History of Watkins Glen, (Schuyler County) New York United States of America

Our database does not include an historic photo for Watkins Glen, (Schuyler County) New York, do you have one you would like to contribute? Contact Us!

Biographies:

David Howell Jerome, governor of Michigan, was born in Detroit, Mich., Nov. 17, 1829; son of Horace and Elizabeth Rose (Hart) Jerome. His father died when he was an infant, and his mother removed to New York, and in 1834 to St. Clair county, Mich., where David was educated in the public schools. He went to California in 1853 and engaged in mining, returning with a moderate fortune. He entered mercantile business in Saginaw, Mich., and in 1862, under appointment of Governor Blair, he raised the 23d Michigan infantry, and was made its colonel, but did not accompany the regiment to the front. He was a member of the state senate and chairman of the committee on state affairs, 1862-68; military aide to Governor Crapo, 1865-66; a member and president of the state military board, 1865-73; a member of the committee to revise the state constitution, 1873, and a member and president of the board of Indian commissioners, 1875-80. He built the Saginaw and St. Louis railroad, and was president and manager of the company until it was merged into the Detroit, Lansing and Northern system. He was elected governor of Michigan as a Republican, serving 1881-83. He was appointed, in 1889, chairman of Cherokee commission, which acquired from the Indians over 15,500,000 acres of land for the opening of the white settlement in the Indian Territory. This was accomplished in 1893. He was a trustee of the Michigan Military academy and a member of the American Historical association. He died at Watkins Glen, N.Y., April 24, 1896.

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

Samuel Arza Davenport, representative, was born near Watkins, Schuyler county, N.Y., Jan. 15, 1834; son of William and Phylance (Tracy) Davenport; grandson of Roswell and Esther (Heminway) Davenport, and a descendant of the Rev. John Davenport, who with Theophilus Eaton and others, in April, 1638, settled at Quinnipiack, afterward known as New Haven, Conn. He attended the academy in Erie, Pa., and was graduated from Harvard law school in 1855. In 1860 he was elected district attorney in Erie county, Pa., and thereafter practised in the courts of the state and of the United States. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention at Chicago in 1888 and at Minneapolis in 1892. He was a Republican representative from the state of Pennsylvania at large in the 55th and 56th congresses, 1897-1901.

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

Joseph Norton Dolph, senator, was born near Watkins, N.Y., Oct. 19, 1835. He was educated at Genesee Wesleyan seminary, Lima, N.Y., taught school, studied law at Havana, N.Y., and was admitted to the bar at Binghamton, N.Y., in November, 1861. In the spring of 1862 he enlisted in Captain Crawford's military company, organized under authority of a special act of congress to protect immigrants to Oregon from hostile Indians. He crossed the continent acting as orderly sergeant of the "Oregon escort" and arrived at Portland, Ore., in October, 1862. He was mustered out of service at Walla Walla, Wash., and at once began the practice of his profession at Portland, Ore. Shortly afterward he formed a partnership with J. N. Mitchell which continued for two years until the election of Mr. Mitchell to the U.S. senate in 1873. Mr. Dolph was appointed U.S. attorney for Oregon by President Lincoln in 1865 and filled the office until September, 1866, when he resigned to take his seat in the Oregon legislature as senator from Multnomah county. He was city attorney of Portland, 1864-66; state senator, 1866-68 and 1873-77, and chairman of the Republican state central committee, 1866-68. He prepared the papers which secured the return of Dr. Watts as Republican elector and thereby decided the vote of Oregon in favor of President Hayes. He was U.S. senator from Oregon from Dec. 3, 1883, to March 4, 1895. He died in Portland. Ore., March 10, 1897.

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