NORTHERN NEW YORK
Genealogical and family history of northern New York: a record of the achievements of her people
in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation.
New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co. 1910.
MARKHAM
Transcribed by Coralynn Brown
William Markham, pioneer ancestor of this branch of the family, was a nephew of William Penn, whom he accompanied to this country, and had charge of his colony.
(I) Ebenezer Markham, the first of the line herein traced, was born in 1748, died 1814, buried at Constableville, N.Y. He came from Middletown, Connecticut.
He participated in the war orf 1776, and fought in the battles of Yorktown and Saratoga.
His wife Dorothy was born 1757.
Among their children were:
Benjamin, mentioned below.
Titus, who served in the war of 1812 and was a pensioner of that war. Herbert Markham, son of Titus Markham, was killed in the battle of the Wilderness, civil war.
(II) Benjamin, son of Ebenzer and Dorothy Markham, was born in Middletown, Conn., 1778, died in 1859. He was a farmer by occupation, a Whig in politics, and participated in the war of 1812, receiving a pension for his services.
He married Lydia Hubbard, of Leyden, New York, born 1789, died in 1868.
Among their children were:
Silas, mentioned below.
Hannah, who married a Mr. Thompson, and their son, Lewis Thompson, served as a musician during the civil war, dying on his way home from exposure.
(III) Silas, son of Benjamin and Lydia (Hubbard) Markham, was born April 15, 1818, in West Turin, N.Y., where his entire life was spent. He was a farmer by occupation.
He married Louisa Hubbard, born in Leyden, N.Y., in 1816, daughter of Davis Hubbard, born 1785, died Feb. 6, 1867, and Sarah, his wife, born 1781, died July 6, 1855. Davis Hubbard conducted the first paper mill in Lewis county, N.Y.; it was located on the stream running through Martinsburg village about a mile below the village. He was a Democrat in politics, served in the war of 1812, and received a pension for his services.
Among the children of Mr. & Mrs. Markham were:
Homer Collins, mentioned below.
De Witt Clinton, mentioned below.
(IV) Homer Collins, son of Silas and Louisa (Hubbard) Markham, was born in the town of West Turin, one mile east of Constableville, N.Y., Nov. 10, 1842. He attended the common schools at Collinsville, and Whitestown Seminary, N.Y. He began his business career by teaching school, after which he manufacured butter and cheese. He resided at Collinsville until 1873. He then was appointed canal collector, and removed to Lyons Falls.
He invented a cheese curd sink and milk cooler, and received a patent with Charles G. Riggs, of Turin, on the manufacture of butter from whey in 1866. In 1872 he received a patent with his brother, De Witt Clinton Markham, on the Eureka mowing machine and flexible cutter bar. He then engaged in the manufacture of agricultural implements and in addition to this bought large quantities of potatoes, wich he sent to New York, having four or five canal boats for that purpose.
He built several houses, also a grist and flouring mill, which he conducted for several years, and built and now rents out a blacksmith shop. He also has bred trotting stock, being the owner of the celebrated stallion, Charles B. Wilkes, record, 2.24.1-4. Hee was the second man to bring the celebrated Holstein stock into the souther part of the county. He went to Canada and was a dealer in Canadian horses, has also been a farmer, and at present (1910) is raising hay and grain.
In connection with Peter Beddenger and other residents of Lyons Falls, Mr. Markham organized the Beauty Spring Water Company, was the first and only president up to date, and organized with others the Black River Telephone Company, was its first president, served for five years, and is still interested in it.
Mr. Markham was a Republican in politics, and held the office of postmaster at Lyons Falls under Garfield and Cleveland's first administration. He was the first Democrat supervisor elected in nine years in the town of West Turin; held the office for four years. He voted for Governor Hughes both times he ran for governor. He served his time in the National Guard and received an honorable discharge.
He was a member of the Good Templars, and is now a member in good standing in Turin Lodge, No. 184, Free and Accepted Masons, joining in 1875, also of the Twentieth Century Club.
Mr. Markham married, Nov. 30, 1869, Jessie E. Church, of Lee Center, N.Y., born Dec. 18, 1850, daughter of Nathan and Charlotte Cornish.
Children:
1. Jay, born March 5, 1871; married, July 31, 1895, Lou Jones.
2. Frances E., Aug. 9, 1873; married, Sept. 13, 1898, H. F. Timmerman.
3. Homer J., Sept. 22, 1875; married, Nov. 4, 1897, Marie Phelps.
4. De Witt C., June 19, 1885.
(IV) De Witt Clinton Markham, son of Silas and Louisa (Hubbard) Markham, was born in West Turin, Lewis county, N.Y., March 21, 1846. He was educated in the public schools of the town, and worked on the home farm from his sixteenth until his twenty-first year. On attaining his majority he entered mercantile life with his brother, Homer C. Markham, continuing until 1875. In 1868 he became interested in the Eureka mowing machine, then being introduced among the farmers and for ten years acted as agent for the company for the sale of their machines. Later he became superintendent of their works, and patented many improvements to the machine. In 1902 he patented his invention for the Markham cattle tie and stancheon, and they were manufactured at Lyons Falls, N.Y. This has been a successful invention, as has his "Spring Cutter and Sleigh," another of his patented inventions.
In 1885 he purchased and located upon his present (1910) farm in the town of Leyden, where he has made a specialty of breeding the light harness horse and Holstein cattle. He also has large real estate interests in the west, including a ranch in Nebraska.
He served as sheriff of Lewis county during the years 1894-95-96, elected as a representative of the Republican party. He holds fraternal membership with Port Leyden Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Grange.
He married, July 4, 1867, Margaret, daughter of Lyman W. and Nettie (Adams) Barnes, of Lyons Falls.
Children:
Fred DeWitt, mentioned below.
Nellie Louise, who died in infancy.
(V) Fred De Witt Markham, M.D., C.V.S., only son of De Witt C. and Margaret (Barnes) Markham, was born at Collinsville, Lewis county, N.Y., March 3, 1871. He was educated in the public school of that town and at Towanda, Pennsylvania, and at Utica high school. After his graduation from the latter school, he studied medicine two years with Dr. C. T. Guillaume, of Utica, with the intention of following that profession. From his association with his father in the breeding of blooded horses, he became so interested in the horse and the study of comparative medicine, that he decided to adopt veterinary medicine and surgery as his profession. He entered Ontario Veterinary College, Toronto, Canada, under the control of the Department of Agriculture, and affiliated with the University of Toronto, from which he was graduated in 1895, standing third in a class of one hundred and seventy-two students.
Returning to Utica, N.Y., he opened an office there for the practice of his profession, remaining one year. In 1896 he returned to Port Leyden, where he continued his career as a veterinarian. In 1900 he took a special course at McKillip Veterinary College, in the medico-chirurgic department, continuing, after graduating, his practice at Port Leyden. In 1905 he took a post-graduate course at the Chicago Veterinary College, graduating with the degree of Doctor of Comparative Medicine.
He was then, for time, connected with Doctors Wright and Merrillat, of Chicago. Dr. Wright is now (1910) state veterinarian of Illinois, and his partner, Dr. Merrillat, has a national reputation as an authority in veterinary medicine, being the author of several standard veterinary works, also as a teacher. Both of them are instructors at the Chicago Veterinary College. He remained with them until receiving an appointment as veterinarian in the quartermaster's department, U.S. army, and ordered to supervise the preparation and embarkation at Seattle, Washington, of a large number of horses for U.S. army use in the Phillipines. He delivered them on board the United States transport, "Dix" in such condition that they arrived at Manilla with the loss of but two animals out of 472, gaining for Dr. Markham the unstinted praise of Captain Cranston, of the "Dix," and F. A. Grant, captain, quartermaster of U.S. army at Seattle, Washington.
He was again ordered to report at Seattle for a similar duty, but not relishing army life he resigned and returned to Port Leyden, where he is now located.
He is a Republican in politics, and has served as under sheriff, but is more devoted to his profession than to public life. He is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows orders of Port Leyden, and past grand of the latter, also member of the Grange and of the New York State Veterinary Medical Society.
He is now (1910) conducting Ka-Mar-go Stock Farm, in West Turin, in the breeding of thoroughbred Holstein cattle.
Dr. Markham married, Nov. 10, 1906, E. Ruth, daughter of Robert J. and Harriet (Gould) Williams.
Have these webpages helped you?
Please let us know in the Guestook.
| [ Read / Sign my guestbook ] |
| Get a free Guestbook |