Warren County Lumbermen (Three generations of Underwoods): Oliver (6), John (7), John Henry (8) On 5 December 1805, Oliver Underwood (6) married Mariah Nichols of Halifax, Vermont, in Marlboro. (I think some of Warren Counties settlers in the early 1800's moved west from Vermont): They had 11 children: --Oliver (b. 1807) (possibly killed in New Orleans at the beginning of the Civil War), --David (b. 1809, of Fort Edward), --Rosanna (b. 1811, married Lorenzo Hemmenway), --John (7) (b. 1813), --Christopher Columbus (b. 1814, of Fort Edward, married Mahala Grifin, and who would serve in the Civil War at a relatively advanced age), --Thomas Houghton (b. 1815, married Caziah Smith ), --Lemuel (b. 1817, of Fort Miller, married Ellen Rogers), --Samuel (b. 1819, moved to Pennsylvania), --Miles (b. 1821, left home in ca. 1844 and was not seen again), --Sidney (b. about 1823, died about age 13), and --Lucy (b. 1825, died about age 10). Oliver (6) received a normal education and eventually moved west to Bolton, New York, and finally settled in Horicon; the first Underwood to settle in Warren County (Horicon was formed from Bolton and Hague 29 March 1838; the town records were destroyed in a fire in 1868 ). He was a farmer, member of the Whig party, and a member of the Presbyterian Church. During the War of 1812, Oliver (6), as part of the Militia, marched to fight the British at Plattsburg (the unit arrived after the battle was over). The 1850 Census shows Oliver (6), then about 70 years old, living with Lorenzo Heminway (sic) (then about 28) and "Rozina" (certainly identifiable as daughter Rosanna above), then about 29, with one male child, William O. Heminway, age one year, living in Horicon (census records of this era are notorious for mistakes in age and spelling of names). Oliver (6) died at age 84, in 1855. (According to Orange Henry Underwood (9), Oliver lived for some time at the head of Brant Lake.) According to The Underwood Families of America "the sons of Oliver Underwood (6) were stalwart men and, with the exception of the eldest, followed the business of lumberman..." Miles was 6’4", Samuel 6’3", Lemuel 6’2.5", David 6’2", Christopher, 5’11". The History of Warren County explains that lumbering was a main occupation of the region. The industry developed on the fringes of the Adirondacks, just about the time Oliver moved to the region. It would become the main economic activity in the region until the 1950’s. Cutting began in autumn. Winter was the key season, where snow and ice from cold weather served of hauling logs to the "banking spots" near waterways. In springtime swollen creeks and rivers were used to float the logs to mills. In the height of Adirondack lumbering, 1850-1890, the axe was the only cutting implement. Crosscut saws were not employed until about 1891. Lumberjacks were "well paid," in the mid 1870’s, a lumberjack might earn $25-30 a month plus board—but it was seasonal work. John Underwood (7), born in Marlboro, was a lumberman and lived most of his life in Horicon. He married Elmyra Norton (b. abt. 1824- d. 1875) and had two sons. In his later years he moved to Glens Falls, New York, with his son Sidney. His two sons, Sidney and John Henry (8) lived at some point in Glens Falls with their families. Orange Henry (9) noted in 1980 that John (7) Lived with John Henry (8) on a farm in Horicon (Bench Mark 927, Valentine Road) but eventually moved with Sidney to Glens Falls. In northern Warren County, the 1850 census shows many Underwoods, Ingrahams, Ingrams, Proutys, Bennetts, Heminways, Woods, Bartons, Smiths (all these names are in my tree), and others who farmed and "lumbered" together; many of the families likely had followed roughly the same "path" as the Jonathans (4,5) and Oliver (6) north and west. An 1876 map of the Town of Horicon shows many families with the same names living in close proximity between Schroon and Brant Lakes. John Henry (8) (aka simply Henry) was born 28 April 1850 in Horicon, NY. He married Clara Ingraham, b. 29 Aug 1851, in Chestertown. Children of John Henry (8) and Clara Ingraham included: Ralph, died young Earl, born about 1873, who died about 1890 at age about 16 from Bright’s disease Earnest, born about 1876, maybe died at about age four of diphtheria Myra E. (Melissa), born 28 Nov 1880 Orange (9) born 23 Dec 1884 (my grandfather) Charles, born Jul 1887, married Alice, worked for Town of Warrensburg John Henry’s (8) lifespan corresponds to the heyday of Adirondack lumbering. John Henry (8) participated in the hard and dangerous life of an Adirondack woodsman. Based on knowledge of lumbering practices, we can hypothesize that John Henry would, by necessity, leave his family behind from fall to spring while he worked with crews based out of rough hewn camps. Long days of axe work in the cold north country forests with hard men; an industry driven by muscle power. Felled trees were sized, dragged, and sent town the Hudson to large mills in Glens Falls, Hudson Falls, and Fort Edward. Lumbering, John Henry (8) may have worked for George Underwood (relationship unclear) and later "Wilson" on Valentine Pond. Wife Clara apparently worked some times as a cook in the camps. At some point they moved to a farm which was next door to Clara’s brother (and Civil War veteran) "Uncle Orange" Ingraham in the "Underwood District" north of Valentine Pond. In 1894 they moved to Warrensburg and, not hat long after, moved to "Charlie Hollow", in a log shanty in a clearing near a log house owned by John Wood (see Orange’s (9) description below) where Ernie would die. Later, they moved to the "Warner District." John Henry (8) died 1 May 1907 at age 54 from pneumonia. Clara, who died about 1950, was the daughter of Amos Ingraham and Melissa Barton. Amos and Melissa lost one son in the Civil War, Clara’s brother John H. Ingraham, during combat operations in Virginia. Clara lived out her later years with her daughter Myra, and Myra’s family, in a big Victorian house on the Schroon, not far from Charley Underwood. Bob Underwood Phnom Penh, Cambodia