Wheeler Family
That's us in the photo on the right. Taken by our dad in front of our house at 26 Franklin Street about 1959, probably around Easter. I can say that because my brother and I are wearing identical shirts and my sisters are wearing the same pattern jumper and slacks. Every spring, for Easter, our mother bought or made new outfits for us. I'm not yet 8 years old, standing on the left. My brother, about 4 years old, is standing in front and my sister, about 6 years old, is on the right. Our mom is holding our sister, who is about 2 years old in this picture. Our mother is about 32 years old. She had lived in this house with her parents as a young girl before she married our father. Her mother and father, our grandparents, - Harriett and Forrest Wood - bought this house in 1933. Our mother and father bought this house from our grandmother, Harriett, in 1957, although we had been living there from at least 1953. Our father had lived for several years with his mother and father just down the street at 33 Franklin Street. In 1944-45 dad's mother and father - Ralph and Ruth Wheeler - lived in this house, renting from mom's mother, Harriett.
Behind the house we had a 3 stall garage and a small yard. You can't see that here. Our mother grew vegetables and flowers; roses and peonies and hydrangeas. Our parents rented out part of the garage. I can remember men coming to the house in the evening to pay the rent, our mother writing out a receipt and making entries in a book, sitting at the dining room table.
This picture was made before all the homes on Prospect street were torn down to build Route 17 (now called I 86). I can remember the construction in the early 1960's, before our family moved to North Carolina. Mom and dad lost the garage and part of our back-yard to eminent domain when New York State took the land. They finally sold this house about 1977 and moved to Matthews Street on the West Side.
Behind the house we had a 3 stall garage and a small yard. You can't see that here. Our mother grew vegetables and flowers; roses and peonies and hydrangeas. Our parents rented out part of the garage. I can remember men coming to the house in the evening to pay the rent, our mother writing out a receipt and making entries in a book, sitting at the dining room table.
This picture was made before all the homes on Prospect street were torn down to build Route 17 (now called I 86). I can remember the construction in the early 1960's, before our family moved to North Carolina. Mom and dad lost the garage and part of our back-yard to eminent domain when New York State took the land. They finally sold this house about 1977 and moved to Matthews Street on the West Side.
Our branch of the Wheeler family has been in America since the early 1700’s at least. The documentation is relatively clear beginning in Connecticut and western Massachusetts with James Wheeler of New London, Connecticut and Montgomery, Massachusetts and his brother William. The evidence of their mother and father is less clear. What is certain is that their children, Frederick and Ebenezer Wheeler moved to Hancock in Delaware county New York beginning in the 1790's. This move coincides with a general migration of Connecticut residents after the settlement of the Pennsylvania and Connecticut border wars. The village of Hancock is on the east branch of the Delaware River, the border of New York and Pennsylvania. At the time of the Wheeler’s migration this land was still settled by Native Americans and was very lightly populated by white colonists. There is ample historic documentation of a general move of the population of New England to the west after the Revolutionary War. Our family was part of that move.
The Wheeler family settled in Delaware county New York, set up business, especially in lumbering and farming, and thrived. W.W. Munsell writes in his History of Delaware County, N.Y. : with illustrations, biographical sketches and portraits of some pioneers and prominent residents. (published in New York, 1880), “The ancestors of the [Town of] Hancock and [Town of] Tompkins Wheelers were among the early settlers in Massachusetts. … One branch of the family settled in Brantford, Mass., before the Revolution. One, named William, had five sons, Ebenezer, James, William, John and Joseph, and died in Brantford. The widow married George [Silas Hubbell; see Albert Gallatin Wheeler, page 716 ] Hubbell, who by his first wife had three sons, Edmund, George and Silas.” Beginning on page 211: “PARTRIDGE ISLAND AND ITS PIONEERS. This is an old lumbering and farming hamlet, some six or eight miles above Shehocken, on the east branch. ... Ebenezer Wheeler [our 4th great grandfather] came about 1792 from Massachusetts. ... They next located at the mouth of Sands creek near Shehocken, and in 1798 we find them at Partridge Island. Here the Wheeler brothers settled and married, except John, who lived a bachelor and was, finally, drowned. Major Ebenezer Wheeler had one son, Ransom, and several daughters [one, Delanah, our great-great-great grandmother], all of whom married respectably. He died in 1814, aged 44. He and his brother were remarkable for physical strength and endurance. William, in 1804, married Eleanor Knox, of Massachusetts, a descendant or relative of General Knox, the aid [sic] of Washington, and lived at Partridge Island till 1814, when he removed to Deposit." “Several other Wheelers. relatives of the former, also came to Hancock early from Massachusetts. Frederick Wheeler [our 4th great grandfather], father of Marvin and Royal Wheeler [our great-great-great grandfather, husband of Delanah], first settled near Knight's, below Shehocken, and then went to Partridge Island." Frederick Wheeler and Ebenezer Wheeler were cousins. The Frederick Wheeler named here is also named in the Genealogical and Encyclopedic History of the Wheeler Family on page 582, entry #10135. He is identified as having "removed about 1800 to Hancock, New York.” This entry names Frederick as son of James Wheeler and Thankful French and that he was born “at New London, CT” in 1773. What this Encyclopedia fails to do is connect James Wheeler with William Wheeler, father of Ebenezer. It is no coincidence that James was married to Thankful French and William married to Hannah French. Thankful and Hannah were sisters. The French sisters are documented at the French Family Association (FFA) website: [Chart 46, Third Generation for Thankful and Hannah French, entries 3.7 and 3.8]. Ebenezer Wheeler, of Montgomery MA; born MA, 1769-1770, died Hancock NY 1813. Grave at Partridge Island cemetery.
Father: William Wheeler (brother or cousin of James Wheeler) Mother: Hannah French (sister of Thankful French) Married Harriot Foster, (born 1773-1774, of Montgomery MA); May 11, 1794 (bans published in MA) See: Find a Grave See: Massachusetts vital records Children: 1. Harriet (Dickinson, ); born abt 1795 in MA; married Gilbert Dickinson Died July-Aug 1865, Tompkins Twnsp, Delaware Co. NY Buried Hales Eddy, Sandford Twnshp, Broome Co. NY 2. Hannah (Young), born 1797, Massachusetts married George Young; son Thomas? see 1850 Fed census Damascus 3. Emalinda (Mitchell) married Nathan Mitchell, brother of John Tyler Mitchel 4. Ransom F. Wheeler, born 1801, Massachusetts Married Adeline D. M. Wheeler, daughter of Truman S. Wheeler 5. Almira (Mitchell); born 27 Feb 1803 in MA; Died 14 Feb.,1874 in Damascus Township, Wayne, PA Buried Damascus Township, Wayne, PA (Overlook Cemetery). married John Tyler Mitchell, brother of Nathan Mitchell. 6. Delanah, born 1805, Hancock, Delaware Co. NY. married Royal Wheeler, son of Frederick Wheeler William Wheeler, died 1782 at New London, CT. Married: Hannah French Children: 1. Ebenezer, married Harriet Foster 2. James, died Partridge Island, 1855 3. William, married Eleanor Knox 4. John, drown in East Branch Delaware, 1819 5. Joseph, died in Tompkins on West Branch Delaware, 1858 6. Hannah, died young in New London See: hand written autobiography of George Downs Wheeler in Wheeler papers, Cornell. http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM03878.html See: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=glen_swartz&id=I4767 See; Albert Gallatin Wheeler (Gallatin), page 715-716: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89061707303;view=1up;seq=132 See: http://www.frenchfamilyassoc.com/FFA/CHARTS/Chart046/index.htm#_Third_Generation_1 |
Wheeler Family GenealogyDonald Arthur Wheeler, born 19 August 1921, Binghamton, NY; died 28 November 1997. Find a Grave
Married: Joyce Beulah Wood (born 8 December, 1927), m. 26 September 1947. Ralph Earl Wheeler born 7 December, 1889, Married: Ruth Marie Caywood (born May 1894) 7 Oct. 1912, Children: 1. Frederick (Fritz) Wheeler, b about 1915 m. Ruth 2. Ralph Wheeler Jr., b about 1920 m. Evelyn Furman 3. Donald Arthur Wheeler, b 19 August 1921 m. Joyce Wood 4. Dorothy Wheeler, b about July 1924 m. Paul 'Bud' Brennan 5. Richard Wheeler, b about 1926 m. Jean Clinton Dewitt Wheeler: born 18 September 1863. Married: 1. Ella Clark m. abt. 1885; b. abt. 1863, d. 20 April 1922) Children: 1. Maybell Wheeler b. March 1886 2. Harry Wheeler b. June 1888 3. Ralph Earl Wheeler, b 7 December, 1889 m. Ruth Caywood 4. Susan (Susie) Wheeler b. 10 September, 1893 m. William Leonard 5. Clinton D. Wheeler, Jr. b. September 1894 m. Leah Jackson Married: 2. Hattie H. Robson (b. abt. 1868; m. 6 Aug. 1926) 1893 Binghamton City Directory: carpenter, 9 Elm Street 1900 Binghamton City Directory: painter, 7 Miles Street 1910 Federal Census: Binghamton, Ward 4, Broome, N.Y , 291 Main Street Social Security index at Ancestry.com Contractor, painter (Endicott Johnson Shoe Factory) George R. Wheeler born about 1835, Deposit (?), New York Married: Jane F. Wheeler [daughter of Orin Wheeler], born about 1844; Died 1907, Rotterdam, New York. Find a grave: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=18817502&ref=acom George and Jane were second cousins. Their fathers, Royal and Orin, respectively, were first cousins. Royal's father Frederick and Orin's father Joseph were brothers, both sons of James and Thankful Wheeler. Childen: 1. Clinton Dewitt Wheeler, born 18 Sept. 1863 m. Ella Clark 2. Oliver R. Wheeler, born 1867, died 1944 m. buried Lanesboro, PA 3. Viola M. Wheeler, born 1874 m. children: 4. Claude R. Wheeler, born 1878 5. Earl R. Wheeler, born 1880 m. children: 6. David John Wheeler 1850 Federal Census, Town of Scott, Wayne County, Pennsylvania. 1860 Federal Census, Town of Scott, Wayne County, Pennsylvania. Lists Royal, son George and also Orin, daughter Jane. 1865 New York State census, town of Sanford, Broome County. 1880 Federal Census, Town of Lehigh, Iowa 56th Pennsylvania Volunteers,Company A, muster rolls, Civil War. 56th Regiment in Bate's History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers Royal Wheeler, born 29 April 1800, Montgomery, Massachusetts; died near Hancock, April 1888 (see newspaper Delaware Republican, Delhi, NY.) Married: Delanah T Wheeler, born March 1,1805; died December 2, 1865, Hancock, New York. (Delanah, daughter of Ebenezer & Harriet Foster Wheeler) Children: 1. Edgar Adius Wheeler, b. about 1825 2. Ebenezer F. Wheeler, b. about 1827 3. George Royal. Wheeler, b. about 1835 4. Laura Jane. Wheeler, b. about 1836 5. Martha Harriet. Wheeler, b. about 1843 6. Emily Adeline. Wheeler, b. about 1848 7. Hannah Mariah Wheeler, born ? 1820 Federal Census, Town of Hancock, Delaware Co. New York 1830 Federal Census, Town of Tompkins, Delaware Co. New York 1840 Federal Census, Town of Hancock, Delaware Co. New York 1850 Federal Census, Town of Scott, Wayne Co. Pennsylvania 1860 Federal Census, Town of Scott, Wayne Co. Pennsylvania 1875 New York State Census, Tompkins, Delaware County, New York 1880 Federal Census, Town of Buckingham, Wayne Co. Pennsylvania Last Will and Testament of Delanah Wheeler on file at Delhi, New York Frederick Wheeler, born 6 August 1773, New London, Connecticut, died Feb. 11, 1848, Hancock, New York. Married: Mary (called Polly [Comstock], see Montgomery birth records for their children), born at New London, Connecticut, 1776; died Dec. 31, 1849, Hancock, New York Children: 1. Polly Wheeler, born 22 Dec. 1797 m. William Labar 2. Royal Wheeler, born 29 April, 1800 m. Delanah 3. Clarinda Wheeler, born 10 March, 1802 m. Daniel Labar 4. Marvin Wheeler, born 20 Oct. 1804 Birth records of Polly, Royal, Clarinda in Montgomery, Massachusetts. Grave of Frederick Wheeler; Hancock, New York. Grave of Mary Wheeler, wife of Frederick, Hancock, New York. Documentation: Gallatin: entry #10135, page 582. Massachusetts Town & Vital Records 1620-1900, Montgomery. (Online at Internet Archive). James Wheeler. born about 1749; died Aug. 31, 1828, aged 79, at Montgomery, Mass. Married Thankful French, born 1752 in Rhode Island; died Nov. 19, 1841, aged 85, at Montgomery, Mass. Children births recorded in Massachusetts Town & Vital Records 1620-1900, Montgomery county. Grave: Sand Knoll Cemetery, Montgomery, Hampden County, Massachusetts. Children: 1. Frederick Wheeler, born 6 August 1773, New London, Conn. m. Mary (Polly) Comstock 2. Joseph Wheeler, born 29 June, 1775 child: Orin, born 1824 3. Molly Wheeler, born 24 March, 1777 m. Oren Moore 4. Royal Wheeler, born 1 June 1779 m. Keturah (Caturah) Moore 5. Hannah Wheeler, born 20 August, 1781 m. Aaron Dewey Jr., 3 January 1801 6. Thankful Wheeler, born 22 March 1784 m. Samuel Moor, 22 January 1803 7. James Wheeler, born 3 July, 1786 m. Charity Moor, 7 July 1804 8. William Wheeler, born 3 December, 1788 m. Hannah Crow, 1807 9. Prudence Wheeler, born 4 April, 1791 m. Andrew Leffingwell, 11 August 1808 10. Nancy Wheeler, born 3 December 1794 m. James Crow 11. Peggy Wheeler, born 21 April 1796 m. Daniel Barrett, Children of James and Thankful are recorded in "Vital Records of Montgomery, Massachusetts, to the year 1850" . Records for James' birth, father and mother are not clear or are not found. According to notes made by hand from Harriet Lemmon Hall (1860-1954): "all records indicate that William Wheeler and James Wheeler were the sons of Ephraim Wheeler 1712-1794 and Mercy Topliff 1716-1754." Harriet Lemmon Hall was the grand-daughter of Ransom F. Wheeler, son of Ebenezer (1770-1813). Genealogy of the French Family, including Hannah and Thankful French, sisters who married William and James Wheeler is online at French Family Association (FFA) website: [Chart 46, Third Generation for Thankful and Hannah French, entries 3.7 and 3.8]. Gallatin, page 579, transcribes the will of James Wheeler (db.<1682 - dd.1721) - Married Sarah Randall, - and lists the children including an Ephraim, but there is no record for this Ephraim detailed in Gallatin as the other children are. 1810 Federal Census for Montgomery, Massachusetts Montgomery, Massachusetts, birth marriage death records: James' death, 1828. RESOURCES Some of the information above comes from the book The genealogical and encyclopedic history of the Wheeler family in America, By Albert Gallatin Wheeler, American College of Genealogy, 1914, and remains unverified by other documentation. Some of the information is from government census records. Montgomery, Massachusetts Town and Vital records: 1620-2001 Biographical Reviews, The Leading Citizens of Delaware County, New York. Boston: The Biographical Review Co., 1895, page 397: https://archive.org/stream/biographicalrevi00biograph#page/396/mode/2up |