not her husband. Fearing she 
 would be questioned about this on cross-examination, he instructed 
 her to refuse to answer and state that she stood on her privilege. On 
 being asked the expected question, she naively answered, "That's my 
 privilege." 
 
 Mr. Lansing was born at Perry ville, N. Y., December 21, 
 1822, studied and graduated from Cazenovia Seminary in 1841, went 
 to Utica and studied law under Judge Charles Mason from 1841 to 
 '45, and was admitted to the bar in May, 1845. He was also in 
 1871 admitted to practice in the U. S. Supreme Court. The same 
 year he began the practice at Chittenango with the firm of Lansing 
 & Kennedy and later Lansing iSz Kellogg. He was elected District 
 Attorney for the county in 1850 and served one term; was President 
 of Chittenango in 1853, at which time he was one of the directors of 
 the Chittenango Bank, and in 1855 was elected County Clerk for 
 one term. In 18(51 he was elected Member of C/ongress and was 
 subsequently elected to the same office in 1871. Very soon after 
 the expiration of his last term he moved to Syracuse, where in 1876 
 he formed a partnership with F. A. Lyman, the firm being known 
 as Lansing & Lyman, and which existed until the time of his death. 
 He died at Syracuse, July 29, 1882. 
 
 The likeness from which the picture was taken and which 
 hangs in the County Clerk's office was taken about 1880 and the 
 picture was presented to the county by his daughter, Jessie Lansing 
 Crouse of Svracuse. 
 
LORING FOWLER 
 
 Mr. FowUt was uiw of the promiiK'iit attorneys of CanaMtota. 
 He wat? burn at IVterboro, N. Y., Augiitit 11, I8I0. His pii'tiire, 
 which han^8 in the County Clerk's ofiioe, was copied by I^>^an 
 from a plioto^raph taken at An)any when Mr. Fowler was a member 
 of the State ( 'tuistitMti(»nal ("(invention of ISriS. It wan pre<entt'<l 
 to the (X)unty by his son, John Curtis Fowler, now rei^idin^ at Syra- 
 cuse. 
 
 Mr. Fowler wais a prominent and liij^hly re.s|)e<'te<l eiti/en of 
 his town, hohlin^ the olli»'e.s of Justice of the Ft'-aee and S'h(M)l 
 Commissioner of the town in the 'fifties and also that of President of 
 Canastota about the same time. He was admitte<l to the bar at 
 Cooperstown in 1S4<). In 1801 he was elwted Comity Clerk for 
 the term ISiJ'J-t).') and in 1S( IS was a member of the C»»nstitutional 
 Convention as above mentioned. He was also one of the directors of 
 the C., C. tt DeRuyter Kailroad Company in 1S09. He die*! at 
 Canastota, May 9, 1888, at the aj^e of 72. 
 
 LUCIUS P. CLARK 
 
 Lucius P. Clark was a native of Brookfield, bein^ b<irn at 
 Clarksville, Januar\ 27, 1822, and was Postmaster at that viiiafje 
 before removing to Morrieville, where he "spent his active life. In 
 18r)0-r)2 he was Deputy County Clerk to lx>ren7X) Dana, .iiid 
 though a Democrat was ele<'ted to succeed him for a term of three 
 years. He wasadnutted to the bar in LSf)."), an<l in LSfjfi wasdefe-ated 
 as candidate for Congress. He was ele<'te<l President of the village 
 of Morrisville in 18(52 and was a rwruting agent for Madison 
 county in war times in 18<):i. His pnictice w:is largely oHice work 
 and comisel. He also «'nrrie<l on a large loan business at one time 
 and he was a connnissioner of pensions. He took an active interest 
 in the Congregational Clnirch at Morri.sville and was leader of the 
 church <hoir up to the time of his death. He was prominent in all 
 local enterjirises and was a trusted and highlv respectinl citi/.en. His 
 popidaritv cnabhMl him to be again electeil ( 'ounty Clerk for the 
 term 187:^-7*). He dic<l at Morrisville February 2'A, 18*J1. 
 
 ZADOCK T. BENTLEY 
 
 Mr. Jientley was born in Washington <'(»unty, August S, 1807. 
 and was a son of a farmer who remove<l to DeKuvler when ZsidtM-k 
 
(-U) 
 
 was a boy. While working on the iana lie sei*iire<l such education 
 as the locality afforded and he then studied law with Hon. Alonzo 
 G. Hammond of Rensselaer county summers and taught school 
 winters, later completing his studies with Judge Darwin Smith at 
 Rochester. He was admitted to the bar in 1833 and immediately 
 opened an office in his home village of DeRuyter in partnership with 
 George W. Stone, where the firm of Stone & Bentley on one side of 
 the street and Lorenzo and Luman Sherwood on the other kept the 
 community legally animated until 1840. He was Clerk of the vil- 
 lage in 1835 and '36 and its President in 1841. In 1843 he was 
 elected County Clerk and in 1844 removed to Morrisville, where he 
 continued to practice for seventeen years. He removed to Oneida in 
 1862 and died at the latter place, July 4, 1870, of paralysis. He 
 was one of the directors of the First National Bank of Oneida in 
 1865. He was a well read lawyer and a capable advocate. 
 
 He had a brother, A. V. Bentley, who studied with him at De- 
 Ruyter and was admitted to the bar in 1842, and who afterwards 
 contested several cases w^ith him with great tenacity. He abandoned 
 active practice later and was elected Justice of the Peace in that 
 town for twenty-five years, and was a large and trusted conveyancer 
 of real estate. 
 
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