Town of Benton Sketches

ARNOLD,Israel Harrison, was born in Jerusalem, December 3, 1816, his wife, Susan AnnCLEAVELAND, was born December 19, 1816. Theywere married December 26, 1841. Theirchildren were Israel Carlton, born August 6, 1843, died Apr 13, 1888; JohnCleaveland, born September 15, 1855, died January 9, 1865; and George Benjamin,born December 24, 1848, married Mary Lloyd, December 9, 1873. Israel H. ARNOLD was well known in Yates County as a surveyor, abusinessman, and a friend and parent of exceptional worth. His business life was successful, and at his death, May 25, 1881, he lefta good estate. He came to Benton inOctober, 1843. His wife diedFebruary 28, 1861. George BenjaminARNOLD, youngest son of Israel H., is the owner and occupant of the Benton homeproperty on which he has an extensive nursery. His children are Susan Ann, Maud Lillian, George B., Jr. and LloydCarlton.

BARDEN,George Riggs, son of George and Dolly (WITTER) BARDEN, was born in Benton August17, 1812. His father was poor, andas George R. was one of the oldest of thirteen children, he was early put towork on the farm. At the age oftwenty-five, he married (in 1837), and started for himself on the farm on whichhe now lives and of which he is the owner. His wife was Elmira SUTHERLAND, and their children were Ashley W., LucyA., Jennie E. and Theda H. Mrs.BARDEN died March 17, 1863, and January 31, 1865, Mr. BARDEN married JaneWILKINSON. He is one of the pioneerRepublicans of Yates County, being a delegate to the first county convention ofthat party. In 1859 he was electedto the Assembly. He and his familyare members of the Baptist Church, of which society he was one of the trusteesfor twelve years. He is one of thedeacons at the present time and a member of the pulpit committee.

BARDEN,Llewellyn J., the present school commissioner of Yates County, born in Benton,April 15, 1853, is the son of Martin W., and Margaret E. BARDEN, and the secondof their ten children. He waseducated in the common schools and at the Penn Yan and Canandaigua Academies. Later he attended a business college at Rochester. Commencing at the age of eighteen, Mr. BARDEN taught school for four orfive years, one year being at the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, where in 1874 hemarried Jennie E., daughter of George R. BARDEN of Benton. They have had five children, four of whom are living. For some years Mr. BARDEN lived at New Haven, Conn., being employed as abookkeeper. In 1890 he was electedcounty school commissioner.

BECKER,Alfred S., was born in Columbia County, NY, in 1838, the son of David L. andSarah BECKER. The family came toBenton about 1849 and located where Alfred now resides. At that time David L. BECKER was married to his second wife. Alfred was a child by the first marriage. David married a third wife, and died in Penn Yan in 1875. At the age of twenty-one, Alfred began working the farm on shares. In 1863 he married Kate, daughter of William BEST, of Benton, by whom hehad two children, Sarah, wife of Charles F. WALKER, and Edgar L. Kate (BEST) BECKER, wife of Alfred, died and four years later, Alfredmarried Anna DURRY, of Jerusalem. Twochildren have been born to the second marriage, Alfred D. and Ralph C. Alfred S. BECKER is one of Benton�s substantialfarmers. He has 125 acres, twelveof which are in vineyard and six in fruit and berries.

DORMAN,James, born in Seneca, Jefferson County, in 1824, was the son of Alanson andEleanor DORMAN, and the seventh of their thirteen children. He was reared on a farm, and at the age of twenty-one hestarted out to make his own way in life. Hewent west to Wisconsin and Iowa, locating in the latter State, but he soonreturned and bought the old Foster WATSON farm, where he has since resided. On January 13, 1859, Mr. DORMAN married Maria, daughter of Charles AYRESof Benton. They have two children,Mary J. and Dennie M., both living at home.

EARL,Albert, born in Benton, November 6, 1839, was the fourth of seven children bornto Arthur and Sybil (CONKLIN) EARL, both highly respected residents of Benton,and both representing an element of pioneership in the town. Arthur EARL was a farmer and Albert was brought up to farmwork. In 1850 his father bought theplace on which Albert now lives. Thelatter owns 130 acres near Seneca Lake.

EARL,Edwin L., son of the late Jeptha EARL, was born in Benton, NY, January 10, 1838. He was reared on the farm and is now the owner of 175 acres of excellentland. At the age of thirty-one hemarried Caroline COFFIN, by whom he has had five children: George Jeptha, HenryClay, Charles, Eliza and Edwin L., Jr. Mr. EARL is a Democrat in politics, but takes no active part in town orcounty affairs. He has no strong religious preferences, but inclines towardsUniveralism.

EDMONDS,Aaron, born in Fairfield County, Conn. In1797 he married Harriet FOLLIOTT and became a resident of Benton in 1834. His family is as follows: Anna Maria, Sarah, Robert S., and Harriet E.(Last mentioned was born in this town). RobertS. EDMONDS was born April 5, 1830. Hislife has been devoted to the farm. In1855 he married Mary, daughter of David BUELL, by whom he had one child. Lillie, wife of John R. GARDNER, of Potter. Mary died in 1860. In1863 Mr. EDMONDS married Caroline, daughter of Stephen SEAMAN, of SaratogaCounty. One child, Roberts LeeEDMONDS, has been born to them.

GAGE,Samuel B., son of Samuel G. and Martha (COLE) GAGE, was born in Benton, November23, 1834. The old Gage farm wasformerly known as the GILETTE place, and came to Samuel B., upon the father�sdeath. It contains about 150 acres. MR. GAGE married in 1853, Lois Ann BUNNETT, of Benton, by whom he hadthree children, S. Granger, Ida and Arthur. Mrs. GAGE died in 1888. Mr.GAGE is one of the leading Republicans of Benton. For two terms he had the office of supervisor. Once he was the nominee of his party for sheriff but was defeated. In 1890 he held the office of road commissioner.

GRISTOCK,Thomas, born in Somersetshire, England, March 1, 1835, came to the United Statesat the age of twenty years, residing for a short time in Cayuga County and thencoming to Benton, Yates County where he has since lived. In 1865 he bought theREMER farm of 100 acres, in Benton near Penn Yan, on which he has some of thebest farm buildings in the township. Mr.GRISTOCK is generous and public spirited. Hiswife was Sarah HURFORD, an English lady, by whom he has had three children:Thomas J., now living in Michigan; Ella, wife of Frank KIPP, of Torrey; andFrederick W., who assists his father on the farm.

HURFORD,Henry, was born in Somersetshire, England in 1832, the son of James and LydiaHURFORD. Henry came to the UnitedStates in 1853, when for several months he worked out by the month in Penn Yanand elsewhere. In 1866 he boughtthe John LAPHAM fifty-acre farm, where he now resides. In 1853 Mr. HURFORD married Eliza GRISTOCK, by whom he had two children. Henry HURFORD takes an active interest in the affairs of his town. He is a firm Republican and is now serving his third term as assessor.

HURFORD,William, was born in Somersetshire, England, in December 1845, the younger ofnine children of James and Lydia HURFORD. Hecame to this county in 1853 and began work as a laborer. In 1858 he bought the Lemuel SPRAGUE farm of eighty acres, nearSpencer�s Corners in Benton, and this he had increased to 100 acres. In 1861 Mr. HURFORD married Julia A HOLDEN, of Penn Yan, by whichmarriage these children have been born: Charles,Harry W., Bradley C. and Perley. WilliamHURFORD has been a successful farmer and a generous provider for his family. He has started his sons in business.

HYATT,Harrison, was born in Milo, March 22, 1814, the son of James and Betsey HYATT ofthat town. At the age oftwenty-six, Harrison started out to work by the mouth, continuing for fiveyears, when he bought the farm in Benton where he now resides. He has been twice married, his first wife being HannahSCHOFIELD, who died January 3, 1887. Hemarried second Eliza SCHOFIELD, in October the same year.

LEWIS,Thomas J., was born in Cayuga County, NY, April 27, 1811. When two years of age his father, Joseph C., moved to Starkey, and he(Thomas) remained there until 1840, when he came to Benton. In 1834 he married Sarah A. AYERS of Starkey, by whom he had fivechildren. He died May 28, 1882, andhis wife October 17, 1890. CharlesG., the oldest son, was born October 5, 1835. On December 4, 1866, he married Emma J. MORGAN, by whom he has twochildren, Hattie A. and George W. Hiswife died February 7, 1877. Mr.LEWIS is a farmer. May 16,1861, he enlisted in Co. F., 23^rd NY Infantry and served ten months,being discharged March 1, 1862, for disability. He re-enlisted August 10, 1863, and was mustered out at Petersburg, VA,June 27, 1865.

LEWIS,Thomas J., a native of Cayuga County, came to Starkey in 1812 and to Benton in1840. His wife, whom he married inStarkey, was Sally Ann AYERS, and their children were Charles G., Agnes A.,Wilson A., Eli and Frank E. ThomasJ. died in May 1882 and his wife in October 1890. Charles G., Wilson A. and Eli served in the war of 1861-65. Wilson A. died in Knoxville, Tenn, in the Army. Eli was born in October 1840. Hewas educated in the common schools and in Penn Yan and Dundee Academies. Eli LEWIS enlisted at Washington, D.C., in 1863 in an engineer corps. After two months

He camehome and in the fall re-enlisted in Co. H. 58^th NY Volunteers,Infantry. He was sergeant, and wasmustered out at the end of his term of service. December 24, 1873, he married Sarah C., daughter of Joshua WASHBURN,Gorham, Ontario County. He is afarmer by occupation and is living on the farm he bought in 1873.

LLOYD,Charles, was born in Cheshire, England in 1820. About 1837 he came to America and located in the town of Benton, where heengaged in farming. November 12,1857, he married Emily Stanton HOLMES, and they had one child, Mary E., whoresides here. Mr. LLOYD diedOctober 9, 1879, and his wife in 1883. NormanHolmes, son of Joshua, was born in1820. He married Norah A. STANTON,daughter of Benjamin STANTON and had one child, Harriet E. He died January 20, 1853.

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