Notizen zu dieser Person
Alanson Stephens, eldest son of Benjamin Stephens, was born inHornellsville,on a farm, December 8, 1820, and is the oldest livingnative of the town.His great-grandfather, Uriah Stephens, born in 1724,came with his son Elijah from the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania to whatis now the town of Canisteo, Steuben County, in 1789, settling on lot 8 on the 25th of December of that year,and being one of the original seven owners of that township. UriahStephens died there August 14, 1800, his wife was born in 1731 and at thetime of her death was ninety-four years old. Their son Elijah succeededto the homestead and reared a large family of children of whom Benjamin,the father of the subject of this sketch, died June 4, 1837, agedthirty-eight, being born in Canisteo, 1799. The family is of Englishdecent, and is one of the oldest, and most respected in Steuben County.Its members have for one century taken an active part in business,social, and official life and in various capacities have served theirtownsmen with fidelity and distinction. Benjamin Stephens married Arathusa Hamilton and had born to him sixchildren, all living as follows: Alanson, Elijah, Albert, Helen, andCordelia. Mr. Stephens settled in the town of Hornellsville and diedhere, as did also his wife. Alanson Stephens received such a meager educational advantages as thepublic schools of his native town afforded. His early life was spent principallyin hard work upon his fathers farm, where he acquired the robustconstitution and thrifty habits which later proved of inestimable value.While a youth he learned the trade of carpenter and joiner and followedthat occupation about six years, when he decided to embark. In morepromising fields of employment. He engaged extensively in lumbering inHornellsville and during several years cleared some 1,500 acres of heavypine timber in the town, manufacturing it into lumber on the premises andshipping the products to distant towns. He had a large saw mill on theCanisteo River that was twice burned and twice rebuilt under hisownership, and there he met with two of three serious accidents whichthreatened his future activity. He continued this business until hissupply of timber was exhausted, when he turned his energies toagricultural pursuits, which have since largely engrossed his attention.He owns three farms, aggregating about 500 acres, all lying just south ofthe city, and upon the one he occupied, he settled in 1852. In 1880 hestarted a meat market in Hornellsville which was continued about twelveyears by his son Walter A. Stephens. Mr. Stephens has been a life long Democrat and is the oldest schoolofficial in point of service in the county. He served as school trusteeof the village of Hornellsville for eighteen consecutive years, or untilthe village board of education was organized, when he became a member andthe first president of that body. He held both of these positions forfifteen successive years, completing a continuous service of thirty-threeyears. During that period he had charge of the erection of the first wardand Lincoln School buildings and the reconstruction of the Sixth Ward andPark School houses. No man has taken a deeper of a more active interestin the development of local education than has Mr. Stephens, and no onehas devoted more time and energy to the cause. He was a loan commissionerfor the State for three years, Highway Commisioner of his town for elevenyears, and Supervisor of Hornellsville two terms. He was one of the organizers and first members of the HornellsvilleFarmers Club and as Superintendent had charge of the grounds andconstruction of the buildings, etc., at the time of its inception. Eversince then he has been actively identified with that organization. Invarious other movementsin religion and social matters in public affairs,and in numerous business relationsMr. Stephens has been a foremostpromoter. He was married in 1841 to Miss Catherine Doty, of Hornellsville. She diedMarch 7, 1863 aged forty-one, leaving five children, viz: Christopher B.born April 19, 1844, died in 1879; Thaddeus A. born September 1, 1845;Walter A. born March 6, 1852; William D. born October 10, 1854 andCatherine E. born September 25, 1856, who married September 7, 1876,Henry M. Bennett, who with Alanson Stephens conducts the meat marketpreviously mentioned. Mr. Stephens married for his second wife in July1881, Mrs. Philena Pickard of Hornellsville. The above information was obtained from the "Landmarks of Steuben County"in the "Family Sketches" Section. Submitted by Mary Stewart ------William Lackey Stephens;http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/s/t/e/William-Lackey--Stephens/index.html
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