History of Owasco, (Cayuga County) New York United States of America

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Biographies:

Roeliff Brinkerhoff, philanthropist, was born at Owasco, Cayuga county, N.Y., Jan. 28, 1828, son of George R. Brinkerhoff, an officer of the war of 1812. His first American ancestor, Joris Dericksen Brinkerhoff, emigrated from Holland in 1638 and settled on Long Island, N.Y., upon the site of the city of Brooklyn. Roeliff was educated at the academies of Auburn and Homer, N.Y. In 1844 he taught school in his native town; in 1846 he was a tutor in the family of Andrew Jackson, Jr., at the Hermitage in Tennessee; in 1850 he removed to Mansfield, Ohio, studied law with the Hon. Jacob Brinkerhoff, and in 1852 was admitted to the bar and engaged in the practice of his profession. During four years he was one of the editors and proprietors of the Mansfield Herald. In September, 1861, he entered the Union army as lieutenant and regimental quartermaster of the 64th Ohio volunteer infantry. He was promoted to the rank of colonel, June, 1865, and made inspector of the quartermaster's department, Washington, D. C., until November, when he was ordered to Cincinnati as chief quartermaster of that department. He was mustered out of the army, Oct. 1, 1865. In September, 1866, He was brevetted brigadier-general of volunteers and declined a commission in the regular army. He is the author of the "Volunteer Quartermaster," a standard guide in the quartermaster's department. In 1873, upon the organization of the Mansfield savings bank, he became its vice-president. Iu 1878 be was appointed a member of the Ohio board of state charities. He was made a member of the national conference of charities and correction, and in 1880 its president. He was vice-president of the national prison congress from its re-organi-zation, and was elected its president in 1893. He was one of the founders of the Mansfield lyceum and library, of the Mansfield public park, of the soldiers' and sailors' memorial library, and of the Ohio arch?ological and historical society, which was organized under his institution, and of which he became president in 1893. He was a Democrat in politics and in 1875 wits associated with David A. Wells, William Cullen Bryant, Prof. A. L. Perry, and other pioneers in tariff reform. He was appointed by the government one of the delegates to represent the United States at the international prison congress in Paris in 1895, where he was made the chairman of the American delegation. He spent several weeks in visiting prisons and reformatories in western Europe and the British islands, and on his return to America made a report of his observations and conclusions in regard to European methods, which was published by Congress as an appendix to the report of the American delegation upon the Paris congress. He served as chairman of the board of state charities of Ohio from 1879, completing his seventh term in 1897.

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

Cornelia Adele Strong Fassett, painter, was born in Owasco, N.Y., Nov. 9, 1831. She studied painting in New York city and afterward under Matthieu and other artists in Paris and Rome. About 1855 she returned to the United States and opened a studio in Chicago, Ill. In 1875 she removed to Washington, D.C., where she executed her most noted work, "The Electoral Commission in Open Session" (1877-80), which was purchased by the Senate committee on library in 1886, for $7,500, and hung in the capitol at Washington, D.C. In 1873 she was elected a member of the Chicago academy of design. In addition to the work mentioned she painted portraits of Vice-President Henry Wilson, Mr. Justice Miller, Mr. Justice Field, Chief-Justice Waite, President Garfield, Gen. John A. Logan, Clara Barton and others. She died in Washington, D.C., Jan. 4, 1898.

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

Israel Thompson Hatch, representative, was born in Owasco, N.Y., in 1808. He was graduated at Union college in 1829, was subsequently admitted to the bar, and practised in Buffalo. He was assistant secretary of New York state in 1830; served as a state senator in 1852; and was a Democratic representative in the 35th congress, 1857-59. While in congress he was appointed by President Buchanan to report on the working of the reciprocity treaty of 1854 between the United States and Canada and in 1859 he was appointed postmaster of Buffalo. He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention, 1867-68. He engaged in banking, 1861-75. He died in Buffalo, N.Y.. Sept. 24, 1875.

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