Throughout his entire life Allen George Becker has devoted his energies to agricul-tural pursuits and is to-day classed among the leading, progressive and successful farmers of his native town of Hector. He was born here on the 28th of August, 1831, his parents being George and Anna (Garrison) Becker. His grandfather, Peter Becker, was of Holland-Dutch lineage and it is supposed he served as a soldier in the war of 1812, probably enlisting from Dutchess county, New York. His wife belonged to an old Knickerbocker family. George Becker, the father of our subject, was born in December, 1799, in Dutchess county, and in the year 1824 he came from Rensselaer county to Schuyler county, casting in his lot with the early settlers who laid broad and deep the foundation for the present development and prosperity of this portion of the state. He was a farmer by occupation and cut the first stick of timber on his own farm. He also rolled up the logs with which to build the house and soon his family were established in a comfortable log cabin, which in later years was replaced by a more commodious residence. With characteristic energy he continued the task of clearing his land, preparing it for the plow and in cultivating the fields, and ultimately became the owner of a very valuable tract of one hundred and thirty acres, also one hundred acres in the town of Cat-lin, Chemung county, New York. He was a prominent and influential citizen of the community and left the impress of his individuality upon many lines of public improvement. Having located near Bennettsburg, he assisted in organizing the Baptist church there, became one of its charter members and served as one of its deacons until his death. The organization has since been maintained and the present house of worship stands on the ground where the first church building was erected. His death occurred in 1863 and his wife passed awray on the nth of November, 1879. For many years he served as superintendent of the poor and was also prominent in military circles, serving for many years as captain of the state militia. He married Anna Garrison, a member of an old Connecticut family, and she was born November 1, 1803. They had nine children: Elizabeth, Harlow, LeRoy, Marium G., Allen G., Maretta R., Amanda M., Charles E. and Julia E. Of their sons, all were farmers with the exception of the youngest, Charles E., who became a minister of the Baptist church and devoted his life to the work of proclaiming the Gospel until he was called to his final rest.
Allen George Becker is indebted to the early subscription schools and to the district schools of his town for the educational privileges which he enjoyed and when he completed his own literary course he then turned his attention to teaching in this county for five years. He proved a capable educator, being accurate and concise in imparting his knowledge to others. When he left the school room he turned his attention to farming, which he has since followed in his native town with credible and gratifying success, and upon the farm he has reared his family. He has one hundred and two acres of fine farming land upon which he has lived continuously for a third of a century. Here he- carries on general farming and he also has a large apple orchard, from which he an-nually gathers good crops that find a ready sale on the market.
He was united in marriage on the 1st of July, 1856, to Lydia Maria Vaughan, a daughter of Samuel and Ann (Raub) Vaughan. Mrs. Becker's grandfather? Daniel Vaughan, was born June 17, 1746, and was one of three brothers who came from England to America, settling in New Jersey, where the grandfather died. He was twice married, his first union being with Dinah Watkins, who was born March 8.. 1748, and for his second wife he chose Hannah Reed, who was the widow of Benjamin Ogden. By the first marriage of Daniel Vaughan there were eleven children: Elizabeth, Jacob, Rachel, Richard, Lydia, Sarah, Rhoda, Dinah, Daniel, David and John. The children of the second marriage were: Samuel, Benjamin, Aznbah, Hannah, Phoebe, William and Amanda. By her first marriage Mrs. Hannah Vaughan had four children: Amos, Mary, Joseph and Sarah. Mr. Vaughan was a Baptist minister. Samuel Vaughan, the father of Mrs. Becker, was born in December, 1795, and came from Blairstown, Warren county, New Jersey, to Schuyler county, New York, in the year 1822, taking up his abode in the town of Hector. Throughout his entire life he carried on agricultural pursuits and at one time he owned five hundred acres of valuable land, of which three hundred acres was in the town of Hector, while two hundred acres were situated in the town of Big Flats, Chemung county. He was also quite prominent in public affairs and filled a number of local offices with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. He died in April, 1864, and his wife, who was born in 1797, passed away in November, 1876, at the advanced age of seventy-nine years. They were the parents of twelve children: Michael, Hannah, William K., Daniel, Sally Ann, Amos O., Johnson, Rachel, Rhoda, Lydia M., Azubah and Catharine, all of whom reached years of maturity. The father of this family was a member of the Presbyterian church and for many years served as its elder, holding the position up to the time of his death, when he was succeeded by his son, Daniel. He aided in laying out the various roads of Schuyler county and was one of the leading agri-culturists of the county. His sons also be-came farmers.
Mr. and Mrs. Becker hold membership in the Presbyterian church and are worthy Christian people. In politics he was a Whig in early life and cast his first presidential vote for General Scott. When the Republican party was formed in 1856 he joined its ranks and has since been one of its stalwart advocates. In 1882 he was elected supervisor of the town of Hector and his term of service extended to the year of 1884. During his term he was the promoter and organizer of the first board of health of the town, the records of which stand among those of the first boards of health in the state. For many years he was a notary public and through a long period he was a member of the town board of health. He has actively cooperated in many measures for the public good, his efforts proving of benefit and value to the community in which his entire life has been passed and of which he is known to be a progressive and reliable citizen. (A Biographical Record of Schuyler County, New York, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1903, pages 233-235)
Thomas Ryan Clark, now deceased, was for many years a leading merchant of Wat-kins, where he was engaged in the wholesale and retail grocery trade. He was a man of enterprise, of keen discrimination in business affairs and one whose strenuous life led to marked success. His birth occurred in Vermont on the 15th of June, 1847, his parents being Owen and Mary (Ryan) Clark, who removed to Schuyler county in the year 1840, locating on a farm in the town of Reading. There the son, Thomas R., was reared to manhood, acquiring a common-school education. His father was a stone mason and laborer, and being in somewhat limited financial circumstances, the son was early forced to begin work on his own account. At the age of eighteen he went west, joining a surveying party, and for a number of years he followed that profession, visiting various cities. In this time he accumulated some capital, and, upon his return from the west, he engaged in the grocery trade, establishing a small retail business. This he developed as the years passed by until he became the leading wholesale and retail merchant of Schuyler county. When he arrived here he leased a business property which he afterward pur-chased and about 1898 he erected a fine brick block, in which he was doing business at the time of his death, and in it his widow now maintains her home. Mr. Clark's business methods were such as neither required nor sought disguise, but would bear the most rigid investigation and scrutiny. He gained his success along legitimate lines of trade, and through his perseverance, energy and sound business judgment he won prosperity.
Mr. Clark was first married in the year 1875 to Miss Nora Powers, who died about eight years later. They were the parents of three children: Ada, a graduate of the business college at Elmira, was married in Watkins on the 22'd of September, 1902, to Michael Haubner, of Clifton Springs, New York. Helen was married on Thanksgiving day of 1900 to William Rooney, a resident of Watkins, and they have one child, Thomas Clark. Francis, the youngest child, of the first marriage, is about twenty years of age and is now learning the machinist's trade. On the 14th of September, 1888, in the town of Watkins, Mr. Clark was again married, his second union being with Miss Ella Maloney, who was born in the town of Dix, Schuyler county, and is a daughter of Richard and Bridget (Hicky) Maloney. This union was blessed with one child, Alice, who was born in Watkins.
Mr. Clark was an active worker in the ranks of the Democratic party but was never an office seeker. He and his wife were reared in the faith and were communicants of the Catholic church. He died August 11, 1900, and was laid to rest in the Catholic cemetery of Watkins. In his life there was much that was commendable and worthy of emulation. His strong force of character enabled him to overcome the difficulties with which he was surrounded in his business career, and to work his way upward until he stood among the most successful men of his adopted county. (A Biographical Record of Schuyler County, New York, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1903, pages 235-236)
Daniel Howard is now living a retired life. The fitting rewards of an active and useful career have been vouchsafed to him -rest from further labor and the enjoyment of the fruits of former toil. Important and extensive business affairs claimed his attention and energies and were conducted with marked enterprise and skill. Thereby he won a handsome competence and, moreover, he commanded the respect of all with whom he was associated because his methods were honorable and would bear the closest investigation.
Mr. Howard wras born in Steuben county, near Watkins, in what is now Schuyler county, New York, March 24, 1816, and is a son of Joseph and Christine (Hill) Howard. His father was born in New Hampshire in 1792 and when a young man removed to Steuben county. His paternal grandfather, Joseph Howard, was one of the heroes of the Revolutionary war, and the father was a soldier of the war of 1812. The family has ever been noted for loyalty to the country and for fidelity to the public good and this reputation has been well sustained by the subject of this review.
Daniel Howard pursued his early edu-cation in the subscription schools common at that clay and also in the district schools, which were established. At the age of fourteen years he started out in life for him-self, going to live with a cousin, Jonathan T. Able, a merchant at Rock Stream, Yates county, for whom he clerked until his removal to Tyrone. Several years .later he went to Albany with Mr. Abie's brother-in-law, Mr. Patterson, who was also a merchant, and had full control of his business for four years. At the end of that time he returned to his former employer, with whom he remained until eighteen years of age, when he went to Italy, Yates county, and embarked in business on his own account under the firm style of D. Howard & Company but fourteen days later his store was destroyed by fire, so that he lost everything, being left seven thousand dollars in debt. Later he resumed merchandising at that place, erected a nice store building, and was there engaged in business for twenty years with good success. While a resident of Italy he became converted and joined the Methodist Episcopal church, becoming one of its most active and influential members. He contributed almost the entire amount re-quired to erect the church there and at different times filled all of its offices.
Selling out at that place, Mr. Howard bought a farm near Geneva, New York, where he spent five years' engaged in speculation, and then disposed of his interests there and removed to Watkins, where he was engaged in the hardware business for four years, at the end of which time he sold out to his partner, J. D. Payne. He was one of the organizers of the Second National Bank of Watkins and became its president, serving in that capacity for four years. He then resigned that postion and built a large and magnificent residence on his farm adjoined the village, where he has since resided, looking after his business interests.
In 1847 Mr. Howard was united in marriage to Miss Hannah P. Robinson, a native of Yates county, New York, and a daughter of Andrew and Phyllis (Straughan) Robinson. Her mother was born in England. Our subject and his wife have two children: Mary, now the wife of Edwin Rumsey, a resident of Watkins; and Alice, the wife of DeWTitt C. Jansen, who is operating her father's farm.
In his political views Mr. Howard was a Whig in early life and upon the dissolution of the party he joined the ranks of the new Republican party, of which he has been a stalwart advocate. At present he is serving as steward and a class leader in the Methodist Episcopal church of Watkins and has ever put forth effective effort to promote the welfare and upbuilding of the same. At one time he was identified with the Odd Fellows society and was one of the organizers of the lodge in Yates county. Lie has now passed the eighty-sixth milestone on life's journey and he receives the veneration and respect which should ever be accorded to one of advanced years, whose life has- been honorable and upright. Mr. Howard has ever been loyal in citizenship, true to the duties and obligations of home life, faithful in friendship and reliable in business. Such qualities have made his career one well worthy of emulation. (A Biographical Record of Schuyler County, New York, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1903, pages 232-233)
An enterprising business man connected with the industrial business interests of Schuyler county, Mr. Martin, as proprietor of the Watkins Chilled Plow Works, is carrying on a prosperous undertaking. He is a native of Pennsylvania, his birth having occurred near Bradford, October 23, 1861. His paternal great-grandfather, William Martin, familiarly known as Uncle Billy in the community where he so long resided, was born in Connecticut, and when a young man removed to what was then considered the "far west," settling in Schuyler county, New York, near Burdett. There he took up a large tract of land - a soldier's claim - and to the development and cultivation of his farm he devoted his energies until he had reached an advanced age, when he removed to Horseheads, this state, and there spent his remaining days. Archibald Martin, the grandfather of our subject, was a farmer and lived and died in Schuyler county. Among his children was W. S. Martin, the father of our subject, who was born in this county, November 20, 1832, and has always lived in this portion of the state with the exception of a few years passed in Pennsylvania. In politics he is a Democrat but has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking, giving his entire attention to his agricultural pursuits. Pie married Abigail Davis.
When about seven or eight years of age Mr. Martin of this review accompanied his parents on their return to Schuyler county and upon the home farm he was reared, acquiring a common school education. When sixteen years of age he accepted a clerkship in a railroad office and was promoted to positions of responsibility. When the road changed hands he left his position and returned to Schuyler county in 1902. In July of the same year, in company with others, he leased the plant of the Watkins Chilled Plow Company and has since been manager of the business. When running to its full capacity the business requires the services of ten men. Under the capable control of the men who are at its head, the enterprise has already made an encouraging start and has a bright outlook before it.
On the 1st of May, 1889, Mr. Martin was united in marriage to Miss Fannie
Maltby, a native of Corning, and a daughter of Jerome and Mary (Beers) Maltby.
Our subject and his wife now have three children: Anna and William S., both born
in Corning; and Wellington, born in Watkins. Mr. Martin is a Republican, having
supported the party since he cast his first vote for James G. Blame'in 1884. He
belongs to one of the oldest families of this part of the state, the name of
Martin having been associated with the history of Schuyler county from the
pioneer epoch down to the present. (A Biographical Record of Schuyler County,
New York, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1903, pages 230-231)
BIOS
SUBMITTED BY PEGGY THOMPSON