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Archiver > BABBITT > 1999-06 > 0930007945


From: "Ronald Babbitt" <>
Subject: Fw: Charles Babbitt Census and Chester Babbitt Biographical Review
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 1999 19:32:25 -0400


----- Original Message -----
From: Ronald Denes <>
To: Ron Babbitt <>
Sent: Saturday, June 19, 1999 3:50 PM
Subject: Charles Babbitt Census and Chester Babbitt Biographical Review

> 1855 Otsego County, New York Census:
> Charles Babbitt 21 M B Otsego M Lived in Otsego 21 years
> Sarah Babbitt 27 F Wife B otsego M Lived here 4 years
> James T(can't read middle name, but this is probably Theron J.) 1 M Son B
> Otsego
>
> Here is a biographical sketch of Chester Babbitt:
> "Biographical Review" page 219-20 found at Cooperstown, New York NYSHA:
> "Chester Babbitt, who resides on the pleasant old family homestead in the
> town of Otsego, is numbered among the enterprising, well-to-do farmers who
> have contributed so largely to the growth and substantial prosperity of
> Otsego County. The town of Hartwick is his native place, and there he was
> born October 2, 1823. His father, Josiah Babbitt, was born in the town of
> Otsego in 1798, a son of one of its early settlers, Stephen babbitt, who
is
> thought to have been a native of Connecticut. The great-grandfather of
> subject spent his last years in this county. The grandfather was reared
in
> his New England home, coming from there to this State in 1790, and settled
> in Hartwick when there was scarely another settler within its borders. He
> resided there but a short time, however, before he bought a tract of
timber
> land in Otsego, which is included in the farm now owned and occupied by
his
> grandson, our subject. He erected a log house in the forests, which
became
> the birthplace of the father of subject, and in due time cleared a good
farm
> from the wilderness, upon which he lived in comfort until his demise at a
> ripe old age. He married Sally Head, who was also a native of New
England,
> and died on the home farm. They had six children--David, Margaret,
Josiah,
> Stephen, Reuben and Mary.
> The father of subject grew to manhood amid the primitive scenes of his
> birth, and inherited one-third of the old homestead, and at a later period
> purchased additional land. When he began farming for himself there were
no
> railways or canals, and he used to team his surplus products to Albany,
> seventy miles distant. The people lived chiefly on what they could raise
on
> their farms, and the women wove the cloth with which they clad their
> children. The father of subject worked hard in the upbuilding of a home,
> and died there in 1853. His wife survived until 1869. She was a native
of
> this county, and her maiden name was Melinda Baker. Her father, who was
of
> New England birth, was a pioneer of Otsego County, and here spent his last
> years. The parents of subject reared two children besides
himself --Amanda
> and Reuben.
> Chester Babbitt obtained his education in his native town, and
continued
> to live here with his parents until 1850, when he went out into the world
to
> see what life held for him elsewhere. He followed the gold-seekers of
"49"
> to California, sailling from New York early in March, and voyaging by way
of
> the Isthmus of Panama to San Francisco, where he arrived in May. That
great
> metropolis was then a city of tents, and there were no wharves or public
> improvements of any kind. He went to the mountains, engaged in mining on
> California soil for 2 years, and at the expiration of that time left San
> Francisco Harbor in the month of April in a vessel bound for Australia.
He
> landed at Sidney in July, visited the gold fields of that country, and
after
> a stay of fifteen months in the rough mining camps of that region, turned
> his face homeward, well satisfied with his experience in roughing it far
> from the centers of civilization. He embarked on board a vessel bound for
> Liverpool, whence he went to London, from that port sailed to Halifax,
> thence to Boston; and from there by rail to Fort Plain.
> His father had died the year before, and after his return our subject
> took up farming on the old homestead, which he operated until 1883. In
that
> year he sold his property in this town, and took up residence in Kansas
> where he had an interest in 7000 acres of land in Geary County. He
engaged
> extensively in farming and stockraising in that section some six years,
but
> preferred his old home, and since then has lived quietly on the old farm,
> which is an attractive place of residence, with its modern improvements,
its
> neat, well-appointed, substantial buildings, its fertile, well-tilled
> fields, and rich pastures stocked with fine stock. Mr. Babbitt's push and
> sagacity as a farmer, and business acumen, have made him wealthy, and he
is
> one of the moneyed men of the town, whose public spirit is commensurate
with
> his means for local improvement meeting with his cordial approbation and
> material assistance. Personally, he is highly esteemed for his frank,
> friendly disposition, and well-known rectitude of character. He is a
> Democrat in politics, and is unswerving in his allegiance to his party.
> Mr. Babbitt was married, June 20, 1855, to Miss Mary Field. Mrs.
Babbitt
> was born in Hartwick, October 19,1826, springing from one of its early
> pioneer families. Her father, james Field, was born there February 12,
> 1792, a son of Nathan Field, who was born in Rhode Island, January 23,
1768.
> Nathan Field's father was Charles Field, who was of Welsh ancestry and as
> far as known spent his entire life in Rhode Island. The grandfather of
> subject learned to make shoes in his boyhood. He lived in his native
State
> until 1788, and then came to Otsego County with an ox team, accompanied by
> his family. He located in what is now the town of Hartwick, buying a
tract
> of timber land in what is now School District No. 8, and building a log
> house in the forest, entered upon his pioneer labors of clearing a farm.
He
> made that place his home for more than sixty years, dying March 9, 1852.
> His wife died January 16, 1836. She, too, was a native of Rhode Island
born
> June 5, 1770; her maiden name was Mary Pearce. Her children were: James,
> Hannah, Stephen, Nancy, and Mary A. Both She and her husband were sincere
> Christians, and members of the Universalist Church.
> Mrs. Babbitt's father inherited a part of the old homestead in Hartwick
> upon which he had been reared, and bought the rest, and spent his entire
> life thereon, his death occurring July 20, 1856. He was married, October
> 16, 1817 to Betsy Eddy, who was born in the same town as himself, February
> 23, 1792. Her father, Noah Eddy, was born in Rhode Island, June 16, 1760,
> and came to Otsego County previous to 1800. He bought a tract of land in
> what is now Hartwick, and many years after died upon the farm that he had
> cleared from the primeval forests, his demise occurring June 20, 1747(must
> be 1847). His wife was Mary Bowen, who was born in Rhode Island, November
> 5, 1765, and died April 10, 1839. Mrs. Babbitt's mother died January 13,
> 1873. She reared four children to good and usseful lives, namely: George,
> Marcus, Silas and Mary. Mrs. Babbitt lived with her parents until her
> marriage, growing to a gracious and true womanhood under wholesome home
> influences, and receiving a careful training in all housewifelly arts that
> have made her a veritable home-maker, presiding with wisdom and
cheerfulness
> over her household."
>

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