Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Queries Board URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Niagara?read=111 Surname: Bownman, Webb ------------------------- Looking for descendants of Elick Bownman and wife, Ann Webb, B. 4-24-1841, who lived in Johnson Creek, Niagara County. Their children: Hattie and Lottie. After Elick's death, Ann married a Carlow of Imlay City, Michigan and was buried there.

Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Queries Board URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Niagara?read=110 Surname: Whittaker, Webb ------------------------- Seeking descendants of William Whittaker and wife, Adelaide Webb, B. 8-20-1834. Their children: Frank and Albert. They lived in Middleport.

Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Queries Board URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Niagara?read=109 Surname: Webb, Fisher, Gotts, Smith, Kleinsmith ------------------------- Seeking descendants of Albert John Webb (B. 2-27-1832 in England) who married 1st an Elizabeth ?. Their children: Anna, B. 1863, M. a Gotts; Jessie, B. 1868; Jay B. 1873. Albert's 2nd marriage was to Emma F. Smith. Their children: Grace who married a Kleinsmith and Burt. Albert lived in Hartland or Somerset, Niagara County.

Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Queries Board URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Niagara?read=108 Surname: Seward, Webb, Coleman, Shelp, Smith, Rands ------------------------- Seeking descendants of Catherine (Webb)[B. 6-26-1829 in England] and William Seward [B. ?, D. 1862, who married in 1848. They lived in Hartland, Niagara County and had 6 children. Their oldest child, Jessie, B. 1845 was killed in the Civil War in 1964; daughter Mary E., B. 1849 married George Coleman of Barker, settled somewhere in Michigan; daughter, Ellen was B. 1852; son, George A., B. 1855; son, Andrew J., B. 1858, went west and died in Oregon about 1912; and youngest daughter, Sophia, B. 1858, married a Shelp, had two sons and lived in Michigan. Catherine's 2nd marriage was to a John Smith. Catherine's 3rd marriage was to a John Rands, they lived in Middleport.

Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Queries Board URL: http://genconnect.rootsweb.com/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Niagara?read=107 Surname: Stonebraker, Swinson, Swenson ------------------------- I am looking for info on Abraham Stonebraker and his sister Nellie Stonebraker Swinson or Swenson. Originally from Centre County, PA they moved to Niagara Falls and Niagara County and Seneca Falls and Seneca County. They are the aunt and uncle of my husband, Norman Eugene Hoover, orig from Snow Shoe, Centre County, PA but now living in Mifflin County. Any info would be appreciated. thank you in advance.

Dear Group, An "almost cousin" of mine send me a URL that he thought might interest me. It was the USIGS Military Collection--Links at http://www.rootsquest.com/cgi-bin/start.cgi/usigs/linksearch.html. I went right to the War of 1812 site in the state of New York and was surprised that there is a web page for the War of 1812 Cemetery in Cheektowaga, Erie Co. Oh, that dear little cemetery not far from the Buffalo airport! Oh how many tears I have shed there! You see, every year for the past number of years the small town of Cheektowaga has held a beautiful memorial service at the cemetery with a parade that goes on forever--veteran's organizations of all sorts, re-enactors, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, local neighborhood groups, bagpipers and drummers, fire engines, politicians, etc.--from both the US and Canada. It has always been held on the second Sunday in June. And for a number of years I had been one of the guest speakers at the ceremony. Why me? Well I--and other members of my family--were there as representatives of all the families of those soldiers buried there, both the American and British. No, we don't have any kin buried there; however, there is one soldier there, George Myers, who was a neighbor of my gr-gr-gr-grandfather William Clark from Huntington Township, Adams County, PA. William from Pennsylvania fought in the war in the same company of Pennsylvania Volunteers as George did--Capt. Samuel White's company. And I guess that because our family doesn't know whether our grandfather died in the war (he died prior to 1816) or even where he's buried, George Myers was a very special soldier to us. So for about six years I spoke at the annual ceremony that is still held in the middle of the cemetery and told those who were gathered there how I empathized with the families of the soldiers who never had the opportunity to stand over their loved ones' graves to mourn their loss. No, they weren't local soldiers from around here. They were soldiers from 12 different states during the time in our history when there were only 18 states in the whole union. They were from NJ, NH, PA, MA, NC, VT, VA, MD, KY, OH, NY and CT. Now, why haven't I continued to be a speaker at the ceremonies? It's not that I'm not asked year after year to speak, it's because I can no longer handle the intense emotions that go along with it. Hey, if you have never heard a lone bagpiper playing "Amazing Grace" over soldiers' graves in a tiny cemetery, you don't know what I'm talking about. And then to follow that with Taps and then a 21-gun salute, trust me, that can bring you to your knees. At least it did me. And in case any of you are wondering what Western New York had to do with the War of 1812, check out your history books and look up the battles of Fort Erie, Chippawa and Lundy's Lane--the bloodiest one of the entire war. My grandpa was there. Historically yours, vee

Debbie, Thanks for the site, Very interesting . Question, where is Wilson NY and does anyone know how it got its name.....I am looking for Wilson's and Wilkinson's and found a few leads > in Michigan.. and yes, you guessed it... I found Niagara Co, NY family! : > <A HREF="http://www.rootsweb.com/~mikent/chapman1881/biolinks.html">Links to > Transcribed Biographies from the History of Kent County, Chas. C. Chapman & > Co., 1881.</A> > > Good hunting... > debbie in california

Hello everyone... I am really enjoying the installments of living history, Vee! Yes, count me as one interested in those videotapes... We also recently had discussions here about migrations. Well, I've just found tonight a new biography posted in Michigan.. and yes, you guessed it... I found Niagara Co, NY family! For anyone interested in these families.. here's some information: (I'll give the url to go to the rootsweb site for the full excerpted biography at the end...) The biography is of Hon. John T. HOLMES. He is shown as the son of Daniel and Sally (TAYLOR) Holmes of Saratoga Co, NY and born 11 Dec 1815 in Carlisle, Schoharie Co, NY. No surprise to many of you... I was very happy to find the following in the bio: "He was married at Wilson, Niagara Co., N.Y., March 31, 1836, to Mary Ann, daughter of Nathan Pratt, a Revolutionary soldier." So there's that PRATT family again! This is the Mary Ann Pratt that is the sister to my Calvin PRATT (Sr) that remained in Wilson.. while Mary Ann and this John T Holmes.. went to Detroit, MI in 1837 and on to Grand Rapids, Michigan where they settled in 1838. How exciting to find them! If you want to read the entire bio... here's the url. Many others biographies from "The History of Kent County, Michigan", Chapman, 1881 have been transcribed and posted there. You can search for a bio or for a surname mentioned in someone else's bio. Maybe some of you will locate some of your family there! http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Mi/KentBios?read=1667 or: <A HREF="http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Mi/KentBios?read=1667">Ho n. John T. HOLMES, Grand Rapids City, pp. 1040-1041 (Chapman 1881)</A> And here's the opening page for "all" the bios... you can sign up to get e:mail whenever new bios are added if you like... http://www.rootsweb.com/~mikent/chapman1881/biolinks.html or: <A HREF="http://www.rootsweb.com/~mikent/chapman1881/biolinks.html">Links to Transcribed Biographies from the History of Kent County, Chas. C. Chapman & Co., 1881.</A> Good hunting... debbie in california CAhobbies@aol.com

May 22, 2000 In my next review of the videotape that I watched this evening, I want to say that I'm adding my own words and historical information to what Cora told Danny in his interview. Hopefully, between Cora and me, we'll give you a picture of the history of the Town of Porter. Danny questioned Cora about the early years, ca 1815, when it seemed that the settlers were responsible for the upkeep of our primitive roads. Cora agreed and told him that we have the records which lists the individual names of the property owners whose duty it was to spend their fair share of days in maintaining the roads. Whether it be the cutting down of trees or crudely plowing the deep snow to make the roads passable. Regarding the earliest streets in Youngstown, in the early years they consisted only of the road along the Niagara River that lead to Fort Niagara (now called River Road or-in Youngstown-Main Street) and the road that leads to Lockport (now called Lockport Street or the Youngstown-Lockport Road-Route 93). Cora then told Danny that the village of Youngstown was laid out in 1842 and that was when the other streets came into being; such as Second St., Third St., etc. Now some of our early maps of Youngstown show a very sharp jagged east/west twist to Third Street (in the vicinity of where Third Street crosses William Street) and Danny questioned Cora about it. She said that it had occurred because it had originally been on the southern boundary of the military grounds of Fort Niagara-the Garrison. She then went on to say that the fort grounds had originally consisted of 700 acres that stretched from the corner of where the Niagara River flows into Lake Ontario all the way distant to one mile eastward. [Note: the One Mile Reserve is another lesson in local history that hasn't been covered yet and I won't go into how it came about.] Danny then asked Cora about prominent men in the early years. Her initial response was to mention Moses Barsto (Bairsto/Barstow, etc.). He was an early Town of Porter Supervisor and was one of the founders of the Presbyterian Church of Youngstown. He questioned her about the area known as Blairsville-about 2-1/2 miles from Youngstown. He knew that it wasn't even a hamlet; only that it was an area where people settled for some reason. It was in the vicinity of where Blairsville Road and Creek Road (present Rt. 18) come together. Cora told him that it was in that general area where Four Mile Creek crosses Creek Road and that they settled there because of the creek. You see, where there is running water, there is the power to turn the wheels of a mill. And there was a mill that was operated there. Now Cora couldn't recall whether the mill ground grain or cut wood and although I know that could tell you who owned that mill, I'd have to search through my records to find out. Now who was the Blair that Blairsville was named after? Well, Cora seemed to remember that he was a blacksmith who had lived in the area. Well, she was right. I haven't researched the family but the first time that William Blair shows up on our Town of Porter records was in the 1865 census. At that time he was 41 years old [born ca 1824] a boarder in this/my area, a widower born in Scotland, a blacksmith and living in a local household with his eight-year-old son(?) John Blair who was born in Canada, age 8 [born ca 1857]. In the 1875 local census it shows that William had married again to a girl by the name of Martha who was from Prince Edward Island, Canada, and they had three children, Oscar, 11 [born ca 1865?] Minnie, 8 [born ca 1867] and William, 6 [b ca 1869]. All the children were born in Niagara County. John wasn't listed on the census. By that time he was about 18 years old. I wonder what happened to John Blair. Well, I guess I've been rambling a bit about the Blair family just now when what I had originally wanted to do this evening was to give you the next episode of the oral history tape. But when it comes to the history of the Town of Porter, I get carried away when it comes to the families who lived here and/or settled here. Hey, without people and their families, there would be no history at all! Vee from youngstown

I am new to this list and am looking for information on my gggg-grandfather and his family. INCREASE WILKINSON and his wife LYDIA purchased land in Michigan in 1844. On his application for a land grant it stated that he was from Niagara NY. Increase was born about 1812. His wife Lydia indicates on the census that her birth place was Vermont. The last name has been found spelled Wilkson, Wilkason. Any information on the Wilkinson family would be appreciated. Thanks, Pat Wilson Scott in lower michigan

Seeking any information possible on Eliza Camun (spelling may not be exact). she was born 12 Oct 1821 somewhere in England. She became the second wife of Samuel Firth in Nov 1855 in Niagara County. About 1858-59 they moved to Indiana.

Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Queries Board URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Niagara?read=104 Surname: Waite, Thacker ------------------------- Sometime after the breakup of the Oneida Community (Cayuga Co., NY) in 1879/80, Henry Thacker married Clara Waite who had joined the Community on 10 Jun 1872. Clara (b. 13 Sep 1825) died on 16 May 1889 in Lewiston, Niagara Co., NY but is buried in the Oneida Community cemetery. Were she and Henry living in Lewiston when she died? If so, was Henry still living in Lewiston when he died on 22 Feb 1896? Would like any information on either Henry or Clara.

I would like very much to learn what became of sisters Isabella and Hannah Firth. Isabella was born 1835 at Bramley by Leeds, Yorkshire, England and Hannah, born abt 1840 in Niagara County, NY. They were the children of Samuel and Hannah Firth who arrived from England 3 Nov 1835. Their othere children seem to be accounted for. Sam Wonders

Dear Group, I want to thank all of you who have written to me regarding the videotape that I have been reviewing regarding the history of the Town of Porter. This evening I talked with Danny Schlisler who made the tape and I told him that I had posted to our list my transcript and observations regarding the first 15 minute segment.that I have viewed. I also read to him the wonderful comments that I have received today about the tape and about the recommendations that copies of the tape be made available to the Niagara County Historical Society and to the public in general. Well let me tell you, that's what has been in the back of Danny's mind from the first time he turned his video camera on when he photographed his first interview. He has videotaped an interview with our late Nancy Price that spanned a number of months before her ultimate death of cancer in 1994. He has also videotaped hours spent at the site of when the archeologists discovered the skeletons of the bodies that were buried beneath our Main Street during the re-paving of the street. The skeletons were identified as both whites and Indians who were buried there during the 1700s. It was a very sensitive situation, inasmuch as the archeologists revered the remains and didn't want a casual photographer to just snap pictures of the site. In addition, the local Tuscarorra Indians were especially concerned about the remains of the Indians and it was a very private ceremony that was held over the grave site when they were given the Indian remains to take back with them. Now I don't know if Danny was allowed to record the whole ceremony which included the Indians building a small fire at the site and chanting ancient prayers over it--this was in the bitter winter weather of February as I recall--but, nonetheless, Danny has hours and hours of videotape of not only the day-to-day-excavation of that site, but also has other videotapes of tapes he has made at Fort Niagara of the reenactments there which includes very personal interviews of the individuals involved in them. And the bottom line in this. Danny wants to share all of this history that he has recorded on videotape with anyone and everyone who is interested in our local history. He's not looking to making a fortune from his efforts by no means, but he's wondering what price he should place on copies of his videotapes that would reimburse him for out-of-pocket expenses and, deep down inside, maybe might give him a few extra pennies for the HOURS of effort he put into them. If any of you have any thoughts or comments to make, both Danny and I would appreciate hearing them. vee

Dear Group, This evening I watched the second 15 minutes of the videotape of the interview that Danny had with Cora about the history of our Town of Porter. And this is what was discussed. But before I begin . . . well let me just say this as a kinda PS. As I was writing this down, I was prompted to add a bit of facts of history that wasn 't mentioned in the interview. And so the end result is a combination of what Cora told Danny and what I felt would add to the history. Danny asked Cora about the early settlement around Fort Niagara around where the Coast Guard Station is now. The Coast Guard Station in on the Niagara River directly west of the fort within a few yards of it. Danny referred to the settlement as The Bottoms. Cora knew what he was talking about but knew that it was known by another name. It finally came to her-it was called Trader Town. Now this was in the very earliest years of the settlement here-probably before the War of 1812. Cora said that Trader Town was a settlement of people-hangers' on-who came here to do business with the fort. He asked her what sort of business other than farming would other settlers have to contribute to the fort and she named off a few of them-blacksmiths, barrel makers, and in later years the business of the grist mill-grinding wheat into flour. [The grist mill was located on the corner of Water St. and Main St. where our only stop light is in "downtown" Youngstown.] Danny prompted her to describe the earliest settlement of the village of Youngstown. She recalled the map-or sketch-(ca 1810) that we have in our museum that shows four or five log cabins along the Niagara River just outside Fort Niagara. Everything else around here at the time was still a dense virgin forest. They agreed that during the War of 1812 when the British burned all the settlements from Youngstown all the way up the Niagara River to Buffalo, those cabins were among those that were burned to the ground. At the end of the war, some of the families who had originally settled here and who had fled to settlements further east in New York to escape the British and the Indians, eventually returned and started all over again on. There are records of those families who had suffered property damage and losses as a result of the war. Although the records are scant, we know that Widow Agnes Greensit who owned a tavern in Youngstown, was burned out and so was Isaac Swain. The records also include mention of some settlers who had been taken prisoner by the British and mentions the state of their families immediately after the burning. Some of them were "in want," others were "not in want." Danny asked Cora about what sort of government there was in Youngstown during the early years of settlement. Well, Youngstown wasn't incorporated until 1864 but before that it was under the government of the Town of Porter. Cora said that the earliest written records that have survived are those dated in 1815 and that individuals were elected to serve as Overseer of the Poor, Commissioner of Schools, etc. [Note: I have a copy of those records.] That prompted Danny to ask Cora about the early schools here. The first school outside the village of Youngstown that she could recall from the records that we have in the museum was known as the Blairville School [School District No. Three-just a stroll up (south) Creek Road from where I live]. Cora couldn't remember the exact dates of the records but I'll tell you that the records are from 1819-1872. The earlier schools were the one in the village of Youngstown on the corner of what is Water Street and Main Street and the one at Tower's Corners that is just down (north) of where I live at the intersection of what is now Rt. 93 and Rt. 13 (Creek Rd). We also have early records from the Tower's Corners school, but I/we haven't gotten around to transcribing them yet. Danny questioned Cora about the number of people who lived here in the early settlement years. Off the top of her head she said that in the 1800 census there were 125 people. Well, dear Cora was a bit off on that figure, it was 152 people. And no, we're not talking about the population of the village of Youngstown or the Town of Porter or the Town of Cambria. From the same record that Cora was quoting from, I have an idea that it was the total population of not only Niagara County but that it included a great deal of Erie County as well. But, hey, don't quote me on that! As with Danny's interview with Cora, my comments at this moment haven't been seriously researched or studied. And as with any interview, remember the three most important rules of either genealogy or historical research, (1) source, (2) source, (3) SOURCE! I hope I can continue to give you an insight into the continuing "saga" of the history of the Town of Porter as recorded on videotape by Danny Schlisler over the hours he spent with our dear Town of Porter Historian, Cora Gushee. Who knows what actual personal memories that Dan might encourage Cora to talk about that have to do with our town's history. She has lived in this area all her 97 years and although I doubt that she will tell Danny about one particular soldier she knew during the years of WWI who was stationed at Fort Niagara at the time, I'm certain that when I continue to view the videotape, I'll have more history to tell you about. Tune in to the next episode. vee from Youngstown

Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Queries Board URL: http://genconnect.rootsweb.com/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Niagara?read=103 Surname: Gibbons ------------------------- Thomas and Hannah Gibbons emigrated to USA and the 1860 Census listed them living in Town of Newstead with children Mary ,1848 and Michael b 1850. Censu showed children Catherine,Richard and Thomas born 1854,1856,and 1858 respectively in Niagara County. I cannot find the Town in Niagara County,in which they were born.I would very much appreciate any help or suggestions.Many Thanks1 Dr Ray Gibons

Dear Group, Oh, I wish you could view the videotape that I started to watch this evening! It was an Oral History that was taped over the past few weeks by Danny Schisler of Youngstown as he interviewed Cora Gushee, our Town of Porter Historian. Cora is 97 years old, by the way. Now I must admit that I watched only the first 15 minutes of it, but knowing Danny and knowing Cora, I know that the rest of the tape will be filled with the same marvelous historical information that Cora told in those first 15 minutes. At Danny's prompting, Cora told how Niagara County was formed and how Town of Porter was separated from Town of Cambria in 1812. Danny asked her about the early settlers around Fort Niagara before the War of 1812 and the subject was brought up about the cattle drives from New Jersey to supply the Fort with beef. Danny questioned Cora when she commented that Isaac Swain provided beef for the Fort. She said that he had "dressed" them. She then had to explain that dressing beef meant that the cattle had to be slaughtered, aged, and then cut up. Yes, maybe the soldiers themselves dressed them, but our records do show that Isaac Swain furnished "beeves" for the fort and that the earliest settlers around here tended to settle around the fort because they might provide the fort with needed supplies. I'm so excited right now as I realize the historical value of the videotape. I know Cora and I know the intense interest that Danny has in local history. Cora has so much to tell and Danny knows the right questions to ask of her. I can't wait to watch the next segment of their conversation! Maybe I can write down the next "episode" that I view and let you know what happens next. You might say that this is history being recorded--even at this late date. vee from Youngstown

Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Queries Board URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Niagara?read=102 Surname: Robinson, Osborn ------------------------- The article was written in one of the papers in Exeter, NY, and just mentioned that she was buried in the family plot. I can not put my finger on that obit right now, but will continue to search, I have it in the Robinson file, but I think her fathers name was Truman Osborn. The article said that she was born in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY and that the buriel was there also. She was married to Newell Yale Robinson in 1940 also, in Niagara Falls.Married in the First Methodist Church there. I have a copy of this marriage announcement from a paper in Exeter or Cooperstown. I found it! Luella G. Osborn, d 12 Jul 1940. Services were held in Schuyler Lake, NY with the body being taken to Niagara Falls where a service was held from the home of her parents. Interment was in the family plot there. Thats all I have. I just want to know what cemetery she is buried in so I can take pictures of the grave.

Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Queries Board URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Niagara?read=101 Surname: LATHAM, MAY, STAATS, HAM, AGNEW, CROOK, WILSON ------------------------- I'm looking for relatives of Anna K MAY (LATHAM) who died Jan 27, 1999 in Niagara Falls, NY. Her obituary was posted in the "Buffalo News" on Jan 31, 1999. Would someone be kind enough to do a lookup for me. I'll gladly reciprocate by doing a lookup in the Hamilton, Ontario, Canada area. I think this "Anna K MAY (LATHAM)" may be the sister of my son's grandfather, William James Latham, who died on August 26, 1998. He is buried in a Stoney Creek, ON cemetery. He is survived by his wife, Gertrude May LATHAM (HAM), and their 2 sons Paul Joseph and Lewis William LATHAM. Lewis is my son's father. Paul Joseph is married to Patricia CROOK. I'm looking for parents' names, siblings and places of birth etc. Plus any other relevant genealogical information. I'd really appreciate it. Thank you. Sincerely, Deanna Staats

http://yard.ccta.gov.uk/cwgc/register.nsf/searchpage?openform Some of us have English roots. This is a great site to search for you English family who died in the Wars. I found my Great Uncle Ernest Robert Henry Langdon there. Best of luck to you all. Nancy