PACKARD
Samuel Packard, immigrant ancestor, came to New England with his wife and one child in the ship "Diligent" of Ipswich, John Martin, master, one hundred and thirty-three souls on board, in 1638. He came from Windham, county Norfolk, England. He settled in Hingham, Plymouth colony, Mass., and removed about 1660 to Bridgewater. He held office there in 1664, and was licensed to keep an ordinary in 1670. His sons, and probably he himself, were soldiers under Captain Benjamin Church in King Phlip's war in 1675-76.
His will was dated in 1684, showing that he died after that time.
Children:
Elizabeth, Samuel, Zaccheus, mentioned below, Thomas, John, Nathaniel, Mary, Hannah, Israel, Jael, Deborah, Deliverance.
(II) Zaccheus, son of Samuel Packard, was born in Plymouth Colony, and died in Bridgewater, Aug. 3, 1723. He married Sarah, daughter of John Howard, of West Bridgewater.
Children, born in Bridgewater:
Israel, Sarah, Jonathan, David, Solomon, Deacon James, Zaccheus, mentioned below, John, Captain Ahiel.
(III) Zaccheus (2), son of Zaccheus (1) Packard, was born Sept. 4, 1693, died in 1775. He married, Oct. 21, 1725, Mercy, daughter of Isaac Alden, and granddaughter of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, who came in the "Mayflower."
Children:
Eleazer, mentioned below, Seth, Simeon, Mercy.
(IV) Eleazer, son of Zaccheus (2) Packard, was born in 1727. He married Mercy Richards. He removed to "the westward."
Children:
Olive, Noah, Eleazer, Richard, Abisha, mentioned below.
(V) Abisha, son of Eleazer Packard, was born in Hardwick, Vermont, April 10, 1761, died July 20, 1836. He settled first in Shelburne, Vt., later going to Madrid, N.Y., where he died. He was a farmer all his life. He married (first) Esther Fuller, born May 14, 1767, died Dec. 30, 1790. He married (second) Dec. 29, 1793, Rebecca Preston, born Aug. 27, 1774, died April 8, 1847.
Children of first wife:
1. Jonas F., born at Shelburne, Vt., Sept. 10, 1786, died Nov. 8, 1859.
2. Maria, April 1, 1788, died Sept. 12, 1788.
3. Abisha, June 28, 1789, died Aug. 4, 1837.
Children of second wife:
4. John A., Nov. 1, 1794, mentioned below.
5. Truman T., May 23, 1797, died March 10, 1880.
6. Esther, Oct. 25, 1799, died Aug. 20, 1868.
7. Daniel, May 5, 1802, died April 1, 1835.
8. George, Nov. 13, 1804, died Sept. 17, 1824.
9. Hiram, Feb. 1, 1807, died Aug. 30, 1849 [last digit blurred, so 9 may not be correct].
10. Althea P., Jan. 20, 1809, died Feb. 10, 1893.
11. Charles R., Dec. 18, 1814, died July 28, 1895.
(VI) John A., son of Abisha Packard, was born in Charlotte, Vermont, Nov. 1, 1794, died in Madrid, N.Y., June 20, 1832. He was educated in the common schools of his native town, and came to Madrid, N.Y., between 1824 and 1826. He kept a hotel there for a time until it was destroyed by fire shortly before his death.
He married, May 20, 1819, Elizabeth, born in Charlotte, Vt., April 30, 1838, daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth (Whalen) Durand.
Children:
1. Edson A., born in Charlotte, July 2, 1820, died in Milton, Vt., Oct. 16, 1891; mararied Mary Bashford and had Edward A., Edgar D., Eugene Clark, Frank A. and Clarence.
2. Giles C., born at Charlotte, Feb. 26, 1824, died in Syracuse, N.Y., Aug. 8, 1898; was a merchant in Canton, New York, and later dealt in patent medicines in Syracuse; married Harriet Bingham and had Durand A., Alice, Helen, Frances, Gertrude E., Anna B., Catherine.
3. George W., born in Madrid, N.Y., July 31, 1826, died at Gouverneur, N.Y., April 8, 1897; was a carriage builder in Canton, and after retirement from business resided in Gouverneur; married, Oct. 18, 1855, Huldah Farwell, and had Harriet, who married H. G. Farmer, of Governeur, and had Glenn, Ruth L., and Milton Durand Farmer.
4. Milton Durand, born Nov. 17, 1828, mentioned below.
5. Hiram Hobart, born in Madrid, Dec. 19, 1830, died at Elmira, New York, Jan. 7, 1888; was a merchant in Decorah, Iowa; returned to Elmira and was in the produce and commission business; married Rusch L. Higgins, and had Harry, Helen R., and Romaine.
(VII) Milton Durand, son of John A. Packard, was born in Madrid, N.Y., Nov. 17, 1828. He received his education in the common schools and the advanced school at Madrid, and later attended the Canton Academy for two years. He worked his own way through the academy course. He was clerk in a store in Madird, N.Y. and from 1849 to 1852, worked in a store in Burlington, Vermont. Since then [1910] he has resided in Canton, N.Y. He began as clerk and later formed a partnership with H. P. Cook under the firm name of H.P.Cook & Company, general merchant and continued thus for three years. In 1857, his brother, Giles C. Packard, bought out Mr. Cook and the firm became G.G. & M.D. Packard. Subsequently the firm was dissolved, and the dry goods business was continued by M.D. Packard to the time of his retirement from same. His place of business was destroyed by fire in 1870, and he then purchased the real estate business which had been owned by Mr. Cook, and rebuilt on the same location; he disposed of the business in 1889.
In 1887 he became a special partner in the wholesale clothing house of Woodhull, Goodale & Bull, of Syracuse, and has continued in this relation to the present time. He was elected to the office of supervisor of the town in 1862 and held the office by successive re-elections for five years.
During the civil war he was active in raising recruits for the army, and gave freely of his time and money to support the government. In 1867 he was appointed by the board of supervisors of the county chairman of the commission to build a county poor house with S. G. Pope, of Ogdensburg as genearl mechanic, T.S. Clarkson, treasurer, of Potsdam, and Mr. Packard as general chairman of the commission. In 1871 he was again supervisor and continued in that office for another period of five years. In 1876 he was elected county treasurer and held that office for nine years. At the organization of the fire department in Canton, he was appointed assistant chief and for seven years performed the duties of chief of the department. He resigned to assume the duties of county treasurer, to which he had previously been elected. He was one of the founders of the State Bank and was elected vice-president, and since the bank received its national bank charter he has been director and vice-president. He was one of the commissioners with Judge Parker and James G. Averill to adjudge damages for land taken by the railroad company. He was at one time elected chairman of the board of supervisors, but declined to serve. He has been administrator or executor of fifteen important estates, and filled other positions of trust and responsiblity.
After freeing himself somewhat from the cares of business, he traveled extensively through the west as far as the coast; in 1896 he made a trip abroad and spent many months in the old world. He has been trustee of the Presbyterian church at Canton for many years, and ws actively identified with and a member of the building committee that had the work of erection of the same. He is a member of St. Lawrence Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, of Canton.
Mr. Packard is unmarried.