Hiram Marcy

Hiram Marcy Family

Submitted by Ginny Schroeder, 2002 & 2006


Hiram is the son of Clinton Marcy.  Clinton was born in Hartland VT. He moved to Rushford, NY before 1820. About 1822 he moved to Harmony NY.  He was one of the founders of Open Meadows Methodist Church , which was founded in 1833 and was originally known as the Ebenezer Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  Clinton Marcy Esquire of Harmony, performed marriages in 1836.  There is a book "History and Genealogy of John Marcy 1662-1724 Woodstock, Conn. and many of his descendants Eleven Generations" written by Charles Edney Marcy in 1980 that is available at the Buffalo and Erie County Library.  The following was taken from the book.  I'm not sure when the house was built, but the photo with the horses and all the furniture on the lawn was taken about 1900. The small children is my grandmother Florence Marcy-Root and her sister Mary Victoria (May) Marcy-Tanner.  It was taken when the house was owned by W. L. Marcy her father.  - Ginny Schroeder

PHOTOS:

Hiram Squire Marcy
Marcy Reuion 1885  The photo was taken in front of the home of his son Willard Marcy for the reunion.
Marcy Reuinion Invitation 1892  The Marcy family held annual reunions. This invitation was for the 11th Annual which was held by William Larned Marcy (my great grandfather).
Panama Rocks 1904.  Guests from the reunion in 1904 visited Panama Rocks as seen in this photo.
Root Family Reunion 1996   Direct descendents from this Marcy family held a Root Reuion at the same Marcy homestead. 
Panama Rocks group 1996  We decided that it would be fitting to go to Panama Rocks, as our ancestors did, unfortunately the tree from 1904 is no longer there. 
Panama Rocks Robert 1996  This is my son Robert Schroeder in 1996 at Panama Rocks. 

The Marcy Family of Stedman, N. Y.

The Marcy family was among the sturdy pioneers of our Town, the first settler having been(No. 378)Clinton Marcy, born in 1791, who came from Hartland, Vermont, and took up land on Lot 22 a little to the south of Stedman and approximately half way be­tween there and the lake.   This was about 1822.  He and his family later were numbered among the most extensive holders of real estate in that portion of the Town.   Clinton, among a num­ber of activities characteristic of the early days, was also a cobbler.  He died in 1859.

His son, James Madison Marcy, always known as "Mad", is listed in the Atlas of 1867 as a farmer living on Lot 15, not far from the original homestead.  In that and the later Atlas of 1881, the Marcy's are named as the owners of 14 pieces of real estate. The County map of 1854, too, lists the family in five different places.  It is said that Hiram Marcy, son of the first settler and known far and wide as "Squire," at one time owned all the farms from the Morley Road through to the Stedman-Open Meadows highway with the exception of one farm belonging to Pelig and Holder Gifford.

Mrs. Willard Tanner of Westfield , a granddaughter of Squire Marcy, says that, when he was living near what later became the site of the Elm Tree school house, he gave the land for the school.  This was in 1863, and the deed of his place records that it was bought in 1856 from George Lessee.  Mr. Marcy was a farmer, servinq for many years as Justice of the Peace, and at different times owned and operated saw mills.

Mrs. Clyde Root, also a granddaughter of Squire Marcy and living on the Stedman-Open Meadows highway, showed me a deed of proper­ty sold to her great-grandfather, Clinton Marcy, dated October 29, 1831.   It states that it was "Sealed and delivered in Pres­ence of William Peacock."

Mrs. Root told of an incident relating to a flock of sheep be­longing to her grandfather.  It seems that each morning a faith­ful shepherd dog would take these sheep from the Marcy place, now the Root farm, to the third farm above toward Stedman, going alone and staying all day to watch them.   At night, possibly with some help although that is not known, he would bring the sheep home.

Mrs. Root says that her Uncle Willard Marcy brought the first Holstein cattle into this part of the country.  This was proba­bly in the '70's.

Her father, William L. Marcy, was born in 1849.  He was a char­ter member of the Stedman Grange and secretary of it for more than 50 years, an aggressive leader in all things having to do with the welfare of that organization.

Hiram Marcy, a son of William L., now living in Ripley, inherited a farm from his father, which he ran for many years, but losing his home by fire, he abandoned farming for other occupations.

Willard Marcy built the Victoria Hotel on the lake, naming it after his wife, and for many years it was the scene of frequent dances and social gatherings. For a time, Mildred Falconer's sister Etna ran it, but it was closed some 25 years ago, and Fred Card tore it down.

Mrs. Root was born on the old Marcy homestead and her daughter, Mrs. Raymond Park of the fourth generation, now lives there, and her husband operates the place.

There is no one now living in the Town bearing the family name, but its history is indelibly written in the records of the past.


Taken from the "History of the Town of North Harmony, Chautauqua County , New York , by Floyd. L. Darrow (1955) and submitted by Mrs. Herman A. (Pauline) Marcy of Woodstock , Ct. , through the courtesy of Rebecca Marcy Bartholomew and Mrs. Elizabeth Root Park. of Chautauqua Co., N. Y..  Elizabeth resides on the William Larned Marcy farm 1978.