Garrett Lake, the ancestor of the Lakes of Harrisville, Lewis county, New York, was born in the town of Jackson, Washington county, N.Y. He was a farmer by occupation. He had sons:
1. James, mentioned below.
2. Abraham, married and settled in Canada at Merrick's Falls.
3. John, moved to St. Lawrence county, N.Y.; settled in the town of Alexandria, where he married and reared a large family, most of whom later settled in Michigan.
4. Catherine, the only daughter, married, and also settled in Merrick's Falls.

(II) James, eldest son of Garrett Lake, was born in Jackson, Washington county, N.Y., Aug. 9, 1765, died at Gouverneur, N.Y., March 7, 1841. He moved soon after his marriage to the town of Naples, Ontario county, N.Y., where he was a farmer.
He married, Sept. 9, 1790, Hannah Jackson, born in the town of Jackson, Washington county, July 15, 1767. Here five of his children were born. About the year 1810 he disposed of his interests in New York state and removed to Canada, where he settled on Ridian river, at Merrick's Falls, where others of his family had preceded him. Here two children were born.
The war of 1812-14 was now in progress, and the loyalty of all the residents in that section was tested by a form of oath of allegiance to the British Crown which all were asked to take. James Lake refused to sign, and was obliged to either leave Canada or take up arms against his native land. He chose the former course and escapted to the United States. After the close of the war he returned to Canada with his family, except Jesse and Thomas, who remained on their farms in St. Lawrence county.
James Lake afterward returned to the U.S. and had a farm in the town of Governeur, St. Lawrence county, N.Y., where he died.
He married Hannah Jackson.
Children, born in Ontario county, N.Y.:
Jesse, mentioned below.
Stuart.
Abraham.
Catherine.
Children born in Canada:
John.
Henry.

(III) Jesse, son of James and Hannah (Jackson) Lake, was born in the town of Naples, Ontario county, N.Y. about the year 1790. He lived in Canada , and during the war of 1812, although only a boy of seventeen or eighteen years, was pressed into the English army that was about to attempt the capture of Ogdensburg. His brother Thomas and a cousin were also forced into the service. Sooner than figtht against their own country and flag, the three boys deserted, crossed the St. Lawrence in safety at a point about five miles above Prunet, made their way to Ogdensburg, and informed the American commander of the British plans so far as they knew them. That officer then gave the boys passes to go wherever they wished.
Jesse Lake went to the town of Perrington, Monroe county, N.Y., where he married. About a year after his marriage he removed to Gouverneur, St. Lawrence county, where he settled on a tract of land about five miles from the present (1910) village of that name. Here four of his children were born. In 1825 he returned to Perrington and settled on a farm near where they were married a few years previous. Here two daughters were born. He next removed to Macedon, Wayne county, N.Y., where three sons were born.
In the winter of 1838 his father, James Lake, who had returned from Canada, persuaded him to return to Gouverneur and settle upon the farm the elder Lake had acquired in the northeastern part of the town of Gouverneur. Here his parents died, and Jesse lived there the remainder of his days.
He married, in Perrington, Monroe county, N.Y., Oct. 3, 1816, Lavinia Cook, born of English parents, in the town of Plainfield, Hampshire county, Massachusetts Nov. 16, 1790, died in the town of Gouverneur, St. Lawrence county, N.Y. June 4, 1882, at the extreme age of eighty-four years.
Children:
1. Thomas, born Dec. 29, 1818.
2. Laura, born Aug. 5, 1821; married John Cooper, and died Feb. 18, 1866, leaving three children.
3. Catharine, born Dec. 20, 1822; married Eliakim Hunt, to whom she bore three children.
4. Garrett, born Aug. 28, 1824, died Feb. 26, 1848.
5. Hannah, born June 6, 1826.
6. Orissa Jane, born Aug. 10, 1828; married Morris G. Smith.
7. Joseph, born Jan. 5, 1832.
8. Levi C., mentioned below.
9. Christopher, born May 8, 1838.
10. Edwin, born Aug. 14, 1840, died Jan. 10, 1873.

(IV) Levi C., son of Jesse and Lavinia (Cook) Lake, was born in the town of Macedon, Wayne county, N.Y., Nov. 26, 1835. He grew up on the Gouverneur farm, and received as good a common school education as the town afforded. He remained on the home farm until he reached the age of twenty years, when he decided to abandon farming and learn a trade. He apprenticed himself to Charles Fisk, to learn the trade of carpenter and joiner. His employer was a contractor and builder of the villages of Ogdensburg, who became involved in business troubles and left the state about eight months after Levi C. Lake began work for him. The young man, nowise discouraged at the failure of his plans, returned to Gouverneur, and for the following five years was in the employ of C. A. and S. B. Van Duyn, contractors and builders, with whom he learned his trade and became an expert workman.
In 1861 he removed to Diana, town of Harrisville, Lewis county, where he worked at the trade until 1872, when he engaged in the cooperating business, continuing until May 1, 1875. He then entered into partnership with his brother-in-law, C. N. Blood, and continued in mercantile life until April 27, 1891, as Lake & Blood, general merchants. The firm also built the Adirondack House, which they operated for ten years.
Mr. Lake is a well-known, highly regarded man, and is one of the substantial useful men of Lewis county.
He is a Democrat in politics and served as supervisor.
He married, Oct. 13, 1859, Louisa A. Blood, born in the town of Scriba, Oswego county, N.Y., May 15, 1839, died April 21, 1908, at Harrisville, youngest daughter of Israel and Esther Blood, of the town of Diana, Lewis county, N.Y.
Children:
1. Elmer Porter, mentioned below.
2. Charles E., born Feb. 8, 1868; educated at Potsdam Normal School, Potsdam, N.Y.; married (first) Jettie O'Neal; (second) Charlotte Wells; children: Marion, born Feb., 1900; Dorothy, Feb., 1901; Margarettta, Sept., 1905.
3. Maude M., born Jan. 24, 1873; married James Purcell.

(V) Elmer Porter, eldest son of Levi C. and Louisa A. (Blood) Lake, was born in Harrisville, Lewis county, N.Y., Sept. 29, 1863. He was educated in the public schools of his town, and began business life as a clerk in the store of Lake & Blood, general merchants, of Harrisville. He remained in their employ about nine years. In company with his father, he conducted Kenwood Hall, the leading hotel of the town, remaining in that business for ten years. Severing his connection with Kenwood Hall, he re-entered mercantile life and has since been engaged very successfully in general merchandising. He is also an extensive land owner, owning and operating two farms, with a dairy of sixty cows and a sugar grove containing five thousand trees.
Politically a Democrat, he has represented the town of Diana on the Lewis county board of supervisors for four terms. He was railroad commissioner for the town, has been president, trustee and treasurer of the village corporation of Harrisville and president of the school board.
He is prominent in fraternal order, belonging to Oswegatchie Lodge, No. 687, Free and Accepted Masons; Lowville Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; Watertown Commandery, No. 11, Knights Templar; Media Temple, Mystic Shrine, of Watertown, N.Y.; and Harrisville Lodge, No. 821, Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

He married, at Natural Bridge, N.Y., Etta L., daughter of William and Delia (Humes) Palmer, of Lewis county. William Palmer was born in the town of Middlefield, Oswego county, N.Y., Jan. 13, 1826. He came to the town of Diana with his father, James Palmer, when the town was virgin wilderness, and secured a large tract of land by purchase from the agents of Joseph Bonaparte of France, one time kind of Spain, who had a vast holding of land in northern New York. Mr. Palmer still (1910) owns about eight hundred acres, most of which is well improved and stocked. He married Delia Humes, and has children: i. Ella Amelia, married Myron Dobson. ii. Emma E., died in June, 1878. iii. William E. iv. Ida L., married Sidney Kearns. v. Etta L., married Elmer P. Lake, aforementioned. vi. Fred E.

Children of Fred P. and Etta L. (Palmer) Lake:
1. Blanche W., graduate of Potsdam, N.Y. Normal school; married Harold Dutcher.
2. Annetta.
3. Ruth, born Jan. 1, 1894, died March 14, 1905.

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