Brief Biographies of
Town of Clarksville
The following Biographical Summaries were taken from the "History of Allegany County,NY"; F.W.Beers & Co; 1879; Including Names of: Martin N. BUTTS, Miss WATERBURY, A.F. CLARK, Miss Mary MORSE, Helen M. MOULTON, Anson CONGDON, Joseph CONGDON, Lydia Collins, Rachel LURVEY, Mary A. PECKHAM, Marcus M. CONGDON, Elme E. KELLER, Jerome R. ISNEHOUR, Mary E. WETHERBEE, Orra D. KINNEY, Alpheus KINNEY, Susan M. JORDAN, J. T. MOSES, Livonia Ann BEEBE, Stephen MOULTON, Emily BRADWAY, Caroline NICHOLS, John C. NOYES, Loriana CHILDS, Laura MALLORY, Mary I. LUCAS, J.H. PENDLETON, Nathan PENDLETON, Flora E. MEDBURY, Joseph B. SLAYTON, Horace SLAYTON, Laura MURRAY, Edwin SOUTHWORTH, Asa SOUTHWORTH, Laura SOUTHWORTH, Amanda H. ROBINSON, Jacob H. WHITMAN, Annis M. BARTOO.
MARTIN N. BUTTS, son of Hon. Martin Butts, was born in Bolivar, in 1839. His father was born in Pollett, VT., in 1798, and came to Allegany County when about twenty years old. He represented his district in the State Senate, and was clerk of Allegany county in 1847. He died in 1876. Mr. Butts married Miss Waterbury, of Cuba. He has held the offices of supervisor, commissioner of highways and inspector of election.
A. F. CLARK was born in Genesee county, in 1829. His parents were Calvin and Hannah Clark. Calvin Clark was a seaman, and died in Wyoming county. Mr. Clark married Miss Mary Morse, of Wyoming county, and after her death married Helen M. Moulton, of Clarksville. He came to Clarksville in 1854.
ANSON CONGDON was born in Otsego county, in 1817, and came to the town of Clarksville at the age of sixteen. His great-grandfather on his father's side came from England. His grandfather, Joseph Congdon, was born in Conn., and his father, Joseph Congdon, was a native of Petersburgh, NY. His mother's maiden name was Lydia Collins. His father was a farmer and Mr. Congdon was early instructed in the duties incident to that pursuit. His mother died in 1840 and his father in 1856. Mr. Congdon has been twice married, the first time to Rachel Lurvey, a native of Plattsburgh, Steuben county, who died in 1852. His second wife was Mary A. Peckham, a native of Connecticut, who has lived in Clarksville since she was two years of age. Mr. Congdon, who is one of the most influential men in his section of the county, was formerly actively engaged in farming and lumbering, but has retired from business. He has held the office of justice of the peace twelve years, that of supervisor at different periods for eighteen years, and that of superintendent of poor for nine years; and has served four years as internal revenue collector for the 29th district.
MARCUS M. CONGDON, manufacturer of cheese, a life-long resident of Clarksville, was born in 1844. He was married to Miss Elme E. Keller, of Portville, Cattaraugus county, in 1865. In 1873 Mr. Congdon was elected justice of the peace, and in 1875 to the office of supervisor. He manufactures one hundred and eighty-five thousand pounds of cheese annually.
JEROME R. ISNEHOUR, a life-long resident of Clarksville, was born in 1830. His marriage with Miss Mary E. Wetherbee, of Wirt, occurred in 1858. He enlisted in 1862 in Company K, 130th regiment N.Y. volunteers, and served three years. Mr. Isnehour was in the battles at Chancellorsville, Fredrickburg and Gettysburg. He has held the office of collector, and at present holds the office of overseer of the poor.
ORRA D. KINNEY, son of Alpheus Kinney, was born in DeRuyter, Madison county, N.Y., in 1827, and came to Allegany county in 1848, locating at Cuba, where he remained three years and removed to Clarksville. In 1850 he married Miss Susan M. Jordan, of Cuba. Mr. Kinney has served as highway commissioner. He is engaged in hotel-keeping at Clarksville.
J. T. MOSES, son of Samuel S. Moses, was born in Cuba, in 1839. He married Livonia Ann Beebe, of Cuba. He is engaged in farming, and serves as supervisor and school trustee.
STEPHEN MOULTON, farmer, was born in Batavia, NY in 1811, and came to Clarksville in 1842. He married for his first wife, Emily Bradway, a native of Mass., who died in 1869, and he was again married to Caroline Nichols, of Mass.
JOHN C. NOYES, a native of Waterville, Me., was born in 1802, and came to Allegany county in 1825 and located in the town of Centerville, where he took up one hundred and fifteen acres of land. In 1831 he removed to Clarksville and purchased one hundred acres of land in lot number 25. He married Miss Loraina Childs, of Centerville, in 1834. She died in 1865, and in 1869 he married Laura Mallory, who died in 1871, and in 1872 Mr. Noyes married Mrs. Mary I. Lucas.
J. H. PENDLETON, merchant was born in Smithville, in 1851. His father, Nathan Pendleton, was born in Chenango county, and died in Clarksville April 12th, 1877. Mr. Pendleton married Miss Flora E. Medbury. His mercantile business at Clarksville was established in 1874.
JOSEPH B. SLAYTON, farmer, son of Horace Slayton, a native of Utica, NY, was the first child born in Clarksville. His birth was in 1822. His father's trade was that of a cooper, and Joseph B. Slayton worked at the trade and at the carpenter and joiner's trade in his early life. He married Miss Laura Murray, of Clarksville. Mr. Slayton has served as town clerk seven years, highway commissioner five years, and has filled the position of constable.
EDWIN SOUTHWORTH was born in Clarksville, in 1831. He is the son of Asa and Laura Southworth. He married Miss Amanda H. Robinson, of Genesee, in 1870. Mr. Southworth was drafted in the late war. He is the owner of one hundred and ninety acres of land.
JACOB H. WHITMAN was born in Woodhull, Steuben county in 1826. In 1847, he married Annis M. Bartoo, of the same county, and in 1850 came to Clarksville from Jasper, Steuben county. In 1862 Mr. Whitman enlisted, and served two years in Company A, 136th regiment New York volunteers, participating in battles at Fort Stephens and Gettysburg. He has served in various official capacities, among which might be named those of highway commissioner and inspector.