LORENZO N. RIDER. 



Xiorenzo N. Rider was born in the town of Howard, Oct. 8, 

 1817. His father, James Rider, was a native of Saratoga County, 

 born in 1795, July 11. His grandfather, William Rider, was a na- 

 tive of Rhode Island, born in 1767, and after his marriage settled in 

 Saratoga County, where he reared a family of four sons and three 

 daughters, — Mrs. Isaiah Tuttle, Mrs. Robert Smith, James, Mrs. 

 Moses Ogden, William, Samuel, and Joseph ; of whom Samuel 

 and William are living. 



His father, in 1815, came to the far West, looking for a place to 

 settle, traveling on foot. He had two lots of timbered land, of 

 one hundred acres each, booked to him in the town of Howard ; 

 cut the first tree for the purpose of clearing in that section, put up 

 a log house, and after chopping some four acres returned to Sara- 

 toga County, and that winter married Sally, daughter of Dr. 

 Stephen Potter, of Galway, Saratoga County. 



The following spring", with his wife and father's family, he came 

 to their new home, moving their scanty effects with a yoke of oxen 

 the entire distance. The grandfather and family settled on one of 

 the lots, where he lived the remainder of his life, having cleared 

 the most of his lot. He died in 1864, having lived to almost complete 

 a century. His wife, Hannah Mosher, died some time after the 

 settlement in Howard. 



His father, with nothing but his axe, yet with resolution and in- 

 dustry, began in 1816 to carve out a competence. The choppings 

 from year to year, the gradual Increase of cultivated fields, the 

 frfimed house taking the place of the log cabin, fruit-growing trees 

 in place of the forest, on the one hand, all brought about by the 

 sturdy pioneer, with the assistance of his boys, who were expected 

 to do their part at very young ages; the indoor work, the old 

 spinning-wheel, the wheel and distaff going day and night pre- 

 paring cloth by hand for home necessities, and many other things, 

 i^mong which are the necessary privations and hardships incident 

 to pioneer life, each one in itself has a history full of interest to 

 the generation of to-day. 



These obstacles were met with a will and overcome by the Rider 

 family, and in time thrift was the result of industry and economy, 

 with judicious management. For forty years his parents were 

 farmers of Howard, and among the respected citizens of the town. 

 In 1866 they removed to Wayland, where he died in 1863. His wife 

 died in 1867. Their children are Mrs. Charles Markham, of Hor- 

 nellsville; Mrs. Dr. H. C. Hess, of Howard, now of Berrien Co., 



Mich. ; Ira S., of HornellsviUe ; Susan, died at the age of twenty j 

 Philo S., died at eighteen; Mrs. B. W. Short, of Hornellsville. 



Mr. Lorenzo N. Rider spent his minority until he was eighteen 

 at home at farm labor, receiving, however, sufficient education by 

 improving leisure hours at home in study by the fireplace to en- 

 able him to become a teacher. By arrangement with his father 

 he had his time for the next three years, which he spent as a teacher 

 and at farm labor. It may be said here that his education was 

 extended by some three months as a student at Howard Academy, 

 where he attended, boarding himself. 



In 1840, March 22, he married Susan, eldest daughter of Barnet 

 Brayton, of Howard. She was born in 1822, and died in 1845, May 

 13, leaving two daughters, — Mrs. Orville Lewis, of Buffalo, and 

 Susan, who died at the age of sixteen. After his marriage, Mr. Rider 

 settled on a farm in the town of Howard, near Haskinville, and for 

 some twenty-five years was a farmer in that town ; for three years 

 he has been a resident of Hornellsville. In 1868 he removed to the 

 town of Bath, and purchased the place now occupied for the 

 Soldiers' Home, where he has. resided, with the .exception of the 

 past two years, until the present time. In 1360 he married Jane 

 T. , daughter of William and Sarah Allen , of Howard. Her parents 

 were among the earliest pioneers of that town, settling there as 

 early as 1810. She was born in 1820, Jan. 1st. 



Of this union was born one son, C. A. Rider, who married Anna 

 Carpenter, of Bath, Oct. 1, 1878, and resides with his father. 



Mr. Rider voted for Wm. H. Harrison for President in 1840, as 

 a member of the Whig party, and is now identified with the Re- 

 publican party. He has been somewhat active in politics ; has 

 served as justice of the peace two terms while a resident of Howard ; 

 three terms as supervisor of the town of Fremont, after its erection 

 in 1854, and represented the Third Assembly District of Steuben 

 County in the State Legislature in 1860 ; and, as a representative 

 of the county, advocated and obtained the passage of a bill through 

 both branches of the Legislature to erect the county of Canisteo 

 from Steuben, thereby making a division of Steuben County. The 

 bill did not become a law for want of the Governor's, E. D. 

 Morgan's, signature. 



Mr. Ilider has spent a life of activity, and, whether as a farmer 

 or stock dealer, he has carried into all his efforts at business that 

 force of character and integrity which commands the respect and 

 confidence of his fellow-citizens. 



