TOWN OF ADDISON. 



143 



Charles H. Henderson, Horatio Ross Jones, John N 

 Brown, Mrs. Ann Taggart, James S. Scofield, Dr. John 

 Mitchell, and Charles W. Gillet. 



PHYSICIANS. 



Dr. Frederick R. Wagner was the first physician in the 

 village. He was born in Leyden, Mass., and when six 

 months old was brought by his parents to Chenango 

 County, where he resided till 1830, when he settled in 

 Addison. For four years previous he had studied medi- 

 cine with Dr. Henry A. Mitchell, of Norwich, Chenango 

 Co., and first commenced his practice here. He continued 

 strictly in the practice of his profession from 1830 to 1865. 

 Since retiring from active practice he has been engaged in 

 the drug business. 



The next physician was Dr. Sweeney, who came here in 

 1833, and remained but a short time. Then came Dr. 

 William Mclntyre, who, after a few years' practice, removed 

 to California. Dr. Erastus N. Foot came in 1841. He 

 practiced in partnership with Dr. Wagner one year, and 

 after practicing alone for a short time, returned to Greene 

 County, whence he came. Dr. William Beach practiced here 

 a few years and then removed to Louisiana, where he died. 



Dr. Reuben P. Brown settled in Addison in April, 1847. 

 He was born in Bradford Co., Pa., where he studied medi- 

 cine, and graduated at Hobart College, Geneva, in the class 

 of 1847. He has been in the constant practice of medi- 

 cine here ever since. Dr. Brown is also a hotel-keeper, 

 having, in 1873, purchased the Exchange Hotel, known 

 now as Brown's Hotel, of James E. Smith. It was origi- 

 nally occupied as a hotel by Samuel D. Smith; it then 

 became a store occupied by Mr. WoodhuU, and was en- 

 larged and changed again to a hotel, and occupied by 

 James E. Smith till he sold to Dr. Brown. 



Ruch P. Brown, son of Dr. Brown, graduated at the 

 New York Medical University and settled as a physician in 

 Addison, where he was brought up, in 1873. 



Dr. John Mitchell and Dr. H. R. Ainsworth are the 

 other practicing physicians in the village. 



LAWYERS. 



In 1830 there was no lawyer in town except James 

 Birdsall, who was engaged in mercantile business with 

 Whitman Wilcox and Caleb Weatherby. James Birdsall 

 established a law-office, from which have gone out several 

 men of distinction : Andrew G. Chatfield, who was after- 

 wards a justice of the United States Court in Minnesota, 

 and who died not long since full of honors; Washington 

 Barnes, who distinguished himself at the bar, and died 

 some years ago at Bath ; F. C. Dininny, now a resident of 

 Elmira ; F. R. E. Cornell, late State attorney of Minne- 

 sota, who commenced the practice of law in this town and 

 became a State senator. He removed at a later period to 

 Minnesota, where he now resides, and is a judge of the 

 Supreme Court. The prestige of the earlier bar of this 

 town is well sustained by its later members, Col. John W. 

 Dininny, Hon. A. S. McKay, and others. The present 

 practicing lawyers of the village are Col. John W. Dininny, 

 Hon. A. S. McKay, Horace D. Baldwin, D. M. Darrin, and 

 S. D. Clinton. 



CHURCHES. 

 THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF ADDISON 



was organized in the month of September, 1832, by a com- 

 mittee of the Presbytery of Bath, consisting of Rev. A. 

 Donaldson and Rev. E. D. Wills. The original members 

 were Porter Phelps, Mary Ellen Phelps, Elihu Whittenhall 

 and Eliza Ann Whittenhall, William Hoyt, John Shum- 

 way, and Mrs. Mary Scofield. 



Porter Phelps and Elihu Whittenhall w^ere elected ruling 

 elders. The first meetings were held at the Curtis school- 

 house, at the east end of the village, until the erection 

 of the present church edifice. The church edifice was 

 erected in the year 1838, at a cost of about $3500. James 

 Turk was the constructor and builder. The building orig- 

 inally cost about $2000. It has since been enlarged by an 

 addition of twenty feet to the rear end. 



LIST OF MINISTERS 



1835-39. Rev. Daniel B. Butts. 

 1840-42. Rev. Lewis Hamilton. 

 1842-45. Rev. Darius Williams. 

 1845-55. Rev. A. H. Parmelee. 

 1855-50. Rev. William Kidder. 

 1857-63. Rev. D. F, Judson. 



1864-65. Rev. S. S. Sturges. 

 1866-67. Rev. D. F. Judson. 

 1867-70. Rev. W. G. Parrott. 

 1870-72. Rev. C. Simpson. 

 1873-74. Rev. J. V. C. Nillis. 

 1875. Rev. A. R. Olnoy. 



Elders. — Porter Phelps removed from Addison in May, 

 1835. Elihu Whittenhall left here in 1843, and now re- 

 sides in Kansas. John P. Shumway and Joel D. Gillett 

 were elected elders in 1836. Mr. Shumway removed to 

 Minnesota in 1844. Mr. Gillett still resides here, and has 

 been elder of the church forty-two years, and still fills that 

 ofiice. William Tarbell and William McDowell were elected 

 in 1840. Col. Tarbell removed to Pennsylvania, and died 

 there. Mr. McDowell also removed to Westfield, Pa., and 

 died there in 1875. Dr. Bradley Blakslee was elected an 

 elder in 1845, and still continues to officiate in that capacity. 

 E. Van Tuyl, now residing in Binghamton, for some time 

 officiated as an elder of this church; he was chosen in 

 July, 1857. Calvin Cowley was elected elder in April, 

 1862, and died in 1876. Seth MuUion was elder from 

 1857 to 1862. In January, 1872, David B. Winton and 

 Martin Wilber were ordained elders, and still hold that office. 

 Mr. Joel D. Gillet has been clerk of the church and 

 society ever since 1836. Present membership of the church, 

 112 ; Sunday-school, 110. E. L. liichardson, superintendent. 



CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER — PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL. 



The first services of the Episcopal Church were held in 

 this village about 1847, by Rev. Gardner M. Skinner, then 

 a missionary at Corning. At difi'erent intervals during a 

 period of seven or eight years thereafter, services were held 

 by this clergyman, by Bev. Levi H. Corson, of Bath, and 

 by Rev. Augustus A. Marple, of Wellsborough, Pa. During 

 this the bishop had also made a visitation at the place. 

 Such was the interest manifested during the latter part of 

 these occasional visits that an effort was made to raise a 

 subscription to build a church edifice; but the church 

 people were few and widely scattered, and the movement 

 for the time being was unsuccessful. 



In 1853, Rev. Robert N. Parke, of St. James' Church, 

 Hammondsport, being informed of the interest and spirit 

 here manifested, made a visit to the place and arranged to 



