Family of Gideon Reynolds

This document, a typewritten transcription of an article published in the Norway Tidings newspaper, Norway, Herkimer County, New York, in February, 1888, was found folded in the Reynolds family bible. It describes the family of Gideon Reynolds, and was probably typed by Louise Reynolds Andrews, wife of Eugene R. Andrews.

Gideon Reynolds was a native of Rhode Island: he married Anna Crandall of the same state. She was the sister of John Crandall one of the early settlers in town and father of Robert H., Ira, and John B. Crandall.

Mr. Reynolds and family came to Norway about 1790 and located on a portion of farm owned by John Daly. A log house was erected about 100 yards north of the residence of Mr. Daly, near a spring, where he commenced clearing off the original forest. In the selection of land, Mr. Reynolds was fortunate; the soil was equal to any in town and success attended his efforts to make a pleasant home. But the day of calamity was at hand; on the sixth of July 1798, while assisting Henry G. Gardner raise a saw mill near the present residence of H.M. Rockwell he was almost instantly killed. His tombstone bearing the earliest date of any in the Norway village cemetery gives his age at 33 years. The grief stricken widow and children went back to R.I. after his death but soon returned to Norway again. The three children of Gideon and Anna Reynolds were named William, Robert C. and Mary A. The second son Robert C. after attaining manhood left Norway and settled in Groton N.Y. where he first engaged in the hotel and afterward in the mercantile business, which he followed there until his death. Mary A. died young.

William the eldest son was six years old when he came with his parents to Norway. He commenced teaching school when but fourteen years of age; taught for two or three years; and then engaged in the mercantile business as a clerk for Lyman Kenyon of Middleville for a time. Feb. 2nd, 1812, he married Betsey Giles, daughter of James Giles a revolutionary soldier and one of the early settlers in town. After marriage he returned to the old homestead and began dairy farming. Adjoining lands were bought until his farm consisted of about 300 acres and his dairy one of the largest in town. In 1831 he erected a large and substantial stone house, the carpenter work being done by Noble Ross, and the stone work by that veteran stonemason Manning Todd. The material and work on the house was the best kind as proved by it's present appearance after 60 years of wear. It was Todd's first effort at house building. William Reynolds was a successful farmer and for a time engaged largely in the buying of dairy produce and pork. His produce business in the end proved unfortunate resulting in serious loss. In 1860 he sold his farm and retired from active business. We think after this he held a government position in the New York Custom House for a time. He was a man of sanguine temperament, active, honest, capable and intelligent. For several terms he was elected assessor and held the office of Justice for many years. He was also Captain of a military company and was known and called by his neighbors "Captain Bill". He died suddenly at his son Giles', Oct. 9th 1868, aged 79 years. His wife had died years before.

The family of William Reynolds consisted of seven children, Giles G., Maria E., Almira, Mary A., John J., William, Jr., and Samuel Clark. Giles married Evaline McMitcehll of Newport in 1837; purchased the Giles farm where he lived until he removed to Newport a few years since where he died January 15, 1887. Maria E. married Elisha O. Randall February 8, 1838, and settled on the Western Ferris farm in Norway. About 1860 they removed to Norway village where Mr. Randall died in 1867. Mrs. Randall still resides there, but spends the winter seasons with her daughter Mrs. Hall at Glen Cove, Long Island. Two promising sons , Reynolds and Smith died before attaining manhood. Mary A. is unmarried and resides at Camden, New Jersey. Almira married Newton Carpenter of Norway in 1854. They located in Winnebago County, IL. Both are dead leaving one daughter surviving.

John J. married Catherine D. Powers of Tompkins County NY in 1849 and engaged in the mercantile business at Groton NY. Some years since they removed to New York City where they now reside. William, Jr. married Esther Coffin of Deerfield in 1860. He purchased the homestead farm of his father the same year where he remained two years when he sold his farm to William G. Price of R.I. and located in Newport village where he still resides. He is one of the solid citizens of that place.

Samuel Clark, youngest of the family, married Mary Gooding of Groton, N.Y. in 1859 and engaged in the mercantile business with his Uncle Robert C. and still remains there.

----extracted from the Norway Tidings, February, 1888