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The name "Linden" was first suggested by a clerk in the store at that place, and the first sign was put up over the mill, Judge Isaac Wilson being the postmaster and a justice.  John Wilder, a pioneer of Attica, built many mills, among which was one, in 1810, for Judge Wilson at this place.  This mill was enlarged in 1833 by Daniel Calkins.  It was the first gristmill that served the inhabitants of the northern part of Wyoming County, and a great portion of the towns of Darien, Alexander, and Bethany.  About the year 1809 Calvin Barrows came in, and made the pioneers glad by fitting up a carding and woolen mill.  He came from Massachusetts, and lived in the town 60 years.  He built a log house in the same year (which was burned), and lived in it six years.  He rebuilt about 1817 where Sexturs, a son, now lives.  Mr. Barrows was a Master Mason and a member of Olive Branch Lodge, which met at Huggin's tavern after the troubles in Batavia.
     One Coles built a saw-mill in Linden about 1808.  There was a fall of 24 feet to the dam, and owning to insecure foundation this mill tumbled over that distance and hurt some of the operatives.  Another saw mill was built, which was burned.  Several fires have occurred in the place from time to time, among which have been the stone distillery (started by Nathaniel Eastman), which had also been used as a cooper shop by Collins; the old store built by Wilson & Dewey; the railroad depot in 1860; the flour mill in 1879; and the W. H. Barrows house.  After the stone distillery was destroyed a wooden one was built in 1825, and a stone one in 1838.  Some of the owners of the old (Wilson) mill site have been George Perry (an old settler), Collins, Remer & Tuttle, Remer & Barrows, and W. H. Barrows.  The latter also started a cabinet shop in 1837, continuing it for 15 years, when he kept a store for four years, and then moved to Attica.
     Among the store-keepers were Judge Wilson, Horace Tripman, Webster (who also had an ashery), and Collins.  One Gardner also had a store and ashery in 1820.  The first tavern there was kept by Joseph Chamberlain in a house built by Mr. Lusk.  E. and Jeduthan Faunce in 1835 kept a tavern in the house owned by Myron Kemp.
     The first settlers who arrived at Linden were Calvin Barrows, Samuel Jolls, Alexander Grimes, Jacob Grimes, Andrew Grimes, Rufus Munger, Jesse Fay, Matthew Alger, Sanford Bowers, Israel Everest, Nathan Blood, and a few others.  A Mr. Towner was an early miller.  At the time of the advent of the railroad, about 1850 or 1852, business was not very brisk in the place, there being only a grist mill, cider and shingle-mill, and a cooper shop.  In 1869 one Bunce had a tannery here, Durgy & Huggins and Faunce & Whaley had stores, W. E. Kemp a barrel.  It is supposed Aaron Bailey, in 1828, taught the first school in Linden, but Matilda Wedge, in 1808, is credited with being the first teacher in the town.
     CANADA, a small hamlet on Black Creek, in the eastern part of the

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town, claims to have had a mill erected in 1808, by one Bennett, one of a family who came in 1805, and for some time the place was called "Bennett's Mills."  There was a tavern here in early times.  No business of importance is transacted at the locality at present.
     Sylvester Lincoln, in 1805, had a tavern, said to be the first in town; the same one, it is presumed, which, in 1821, was kept by C. I. Lincoln, who was also postmaster and colonel of militia, and where the Masonic from Batavia.  B. R. Brown also had a tavern about 1825, and one L. Brown, in 1828, kept an inn on the new State road.  Nathaniel Huggins also kept a tavern, built in 1828, and kept by him until his death in 1852, where the Masons met.  This is now the residence of Thomas J. Harding.  Mr. Huggins was a postmaster in 1832.  W. H. Rumsey had a tavern in 1841.  Nelson Blood had one in 1859, and very early Buell Brown kept an inn.  R. A. Taylor, in 1864, kept the hotel at East Bethany, and Davis Gray kept the same place in 1869.  Elisha Hurlburt opened a store in 1808, the same year Sylvester Lincoln opened his tavern, each in a log house.
     The postoffice at Bethany was established in 1825 by Orange Allen.  Phineas Smith was a postmaster in 1826; E. C. Dibble in 1829; C. J. Lincoln in 1831; and Harvey Prindle later.  The firm of Chipman & Lusk was in business in 1830, Owen & Prindle, in 1844, and Carlos A. Huggins in 1869.
     A prominent early settler was Richard Powers, a Mason, who died in 1849, aged 80 years.  His son Blanchard was also an active and prominent man, especially in Masonic matters.  The old lodge often met at his house.
     The Genesee Manual Labor Seminary was chartered in 1832, with a capital of $20,000.  Subscriptions to the amount of $5,516 enabled the organizers to erect the building.  R. Whiting was the principal from 1834 to 1841, and Joseph Hurty until 1844.
     The Genesee County alms-house is located in the south part of the town, on roads 40 and 41.  It has room for 100 inmates, and is a well managed institution.  The superintendents are C. Crosman, of Alexander; Dwight Dimock, of Pembroke; and H. O. Bostwick, of Batavia. Benjamin W. Hartwell, of Pavilion, is the keeper, and Dr. Ganson W. Croff the resident physician.  Connected with the house is a farm of 200 acres in a fine state of cultivation, and is valued at $11,500.  An inventory taken in 1889 showed a total value of $18,000.  In 1890 there were 73 inmates, the estimated cost of keeping which was 15 cents per day, exclusive of the products of the farm.  This includes salaries, excepting that of superintendent.  Wheat, corn, oats, and pork are raised on the place.  The value of the products raised in 1889 was $2,587.  In 1832 James Thayer, aged 84 years, and Anny Danforth, aged 86, were married here.

     LINDEN, the first village of importance, is located on the N. Y., L. E.

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& W. Railroad, has 35 houses, one school, three stores, one wagon shop, one blacksmith shop, a grist-mill (built by George Perry in 1881), with three runs of stones, one saw-mill, with a capacity of 3,000 feet of lumber per day, one cooper shop, built by Daniel Merritt, with a capacity of 10,000 barrels, and one cider-mill, with a capacity of 4,000 barrels annually.  The village is without church privileges.

     EAST BETHANY, the next village of importance, is located on the D., L. & W. Railroad, in the northeastern part of the town.  There are  24 houses with about 108 inhabitants.  It is a post village, has a Presbyterian Church, a school, one hotel, two stores, a harness shop, a blacksmith shop, and a cider-mill, the latter having a capacity of 400 barrels per year.  There is now building (May, 1890) a fine school-house, which will cost about $1,500.

     BETHANY CENTER, also a post village, is south of the center of the town, and has a Presbyterian and Baptist church, two stores, a blacksmith shop, a town hall, a school, two dressmakers, about 25 houses, and 85 inhabitants.

     LITTLE CANADA (formerly Bennett's), in the northeastern part of the town, has a Free Methodist Church, a school, a grist-mill, with a capacity of 150 bushels of grain per day, a saw-mill, with a capacity of 2,000 feet of lumber per day, and a wagon shop.

     WEST BETHANY (p.o.) is a hamlet in the west part of the town.  It has a grist mill, located on road 29, built by Nathaniel Brown in 1811, and now owned by Joseph Crawford, having a capacity of 50 bushels of wheat and 200 bushels of feed per day.  The village has also a grocery store, a Freewill Baptist Church, a blacksmith shop, and six houses.
     Bethany was the only town in Genesee County but what received a donation from the Holland Land Co. of 100 acres of land for religious purposes.  The earliest record we have of religious services is that of the Freewill Baptists, the Rev. Nathaniel Brown being instrumental in organizing a church in 1809.  In 1839 they put up a wooden edifice.  They now have 82 members in the society, which is presided over by Hiram G. Schoonover.  Their property is valued at $1,000.
     The Methodists held camp-meetings at "Bennett's"or Litle Canada, as early as 1810, and Benjamin Barlow, a local preacher, held services in the town in 1811, as did also Father Waller and Brother Howe, who came from Wyoming County.  They also built the church now owned by the Free Methodists.  This society was organized by Jonathan K. Barlow, the pioneer physician, and held its meetings in the same building with the Presbyterians, which was afterwards used as an academy.  A society was organized in 1820, and one Jan. 7, 1832, but soon became extinct.  A Bethany Union Church Society was organized in 1828.
     At Little Canada a Free Methodist Society was organized and the church formerly built by the regular Methodists, was purchased, but we cannot learn when.  The church is small in membership, there being now only about 17 persons, with C. W. Bacon, pastor.

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     The first regular Baptist Church, located at Bethany Center, was organized May 7, 1820, with 26 members, and John Blain was its pastor.  In 1826 a building was erected, and the same is still occupied by the society.  They now have 58 members, and Rev. T. M. Scarff is the pastor.  Their property is valued at $2,000.  The Sunday-school, organized in 1829, now has about 75 members.
     Oct. 20, 1829, a Presbyterian Church was organized at Bethany Center by Messrs. Whiting, Watts, Bliss, and a few others.  Rev. W. Whiting was the first pastor.  They built a structure, of wood, in1839.  At present they have 50 members, and about 60 scholars in the Sunday-school.
     On June 17, 1817, a Congregational church was organized at East Bethany by John Bliss, a missionary from Connecticut, with 11 members.  Their first pastor was Rev. Reuben Hard, who came in 1823.  The society built a brick edifice in 1824, costing about $3,000.  The same year they adopted the Presbyterian form of government.  In 1825 there were we members; in 1834, 58; in 1843, 65; and in 1846, 35.  The membership is now only 16, and the Sunday school has about 70 scholars.  The Rev. W. M. Modistti is pastor.
     A protestant Episcopal church was built about 1826 called Zion church.  At the laying of the corner-stone, July 4th, Judge Mitchell delivered the oration, and Masonic ceremonies aided in making the occasion interesting.  In 1845 Bishop Delancey visited the church, at which time Rev. M. Oaks was the minister.  A. Rev. Mr. Atwater was a minister at one time, but we fail to learn but little about the society.

     The following are names of some of the early settlers of Bethany, with the date of settlement:
     in 1803:  Charles Culver, John Dewey, O. Fletcher, David Hall, Orsamus Kellogg, Solomon Kingsley, Capt. G. Lathrop, L. D. and Samuel Prindle, Richard Pearson, Sr., Nathaniel Pinney, Jedediah Riggs, M. Scott, Horace Shepard, and John Torrey.
     In 1804:  Peter Adley, John Boynton, William and W. B. Coggeshal, James and Jerry Cowdrey, Lewis L_sbrow, Peleg Douglass, N. Eastman, Elisha Giddings, John Grimes, C. Glass, Joseph Hawks, Thomas Harding, John Halstead, Alanson Jones, Henry and Solomon Lathrop, Sylvester Lincoln, Sr., John Roberts, John and Phineas Smith, Israel Shearer, David Tyrrill, Joel S. Wilkinson, and Isaac R. and William Williams.
     In 1805:  David Anderson, Patrick Alvin, Israel and Abel Buell, Erastus, James, and Jeremiah Bennett, Joseph Bartlett, Eli Bristol, Jonathan and Jason Bixby, John Chambers, Ezekiel Fay, John Greenough, John Huntington, Thomas Halstead, Jedediah Lincoln,,, Asher Lamberton, Gershom Orvis, Peter Putnam, Jr., Eli Perry, A. Robbins, Alfred Rose, Richard Stiles, Josiah Southard, Elisha Wallace, Peter Wilkinson, Isaac Wilson, and Philo Whitcomb.
     In 1806:  Joseph Adgate, Elisha Andrews, Lewis Barney, D. W. Bannister, Peter and Chester Davidson, Eben Eggleston, Moses Goodrich, Liberty Judd, David Ingersoll, David Morgan, Henry Miller, F. Putnam, Richard and Mather Peck, Henry Rumsey, Thomas Starkweather, David Stewart, Joseph Shedd, and Eben Wilson.
     In 1807:  Heman and Buell Brown, and Sylvester Lincoln, Jr.,
     In 1808:  _____ Cole, Elisha Hurlburt, Moses Page, and Eliza Peck.
     In 1809:  Elder Nathaniel Brown, Calvin Barrows and Eleazer Faunce.
     In 1810:  Patience Kingsley, O. Walker and W. Waite, Sr.,
     In 1811:  Israel Cook, Alexander Grimes, Daniel Marsh, Jesse Rumsey, Charles Smead, and Judge Wilson.
     In 1812:  Israel Fay and Robert Lounsbury.
     In 1813:  Abner Ashley, S. Bowers, Josiah Churchill, Capt. Lodowick Champ-

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     lin, W. R. Dixon, John Eastland, I. Everest, John Metcalf, William Odione, Harvey Prindle, John Page, and Nathan Rumsey.
     In 1814: Thomas Adgate, Charles Dixon, T. Fay, Alanson D. Lord, Rufus Munger, and W. F. Norton.
     In 1815:  James Bennett, Jr., Charles Brisbee, Richard B. French, John Green, John Lincoln, A. Parsons, J. Saunders, James Stewart, and Benjamin Smith.
     In 1816:  G. Cottrell, J. Rolfe, and Ashel and James Shepard.
     In 1817:  B. Barlow and Daniel Hyde.
     In 1818:  David Merritt and Jared S. Lord.
     In 1819:  S. Debow and _____ Gardner.
     In 1824:  James Baker.
     In 1825:  Orange Allen and R. R. Brown.
     In 1828:  Aaron Bailey.
     In 1829:  E. C. Dibble.
     In 1832:  Nathaniel Huggins.

     The following came prior to 1825:  Richard Powers, Ira Waite, Matilda Wedge, Samuel Jolles, and C. J. Lincoln.

     Our readers will find some interesting facts connected with the following sketches of the present prominent living residents and their ancestors, the early pioneers.
     The late Martin Armbrewster was born Nov. 24, 1819, in Baden Baden, Germany.  About 1846 or '47 he married Frances Snneeff, of the same place, and in 1854 they came to the United States, locating first in Buffalo, then in Batavia, and finally in the town of Bethany.  They had 15 children, of whom three died in infancy, Louisa died aged about 22 years, and 11 survive, namely:  Caroline, Mary, Francis, Ezra, Elizabeth, Sophia, Fred, Frank, Jennie, John, and Ella M.  Mr. Armrbrewster, died Sept. 26, 1879.  Mrs. Armbrewster is living on road 31, in this town.
     Robert Benington, father of John R., was born in England, and was a resident of Yorkshire and Lancaster.  Jan. 14, 1822, when 21 years old, he came to America and located in New Lisbon, Otsego County, N. Y.  In 1847 he married Eliza Kenyon, of Edmeston, Otsego County.  They had 10 children, namely: Charles, Henry G., William, John R., Edwin, Harriet, Phebe, Alfred, Agnes E., and Mary L.  John R. was born in the town of New Lisbon, Otsego County, Sept. 28, 1852.  He was educated in the public schools until he was 20 years of age.  He is a farmer and breeder of grade sheep, and at present is superintendent of the James H. Hume farm, on road 2, of 411 acres.  Feb. 11, 1880, he married Jane E., only daughter of Thomas Rathbone, of Burlington, Otsego County, and they have one girl, Ethel H., born Feb. 23, 1882.
     John Boyle was born in Tipperary County, Ireland, in 1846, and came to America in 1863.  In 1867 he married Kate Dower, of County Waterford, Ireland.  They have nine children, viz.:  Patrick W., John R., Lawrence, Mary, Thomas, Kate, Robert, Julia, and Edwin.  They reside on road 16 corner of 15.  Mrs. Kate Boyle is a thrifty business woman.
     Rev. Nathaniel Brown, grandfather of Wilder and Walter, came from Strafford, Orange County, Vt., in 1809, and located at West Bethany, on the place now owned by John S. Baldwin.  He was the first Freewill Baptist minister west of the Genesee River.  He organized the first church of that denomination there in 1809.  He was a pensioner of the

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Revolution.  Rev. Mr. Brown, after coming to West Bethany, preached for the people there the remainder of his life without compensation.  On one occasion he was induced to take one dollar, and before he arrived home he gave it away to a poor man.  Col. Daniel Brown, his youngest son, was born at the old home in Orange County, Vt., Aug. 10, 1806, and came in 1810 with his parents to the home his father had located in 1809.  He received a fair education for that early day, and was a man well versed in all matters concerning the welfare of his country and county.  He was a fluent public speaker, and was colonel of the 16th N. Y. Cav.  He first married Julia Lounsbury, by whom he had three children, Jane, Laura and Marquis.  For his second wife he married Elanora A. Cook, and they had nine children, viz: Wilder, Julia, Emerette, Cassius, Walter, Sarah, Abigail, Marquis,2d, and Alice.  Wilder, born May 28, 1841, received a common school education, and is carpenter and farmer by occupation.  Nov. 29, 1865, he married Francis E., youngest daughter of Charles Lorish, of Linden.  They have one son, Cassius Stanley, born Apr. 3, 1875.  Col. Daniel Brown died Mar. 31, 1879.  Walter Brown was born Feb. 13, 1847, and received a good education.  He had a good intellect with perceptive faculties well developed, and is a farmer and general dealer.  Dec. 31, 1872, he married H. Jenne, youngest daughter of the late Harry G. Lincoln, of Bethany.  They have one son, Leon H. D., born May 14, 1884.  Mr. and Mrs. Brown are living on road 19, adjoining the Col. Brown homestead.
     Heman Brown, Sr., grandfather of Benjamin R., was a soldier in the Revolutionary war.  Heman, Jr., came with his parents from Strafford, Vt., to this town when he was 13 years old.  He was born May 30, 1794.  He was in the war of 1812.  They located at Brown's Corners, road 17 corner 19.  He married twice, first, Maria Huntington, formerly of Litchfield, Conn.  They had four children, of whom had sons are deceased,,, and two daughters survive, namely: Mary and Harriet.  For his second wife Mr. Brown married, Feb. 10, 1842.  Sophia Ann Conklin, formerly of Steuben County, N. Y.  They had four children, of whom two daughters are deceased, and the sons survive, viz.:  Lee E. and Benjamin R.  Benjamin R. was born Nov. 13, 184.  He received a good education.  Sept. 24, 1874, he married Celia S., second daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Snell, of his native town.  They have had six children, four of whom survive, namely: Charles H., Fernie E., Jesse R., and Bessie M.  Mr. and Mrs. Brown reside on land which his father bought in 1821, on road 19 corner 27.  Mr. Brown's mother resides with him, being a pensioner of the War of 1812, aged 80 years.
     Calvin Barrows, father of Sexturs T., was born near Worcester, Mass., in 1783, and came to Seneca Falls, N. Y., in 1808.  He married Olive Patterson, of Waterloo, Seneca County, and soon after moved to Bushville, in this town, where he remained two years, and was in charge of the cloth factory there

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were only three houses in the place.  He built a dam for the purpose of utilizing the water power of Little Tonawanda Creek, and erected a wool-carding and cloth-dressing factory, which was completed in 1810.  They had seven children, namely: John, Volney, William, Franklin, Sexturs T., Jeanett, and Evander H.  Sexturs T., born in Linden, Dec. 25, 1819, was educated in th e common schools, and worked in the carding-mill 10 years.  Dec. 21, 1842, he married Rachel, third, daughter of John Merritt, of Middlebury, Wyoming County.  They have four children, viz.: Margaretta J., Olive R., George N., and Charles C.  Margaretta J. married Hiram O. Reddish of Wyoming village; Olive R. married Buel Rogers, of Linden, now of Attica; Charles C. married Aurelia J. Richardson, also of Linden.  Mr. Barrows has lived on the old homestead 70 years.
     AMOS BLOOD, grandfather of Oscar W., was born Mar. 11, 1763, and his father was killed in the Revolutionary war.  One of Amos's sons, Nelson, was born Nov. 4, 1796, at Haverhill Corners, Grafton County, N. H.  He received a good education, and was a farmer by occupation.  He came with his father to Alexander, this county, when 15 years old, and Feb. 28, 1822, he married, first, Rhoda Everest, of Bethany.  He served in the War of 1812.  They had six children, as follows:  Nelson, Niles, Warren, Obed, Luman, and Amos.  For his second wife he married Miss Eunice (Knowlton) West, Oct. 1, 1840.  They had one son, Oscar W., born Dec. 17, 1843, on the farm upon which he resides and owns.  Oscar W. received a common school and academic education, until he was 21 years of age.  May 9, 1867, he married Mary L., oldest daughter of Robert Eastland, of Bethany, and they have six children, viz.: Eunice E., Jessie L., Charles R., Walter E., Mary J., and Monroe T.  Eunice E. is a student at the Geneseo Normal School, and is also a school teacher.  The family all reside at home.  Mr. Blood is a successful fruit grower and breeder of thoroughbred Merino sheep, and is one of Bethany's enterprising farmers, residing on road 33.

     MARK BASSERT, born in Baden, Germany, Apr. 22, 1829, came with his mother to America in 1847, and located at Batavia, N. Y., Dec. 3, 1853, he married Catherine Miller, of Germany.  They have three children, Louis, George, and Ursilla.  Louis married Anna M. Dennis, of Stafford; George married Lydia Worst, also of Stafford; and Ursilla married Urbon Botmer, of Batavia.  Mr. Bassert served his adopted country in Co. G, 8th N. Y. H. A. Vols., and was discharged at teh close of the war.  He was wounded in the right shoulder June 16, 1864, in front of Petersburg, while charging the enemy's works.  Mr. and Mrs. Bassert reside in the village of East Bethany.

     MICHAEL BURNS

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     JOHN BURKEL

     JAMES BAKER,

     AMBROSE BOOTH,

     ADAM CACNER

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     JOHN COVEY

     ELISHA CHADWICK

     PATRICK H. CANNON

     JOSEPH CRAWFORD

     STEWART COPELAND

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     CALVIN CURTIS

     DR. ORLANDO R. CROFF

     SAMUEL DYE

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     CHARLES DIXON

     CALEB ELLISON was born in Orange County, N. Y., in 1803, and after his father's death went to Canada with his mother, where he remained 40 years.  He married Jane Wilkins, of Ancaster, County Wentworth, Canada, and they had seven children, as follows:  Nelson C., Eleanor, Matilda, Louisa, Jane, John, and William.  Nelson C. was born in Canada, Aug. 2, 1828.  He received a common school education, and Aug. 23, 1859, married Caroline, second daughter of Aaron Taylor, formerly of England.  They have eight children, namly: Roenna, Mary J., Delila V., Florence, Milton, Robert, Courtney J., and Lilly B.  Mr. and Mrs. Ellison reside on road 28.

     DANIEL EDWARDS, who was born in Rutland, Vt., Mar. 27, 1807, came to New York State when a young man.  He crossed the Genesee River at Rochester before any bridges were built, and located in Monroe County.  Dec. 22, 1836, he married Abby M. Conlee, of Stillwater, and they had two children, Sylvester C. and Charles D.  The latter was born in Sweden, Monroe County, Nov. 21, 1840.  He received a public and Normal school education, began teaching school when he was 16 years old, and taught 17 terms.  Aug. 11, 1862, he enlisted in Co. A, 140th Inf. N. Y. Vols., and ws discharged Dec. 18, 1864, for physical disability.  He acted as company commissary-sergeant.  Jan. 1, 1865, he married Caroline, third daughter of Lawrence Cooper, of Clarkson, Monroe County.  They have had eight children, viz.: Arthur Alger, who died in 1873, aged 19 months; Sheridan, born Nov. 25, 1865; Ida M., born June 1, 1868; Belle J., born May 8, 1870; Henry C., born Apr. 12, 1874; Lillie E., born Aug. 21, 1878; Erwin B., born Aug. 13, 1883; and Carrie, born May 24, 1887.  Mr. and Mrs. Edwards reside on road 3 in this town.

     The first known of the ELLIOTT FAMILY was in East Cocker, Somersetshire, England.  One ANDREW ELLIOTT, came to Beverly, Mass., about the year 1668, joined the first church there in 1670, and died in 1703 or '04.  The Rev. Jesse Elliott was born in Mason, N. H., in 1799, was educated in the theological college of Hamilton, N. Y., graduated in the class of June, 1826, and afterwards taught in the Oneida Indian Mission

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Station.  For 54 years he was a faithful minister of the gospel in the Baptist denomination.  He married twice, first, June 21, 1827, Phebe, daughter of Nathaniel and Betsey Yeomans, of Greenville, N. Y., by whom he had five children, of whom one son died in infancy, and four survive, namely:  Emily R., Elizabeth, William, and Nathaniel.  His first wife died Oct. 22, 1840, and May 16, 1841, he married, second.  Mary C., seventh daughter of Hezekiah Willis, of Western, Oneida County, who bore him one daughter, now Mrs. Jerome H. Filkins, of Bethany Center, and one son, S. Willis, born Apr. 17, 1848, in Middlebury, Wyoming County.  The latter received a good common school and academic education until he was 16 years old.  He was engaged in merdcantile business 11 years, has taught school several terms, and is a farmer by occupation.  Sept. 28, 1869, he married Angela A., seventh daughter of Edmund Brainard.  They have had five children, three of whom are deceased, and two survive, namely: A. Grace, born Sept. 17, 1874, and Brainard W., born Sept. 21, 1879.  Rev. Jesse Elliott, died Mar. 24, 1880.  S. Willis Elliott has been actively engaged in purchasing and helping to survey land for the new line of railroad from Geneva to Buffalo during the fall and winter of 1889-90.

     DAVID FILKINS, was born in Dutchess County, N. Y., in 1807, and came with his parents to Pavilion in 1809.  About 1834 he married Jemima Peck, who was born in Lyme, Conn.  They had five children, namely:  Angeline M., Caroline P., Sarah E., Jerome H., and Albert D.  Jerome H., was born in this town Nov. 7, 1839.  He was educated in the public schools and is a farmer by occupation.  He married twice, first, April 14, 1864, Emily O. Stevens, who died Dec. 24, 1865, and second, June 23, 1868, Mary C., third daughter of the late Rev. Jesse Elliott, formerly of Churchville, Monroe County.  They had two children, viz.: Jessie M., born Oct. 25, 1869, and Angela E., born Aug. 30, 1877, both of whom are deceased.  Mr. and Mrs. Filkins reside in the village of Bethany Center.

     JOHN FOLK, who was born in Germany, June 17, 112, married Catherine Shelabarger, also of Germany, and they had five children, as follows:  Casper, John (who was killed in the late war), Catherine, Michael, and Mary.  Casper Folk, eldest son of John, was born in Germany, Jan. 24, 1849, and came with his parents to America in 1853, locating in Bennington, Wyoming County, N. Y.  Nov. 17, 1868, he married Mary Crouse, of Lancaster, Erie County.  They have 10 children, namely:  Kate, George, John, Mary, Sarah, Lizzie, Clara, Michael, Frank, and Julia.

     The FRENCH FAMILY came from England on the ship Mayflower, and first located in the East.  Richard B. French was born in the northwest part of the town of Bethany in 1815.  He received a common school and academic education, was a farmer, school teacher by occupation, and July 4, 1843, he married Esther, only daughter of Nehemiah Tracy, of Alexander, and they had three children: Carson F., W. Cary, and Ernie

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W. Cary, born Nov. 20, 1847, was education in the common schools and in Pike Seminary, Wyoming County.  Mr. French has held the office of highway commissioner of his town.  June 25, 1874, he married Zorada, seventh daughter of Edmund Brainard, of Middlebury, Wyoming County.  They have had three children, of whom one son is deceased, and two survive, namely:  Irma E., born June 30, 1875, and C. Tracy, born Dec. 23, 1881.  Mr. and Mrs. French reside on road 35, on the old Brainard place.

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