History of Cazenovia, (Madison County) New York United States of America

Edward Griffin Beckwith, soldier, was born at Cazenovia, N.Y., June 25, 1818. After graduating from West Point, in 1842, he served in garrison at Savannah, as 2d lieutenant of 3d artillery, until 1846, when he was appointed for recruiting service. He was promoted 1st lieutenant June 18, 1846, and took an active part in the Mexican war; was present at Tampico and Vera Cruz, and was engaged in the Pacific railroad survey from 1853 to 1857, and in constructing military roads in Nebraska and Kansas, 1857-'59. He was promoted captain May 12, 1855, and during the civil war served in the commissary department from 1861 to 1865, with the exception of a few weeks (Sept. 16 to Nov. 16, 1863), when he acted as provost-marshal-general of the department of the Gulf, and again when placed for a short time (from August, 1863, to January, 1864) in command of the defences of New Orleans. On Feb. 8, 1864, he was promoted major, and on March 13, 1865, was brevetted lieutenant-colonel, colonel, and brigadier-general of volunteers. He was continued in the service of the commissary department and was mustered out May 31, 1866. He died at Clifton, N.Y., June 22, 1881.

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

Charles Stebbins Fairchild, cabinet officer, was born in Cazenovia, N.Y., April 30, 1842; son of Sidney Thompson and Helen (Childs) Fairchild; grandson of John Flavel and Flavia (Merrill) Fairchild; great-grandson of Abijah and Sarah (Howell) Fairchild; great, great-grandson of David and Catherine (Gregory) Fairchild; great, great, great-grandson of Zacharias Fairchild of Morris Plains, N.J.; and a descendant of Thomas Fairchild, who settled in Stratford, Conn., in 1646. His father, who was graduated at Union in 1829, was a distinguished lawyer and president of the village of Cazenovia; and his great, great-grand father, Abijah, of Cooperstown, N.Y., was a native of Morristown, N.J., and served under Washington in the Jersey line. Charles was graduated from Harvard, A.B., 1863, LL.B., 1865. He was married, June 1, 1871, to Helen, daughter of Ledyard and Helen Clarissa (Seymour) Lincklaen. He was a member of the law firm of Hand, Hale, Swartz & Fairchild, Albany, N.Y., 1871-76; served as deputy attorney-general of New York in 1874 and 1875, and was elected in 1875 attorney-general of the state, serving 1876-77. He then spent some time in European travel and in 1880 settled in New York city where he opened a law office. In 1885 he was made assistant secretary of the U.S. treasury and served as acting secretary during the incapacity from sickness of Daniel Manning. Upon the resignation of Secretary Manning, April 1, 1887, Mr. Fairchild was appointed by President Cleveland to the head of the department and he continued a member of the official family of the president until the close of the administration, March 4, 1889. He was then made president of the New York security and trust company. In 1893 he was elected president of the Reform club and in May, 1895, he succeeded William R. Grace as chairman of the executive committee of the New York state Democracy. In 1897 he was candidate for comptroller of the city of New York on the Citizen's Union ticket, and was defeated. He served as president and as treasurer of the State charities aid association and as vice-president of the Charity organization society of New York city. He became a member of the University, Reform, Metropolitan, Ardsley, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Alpha Delta Phi. Harvard and Lawyers' clubs, and of the Century and Bar associations, New York city. Harvard and Columbia universities conferred on him the honorary degree of LL.D. in 1888.

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

Orsamus Cole, jurist, was born in Cazenovia, N.Y., Aug. 23, 1819; son of Hymeneus and Sarah (Salisbury) Cole, and grandson of Aaron and Phebe (Pierce) Cole. He was graduated from Union college in 1843. He was admitted to the bar in 1845, and removed to Potosi, Wis., in 1845. He was a member of the convention which met at Madison in 1847 to frame the state constitution, and represented his district in the 31st U.S. congress, 1849-51. From June 1, 1855, to Nov. 11, 1880, he was associate justice of the Wisconsin supreme court, succeeding to the chief justiceship on the latter date and holding the office until January, 1892, when he was succeeded by William P. Lyon. He was professor of law in the University of Wisconsin, 1868-78, and received from that institution the degree of LL. D. in 1869.

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

Albert Nelson Prentiss, educator, was born in Cazenovia, N.Y., May 22, 1836. He studied in Cazenovla seminary, and was graduated from Michigan Agricultural college, A.B., 1861, A.M., 1864. He served as a private under Gen. John C. Fr?mont in Missouri, 1861-62; was associate principal of the high school at Kalamazoo, Mich., 1863-65; instructor and professor of botany and horticulture in Michigan Agricultural college, 1865-68, and professor of botany, horticulture and arboriculture at Cornell university, N.Y., 1868-96. He conducted the Cornell expedition to Brazil in 1870, and studied in Kew Gardens, England, and in the Jardin des Plantes, Paris, in 1872. He earned a world-wide reputation as a botanist, and in 1872 received the Walker prize of the Boston Society of Natural History for his essay on the "Natural Distribution" of plants. He published several botanical papers, a monograph on the hemlock, and Contributions to scientific periodicals. He died in Ithaca, N.Y., Aug. 14, 1896.

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

History of Cazenovia, (Madison County) New York

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