admin CHAPTER XII.
LISTS OF THE COUNTY OFFICERS AND LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVES OF WYOMING COUNTY.
BEFORE 1841 the people of this county assisted in the election of the officers of Genesee county, and lived under their administration. The names of these officers are therefore given. Under the first constitution of the State all county officers were appointed by the governor and one senator from each of the four senatorial districts into which the State was then divided, who constituted the council of appointment.
Under the constitution of 1821 sheriffs and county clerks were elected by the people at the November election. In the following lists the year of election or appointment is given:
Sheriff:- Genesee County:- Richard M. Stoddard, 1803; Benjamin Barton, 1807; Asher Bates, 1806; Nathan Marvin, 1810; Aaron Van Cleve, 1811; Parmenio Adams, 1815, 1818; William Sheldon, 1816; Worthy L. Churchill, 1821, 1822; B. Thompson, 1825; John A. McElwain, 1881; Nathan Townsend, 1888; Rufus Robinson, 1840 Wyoming County:- William R. Groger, 1841; Roswell Gardner, 1848: Abraham Smith, 1846; Timothy H. Buxton, 1849; Jairus Moffet. 1868; Newcomb Demary, jr., 1855; Mills L. Rice, 1858: William D. Miner. 1881; John Ren wick, 1884; William W. Davis. 1867; George W. Sweet, 1870; George M. Wilder, 1873; J. P. Randal, 1873; Albert P. Gage, 1875; Edgar A. Day, 1878.
County Clerk:- Genesee County:-James W. Stevens, 1803; Josiah Babcock. 1810; Simeon Cumings, 1811, 1818: John Z. Row, 1810: Chauncey L. Sheldon, 1821, 1822: Ralph Coffin, 1825; David C. Miller, 1828; Timothy Fitch, 1831; Horace U. Soper, 1837, 1840. Wyoming County:- Nelson Wolcott, 1841; Walter Howard, 1843; Abel Webster, 1846; Ransom B. Crippen, 1840, 1841; Nathan P. Currier. 1838; John H. Bailey, 1855; Charles O. Shepard, 1858: Charles W. Bailey, 1861; John P. Robinson, 1869; E. M. Jennings, 1870 J Charles J. Gardner, 1873, 1876.
Surrogates. – Previous to 1847 surrogates were appointed in the same manner as were Judges. Under the constitution adopted that year they are elected in counties the population of which exceeds 40,000. In counties having a less population the duties of surrogate devolve on the county judge. Genesee County:- Jeremiah Munson. 1804: Richard Smith, 1805, 1812; Andrew A. Ellicott, 1811, 1815; Ebenezer Mix, 1821; Harvey Putnam, 1840: Timothy Fitch, 1841. Wyoming- County:- Harvey Putnam, 1841; William Mitchell, 1843.
County Treasurers.- County treasurers were appointed by the boards of supervisors prior to 1846. Under the constitution then adopted they are elected by the people. The first treasurer was elected in 1848. The list for Wyoming county is as follows: Truman Lewis, 1841; William Bingham, 1842, 1848; Roswell Gould, 1844, 1845, 1853; John A. McElwain, 1846, 1847. 1830; Samuel 8. Blanchard, 1848: Peter Conor. 1850; Lloyd R. Keyword, 1816. 1850; Leonard W. Smith, 1882, 1885; Harwood A. Dudley, 1868, 1871; Simon D. Lewis. 1874,1877.
First Judge.- Prior to 1821 all Judges were appointed by the council of appointment. Under the constitution of that year, the governor and Senate appointed them for a term of five years. Under the constitution of 1846, a county Judge in each county was elected for a term of four years, except in New York county. The term of office has been changed to six years. Genesee county:-Joseph Ellicott, 1806; Ezra Piatt, 1807; John H. Jones, 1812; John Z. Ross, 1828: William H. Tisdall, 1827; Isaac Wilson, 1830; Phineas L. Tracy. 1841. Wyoming county: -Paul Richards, 1841; John B. Skinner, 1846; W. Riley Smith, 1847; Marvin Troll, 1851; Harlow L. Comstock, 1855, 1850, 1883; Byron Healy. 1867, 1871. 1877.
Associate Judges.- The constitution of 1821 made the county court to consist of a first judge and four associate judges. These associate judges in Wyoming county were Alonso B. Rose, Joseph Johnson, Peter Patterson, 1841; Dr. Augustus Frank. 1842 (In place of Johnson, resigned); Nyrum Reynolds, Moseley Stoddard and James Sprague (2nd), 1846.
Justices of Session.- The constitution of 1840 abolished the office of associate judge. Under that constitution two justices of sessions are annually chosen from among the Justices of the peace of the county. Their duties ore similar to those of associate judges. The list for Wyoming follows: P. M. Ward, Uriah Johnson, 1847; H. O. Brown, Cyril Ransom, 1810; Herman Wilson, Orlando Kelly, 1851; V. D. Eastman, Orlando Kelly, 1852: V. D. Eastman, A. W. Blackmer, 1853, 1854; Gorton Bentley, Benjamin J. Bristol. 1855. 1858; Gorton Bentley, A. P. Thompson, 1857; Erastus D. Day, A. P. Thompson, 1856; Erastus D. Day, P. M. Ward, 1850; J. W. Knapp, D. E. Warren, 1860; Martin Hodge. Gorton Bently, 1891: Gorton Bently, H. O. Brown, 1862; M. S. Durfey. H. O. Brown. 1863; L. S. Torry, John M. Webster, 1861; J. M. Webster, Timothy Loomis. 1865; Timothy Loomis. Gorton Bently, 1860; Harvey Stone, L. & Torry, 1867: Harvey Stone, R. B. Z. Sheeler, 1863; E. P. Randal. William H. Hills, 1860; William H. Hills, J. W. Gould, 1870; L. P. Runnels, William Deeney, 1871: J. W. Gould, Jacob W. Knapp, 1872; Charles E. Thayer, Gideon H. Jenkins, 1878; Guy P. Morgan, Irving B.;Blackmer, 1874, 1875; Byron L. Steams, Robert J. Shearman, 1878: Daniel Ball, Robert J. Shearman, 1877; Daniel Boll, Denslow D. Davis, 1878.
District Attorneys.- An act passed in 1801 created the office of district attorney. One passed in 1818 made each county a separate district. Under both these acts district attorneys were appointed by the council of appointment. Under the constitution of 1821 they were appointed by the court of General Sessions of each county, and under that of 1846 they are elected by the people. Genesee county:- Daniel D. Brown, 1818; Heman J. Redneld, 1881; Levi Rumsey, 1829; Daniel H. Chandler, 1884; Isaac A. Verplanck, 1888. Wyoming county:-W. Riley Smith, 1841; James R. Doolittle, 1847; Harlow I. Comstock, 1850; J. C. D. McKay. 1856; Thomas Corlett, 1859; Byron Healy, 1865; Elbert B. Parman, 1868; Andrew J. Knight, 1874; L Samuel Johnson, 1878.
Superintendents and Commissioners of Common Schools.- In 1842 the office of county superintendent of common schools was created, and after a few years abolished. A. S. Stevens was appointed to this office in 1842, J. S. Denman in 1844, and Leonard Hoskins In 1846. Since the office of Assembly district school commissioner was established the following gentlemen have been elected to the office in this county: Harvey W. Hardy, 1856; Warren 8. Brown. 1859; George W. Dunham, Warren S. Brown, 1869; W. Bean, E. F. Chaffee, 1893. 1805; J. B. Smallwood. Richard Langdon. 1859; Edwin 8. Smith, Edson 8. Quigley, 1872, 1875; E. A. Hall, John B. Smallwood, 1878.
State Senators.- Prior to 1821 the State was divided into four senatorial districts. Under the constitution of 1821 there were eight, and under that of 1846 there ore thirty-two, from each of which a senator is chosen every two years. Wyoming county has been represented as follows: 1842, Harvey Putnam, Attica, four years; 1847, J. W. Brownson, Gainesville, two years; 1861. John A. McElwain. Warsaw, two years; 1855. John B. Halstead, Castile, four years; 1865, W. J. Humphrey, Warsaw, .four years; 1877, James H. Loomis, Attica.
Members of Amembly.- 1841, Eleazer Baldwin, Sheldon; John W. Brownson, Gainesville; 1842, Eleazer Baldwin, Sheldon; Truman Benedict, Perry; 1848, Truman Benedict, Perry; Leverett Spring, China; 1844, Leverett Spring, China; Andrew W. Young, Warsaw; 1848, Andrew W. Young, Warsaw; Arden Woodruff, Sheldon; 1848, Arden Woodruff, Sheldon; 1847, 1848, Paul Richards, Orangeville; 1849, James Sprague, Covington; 1850, 1851, Wolcott J. Humphrey, Sheldon; 1852, 1853, Alonso B. Ross, Castile; 1854, 1855, John C. Fame, Covington; 1856, 1885, Cyril Rawson, Eagle; 1850, Elias C Holt, Bennington; 1863, 1864, and 1865 (speaker), George G. Hoskins, Bennington; 1860, John J. Dolittle, Wetherfield; 1861, Lucius Peck, Java; 1862, 1863, Byron Healy, Warsaw; 1856, 1857, William Bristol, Gainesville; 1868,1869, Marcus A. Hull, Pike; 1870, Henry S. Joy, Java; 1871, 1872, John D. Davidson, Genessee Falls; 1873, 1874, Samuel W. Tewksbury, Perry; 1875, 1876, Arthur Clark, Java; 1877, John R. Lowmg, Java; 1878, Orange L. Toxier, Sheldon.
Members of Congress resident in Wyoming county have been elected as follows, a “congress” commencing on the 4th of March following the election, and ending on the 3d of March two years thereafter: 1888, William Patterson, Warsaw; 1846, 1848, Harvey Putnam, Attica; 1888, 1868, 1869, 1882, Augustus Frank, Warsaw; 1872, 1874, George G. Hoakins, Attica; 1878, Charles B. Benedict, Attica.
SOURCE: History of Wyoming County, N.Y., with Illustrations, Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Some Pioneers and Prominent Residents; F. W. Beers & Co.; 1880