Surnames List, Town of Wirt

Town of Wirt

SURNAMES LIST- Short Biographies

of former residents.

If you have short Biographies of former residents of Town of Wirt, send them to me for publish here.  Suggested format is similar to what is shown here.

The following list was submitted by Gary Herne of Norton Shores, MI

Herne, William Henry Herne, Jr. married Etha Moses in 1933.  They lived all their married lives in Richburg.  They raised three children in this lovely village: David, Gary, and Nina (Herne) Walsh.

     Bill was first employed as a laborer (1933) for the construction company that built the first two-story addition to the Richburg Central School.

     Bill was later employed by the Putnam Oil Company (1935) of Richburg, NY. 

     In 1951 he became employed by Richburg Central School as Janitor and retired as head of maintenance for the school in 1976.

     Bill purchased several oil wells from the widow of Jesse Hardman in 1956, which were located on the hill behind the Hardman home on Main Street, behind Claire Miller's home also on Main Street and behind the Richburg First Day Baptist Church also on Main Street.  One of these wells had to be removed and plugged in 1973 to make room for the new church sanctuary built in 1974.

     Etha Moses Herne was first assistant librarian for the Colonial Library in Richburg, NY from 1960 to 1970, when she became librarian until 1983.
 

Moses, Frank & Nina (Putnam) also lived in Richburg all their married lives and married in 1910.

     Frank was employed by the Messier Oil Company
 

Putnam, Frank & Etha (McCoy) also lived in Richburg all their married lives and married in the 1880's

     Frank Putnam was the founder of the Putnam Oil Company and drilled wells on several farms in the Richburg area: the Birtzell was purchased from the Birtzell family and was located on Richburg Hill Road approximately one mile out of town just beyond the first oil well drilled in the town of Wirt.  He also purchased the Fay farm at the intersection of Richburg Hill Road and Putnam Road off Phillips Road, where we drilled several wells over the entire 80 acre farm.  He also leased the oil rights from the Cady farm and the adjoining Cartwright farm in Cadytown, where he again drilled several oil wells over the entire Cadytown valley.  Frank Putnam also drilled oil wells on other farms in the area, and I do not remember the names of the other farms.  Fran's two sons: Mitchell and Elson and daughter: Nina were all involved in the Putnam Oil Company enterprise and the sons continued it after Frank's death until the oil was

depleted.

Putnam, John was an early pioneer in the Richburg area and built his first home (log Home) on Pleasant Valley Road in 1832.  His descendants: Ira (and other children), and grandson, Frank built additional homes in the Pleasant Valley area.

Rogers, Ethel (born in 1830) married Catherine Lebar and also lived on Jordon Hill Road.  Ethel and Catherine birthed a daughter Mary in 1864, who married Byron Moses.  Mary and Byron birthed a son named Frank Moses in 1888.

Rogers, Lemuel (born in 1794) married Hannah Stewart and settled on Jordon Hill Road (near the crest of the hill) before 1830.