1914 Deaths

Here are a list of people buried in Bayside who died 100 years ago.

1. Jennie Webster died Jan 31 1914
2. Josephine Perrigo died Feb 5 1914

3. Mary Thompson Died Mar 7 1914
4. Mary Everett died Mar 31 1914

5. Charles Putnam died Apr 11 1914

6. Lester Shepard Died Jan 10 1914

7. James Cornell Died Apr 20 1914

8. Dorothy Simonds died Apr 18 1914

9. Francis Cary died Mar 27 1914
10. Marietta Jackson died Mar 26 1914

11. Martha Cox died May 10 1914
12. Ruth Baker died Feb 17 1914
13. Richard Baker died Feb 17 1914
14. George Worden died May 13 1914

15. Nancy Kinney died May 17 1914
16. Lott W. Armin died May 21 1914

17. Lewis H. Mason died May 24 1914

18. William Burnham- Died May 29 1914
19. Charles Benson- Died Jan 26 1914

20. Oscar McCuen- Died Jun 9 1914

21. Allegra Lalone died Jun 12 1914

22. Harriet Ives died Jun 22 1914

23. Charles B. Bailey died Jun 23 1914

24. Frank Midgley died Jun 28 1914

25. Benjamin Miles died Jul 1 1914

26. Lucy Duby died Jul 20 1914

27. Bennie Wegar- Died Aug 6 1914
28. Sarah Knowles died Sept 11 1914 (gravestone says Nov 11)

29. Seth Benson died Sept 14 1914

30. Harriet Welch died Sept 25 1914

31. Mary Ames died Sept 30 1914

32. Carmen Lenox- Died Oct 1 1914
33. Ormel G. Howe died Oct 23 1914

34. David Smead died Oct 30 1914

35. Donald Simonds died Nov 1 1914 (to see photo of gravestone see Dorothy Simonds)
36. Mary Nelson died Nov 2 1914

37. Nancy Hawley died Nov 8 1914 (gravestone says 1915)

38. Ada Worden died Nov 26 1914 (To see photo of gravestone see George Worden)
39. Anna Thompson died Dec 6 1914

40. Jessie Fifield died Dec 17 1914

41. William Williams died Dec 20 1914
42. Margaret Henry died Dec 21 1914

43. Mary Dayton died Dec 22 1914

44. Charles Cox died Dec 26 1914
45. William Blake died Dec 28 1914

Willes and Clark Families

    First of all I want to thank Beth Thurston, Sylvanus Willes's great-great-great-great granddaughter for the photos and information. In this post I am going to write about Sylvanus's son Wilder and his descendants who are buried in Bayside.

    Wilder married Orrenda/Orinda Kimball. They both were school teachers. He also was an engineer trained to work in the sandstone mines in the area. Sometime after they married they moved to an island in the middle of Lake Superior and taught school. Their first two daughters Orrenda (born Apr 21 1836) and Louise (born Jan 17 1838) were born while they were living in the island. They moved back to the United States around 1839. They had two more children after they moved back: Oliver (born Nov 10, 1839) and Harriet (b. 1845). They settled on the farm which used to belong to Wilder's brother Bela. Wilder died on Sept 12 1882 and Orrenda died Oct 23 1893.

     The children were all trained as school teachers. Orrenda and Harriet joined a program called Teach Corps started by Vermont Gov. Slade, through it they were sent out west to teach. They ended up in Indiana. After teaching three or four years Orrenda met and married James R. Carson. James was a widower with three children. Orrenda and James had eight children of their own. Orrenda died Apr 2 1915 and is buried in Scherer Cemetery in Arcadia Indiana.

      Harriet also known as Hattie married Simeon T. Yancey, a Kentucky born and bred man who was a doctor for the Union during the Civil War. They did not have any children. Harriet died Jun 22 1927.

Oliver ended up in Iowa. He dropped the 'e' in the last name. He died Nov 1915 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Vinton Iowa.

Louise married Silas Skidmore Clark. They lived in a farm next door to the Willes Farm. They had seven children: Frederick Willes, Horace, Clara L, Mary J., Charles M., Robert Y., and Earl B.

Louise Willes Clark

Silas Skidmore Clark

Silas died on Oct 21, 1903. Here is his Obit from the local newspaper :

"Death of Silas S., son of Abner and Cynthia Clark, was born in Madrid (?) years ago and died at his home on Norwood road weds morning of this week. More than passing notices is worthy of one who has lived so long in our midst, and borne such an active part with his fellow men in the great struggle of life.

Early in life, he married Louise Willes, who has ever shared life's experiences with him and who will mourn his loss.

Thirty years ago, they moved to the farm where the railroad crosses the Norwood road, and by hard toll and faithful industry they changed the rough woodlands to a home of comfort and delight.

To Mr. And Mrs. Clark seven children, five sons and two daughters were born, who still live to bless their memory. Of those, Fred and Robert are practicing law at White Plains, NY, and Charles is a civil engineer, engaged with the NY Aqueduct Commission at Katonah, NY; Horace conducts a furniture and undertaking business in our town; Earl, a graduate of Cornell Agriculture School, manages the home farm, the daughters are successful teachers in the public schools. Through the untiring efforts of Mr. And Mrs. Clark they were privileged to see their children all graduate from Potsdam Normal. They all will be present at the funeral of their father, which takes place at the home this afternoon at 2 pm. Rev. S. Call officiating assisted by Rev J.W. Miller and Rev B. De F. Snyder of Norwood.

Mr. Clark leaves one brother, Chauncey, living at west Potsdam; three sisters, Mrs. N.L. Stone of Potsdam, Mrs. Ruby Brooks of Rietville, NY and Mrs. George Warner of Schodac, NY.

Early in life Mr. Clark identified himself in the Methodist Episcopal church to whose best interests he has ever been faithful and loyal, the church meanwhile confiding the steward and trusteeship to his judgment and care.

We shall miss him in the church, where he has borne so grand a part. We shall miss him in the busy walks of life, but most of all, we shall miss him in the home as a companion, as father and counselor. We will not forget him for the legacy he has left us is freighted with jewels of love."

Louise died Apr 20 1932. Here is Louise' Obit:

SERVICE FRIDAY, FOR ONE OF VILLAGE'S OLDEST RESIDENTS

"Louise (Willes) Clark, widow of the late Silas S. Clark of this town, died at her home at 103 Main street, Wednesday evening, April 20.

Mrs. Clark was born January 17, 1838, the daughter of Wilder Willes and Orrenda (Kimball) Willes. She was the second of four children, the youngest of whom was Mrs. Harriet Willes Yancey who made her home with Mrs. Clark during her last years.

Mrs. Clark's childhood was passed in her ancestral home on the farm then know as the Willes Farm.

In March 1857 she married Silas S. Clark of the town of Madrid, N. Y., and immediately located on her home farm now known as the Clark farm at Clark's Crossing on the Norwood road. Here they reared seven children, all of whom are living except the eldest, Frederick W. Clark, who died five years ago. Those surviving are Olara (may be Clara) L. Clark, Mrs. Mary Clark Amos, Horace N. Clark and Earl B. Clark of Potsdam; and Charles M. Clark and Robert Y. Clark of White Plains, N. Y. Mr. Silas S. Clark,, husband of the deceased, died in 1903.

Mrs. Clark early acquired a love for the church and its teachings. In early childhood she untied with the First Methodist Episcopal church of Potsdam and was its oldest member at the time of her demise. Throught the 80 years of her membership she was always sacrifically devoted to her church.

She was educated in the schools of her town and at one time taught in them. She completed her education in the old St. Lawrence Academy.

Mrs. Clark was an exemplary homemaker, a friendly neighbor, a loving mother, a competent adviser and an able friend. Throughout her long life she was in possession of an unusally keen mind. She was a reader of the best literature and maintained a careful interest in all civic affairs and current events.

For 63 consecutive years descendants of Mrs. Clark were being educated in the Potsdam State Normal School. From the time that her oldest son Fred entered the grades of that institution at the age of 11, there have been children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren in attendance. Besides her immediate family, Mrs. Clark is survived by 13 grandchildren."

Frederick Willes Clark was born in 1859. He was married twice first to Ada Sniffin and Minnie Benson. He had two sons and one daughter. In his early years he was a teacher. In 1886 he earned a law degree from the University of Cincinnati. In 1887 he was admitted to the New York State Bar. He practiced in White Plains, Tuckahoe and Mount Vernon. He passed away Mar 19 1927 in Mount Vernon. 

Clara was born Apr 11 1862. She was a teacher, she last taught at the Potsdam Normal School. She never married. She died Jan 6 1934.

Mary was born in 1865. She married William N. Amos who was a farmer. Mary died Aug 31 1947 and William died Feb 7 1949.

Horace was born Feb 21 1869/70 (his obit says 1869 while his gravestone says 1870). He married Fanny Town. He was a teacher before he took over the Manley furniture and undertaking business. They had three children Sarah, Virginia and Margaret.  Horace died Oct 11 1933 and Fanny died 1971. Margaret married J. Handley Foote who became Horace's business partner. Horace died Jan 27 1961 and Margaret died in 1996. Margaret and J. Handley had two daughters Suzanne and Nancy. Nancy was born in 1926. She married Joseph Meszaros. She died in 2011.

Charles M. Clark was born Feb 27 1873. He married Grace Saul and had four children. He was Chief Engineer of the New York City Board of Water Supplies. During his time the Delaware Aqueduct was carried through. Clarkson University conferred on him an honorary degree of Engineering. He died Apr 6 1945.

Robert was a lawyer.

Earl B. was born Feb 20 1876. He married Gertrude Hale. They had one daughter. Earl was a farmer. He died Dec 4 1942 and Gertrude died in 1956.

The Silvanius Willes Family Part 1

    Sorry about the long time between posts, with the holidays coming and going I had to get back on track and also I have been working on a lot of things at the St. Lawrence County Historical Association. I thought for the beginning of the new year I would write about some of the families who have four or more generations buried in Bayside.
  A few families have four or more generations buried in Bayside. One of those families is that of Silvanus Willes. The patriarch of the family was Silvanius/Sylvanus Willes. He was born Mar 26, 1756 in Windham CT.
   Silvanius/Sylvanus was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. He was in guard duty at Bunker Hill, retreat at Long Island. Silvanius/Sylvanus also served at Ticonderoga and during the invasion of Connecticut. On March 29, 1781 he married Eunice Davidson dau of Oliver & Eunice Spaulding Davidson. She was born Jun 13, 1757 in Mansfield, CT. They had eight children: Jabez, Betsey, Ziba, Wilder, Bela, Oliver, Luther, and Eunice. Three of them Jabez, Wilder, and Bela are buried in Bayside. Ziba and Luther are both buried in Erie Street Cemetery in Cleveland OH.
          Silvanius/Sylvanus died Aug 18, 1841 and Eunice died in Jun 29 1849. Sometime after Bayside opened their remains with the remains of their children and grandchildren who died in Potsdam before Bayside existed were moved to Bayside.

   

     Jabez was born Dec 6, 1790. He married Betsy Tupper, who was born Dec 6 1795. They had six children: George, Hiram, Jabez, Harriet, Mary and Eliza. Jabez Jr. died Jul 5, 1820. Hiram died Oct 31, 1822. George died Jan 31 1835.

     Jabez Sr. died on Mar 24, 1842

     Harriet married Wellington Stratton. She died Jun 4 1843.

Mary  was born Feb 20 1838 and died Dec 28 1855

    Betsy Tupper Willes died Jan 27 1885

      Eliza was born Jul 9 1827. She marred Charles Ward Leete who was born Jul 6, 1823 in Verona, NY to Rev. Charles W. Leete (who later became minister of Potsdam Methodist Church). Eliza was an active participant in the Temperance movement. There is a stained glass window in the office of the Potsdam United Methodist Church in honor of her work. They had two children Harriet (born Jan 31 1852 and married Sanford E. Clapp) and Charles Henry. Eliza Died Nov 16 1894 and Charles W. died Jun 8 1913

Eliza Willes Leete's Gravestone

Charles W. Leete's Gravestone

         Charles Henry Leete was born March 17, 1857 to Charles W. and Eliza Willes. Charles H. Leete was one of the earliest students of the Potsdam Normal School. He went to Syracuse University for a year before transferring to Yale from which he graduated in 1879. After Yale, he reentered Potsdam Normal School to study the theory & practice of teaching and from January to June of 1881 he taught there.

         Charles H. married Isadore Kelton on Jul 26, 1883. They had two sons, one of whom died at birth. From 1881 to 1887 he was associated with Dr. Julius Sach’s Collegiate Institute for Boys in New York City.

            In 1887 Charles H. Leete traveled to Europe where he attended lectures at different universities, and specialized in Pedagogy, Geography and Economics. He received a Doctor of Philosophy and Masters of Art from the University of Leipzig in 1890. He returned to New York City in 1890 and then that same year he succeeded his father as proprietor of the Potsdam Foundry & Machine Shop. The following year he became headmaster of Dr. Sach’s School for Girls, of which he later became principal and proprietor. In 1907 the school was renamed after him.

            In 1900 Charles became a Trustee of the Potsdam Normal School. Sometime later he was elected President of the Trustees after the death of General Edward A. Merritt.

            Leete helped write textbooks including: “Longman’s New School Atlas,” “Longman’s Textbook of Geography,” “Longman’s Questions in Geography and Exercises in Geography.” He was a life fellow of the National Geographic Society and for several years an examiner in Geography for the College Entrance Examination.

            Charles H. Leete retired to Potsdam. During his retirement he wrote several pamphlets including the following: “The St. Lawrence Ten Towns,” “Some Landmarks of Potsdam,” “The Early History of Potsdam” and “The Bridges of Potsdam.” He started a book titled “Potsdupinni” which his son Edward had published after Charles’s death.

          Isadore died in 1927 and Charles H. Leete died January 8, 1936 and is buried in the family plot at Bayside.  

Gravestone of Charles Henry and Isadore Leete

Last Two Veterans of the Civil War

       I thought because it being almost Veterans Day and the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War I would do a post about the last two surviving Civil War Veterans in Potsdam who are buried in Bayside. They are Melzar Corbin and Hosea Drake.

Melzar Corbin

   Melzar Madison Corbin was born May 10, 1842 in Cobins Corners in the town of Clayton to Simeon & Masbry Corbin. He came to St. Lawrence County and worked on the W.H. Wright Farm in Bucks Bridge. At the same time Melzar attended the St. Lawrence Academy.

     When the Civil War broke out he left the load of hay he was on and enlisted. Of the thirteen workers of the Wright farm who enlisted he was the only one who survived. Melzar enlisted in Co G. of the 106th NY. He was in 21 battles and was wounded three times.When Melzar was wounded in 1864 he clerked in the War Department in Washington D.C. He served throughout the war.

       After the war he married Helen Harriet Wright. Melzar and Helen had a son Aaron who became a Methodist minister. Melzar operated a marble and granite monument company. He died Apr 23 1934.

Photo of Melzar Corbin (Courtesy of St. Lawrence County Historical Association)

Melzar Corbin's Headstone

Hosea Drake

    Hosea Drake was born May 19, 1846 in Stockholm to Prosper and Alvira Ober Drake. He and his two brothers enlisted in the army. Hosea was the only one who survived. His brother Henry died in Andersonville Prison and his other brother Hiram died in Philadelphia in his way home after being wounded (gangrene set in). Hosea enlisted Nov 18, 1861 at age 15 in Co D. of the 92nd NY Inf. Hosea participated in many battles. He was wounded at the Battle of Fair Oaks May 31, 1862. Hosea was one of the lucky survivors of the Petersburg mine explosion. Toward the end of 1864 he was transferred to the 96th NY. In January of 1865 he was promoted to Corporal. Hosea Drake was given an honorable discharge at City Point VA on Feb 6, 1866.

     Hosea was a farmer. He married twice, first to Sarah Harriman and secondly to Phebe Goulding. Hosea was one of the last of the old time fiddlers. When he died Jun 23, 1935 he had outlived six of his nine children.

Hosea and Phebe's Grave

Norton Brand

    One of the fascinating males who is buried in Bayside I have learned about during my research is Norton Brand.
     He was born in Fairbault Minn on May 5 1869. Mr. Brand received a law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1896. He practiced law in Minnesota and Washington for six years.
       In May of 1902 Norton Brand moved to the Philippines where he was chief inspector for the forestry department for two years. He also was editor of the Official Gazette which is a law publication of the Philippine Government for two years. In Manila he married Harriet V. Fritts Badger.
       After the Philippines the Brands moved to Canada. In Canada Norton taught school in Northern Alberta for four years. Later on he was a law editor in St. Paul, Minn and Chicago.
        Norton Brand served as American consul in the following places: Salina Cruz, Mexico, Ferni, British Columbia and Calgary, Alberta. Mr. Brand retired in 1934. When he retired he moved to Potsdam.
        Norton Brand authored numerous books including: "Brand's Justice Code for the State of Washington", "The Mexico Southland", and "The Pastor's Legal Adviser" (which he coauthored with Verner M. Ingram who is also buried in Bayside.)
         Norton Brand died April 10, 1947. He was survived by Harriet, a son Robert a professor of languages at the Old Citadel in Charleston, S.C., a stepdaughter Eunice Badger who worked at the Potsdam Teacher's College, two grandchildren, and two brothers.

Brand Family Headstone in Sec E Lot 112

The Death of David Bockus

     One of the most fascinating stories I found was the story of David Bockus. Here is the transcription of the article I found from the Wednesday, June 12, 1907 issue of the Potsdam Courier & Freeman.

DEATH FOLLOWS QUARREL

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MAN SHOOTS TWO OTHERS AND THEN COMMITS SUICIDE

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Victims of Murderous Assault Will Probably Recover

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             An old fashioned frontier town shoot up occurred at the Frontier House in Depot Street Friday afternoon, and when it was over the barroom looked like a shambles, two men were dangerously shot in the head, and the man who had committed the murderous assault had taken his own life.

             The affray arose over a piece of harness which was left at the Frontier House Friday morning, and later it could not be found. Hugh Murphy, proprietor, suspected that it had been taken by David Backus, a man well known around town, who has been for several years engaged in caring for horses, and spoke to Backus about it. The latter angrily denied knowing anything about it and left the hotel. A little later he went to Maxfield & Needham's and borrowed a revolver and about five o'clock in the afternoon returned to the Frontier House. The harness matter again came up, and Backus admitted taking it and offered to show Murphy where he had hidden it. Murphy refused to go, and there was more discussion, in which a teamster named James McFalls took part.

           Backus soon worked himself into a passion and pulling out his revolver fired at Murphy, shooting him through the mouth. McFalls started to run, but Backus brought him down too with a shot through the cheek. Backus then put a bullet through the back of his own head and dropped to the floor. The noise of the shots attracted a crowd but before the seriousness of the affair was realized Backus had recovered sufficiently to stagger from the hotel. He climbed a board fence in the rear and went to his home on Munson Lane, where he went into the woodshed and cut his throat with a razor. He was found a little later by one of his children and Dr. S.P. Brown was summoned but he was past saving and died in a short time.

           The shot which struck Murphy passed through his mouth and lodged in the back of his neck. Dr. G.C. Madill of Ogdensburg came out Saturday morning and dresses the wound and Murphy is now doing as well as could be expected. The injuries sustained by McFalls were not serious.

            Backus was a man about 40 years old. He came here from Canada several years ago and has had been employment most of the time as hostler. He had a bad temper when intoxicated and has been in various kinds of trouble at different times on account of his quarrelsome disposition. he is survived by his wife {Maria Martin}, three daughters {Agnes, Lillian, and Marion} and a son. The family are well thought of in the neighborhood.

Bockus Family Headstone in Sec H Lot 160

Their three daughters are also buried in Bayside with their husbands. Agnes married William F. Arquett, Lillian married Charles H. Bicknell, and Marion married John Pelton.