BIOGRAPHY

E.B. RAWSON - OF LE ROY, NY

E. B. Rawson, son of Sanford and Caroline (Boyd) Rawson, of Sherburne, Mass., was born in Essex County, N. Y., March 14, 1829, was raised on a farm, and received a good academic education. At the age of 16 years he began teaching school, and when 21 went to New York City, where he was a book-keeper for 10 years, and was a member of the 7th N. Y. Regt., which defended Washington, and which was the first full regiment in the capital. In February, 1862, he went to Key West on business, where he continued after the war, and started the first cigar manufactory there. The town now has 30 or 40 cigar establishments. For the past four years he has been in Le Roy. He married in Key West. Mr. Rawson has filled several positions of responsibility, and has been one of the most active and prominent men of the village. Sanford Rawson and wife were married in Massachusetts. He was an active man in business, and was one of the leading tanners who used hemlock. In 1848 he settled in Le Roy. He has served as postmaster and supervisor. He reared three sons and three daughters. December 9, 1889, he was 95 years old, and in good health. He is a son of Simeon Rawson, of Massachusetts, who was also a tanner, and who served in the Revolutionary war, and was an early settler of Essex County, N. Y., to which he came in 1792, where he died, aged over 8o years. His wife was Anna Holden; of Barre, Mass. They had five sons and seven daughters, and moved to Shrewsbury, Vt., thence to Essex County, N. Y., and were successful in business. Simeon Rawson was a son of Josiah, who was a son of William, who was a son of Edward, who came from England in 1636, and settled in Newbury, Mass. Edward was an Episcopal minister, and was a very prominent man in his adopted place for many years; he was also a member of the colonial Assembly.

FROM:
Gazetteer and Biographical Record
of Genesee County, New York
Edited by: F. W. Beers
J.W. Vose & Co., Publishers, Syracuse, N. Y. 1890