Mil. B. F. BALCOM. 



REV. BENJAMIN F. BALCOM 



was born in Oxford, Chenango Co., ^N". Y., January 11, 1810. 

 His grandfather, Henry Balcom, was born in Worcester Co., 

 Mass., and married Keziah Stowe. In 1790 they migrated 

 from the State of Vermont to Chenango Co., N. Y. Of this 

 union there were seven children, — Khoda, Fanny, Francis, 

 Lefa, Samuel, Olive, and Sally. 



Mrs. Balcom was an exemplary Christian, and was one of 

 the founders of the Presbyterian Church in Oxford in 1799. 



Of these children, Samuel was father of the subject of this 

 narrative, and married Polly Knapp, in the year 1800, in 

 Oxford ; was a farmer and lumberman by occupation, and 

 worked some as a millwright, and at one time purchased some 

 five thousand acres of land in Steuben Co., N. Y. 



Their children were Judge Lyman Balcom, of Painted 

 Post; Eliza (Widow Pearsall), of Owego, 1^. Y. ; Luke (de- 

 ceased) ; Fayette, of Oxford; Benjamin F. ; Harriet (Mrs. 

 William Rhoads), of Wisconsin ; TJri, of Chicago; Judge 

 Ransom Balcom, of Binghamton ; and George, of Kansas. 

 The father died at the age of seventy-five, in Oxford, in the 

 year 1847. The mother died at the age of seventy-five, in the 

 year 1852. 



Benjamin F. Balcom remained at home until he was eighteen, 

 during which time he received only a limited education. In 

 the year 1828 he came to this county, returned in the fall of 

 the same year, and Jan. 8, 1829, married Eliza A., daughter 

 of Russell and Charlotte Root, of Oxford, N. Y. ; she was born 

 Sept. 13, 1810. In July of the same year he moved his goods 

 with an ox-team through the country from Oxford, and settled 

 at Campbell, on the farm now owned by Daniel Curtis. 



With his father's assistance he built two saw-mills, house, 

 and barn, and began clearing off" the original forest. To give 

 a narrative of facts connected with his history there would 

 be to give a sketch of the early history of the settlement of 

 that part of the county. He remained there some six years, 

 and purchased some twenty-four hundred acres of land in the 



town of Addison, retaining the same only about one year, 

 when he sold it, realizing some fifteen thousand dollars. This 

 was a remarkable success, considering that he had only his 

 willing hands as capital when the purchase was made. He 

 then removed to Campbell, and remained there as a farmer 

 until 1857, and was known as one of the best agriculturists in 

 Steuben County. 



At the age of twenty-five Mr. Balcom united with the Bap- 

 tist Church. He became a close student of the Bible, and for 

 years made it his study. In the year 1842 he was licensed to 

 preach by the Baptist Church of Campbell and Erwin, and was 

 ordained a minister of the Baptist denomination in March, 1843. 



Since that time he has been pastor of the church at Corning 

 for four years ; at Bath for one year ; organized a church at 

 Painted Post and remained for four years ; at Hornby for one 

 year ; at Campbell and Erwin for one year ; and as an Evan- 

 gelist in this and surrounding counties for some twenty-five 

 years. He is widely known as a zealous worker in protracted 

 effort in the Baptist denomination, and his work and influence 

 will remain as a monument of one of the pioneer Christian 

 men of Steuben County. In the year 1857 he removed to the 

 place where he now resides in the town of Corning, and pur- 

 chased a farm which he still carries on. During his ministry 

 of thirty-six: years Mr. Balcom has never left an appointment 

 unfilled, and he has every year for that period been engaged 

 in a revival of religion. 



Their children are Benjamin, Eliza (deceased), John, Caro- 

 line (deceased), James, drowned at Painted Post at the age of 

 twenty-eight; William (deceased), Luke, and Mark. 



Elder Balcom and his wife are now in their sixty-eighth 

 year of age, having lived happily together nearly half a century, 

 and at the time of writing this sketch their cards are welcome 

 to friends and relations, children and grandchildren, to cele- 

 brate their fiftieth anniversary by a golden wedding on the 

 8th of January, 1879. 



