My Genealogy Hound

CHAUNCY A. LANPHERE, foreman of the iron and machinery department of the world-renowned Eureka Works, at Silver Creek, is a son of Chauncy and Sarah E. (Reed) Lanphere, and was born August 22, 1846, in the town of Sheridan, Chautauqua county, New York, although at the time his parents’ home was in Silver Creek. Chauncy A. Lanphere is a half-brother to Captain John I. Lanphere, postmaster of Silver Creek, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. A great many years ago a German family came from the fatherland and settled in the Colonies; from them the Lanphere family has descended. The first of whom we have positive record was Charles Lanphere, who was our subject’s grandfather, and he died while serving a term of enlistment as a soldier in the war of 1812. Chauncy Lanphere was born at Brookfield, New York, in 1807, and while still in the prime of life he came to Chautauqua county, purchased a farm in the town of Villanova and conducted a various business until his death, which occurred at Silver Creek, February 1, 1849. Politically he was a whig and by his sterling qualities, social as well as business, he occupied a high position in the esteem and confidence of the people. He was twice married, first to Wealthy Ann Carpenter and then to the mother of our subject, Sarah E. Reed, who was a native of Erie county, New York, lived to be sixty-four years of age and died at her home in Silver Creek in 1882.

Chauncy A. Lanphere was reared in the village of Silver Creek, educated at the common schools, and then served an apprenticeship of three years in a printing office. Having mastered this trade, he found it uncongenial to his tastes and the ensuing eight summers were passed in sailing on the Great Lakes and in that business he rose to the dignity of first mate on a sailing vessel, being employed in the grain trade between Buffalo and Chicago. In 1869 Mr. Lanphere went to work in Simeon Howes’ grain cleaning machinery shops, at Silver Creek and since the fall of 1878 has had charge of the iron and machinery departments. Mr. Lanphere began at the bottom of the ladder when he entered these works and advanced steadily step by step until he reached his present responsible position.

On January 1, 1869, he united in marriage with Sarah Amelia Hammond, the youngest daughter of Joseph Hammond of Eden, Erie county, New York. Mrs. Lanphere was born in Hamburg, Erie county, New York, December 31, 1846, and on the 14th of April, 1891, after a week’s sickness, passed to her final rest. She was a woman of rare excellence, of innate refinement and the possessor of a nature of deep, religious convictions. For twenty years prior to her death she had been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, was attached to her home and family with a rare devotion, and not only in a social sense but in every relation which she was called upon to fulfill, exhibited her lofty sense of womanliness. She bore her husband three children, two of whom still survive; Maud Elizabeth and Helen Amelia.

Chauncy A. Lanphere is a republican and has served two years upon the board of village trustees and for twelve years upon the school board, being president of the latter two years. In addition to this, he was one of the projectors of the Cemetery association, of which he was a trustee for three years. He is an enterprising, energetic citizen; has been chief of the Eureka fire company since its organization and since his connection with the Eureka Works, has designed several pieces of machinery, for one of which, known as the Automatic Key Seating machine, he has secured a patent.