History of Otto, (Cattaraugus County) New York United States of America

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Anna Botsford Comstock, artist, was born in Otto, Cattaraugus county, N.Y., Sept. 1, 1854; daughter of Marvin S. and Phebe (Irish) Botsford, granddaughter of Daniel and Polly (Foote) Botsford and of Job and Anna (Southard) Irish, and a descendant of the Botsfords who came from England, 1630-40, and settled in Milford and Windsor, Conn. Both her grandfathers were pioneers from New England to western New York, and her grandfather Botsford fought in the war of 1812. She attended the common schools until 1870, when she entered the Chamberlain institute at Randolph, N.Y., and she was graduated in the college preparatory course in 1873. She completed a special course in history and political science at Cornell university in 1876, and a course in natural history and science at the same institution in 1885, receiving the degree of BS. She was married Oct. 7, 1878, to Prof. John Henry Comstock of Cornell, and began her career as an artist and engraver for the purpose of assisting her husband in his scientific publications. She began work as a natural history artist in 1880, and as an engraver in 1886. She was elected a member of the committee for the promotion of agriculture in New York state, and from 1896, was employed by Cornell university as a university extension instructor in introducing nature study into the common schools of New York state. She was associated with her husband as an artist in several reports of the United States department of agriculture, and in many of his scientific publications.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Otto, (Cattaraugus County) New York

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