Phineas Brigham (1815 - 1889)

My relationship: Me > William R. Compton II > William R. Compton I > Mary Brigham > Phineas Brigham (2nd great-grandfather)

Phineas Brigham, son of Timothy and Patty (Damon) Brigham was born in Smithfield, Bradford, PA on 22 Jan 1815. His parents dying early when a mere child, he was placed in the family of William Baldwin, proprietor of the "Old Fountain Inn " near Wellsburg, NY (Chemung Co.), where he lived for several years. He ran away after a severe flogging, returned, and at last set out for the home of his uncle Salmon Brigham in Madison County, NY, working for his food and lodging on the way. Later he moved to Cazenovia, NY where he attended school in 1834 at the Cazenovia Seminary. He intended to prepare for the Methodist ministry, but after a brief experience as an exhorter, he abandoned the idea. 

He met Eliza Johnson, daughter of Ezekiel Johnson and Hannah Sloan of Cherry Valley, and married her there on October 10, 1838 where they lived at least until the early 1850's, with Eliza's mother.  They had five children, but three died young. One is unknown. Two sons, each named William, died young and are buried in the Cherry Valley Cemetery (William Brigham, born 1 June 1841, died 3 June 1842, and William Loomis Brigham, born 14 Feb 1851, died Jan 1853). The other 2 children were Mary Louise Brigham, born 11 Nov 1839 who became Mrs. Norris M. Compton,  and (Dewitt Clinton) Johnson Brigham born 11 Mar 1846, who went on to become the State Librarian of Iowa (1898-1936). In 1857, Phineas is listed as a clerk (insurance) in Elmira, NY, and again in 1860 in Elmira, house on Gray Street. By June, 1860, they had moved to Dix (Watkins), NY where Phineas is listed as a retail shoe merchant and Eliza as a milliner.

Eliza Johnson

On September 6, 1862 Phineas (age 47) enlisted at Palatine, NY as a Private in the Union Army. His son, Johnson Brigham also enlisted, but he was too young (age 16) for combat, and he was transferred to Washington, D.C. where he worked for the Sanitation Dept. during the war. Phineas was mustered into service on October 17, 1862 in the 153rd Infantry Regiment, Company B at Fonda, NY. The next day, the troops left by railroad traveling to New York City, then Philadelphia, then Baltimore, and then Washington, D.C.  A short steamer trip took them to Alexandria where they arrived at their camp on October 24. They encamped there for the next nine months. Alexandria Virginia was a vast depot of military stores. The Brigade was in charge of guard and police duty over these arms. They were often aroused from sleep forming in a line of battle across the different roads into the city remaining under arms until dawn to repel any attack from the Confederate forces, although none ever came. However, many of the men succumbed to disease, including typhoid, pneumonia, measles, and small pox. Phineas succumbed to malarial fever in October-November, 1862. He was treated for five weeks at a private home in Alexandria, and on December 10, 1862 was admitted to the Regimental Hospital in Alexandria. In July, 1863, he transferred to Washington, D.C. and was assigned as an assistant hospital steward at the Soldier's Retreat. In February, 1864, his regiment was ordered to New Orleans, but he was rendered unfit for active duty in the field and he remained in Washington. Due to his illness, Phineas was transferred to Company C of the U.S. Veteran Reserve Corps, 19th Infantry Regiment. On October 1, 1864 he was transferred to the Confederate Prison Camp at Elmira, NY for the remainder of the war, having charge of a hundred confederates there. This camp, in use from June 6, 1864 until autumn 1865, was dubbed "Hellmira" by its inmates. In the months the site was used as a camp, 12,123 Confederate soldiers were incarcerated; of these, 2,963 died during their stay from a combination of malnutrition, prolonged exposure to brutal winter weather and disease directly attributable to the dismal sanitary conditions on Foster's Pond and lack of medical care. The camp's dead were prepared for burial and laid to rest by the sexton at Woodlawn National Cemetery.  At the end of the war, each prisoner was given a loyalty oath and given a train ticket back home; the last prisoner left the camp on September 27, 1865. Phineas was honorably mustered out on July 13, 1865. [For details, see his Civil War pension file #286100]

After the war, he spent two years in Portage County, Ohio and then moved to Watkins, Schuyler, New York in April, 1868. In 1870 he is listed as Assistant Marshall for the town of Watkins, NY and signed all of the census pages for that year. Eliza is not listed there at that time. Financial and health stresses and struggles weighed on the marriage after the war and a formal divorce decree was issued to Eliza in Macon County, Missouri on 7 Nov 1870.

Myra Andrews

On January 6, 1871 he married Myra Andrews and removed to Canton, Pennsylvania living at 46 Center Street. There they had 2 children, Sarah Elizabeth Brigham, born 28 May, 1873, and Anna Brigham, born 10 April, 1875. Phineas died on 20 May, 1889 in Canton and was buried in the Main Street Cemetery there.

Interesting side note: Brigham Young was a 1st cousin once removed of Phineas Brigham (Brigham Young's mother and Phineas's paternal grandmother were sisters.)

Sources:

 "History of the Brigham Family", W.I. Tyler Brigham, Grafton Press, New York, 1907, pp. 450-451

Wilson's Elmira Directory, 1857, 1860 Boyd's Elmira Directory.

US Census records

!53rd New York Regiment Company B Muster Roll Records

Report of the Adjutant General, 153rd Regiment New York, p. 954.

US Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, online data base, Ancestry.com

"History of the 153rd New York Volunteers", The History of Montgomery and Fulton Counties, NY, 1878, pp. 178-180.

80th Birthday newspaper article of Eliza Johnson Stone, Des Moines, Iowa, 1902.

Obituary of Phineas Brigham, The Canton Independent-Sentinel, May 23, 1889.

William Randall Compton (1860 - 1912) - Part 2

Continued........

William R. Compton resigned his position in the Treasury Department after a service of two years and came to Elmira, NY to engage in the real estate business in 1891. Charles F. Hurlburt was interested with him, the firm name being Compton & Hurlburt.






In 1893-94, he built a beautiful home in Elmira at 925 College Avenue, which was even written up in the newspaper:
William R. Compton, the real estate agent, is building one of the handsomest houses now in process of erection about Elmira. The house is half way between this city and Horseheads. The house is designed by a lover of out-door air and has piazzas and balconies of the most spacious dimensions at every possible point. The observatory commands a view of the Chemung Valley as far as the eye can reach, sweeping far over the city to the south and an equal distance over the village of Horseheads to the north. The view stops only where the encircling hills touch the horizon.
The house, by the way, will be equipped with all the modern conveniences. Hot and cold water wherever wanted, electric light in every room and street cars each way every half hour will enable the Compton family to enjoy all the pleasures of both country and city life. The grounds are spacious and in proper time this will be one of the handsomest places about Elmira.

On July 17, 1898 he was appointed for the first time as U.S. Marshal of the northern district of NY by President McKinley. During the first four years, the office was in Rochester, NY and was then moved to Elmira, NY as a result of Mr. Compton’s efforts. Mr. Compton served four consecutive terms as U.S. Marshal. He was appointed by three Presidents: McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and Taft. A term of appointment was for four years at a salary of $9000. This was a high salary in those days. They were extremely well off and obtained the first car in the area—this is when motor cars first came out! The U.S. Marshal appointed his own deputies, and William Compton had 17 field deputies under him. Some of the charges in cases he dealt with mentioned in articles included: selling liquor to the Indians (many cases), smuggling Chinese into the country in violation of the Chinese Exclusion Act, misappropriation of bank funds, and counterfeiting.

He wore a mustache and smoked cigars. He was described in one article as an enthusiastic horseman and in another as spending a considerable amount of time in the pursuit of reading.

In 1899 Mr. Compton became an enthusiast on the subject of incubators and would travel miles to see one in operation! This was a new invention there. A newspaper reporter described how Mr. Compton attended a big poultry show and quoted him as he discussed how incubator parties were being given in his area: “Up our way many of the young society folk are giving what they call incubator parties. The host or hostess finds out the time when a lot of chickens are due and they invite their friends to go with them to watch the little fellows break through their brittle covering into the world. They have a great deal of fun at these incubator parties and the merriment at times was high at the antics of the chickens when they first come from the shell.” He became the Treasurer of the E. W. Andrews Incubator Company in Elmira.
He also became President of the LaFrance Jewelry Company of Elmira in 1899.

On February 25, 1899 he divorced his first wife, Alice, and on April 27, 1899 he married Helen Rosamond Tubbs, who at the time was a stenographer and secretary  in his Realty office.
They moved into the beautiful upscale home he had had built in Elmira and had one son (my father), William Randall Compton, Jr., born July 9, 1902.

William R. Compton with his son, William, Jr.

Upon the death of Mr. Hurlburt in 1903, the William R. Compton Realty Company was organized. The office was one of the finest in the city and occupied a part of the ground floor of the Realty building.  The idea to which this concern owed its origin was to provide more homes for the industrial classes of the city.  New districts were opened and houses erected with only a small payment down, thus aiding the occupants to apply rent money toward a home of their own.  The company did a general real estate business, had houses for rent, from the cheapest to the best, acted as agents for property owners, and loans were made on properties.

In December, 1904 Mr. Compton became President and General Manager (he had been a prominent stockholder) of the United States Cut Flower Company. This company was incorporated under the laws of the State of NY in June, 1903 and began doing business in Elmira, NY in March, 1904. This company had one of the largest greenhouses in the world and as of 1908 had 18 long greenhouses constantly in operation and operating at different degrees of temperature. One house was devoted to the culture of the tea rose (many types). Three houses were devoted to the culture of green plants called similax, and the different varieties of asparagus, plumosia, and sperengi. A section measuring 65 ft. by 100 ft. was the home of the lily of the valley, the hyacinth, daffodils, and other spring blooming varieties. The bulb stock ready for shipment was kept here too. A field was used for growing carnations until they reached the proper stage and were brought inside. The field was then used for chrysanthemums. The company could never grow enough hydrangeas and other flowers of that variety to supply the demand. Flowers were packed daily for destinations in NY and as far away as Hot Springs, Arkansas and Denver, Colorado arriving there in good condition.

One of the newspaper political cartoons which appeared in 1908 has these verses:

William R. Compton, the marshal

To Republican methods is partial.

He likes flowers, too, and grows quite a few

While his real estate makes quite a parcel.

Elmira Star Gazette March 18, 1908

The following descriptions are mainly from newspaper articles. A few of the excerpts are from letters of recommendation for the position of US Marshal concerning the character and talents of William Compton. Nearly 100% of the comments praise what an exceptionally talented orator he was. Some excerpts of a few talks are included in the articles:
“. . .easy, graceful talker and whether in humor or pathos, whether in a dress suit at a banquet, somber black at a memorial service or in everyday dress on a bench in a political convention, he always knows just what to say and how to say it.”
“. . .endowed with a high order of executive ability.”
“. . .one of the most genial and warm hearted of men, interested in all matters of common concern in the community and contributing generously of time and money for their advancement.”
“. . .generally wears a silk tie and his friends call him ‘Billy’ when they are intimate enough to presume on that familiarity.”
“. . .His word was as good as gold.”
“. . .sterling qualities of intelligence, industry, and integrity.”
“. . .thoroughly honest.”
“. . .a perfect gentleman at all times.”
“. . .can be relied upon under any and all circumstances.”

He died on April on April 28, 1912, unexpectedly from complications of long-standing diabetes (for which insulin treatments had not yet been discovered). He was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira, where my father is also buried.

Comment: My grandfather was a self-made man with great ambitions and talents who became a leading businessman and politician in the community, whose life was unfortunately cut short at an early age of 52.