County Connections:  Judge Baker was born in West Monroe and migrated to Gloversville, Fulton County, NY. His full obituary can be seen at the Fulton Co. NY GenWeb at:
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nyfulton/Vital/judbaker.html
 

My greatgrandfather, Isaac Barber b. 1829 (Albany Co. NY - we think), and his brother, Robert Jesse Barber b. 1833 (also in Albany Co., NY) are listed on the 1850 Federal Census as living in Westerlo (Albany County) in the household of a Henry H. Lawson.  However, they also show up in the household of a person named Robert Lawson in Oswego County in the 1850 Federal Census.  We believe Robert Lawson may have been the son of Henry Lawson.   It is unclear whether there was any family connection between the Lawsons and the Barbers.

Anyway, the 1850 census (Oswego County), identifies
Isaac and Robert J. BARBER as "Boatmen."

By 1860, they were both living in southern Illinois (Perry County) where they married cousins, Margaret L. CRAIG and Mary Ann CRAIG.  Isaac died there in 1912.   Robert served in the Union Army during the Civil War and later died (primarily from complications of illness he suffered during the war) in Corsicana (Navarro County) TX in 1871.

I would be extremely interested in any information anyone could provide about the hiring of "boatmen" in Oswego County circa 1850.  Information such as the principal companies operating on the canals, names of boats, captains, etc. - ships's logs that might list the crew, etc. 

Any information that might give a clue as to the route they would have followed to get from Oswego County NY to Perry  County, IL.   I am trying to find the names of Isaac and Robert's parents.

Contributed by Gail Barber Whaley at: [email protected]

   My ancestor, Noah Briggs, was among the earliest pioneers of Western Michigan, according to the research of Susan and Marcia Udell in their book "Noah Briggs of Allegan County Michigan, His Ancestors and His Descendants".

   To quote from their book:  "In 1835 Noah was living in Mexico, Oswego County, NY, and he and his mrother-in-law, Stanton Kenyon, went to Michigan and Illinois to "spy out the land".  They spent considerable time investigating and first acquired claims of some sort in Illinois, along the southern shore of Lake Michigan.  They sold or gave up these, however, and finally decided that Michigan was to be the future home. 

   They returned to Mexico, and in the fall of 1836 Noah Briggs set out with his family on the long overland trip west.  They drove all the way with a covered wagon and one horse and were four weeks on the road, passing through Canada. 

   Probably the father walked most of the distance, for in that covered wagon besides his wife were the four children then born to them, his wife's sister Fanny and his niece, Mary Jane Kenyon, daughter of Stanton Kenyon. 

  One of the children, William Harlow Briggs, was only four weeks old when they started west, and doubled his age on the way.  Most of their household goods had been shipped by water, to go clear around the lakes and to be put off for them at Saugatuck, a little harbor on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River. 

   The boat on which they were shipped was wrecked, however, in a fall storm, most of the goods lost or damaged,and the remnant did not reach them until the following spring.  The little family arrived in Allegan, Allegan County, Michigan in Novermber 1836."

Contributed by Jane Briggs Peters at:     <[email protected]>

    Mark Caulfield was born in 1822 in Dublin, Ireland and came with his parents and siblings to Brockville, Ontario.  He married Mary A. who was also from Canada.  Before 1848 they moved to Oswego where they had a daughter, Mary A., born in 1848.  This
daughter was a school teacher in Roxbury County in 1875.  I'm sure there were other children as well. Mark was a ship's carpenter by trade but also worked as foreman in a starch factory in 1875.  He died in 1887 in Oswego and his wife died in 1913, also in Oswego. 

    Mark's brother, Edward Caulfield, was born in Brockville in 1840 and he married Joanna from Ireland.  Their children were all born in Oswego.  Mary B. 1862), Anna S. (1864), Charles E. (1867), and Alice (1872).  Edward was a plumber and gas fitter by trade.  He died in 1875 at age 37. 

    A sister, Susannah Caulfied, also born in Brockville in 1831, married John O'Geran, born 1817 in Ireland.  This couple also came to Oswego from Canada and raised their family there.  Their children were - Edward A. (1878), James B. (1860), Alice (1861), Mary Louise (1862), John (1864), Anna S. and Agnes (1867), Emma (1869) and Charles(1874).  John O'Geran was also a plumber and gas fitter.  He died about 1879. Susannah then became a dealer in crockery and glassware.  Her son Edward A. became a plumber and gasfitter, James a locomotive fireman, Agnes a clerk for R.J. Oliphant and Mary Louise, a high school teacher. 

   I believe many of these people are buried in St. Paul's Cemetery, Oswego.

Contributed by Maurene Wilson at:  [email protected]

     Benjamin Clark was born in Oswego County, New York, on 13 March 1838, and was the son of Benjamin and Abigail (Young) Clark, both natives of New York people. Benjamin Clark Sr. died in 1840 Oswego City. There were five Clark children, Sarah, Anna, Nancy, Benjamin and Stephen.

     The life of our subject can be said to have begun at the infantile age of seven years. For it was then that he left his mother’s watchful care and went to live with Daniel Metcalf, who agreed to "Keep him for what he could do. And those who fall into such hands and under such conditions usually do enough for their keep."

     At thirteen years old he hired out at six dollars per month for a year. For the next three years he worked at anything that came in his way, cutting cordwood, and what not. In 1855 he accompanied his mother and stepfather Frederick Myers to Peoria County, Illinois.

     Benjamin was married in 1860, in Peoria County Illinois his wife being Mary E. Finch, a lady born in Oswego County New York. Her birth occurring December 15, 1842. She was a daughter of Benjamin and Louisa A. (Reed) Finch and was one of six children in the family. Mr. Finch was born December 20,1819 and died February 4, 1890. Louisa A. Reed was born February 16,1819 Oswego County New York. The children of this venerable couple were Anna E., Emma J., Mary E., Nathaniel., Frank Finch.

     Benjamin and Mary Clark establishing themselves as Pioneers in Oswego Kansas erected a small house on their claim where they’re modest but hospitable home was maintained.  Benjamin Clark dies March 4, 1921 and Mary (Finch) Clark died September, 16 1926 and buried in the Shaw Kansas cemetery near their Kansas Home Stead. 

Article submitted by Mr. Cliff Clark,  Washington 
e-mail:  [email protected]

Henry C. DOLLOWAY the son of William DOLLOWAY was from Oswego. He went to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he died Sept. 1880.  He is listed on the in the 1855 Oswego County New York census as age of 17 under the family entry for William Dolloway.  Henry's son Charles Fredrick Dolloway was also born in New York.  He died in 1938 in Holton Michigan and is buried in Traverse City, Michigan. 

Contributed by Joseph Charles DOLLAWAY at: [email protected]

Eldred, Reuben, private, 184th NYV. Enlisted Sept 1864. 
Not sure if you are interested, but Reuben Clark ELDRED, son of Casey & Elizabeth Eldred is my 2nd Great-grandfather.
 The book says he enlisted in Oswego City, but in all the census prior to his enlistment his family lived in Scriba.

Here is his time line taken from his military pension records

Birth  August 28, 1829
6 May 1857 Syracuse, Onondaga, New York 
1 Sep 1864 enlisted in army
1865   mustered out
29th June 1865       Syracuse NY
22 nov  1889   Saginaw "City" Co of saginaw  guy states he's known Reuben 20 years...
23 nov 1889 
01 feb 1890  E. Saginaw< Mich
14 May 1892  Crystal Falls   signed REUBEN C. ELDRED
13 sep 1895  Crystall Falls  since sept 1890  (pos)
14 sep 1895   Crystal Falls, Iron   since 1889
08 feb 1896   Crystal Falls 
28 Apr 1896   Crystal Falls  also discharge
01 mar 1897  crystal falls
13 nov 1897  village of Crystal Falls
04 apr 1904 crystal Falls 
United states pension record of 15 Jan 1906 stated R.C. died Jan 9, 1906

He died in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the old soldiers home there, but was buried in Crystal Falls, Iron Co., Michigan.

Source: 1905 Adjutant General Book NY State:
Eldred, Reuben C., age 34 years.  Enlisted Sept. 1, 1864 at Schroeppel, to serve one year; mustered in as private, Co. F, Sept. 12, 1864; mustered out with company, June 29, 1865 at City Point, Va.

Contributed by Iris Lillie Fields: 
[email protected]

William Foster, who settled in Oswego County around 1808, was a farmer near Hannibal.  Family tradition says that he fought at the Battle of Sackett's Harbor, although there is no military record for him.  He was killed by a falling tree in 1831.  After his death, his widow, Olive Bettis Foster, married John Terpening and remained in New York until after his death in 1856.  Many of her children followed their uncle, Albert Foster,one of the founders of the Western Emigration Company, in emigrating to Kenosha County Wisconsin in the 1840s.  Their names were: Andrew William Foster (1806-1892), Eliab Foster (1808-1872), Eliza Ann Foster(1813-1892), and Sarahette Foster (1825-1889).  After the death of John Terpening, Olive and her youngest living child, Julia Ann (1830-1921) also moved to Kenosha
County.

Andrew married Prudence Cornwall(1808-1895) in Kenosha Co WI and lived there the rest of his life.  Eliab married Jane Rebecca Clark of Naples NY(1826-1852).  After her death, he married her sister, Martha Jeanette Clark (1828-1908) in 1852 in Bristol, Kenosha Co WI.  In the early 1860's, he moved his family to Ford Co IL where he lived the rest of his life.

Eliza Ann married Peter Van Alstine(1800-1891).  She moved to Racine Co WI in 1838,  and lived the rest of her life in Kenosha Co WI, which was created from Racine Co.  Sarahette married Eli Calendar; after his death, she married Willard Dutton(1834-?)in 1857 in Bristol, Kenosha Co, WI.  Julia Ann married Joseph Hicks, and  died in Kenosha Co WI in 1921.

Contributed by Barbara Arthur LeRoy:  [email protected]

George was born September 5, 1824 in Columbia County, NY. His parents are believed to be Tobias and Phebe. He had two older brothers, Walter and Stephen. I have been unable to find any trace of this family before the 1800's. 

From Columbia County, Tobias and family moved to Fortsville, Town of Moreau, Saratoga County, NY. There were three Fradenburgh farms in the area. The Griswold Cemetary on route 11 in the Town of Moreau has several Fradenburgh stones. The first stone lists Tobias, died 1858 age 69; wife Phebe, died 1857 age 67; Abraham, died 1857
age 90, Peter, died 1858 age 61, Polly Knapp, died 1857 age 60. I do not know the connection of Abraham, Peter and Polly to Tobias.  A second stone lists Sarah, wife of Walter Fradenburgh, died 1853, age 36. A third stone lists Duane, son of Walter, died 1858 age 2. A fourth stone lists W.H.Fradenburg, died 1865, age 22. A fifth stone lists Antha
Fradenburgh, 1858-1909. 

Walter married Sarah Thompson and had 6 children: Walter H., Mary & Martha, Tobias, Phebe, Emma. Sarah died and Walter married Lucy Thompson and had Duane and Annice. Walter's migration, if any, is unknown. 

Stephen married Helen (?) and had a daughter, Helen. He opened a school in the area but it was short-lived. After it closed, it is believed he moved to Vermont, where he later died. 

George and his wife, Sarah Cornell, moved to Oswego County. They had a farm on the Lake Road. An early edition of the "History of Oswego County" has a full page sketching of the farm that is not present in later editions. 

George and Sarah had 5 children: Irene (married George McBride), Mary (married Norman Smith), Arthur (married Fannie Tullar), Edward (married Sarah Gorsline), Ernest (married Maude King). The first 4 were born in Saratoga County. Ernest, my grandfather, was born in Scriba. 

Eventually, Arthur and Fannie moved to Minnesota and took up logging. They had one child, daughter Nellie, who married Horace Stickney. 

Ernest and Maude had 3 children: Hazel (married Evans Seeley - no children), Walter (married Florence McQueen - no children), George, my father (first married Doris Woolson and had a daughter Beverly; second marriage to Doris Greene and had George and Jan). 

I don't have any migration information on the other children of George and Sarah. 

George died July 23, 1881 and is buried in Riverside Cemetery, Klocks Corners, Town of Scriba.  I have not been able to locate Sarah's date of death or place of burial. 

Contributed by Jan Fradenburg Humphrey at:   [email protected]

My great great grandfather migrated from Oswego NY to Michigan between 1864 and 1869. Though his father, Elisha, was born in CT, he migrated to Herkimer County, specifically Litchfield, followed by Winfield. His son, Robert, born in Winfield moved to Richland and later Pulaski Oswego County.  Robert's son, Adelbet Meril was the Great Lakes migratory fellow. 

Adelbert Meril Gates born 1834 in Oswego County, NY; son of Robert born 1813 in Winfield,Herkimer, NY; son of Elisha born 1772 Preston, CT left many siblings in Oswego County, specifically in Richland and Pulaski when he migrated to Michigan, most likely through Canada. 

Adelbert married Wilhelmina Augusta Bleiemeier about 1862 in NY. Their first child, Clara/Carrie A. was born in 1863 in New York. Their second child, William "Will" was born in Sparta,Kent County, Michigan in 1869. They have 6 more children in Michigan: Rose, Ann, Celina "Shine", Arthur C. "Asa", Charles Grover "Charlie" and Bert L.

  Adelbert's siblings (all but one left behind in Oswego County are:

    Mary b. abt 1835 marries Mr. Burch ends up Grand Rapids, MI.
    Elisha/Elisher/Elishar b. abt 1836 living in Mexico and Pulaski 1893 and 1900/
    Betsey A. b.1837 (music teacher)m. Mr Reddy living Eagle Harbor and Fulton with son William.
    Sarah b.1838/9 m. Charles Edgar Heaton living Baldwinsville, NY (sons Charles and Earl).
    Julia b. 1843/5 m. Daniel Wood, living Richland (1900)with dau Carrie   Whitney and grddau Ruth
  Sewel E. b. 1851 m. Mary Richards d. 1916, S. Richland, Oswego,NY.
   Emily/Emma A. b. 1852/4 m. Frank A. Willis livng S. Richland 1893.
  Lucia b. abt 1854
  Robert F. b. 1860 d 1938 in Brownville,NY (he was a doctor, wife may have been Ida).

  I am still looking for living descendants of all those who stayed in Oswego New York, who most likey have moved around.  Any and all help appreciated.

 Contributed by Natalie Gates Runyan at:
  [email protected]

    John Gordon arrived in Oswego County sometime before 1840, from Madison County.  He married Martha Congdon of Madison Co. about 1818.  John and Martha, along with thier children; Libia, Robinson, Warren,
Aurilla, George Horton(e), and Oscar LeRoy;immigrated to Assipan Twp., Dodge Co., Wisconsin in 1847. 
Their eldest son James Congdon Gordon and his wife Rozilda (Yerton), remained in Hastings Twp. until about 1858 when they removed to Concord Twp., Jefferson Co., Wisconsin. 
   George Horton(e) served in the 11th Wis. Vol. Inf and Oscar served in the 3rd Wis. Cavalry throughout the Civil War.  James C. Gordon enlisted at the age of 42 and served in the 42nd Wis. Vol. Inf. from 1864-65.
James C. Gordon homesteaded land in Wellington Twp., Monroe Co., WI and is buried, along with many of his family, in his private cemetery, on what once was his farm.
   George and Oscar both became farmers.  Late in life both of them removed to Chetek (Barron Co.), Wisconsin where both died and are buried. Robinson farmed in the Vernon Co. area of Wisconsin.  Warren was living in Jefferson county at least until the 1870 census.  No record can be found of him since then.  His father John was living with him at the time of the census enumeration.

Contributed by Jim Thalacker at: [email protected]

    Newell P. HARRINGTON & wife Catharine B. (KEELER) Harrington, moved from the Ridgefield, CT area to Oswego County after 1833. They lived in several towns including New Haven, Oswego and Palermo. Newell, or NP as he was known, Was active in the Democratic Party. This information was gleaned from the Oswego Pallidum newspaper ca. 1852--53. Two of his sons died as a result of the Civil War.  Francis Leeland Harrington, my second great-grandfather, died of Typhoid Fever at Fort Macon GA just after the war ended. The other son was William S. Harrington. He was killed in action. Both are listed on the soldiers monument in the cemetery at New Haven. William S. left Ellen (KING) Harrington a young widow. 

    Sometime after 1866, Francis Leeland's widow, Ophellia (KEEF) Harrington, remarried Albert N. Whitlock in Oswego County. They decided to move
to MI. Her children consisted of two each male and female. The boys were Francis L.  Harrington Jr. and Frederick William who was my great-grandfather. They came to Lapeer County, MI and stayed a short time there. The travelers also included a combination of the WILES and KEEF(E) families. They moved from Lapeer County to Clare County where they lived until death. 

   Fred and his wife moved to Arenac County. Fred died four months later at the age of 26 years. His bride was expecting my grandfather who was named Francis at
birth. My grandfather had two sons. They each had one. 

Contributed by Bill Harrington at: [email protected]
Note from Bill:  I will be happy to help anyone from that area with their Bay County, MI needs -- not just those with a link to my line. We have a very active society here.  We are always receiving requests from all over the world. Our many
volunteers are very busy with queries, but we get to each in
turn.  Our society web page is at the address below.
http://community.mlive.com/cc/baygenealogy

4/04 Note: The above link is not available at this time due to redesigning the site.  When completed will add new link. Thank you.

Please also check out information on Rev. Ashel Harrington from New Haven.

William Thomas Holladay was born in Volney, NY to William and Harriett Holladay in 1840.   William Holladay, Sr. was from Scotland. He married his school friend Anna Amelia Green in 1865 after returning from
service in the Navy on the USS St. Mary during the civil war.

Anna Amelia Green was daughter to John Green and Lucinda Crofoot Green.  Many of the Green family moved to Michigan with Anna after she married William Thomas Holladay.

Anna and William Thomas Holladay moved to Otsego Township, MI in Allegan County.  They farmed there for 30 years.  They moved to Colfax Township, Oceana County, MI and farmed with their sons Henry and Fred
Holladay.

William and Anna Holladay retired to Montegue, MI in 1912.

Contributed by Theresa Holladay at: [email protected]
Visit Theresa's family website at: 
http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/h/o/l/Theresa-M-Holladay/index.html
 

    Silas H. Horton was born to John and Hannah Horton on 23 Jan 1821 at Owego,NY. John died there before Feb 10,1849, according to  court records on some land to be left to Silas.  Silas had to provide for his mother, Hannah for the rest of her life.
    Silas married Sally Ann Brundage on 7 April 1847 in Owego Co., NY.  They were married by Rev. Pitts of Flemingville, Owego.  To this union these children were born: Esther b. 1848, 2. Eunice Maryville b. 1849,
3. Jothann Hix b. 18 Feb 1851, 4. Emily b. 14 Aug 1853, 5. Marshall b. 1859, 6. Nathan b. 1860, Mary b. 1862, Adda b. in Minnesota, all the rest born in New York.   Census 1855 Distr.#3 Owego NY - they have four children from 7 to 2 years old.

Census records: Geneseo twp, county of Tama of Iowa, shows family there by 1870. Ages of children 22 to three years old.  Silas settled here in 1863 according to "History of Tama County" paper. He is a native of Tioga County,New York, two years were spent in Oxford in Chenango county, and another two years in Corning in Chemung county. He traded property in New York State for Sec. 3 in Tama county in Iowa.  He dded several acres to his farm totaling 480 acres.
Silas's mother Hannah moved with the family from New York.  She died 8 Jan. 1868 - 86 yrs.- 2 mo. - 24 days.
Silas H. died 23 June 1897, Sally A. died 25 June 1897. 
Silas was in Co. H. 137 N.Y. St. Vol. G.A.R.  This is on his grave. at Geneseo Cemetery- Geneseo Township, Tama Co.,- No. side of drive. 

We are related though Jothann Horton.
Contributed by Marianne Long at: [email protected]

    A son Curtis born in Oswego county in 1833 and a daughter, Emeline born about 1829 in Oswego county.  They lived probably in the Palermo area of Oswego and left about 1842-1843 and settled in Kendall county, Illinois.  Don't know when they arrived in Oswego.  Davis is the GGG grandfather of my daughter-in-law.   I found the Oswego connection about 2 months ago.

Contributed by Lois Jaggard at: [email protected]

My information is sketchy regarding my great-grandfather, Orin Patterson, b. Sept. 13, 1842 in Hannibal, N.Y., but here it is:

Before enlisting in the 24th N.Y. Cavalry in the Civil War, Orin Patterson was a sailor who worked on the Erie Canal.  He returned to Oswego after 10 months imprisonment in Andersonville Prison during the Civil War.  His obit indicates the family moved to Michigan where he married a woman from Eaton County, Mary Jane Rolfe.  However, family oral history has it that Orin left a boat he was working on and stayed in Michigan.

More information on Orin Patterson:

I am sending along some information regarding my great-grandfather, Orin Patterson, of Hannibal, N.Y., who was in the 24th N.Y. Cavalry Company E.  He may be the sam person you have listed as Orren Pattison from the 100th N.Y. Infantry.  In any case, this information was gathered by my father through military service records from the National Archives, an obituary of Orin Patterson and family oral history.

Orin Patterson  (Alternate first name spellings on various documents: Oran, Oren, Orrin, Orren, Abram)

Born: Hannibal, N.Y., September 13,1842, son of Hamilton and Polly (Janes) Patterson
Died: Ithaca, Michigan, August 27, 1918.  Husband of Mary J. Rolfe.  Father of five.

Military Record:  24th New York Cavalry, E Company. Enlisted November 27, 1863, in Oswego and was mustered in December, 28, 1863.  Enlistment papers indicate he was illiterate.   The enlistment officer wrote out his name and he painstakingly copied it.   He was captured while on picket duty at Cold Harbor, Virginia, June 2, 1964, and imprisoned at Andersonville, Georgia.  The family oral history is that he lost 80 pounds in his ten months at Andersonville and stayed alive by way of a daily potato passed to him by a guard.  He was paroled at Jacksonville, Florida, on May 17, 1865 and sent to Camp Parole, Maryland, on May 16, 1865.  From there he was sent to his "place of enrollment", presumably Oswego, on May 17, 1865, and was formally discharged August 12, 1865. When my father, Jay Patterson of Toledo, Ohio, did some genealogical research in the 1980's he speculated that for all the difficulties his grandfather faced at Andersonville, it also may have kept him alive.  General U.S. Grant lost 7,000 men in the first hour of the battle at Cold Harbor on June 3, 1864, and between 60,000 and 70,000 men in the entire campaign.

Contributed by Kay Patterson at: <[email protected]>

   Samuel Plumb was a descendent of one of the oldest families in New London County, Connecticut.  His GG-grandparents were John Plumbe and Elizabeth (Green) Plumb.  John was a trusted acquaintance of Governor Winthrop, a ship Master and owner, and was
quoted in the Winthrop papers as to a large meteor he saw in October, 1665, "while rouing my bote to groton (one of the earliest references to the town of Groton)."

   Samuel's great-grandparents were John Plumbe and Elizabeth Hempstead (Elizabeth's brother Joshua was the writer of the famous diary; and the Hempstead House still stands in New London).  Samuel's Father Green served in the French and Indian war, and as a Barrack Master in New London during the Revolution.

   In the late 1780s, Samuel, along with his wife Sally (Ames) moved to Lebanon, CT, and in 1793 to Warren County, New York. In 1809 he settled in Williamstown, Oswego County, New York with Sally and eight children.  He's listed as a landowner in Williamstown in 1814.  His son (or possibly nephew) Daniel served in the war of 1812 from Williamstown.

   In 1832, still living in Williamstown, Samuel applied for a Revolutionary War pension, but was denied, having served less than six months.  Samuel entered the Colonial Army when there was less than six months left in the war.  (He was twelve when the war started in 1776).

   The researchers in my family believe Samuel followed his older brother Daniel from New London to Williamstown.  Three of Samuel's sons: Samuel, Daniel & Chauncey inherited the wanderlust.  My ancestor Chauncey disappears until the mid-1800 censuses in Erie County, PA.

   From there, my branch of the "Plumb-tree" migrated across Pennsylvania, into north-central Ohio.  Samuel's great-grandson Charles Udo was an oil rigger and adventurer on the Texas oilfields, and Charles Udo's son Leon Amor Plumb served with General Pershing, first on the southwest border, and later in France and Belgium.

   In the intervening years, Samuel's descendents have scattered across the United States.  My own extended family has lived in Washington, Kansas, Missouri, California, Wisconsin, Nevada, and now many have been drawn to southern Arizona.

*Note:  All of Samuel's three older brothers:  Joseph, Daniel, & George served in the revolution (explaining why Sam was so eager to get in).  However, his oldest brother Joseph (b. Feb 3, 1759) has an especially interesting story.

    Born in New London, after marriage (Lucinda Pratt b. 1765) he moved to Saybrook, CT.  He was taken prisoner by the British in Arnold's Raid in 1781, and spent time in the noted "Sugar House" Prison in New York, until exchanged in late 1781.  He later received
a pension.

Contributed by Chuck Plumb at: [email protected]

    They arrived in the New Haven area about 1816-1817, coming from Lyden, Franklin county Mass.  They had 6 children.  The first 3, Peter, Randall and Justin were born in Mass.  Asa, Orla and Elisabeth were born in Oswego.  Randall stayed in the Fulton area where he was a lawyer and at one time a judge.  Peter and the rest of the family moved to Huron, Erie county, Ohio sometime in the 1840's.  The 1850 census finds them in Huron where Peter is a store keeper.  The sons Justin, Asa and Orla were educated-- Justin becoming a lawyer in Ohio, Asa a lawyer and a Doctor and Orla a Doctor.  During the 1850's the boys moved to what is now Napoleon Ohio and were instrumental in the founding of Napoleon.  Justin and Asa were the first and second mayors of the town. 

   The family of Nathanial Tyler, Peter's half brother, also located in Oswego, Mexico area.  Many of this family joined the  beginning Mormon church and moved westward with Joseph Smith.  The descendants of this family are found today in Utah and Idaho.

Contributed by Lois Jaggard at: [email protected]

George Wall was the son of John Wall and Sarah Kingsbury.  John and Sarah came to Jefferson County in the 1860's from Somerset County, England.  Their first two children were born in the UK, but the last three, including George, were either born in Jefferson County or St. Catherine's, Ontario (they lived there for about 4 years).  When George married Julia, who was from Boylston, they moved to Oswego County. 

As for Julia, her parents were Lewis Bidwell and Lucy Murray.  Lewis' parents were Zebulon Bidwell and Adeline Pullen.  Zebb was originally from Quebec, and the first time we see him in Oswego County in is the 1870 census for Boylston, although a wedding anniversary announcement in 1903 states that he and his wife were married in Oswego in 1841.  I have not been able to confirm this yet.  Irregardless, it appears that Adeline was from Oswego, and her family was also French-Canadian.  We know this because our family has a rare genetic disorder that occurs in 1 out of 100 Quebecois.  Further research has found other Pullen decendents of Oswego that also have this disorder.  The Bidwells do not.  Apparently, the name was originally Poulin.

As for the parents of Lucy, their names were Albert Murray and Philomena Dupell.  A 1900 census for the city of Oswego lists them and includes the fact that Albert came to the US from Quebec in 1866 and Philomena in 1870.  Albert was naturalized, but I am still trying to ascertain if this occured in Oswego, or perhaps in or near Boylston, as this is where they first appear in the 1880 census.

Manley William Phelps was born in Monroe County, MA to Manley William Phelps and Philomena Sumner.  I am not exactly sure why he came here.  He and his wife 'Pansy' were married Canada because she was so young at the time.  They lived in MA for a short time, and then settled in Fulton, near the old power station (which is gone) where the Miller plant is now.  Most of his ancestry is English from what I can tell.

Pansy was born in Phoenix to Benjamin Senior and Geoffrie Etta Murgittroyd.  Benjamin Senior came to this country from Yorkshire County, UK with his father, Benjamin.  They apparently left Ben's mother and sibling(s) there.  They were a family of knife-makers, and continued this trade here.  Benjamin (the second) worked at the Camillus Cutlery factory in his later years. 

Geoffrie's family has been here since colonial times.  The Murgittroyd's are suspected to be from the UK, but we have yet to confirm this.  The Murgittroyd family association is working on that project.  The rest of her ancestry's origins are not as clear.  We know that the Murgittroyd's were in the Claverack (Albany) area in the late 1700's/early 1800's.  I am not exactly sure when or why they came to Oswego County.  Her mother, Margaret Warn, I know even less about.  Her father, Porter Warn, was apparently a early settler of Caughdenoy.  But my understanding is that he did not remain there, and wandered alot. 

I have one other Oswego County connection - my mother, who is from Arkansas, is decended from the Alden family of the Mayflower on her father's side.  The Aldens were in Williamstown in the late 1700's and early 1800's.  A very few of the Aldens stayed in the central NY area.  My branch obviously went south.  I have an Alden family book that lists the people that were here in the early 1900's. 

I do have specific dates and other children's names if you would like them.  

Contributed by Amanda Wall at: [email protected]