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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chautauqua County, New York published by John M. Gresham & Co. in 1891.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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FRANKLIN SIMMONS, owner of the fine, large residence at No. 517 East Second street, Jamestown, is engaged in the manufacture of lumber, owning a forest tract in Cattaraugus county. He is a son of Philander and Mary A. (Wade) Simmons, and was born in Poland, Chautauqua county, New York, August 29, 1827. His great-grandfather, Ebenezer Simmons, was a native of Connecticut, of English extraction, and his grandfather, Zariel Simmons, was also born in that State, but removed to Washington county, N. Y., and afterwards to Chautauqua county, same State, where he arrived in 1817, settling in Poland, where he died. He was a farmer, and married Sallie Hunt, who bore him twelve children. His maternal grandfather, Pember Wade, was born in Connecticut, but went from there to Meadville. Pa., and was one of the first settlers of that ancient place. He married Martha Lord, whose brother, Samuel Lord, was also a Meadville pioneer, and owned a portion of the land upon which Allegheny college now stands. Philander Simmons was born in Washington county, New York, March 20, 1798, came into Chautauqua county, and left his Poland farm in 1858, removing to Jamestown. Until his advent here he was a farmer, and, owning twenty acres within the city, he devoted some of his time to cultivating it. He was an enthusiastic republican, and a strong anti-slavery man, besides being a deacon in the Baptist church for a number of years. He married Mary A. Wade, and was the father of ten children: Eliza; Leander (dead); Franklin; Harvey; Clarissa M.; Martha T.; Ira (dead), served in the civil war with his brothers, William and Adelbert P.; and Chester A.

Franklin Simmons was educated in the district schools and began life as a manufacturer of pails. He remained in this business one year an employee, and four years the proprietor, and then he bought a shop and made scythe snaths, grain cradles and chairs until 1857, and then enlarged his business, turning out all kinds of furniture, which was operated up to 1867, when he sold out and moved on his farm near Ashville, and lived there three years, then returned and engaged in the same business for four years longer, finally giving it up, at the same time buying the place he now owns on East Second street and selling furniture at retail. This was succeeded by the grocery business until 1882, when the lumber business, which has since grown to great proportions, was established.

He married a Miss Williams, a daughter of Asa Williams, of this county.

Politically Mr. Simmons is a republican, and has been the assessor and overseer of the poor for Jamestown. Both he and Mrs. Simmons are members of the Baptist church, the latter since thirteen years of age.

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This family biography is one of 658 biographies included in Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chautauqua County, New York published in 1891. 

View additional Chautauqua County, New York family biographies here: Chautauqua County, New York Biographies

View a map of 1897 Chautauqua County, New York here: Chautauqua County, New York Map

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