Rush New York Family Sketches

Transcribed by Jeffrey Tooley

Rush New York Family Sketches extracted from Landmarks of Monroe County, by William Farley Peck, Boston History Company, 1895.

Diver, Byron A.

Byron A. Diver, was born in Rush, a son of Norton, whose father, Daniel, was the first of the name to come to Rush. He was born in Vermont, and came here in 1806, bought 300 acres of forest, erected a log cabin, and returned for his family. He had seven children, among whom he divided his property. His father Calvin, came here later and was buried on the farm. Norton Diver married Melissa, daughter of Isaac Jackson of Henrietta, and began housekeeping on what is known as the Charles Green farm. Of his five children, Emily R., died in 1893, Byron, as above; John H., who lives in Lima, and Chloe, widow of Henry M. Hovey of Avon, and Isaac W., who died in Rush, March 19, 1895. Norton spent his last years in Honeoye Falls, where he died in 1889, his wife dying in 1880. Byron married Maud, daughter of Matthew Stull, whose father, Jacob Stull, came here from Maryland in 1801. Matthew died in 1871 at East Rush. Our subject bought his present farm before his marriage in 1865, the place comprising 115 acres of the old homestead. He has a son, Grad, and two daughters, Melissa C. and Eva E. Mr. Diver was supervisor during 1888-89-90, being re-elected without opposition. He was also assessor six years and collector two years.

Fishell, Henry

Henry Fishell, is a son of John, whose father, Henry, came from near Gettysburg, Pa., to Rush in 1808, when John was a child. The elder Fishell bought land and settled on Hoyeoye Creek, the homestead being still in the family. Of their seven children, John married Sarah Bell, of Rush, and had seven children. She died in 1845, and he married second Mary Fishell, a second cousin, by whom he had fourteen children. Of the twenty-one, eighteen are living and in prosperous circumstances. John Fishell died in 1879. Henry Fishell was the oldest son, and he married Cornelia Elwanger, and lives on a farm near Five Points. He has one son, Archie 13., and a daughter, Hattie M. John Fishell was a man of means, and the father of these children. Margaret (Mrs. William Bell), Henry, Lovina (Mrs. Wheeler), Susan (Mrs. Bell), Maria (Mrs. Kellogg), Benjamin, Sarah (Mrs. Burton), Celinda (Mrs Burgett), Lovira, who died young, Caroline (Mrs. John Burgett), deceased, Miles A., William R., Martin, who resides on the old homestead, John, who died in Michigan, Helen, a widow, who resides at home, Emma (Mrs. Benjamin Hovey), Ada (Mrs. William Henry), Delia (Mrs. Longtier), and Avery.

Martin, Henry R.

Henry R. Martin — The father of our subject, James K. Martin, was born in Rensselaer county, N. Y. , and his mother, whose maiden name was Bristol, came from the same place. In March, 1819, they removed from Rensselaer county to Riga, in what is now the town of Chili, near Black Creek. The journey was made with one team and wagon, containing seven persons and the household goods of two families. The journey occupied two weeks. The next winter Mr. Martin returned to Rensselaer county for his widowed mother and two younger brothers, making the wearisome journey on foot in six days. Unfortunately for Mr. Martin, the locality where he had first settled, on Black Creek, was very low and unhealthy, and he and his family were all sick with the ague and fever during the summer ; in August every one was sick. Later in the fall they partially recovered their health, and Mr. Martin began to look about for some means to earn food for his family. He had no money and could not get money for his work. He found, however, that he could work for his uncle, Judge Sibley, chopping wood for one-half bushel of wheat per day's work. He worked sixteen days for which he received eight bushels of wheat, which he had to thresh and clean, and then by taking it to the village of Rochester he could get two shillings per bushel. In all he worked nineteen days for eight bushels of wheat, which he sold for two dollars. These were the hardest times he found. In January, i 1821, Mr. Martin removed from Black Creek to the town of Rush, renting a farm of j James Wadsworth, which he occupied for four successive years. In three years he began to gather things about him, and in 1825 he purchased and moved on a tract of one hundred acres, of which only four or five were cleared. This he cleared and improved with his own hands and gained property very slowly by the most rigid economy. He resided on this farm till the day of his death, doing much hard work and never engaging in any speculation. As his family grew around him he purchased more land, and in course of time all were settled on farms adjoining or near his own. He had a large family — eight sons and five daughters. Mr. Martin was for many years and until his death in 1870 a member of the Christian church at North Rush, and in which he was chosen one of the deacons. Previous to his death one son, Joseph, and one daughter, Fannie (Mrs. Martin Norris), had died. Since then Lorenzo, Stephen B., and Charles E. have died. The remaining children are Elvira, Lydia, James, Catherine, Clarrissa, Killian, Henry R., and Ward. The youngest, Ward, is living on the homestead, and Killian and Henry R. are on adjoining farms. Henry R. married Louisa Collins. They have had seven children, five of whom are living. Their names are Elvira F., James R., Mary L., Carrie A., and Lucelia A.

Snapp, Archibald T.

Archibald T. Snapp, was born in Warren county, Pa., in 1835, and came to Rush in 1865, with his parents and two brothers. Of the latter, George is residing in this town, and Abram in Caledonia. His parents were George and Catherine (Scheuler) Snapp. Our subject bought the Judge Jones farm, north of Mann's Corners. His father died in 1877 and his mother in 1884. In 1868 Archibald married Emma Dietrich, born in Rochester in 1844. She was the daughter of Abram Dietrich of Rochester, who was drowned in Canandaigua Lake in 1846. He was the son of Jacob, who came to this town from Pennsylvania, later moved to Rochester, and died in Victor. Mrs. Snapp' s mother was Margaret Filon of Rochester. She died in 1858. Mr. and Mrs. Snapp have two children, Mina, born in 1876, and Roy Filon, born in 1879.

The Stull Family

The Stull Family. — Jacob Stull resides at Mann's Corners, in Rush, on the farm where he was born in the fall of 1812, and in the house built by his father, Jacob Stull in 1814. Jacob 1st was a native of Frederick, Md. His father died when Jacob was a boy, and Jacob was indentured to a tailor, and served his time. At the age of twenty-two he and his mother and two sisters came with a number of families and five teams to Lyons, this State, intending to go to Sodus Point. Parties who had promised to cut a road for them through Wayne county had failed to do so, and they came to Avon instead. One of the sisters of Jacob married Adam Price, son of Philip, members of the party coming with the Stulls from Maryland. They reared seven sons and one daughter, Susannah, who became the wife of Jacob Stull 1st, and the mother of our subject. Both families moved into Rush, the Stulls in 1802, and the Prices in 1803. Philip Price's sons were young men when they came here; they married and settled here, and reared large families, who on reaching manhood all went to Michigan excepting George and Peter. The old people died on this farm, which adjoins the Stull farm, he in 1829 and his wife in 1826. Jacob Stull was the first to settle in the town on the north side of Honeoye Creek. He died in the fall of 1845, aged sixty-seven, his wife having died in 1847. They had thirteen children. Augusta died in infancy, and the others were John P., Israel, George, who died in Illinois; Abigail, Isabel, Rebelsa, James S., Jacob, Peter P., Susan, Matthew, and Adaline, who died in Honeoye Falls. Jacob Stull, sr., was a leading politician of Rush, serving as assessor and clerk for many years. His son, John P., was supervisor, and well known in the county. When the subject of this sketch was five years old he suffered a severe attack of inflammation of the brain, which resulted in paralysis of his left side, and he never had any use of his left arm or hand, and was able to walk only by an effort. He was educated at the Seminary at Lima, and when his brothers left home he took the management of the farm, living with his sisters until they died, and since with people who have worked on the place. His farming has been successful and he has been able to give generously to the needy and to other enterprises. Peter Price Stull was born in 1814. He married Julia, daughter of Capt. Nathan H. Jeffords, who came from Richfield to Rush in 1805. Captain Jeffords was one of the noted characters in the early days, and died in 1867 at the age of eighty-three. He had twelve children, all but two of whom settled and died in Rush. The children of Peter P. Stull and Julia Jeffords were Horace G. and Sarah, who married William H. Mead, of Rush. Horace G. married Marietta A., daughter of William G. Norton, of Honeoye Falls, and they had one one son, Alfred Peter.