.
BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
GENEALOGICAL AND FAMILY
HISTORY
of the
COUNTY OF JEFFERSON, NEW YORK
A Record of the Achievements of Her People and the
Phenomenal Growth of her Agricultural and Mechanical
Industries
-----
Compiled Under the Supervision of
The Late R. A. Oaks
Custodian of the Jefferson Historical Society
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"Knowledge of kindred and the genealogies of the
ancient families deserveth the
highest praise. Herein consisteth a part of
the knowledge of a man's own self. It is a
great spur to virtue to look back on the worth of
our line." - Lord Bacon
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ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME II
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NEW YORK CHICAGO
The Lewis Publishing Company
1905
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WILLIAM
HORATIO GRENELL, influential and
public-spirited citizen of Pierrepont Manor,
Jefferson county, New York, in which village
he was born on Jan. 26, 1846, is a lineal
descendant of Nathan Grenell,
a native of England, who was made freeman at
Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1628. The
line of ancestry is as follows: (II)
Daniel Grenell, son of Nathan,
born in 1636, married Mary Wodell.
who was born in 1640. (Ill) Daniel
Grenell, born in 1665, died in 1740; he
married Lydia Peabody, born in
1667 and died in 1748, a daughter of
William and Elizabeth (Alden)
Peabody, the latter named having been
a daughter of John and Priscilla
(Mullins) Alden. (IV) George
Grenell. born in 1686, married Mary
Bull, who was born in 1708. (V)
Daniel Grenell. born in 1729,
died in 1801. was a soldier in the American
Revolution from Saybrook, Connecticut; he
married Ann Chapman, whose
death occurred in 1814. (VI) Ezra
Grenell. born July 29, 1766, married,
Jan. 1, 1789, Olive Parker,
who was born Apr. 10, 1768, and died Nov, 8,
1837. (VII) Benjamin Persons
Grenell born Jan. 5, 1790, died July
8, 1864; he married Feb. 9, 1813, Kezia
Freeman Grenell, born Aug. 3, 1786, died
Oct. 14, 1872. (VIII) Ezra
Orosco Grenell was born July 2,
1815, on Manor Farm, which is located in the
vicinity of Pierrepont Manor, New York.
He was a farmer by occupation and resided on
the homestead during his entire lifetime,
this property having been settled upon him
by his great-grandfather, Ezra
Grenell. He was a man of excellent
habits and good education, was a member and
deacon of the Congregational church at
Mannsville, New York, for many years prior
to his death, and his political affiliations
were with the Republican party. In
October, 1839, he married Abby Monroe
Wardwell, who was born in Bristol, Rhode
Island, Nov. 23, 1814, a daughter of
Samuel Wardwell, Jr., and his wife
Hannah (Monroe) Wardwell. Mrs.
Grenell was descended from an old
family, who originated from William
Wardwell, who came over from England
with the early Pilgrams in 1620; the family
resided in Bristol, Rhode Island, for many
years, whence her father removed to
Mannsville, New York. Mr. Grenell
died on the old homestead on Jan. 18, 1898,
having survived his wife almost two years,
her death occurring on Feb. 20, 1896.
William H. Grenell was a student at Union
Academy, Eastman's Business College at
Poughkeepsie, New York, and Cazenovia
Seminary. He then engaged in various
business positions until his marriage, after
which he resided on the Manor Farm for
several years, and in 1873 engaged in the
seed business, which he has followed since
residing in Pierrepont Manor. For
thirteen years he served as captain of
Company A, thirty-fifth Regiment New York
State National Guard, is a Democrat in
politics, and a member of the Masonic order,
being affiliated with Rising Sun Lodge,
Adams Chapter, Watertown Commandery and
Media Temple, Mystic Shrine.
At Pierrepont Manor, New York Mar. 19, 1867, Mr.
Grenell was united in marriage to
Adelaide E. Allen, who was born Aug. 9,
1847, a daughter of Jerome and Olive
(Castor) Allen and her education was
acquired at the Parish school and a school
for young ladies at Troy, New York,
conducted by Madame Willards.
Their children were: Helen Allen,
born at Manor Farm, Pierrepont Manor, New
York, in 1868, and died in 1870; Anna
Wardwell, born in 1873 at Manor farm,
Pierrepont Manor, New York, educated at St.
Agnes' School in Albany, New York, and the
Irving School in Watertown, New York.
In 1897 she became the wife of Matthew J.
Huggins, of Mannsville. They are
the parents of two children:
Marjorie Mary, born in 1900, died in
1902; and William Grenell, born May
9, 1901.
*Source: Genealogical & Family History of
Jefferson Co., NY, publ. 1905 - Page 1028 |
Samuel B. Grenell
Lucy M. Grenell |
SAMUEL
B. GRENELL, or as he is more
familiarly known, "Capt. Samuel,"
proprietor of Grinell Island
Park, and the pioneer in the purchase of any
island in the St. Lawrence river, which
section is now world-famed for its beauty
and grandeur, was born in Adams, Jefferson
county, New York, Nov. 10, 1818, a son of
Ezra and Phoebe (Barker) Grenell.
Ezra Grenell
(father) was a native of Connecticut, whence
he removed to Adams, Jefferson county, New
York, where he remained ten years engaged in
farming. He resided for a similar
period of time in Hounsfield, not far from
the old Blanchard stand, now the
Half-Way House on the road from Watertown to
Sackets Harbor. He then removed to
Antwerp and purchased the Roselle Randall
farm, which he operated for a few years.
The house stood where the railroad station
is now located, in the village of Antwerp.
He finally located in Lafargeville, where
his death occurred at the age of eighty-two.
His wife, Phoebe (Barker) Grenell, a
native of Saratoga county, New York, bore
him four children, two of whom are living at
the present time (1904); Samuel B.,
the eldest, mentioned at length hereinafter;
and Herman, a retired hotelkeeper,
who resides at Evans Mills. Mrs.
Grenell died in the fifty-seventh year
of her age. Mr. and Mrs. Grenell
were members of the Methodist Episcopal
church, and were loved and respected by a
wide circle of friends.
Samuel B. Grenell resided in his native town
until he was four years of age, his
education being acquired in the various
towns in which his parents resided during
his boyhood years. He removed from
Lafargeville, where his father died, to
Omar, and here he conducted a hotel
successfully for six years. While here he
saw an advertisement in the paper of four
islands for sale in the St. Lawrence river,
they being owned by the daughter of Henry
Yates; she died, leaving no heirs,
and, the property being thrown into the
courts, the judge appointed a referee to
dispose of it. He purchased Jeffers
Island for a nominal sum, and at that time
he was offered any of the small islands in
the river from Alexandria Bay to Clayton for
fifty cents, they not being considered of
any value. The government name for the
island was "Stewart's" Island. It was
given the name of "Jeffers" by a man
who called himself by that name. The
islands were then a dense forest, and plenty
of deer and fish abounded in the woods and
river. Two men rowing among the isalnds
in those early days discovered near them on
the shore a smoke arising from some
habitation. Out of curiosity they made
a landing, and made the acquaintance of a
man who called himself Jeffers, but
whether that was his real or assumed name,
they had of course no way of ascertaining.
He had built a log shanty about twelve feet
square, and had cunningly placed it against
a large rock, which formed the back of his
fire-place. Here he lived many years,
fishing, hunting and raising vegetables on a
little spot of land which he cleared.
As the islands became more settled this man
went to Gananoque, Canada, where he died.
A little later a French family by the name
of Pecor squatted on the island, and
were still there when Mr. Grenell
purchased it about the year 1868.
Mr. Grenell was also the pioneer in the
line of hotel keeping in the Thousand
Islands, having erected, in 1870, the first
public place for the entertainment of guests
on the island he purchased, this being the
first hotel on any of the islands in the St.
Lawrence, located on the spot where stood
the famous Pullman House that was destroyed
by fire in September, 1904. This he
conducted for thirty years, and during this
time it became one of the most celebrated
hotels in the section. It was the
headquarters of fishermen, sportsmen, etc.,
the good cheer that prevailed there making
it a most popular resort. A band of
musicians furnished dance music, and
everything that could conduce to the comfort
and pleasure of the guests, was provided. In
1894 Mr. Grenell laid out
Grenell Park, which is one of the most
prominent on the river. The old hotel
was torn down, and the fine new one,
"Pullman's," recently burned, took its
place. The old hotel was calculated to
accommodate about twenty people, but the
number was frequently increased to forty or
forty-five.b The new one had accommodations
for one hundred guests. Mr.
Grenell also built a fine dock, at a
cost of thirteen hundred dollars, about
one-half mile from the Thousand Island Park,
four miles below Clayton, six miles above
Alexandria Bay, and at this dock boats land
nearly every hour in the day, thus affording
ready access to trains from all parts of the
country. During the same year he also
laid out Stewart's Island into 177 lots,
containing in all a trifle over one hundred
acres, on which are erected fifty cottages.
Captain Grenell has devoted
considerable time and attention to the
development of this island and in
contributing to the comfort of the
cottagers. A beautiful chapel has been
built, to which he generously donated over
four hundred dollars, he being deacon and
one of the trustees of the Methodist
Episcopal church. To accommodate the
wants of the many cottagers Mr.
Grenell, in 1892, opened his present
store on the island, which he has since
conducted. He had the postoffice
established, which is also located in this
store, and during the two terms of
Cleveland's administration served as
postmaster, being a Democrat in politics,
and in the affairs of this party has taken
an active interest. When a young man a
popular military company was organized in
this section, known as the "Flood Wood," and
in this he held the office of lieutenant.
Mr. Grenell was united in marriage to
Lucy A. Jennison, who was born Aug. 21,
1820, in Redwood, Jefferson county, New
York, daughter of Luther Jennison, a
patent leather finisher. He resided
for some years in Redwood, New York, when he
was in the lumber business, later going to
Watertown, where he followed his trade of
patent leather finisher. Here he died
at sixty-six years of age. Mrs.
Grenell was one of seven children,
all now deceased. Five children were
born to Mr. and Mrs. Grenell, one of
whom is living at the present time (1904).
Isabella, who became the wife of
Gerald Gates, of Antwerp, New
York, is now deceased, and one child was
born to them, Bertha, now the wife of
Foley McComber, and mother of
three children. Myron W.,
who resides with his father on the island,
is the only one living. He married
Susan Lachey, and their four
children are married and reside in Michigan,
namely, Charles Samuel; Fred M.;
Nellie, who married Adelbert
Reed and has one child, Spray;
Lulu, who married Earl
Prentice.
After more than sixty years of happy married life,
Mrs. Grenell died, July 24, 1901,
at the advanced age of eighty-one years.
She was a most estimable woman, performed
the duties of wife and mother in a faithful
and conscientious manner, and was of the
greatest assistance to her husband
throughout his active and useful career.
At the time of her death, as a mark of
respect in her memory, the flags on all the
vessels plying on the St. Lawrence river
were lowered to half mast, the only instance
of the kind known in the history of this
section.
Mr. Grenell is a genial, cultured, and
refined gentleman, a pleasant
conversationalist, and he never wearies of
pointing out the beauties of his
surroundings. He has always been
enterprising and progressive, not satisfied
to settle down and merely enjoy what he has
acquired, but like the typical American is
anxious to keep near the top and improve on
what his ancestors have bestowed upon him.
The portraits of this venerable couple as
found in the pages of this work will, it is
thought, be a source of gratification to
their many friends.
*Source: Genealogical & Family History of
Jefferson Co., NY, publ. 1905 - Page 311 |
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