My Genealogy Hound

CAPT. JOHN I. LANPHERE, who is now serving a second term as postmaster of Silver Creek, is a son of Chauncey and Wealthy Ann (Carpenter) Lanphere, and was born at Silver Creek, in the town of Hanover, Chautauqua county, New York, June 10th, 1835. The Lanphere family is of German descent and was settled in what is now the United States at an early day. Charles Lanphere, the paternal grandfather of Capt. Lanphere, died while serving as a soldier in the war of 1812. His son, Chauncey Lanphere, was born near Brookfield, this State, in 1807 and died at Silver Creek February 1, 1849. When a young man he came to Villanova, where he purchased and cleared out a farm within about twelve miles of Silver Creek. He afterward moved to Silver Creek, where he carried on contracting, house, boat and bridge building, besides erecting and running three large lime kilns. He was a well respected man and citizen and an old-line whig in politics. He married Wealthy Ann Carpenter, who was reared in Villanova, became a member of the Presbyterian church and passed away in 1841, at the early age of thirty-three years.

John I. Lanphere was reared, until he was fifteen years of age, at Silver Creek and in the town of Villanova, and received his education in the public schools of that day. Leaving school, he went to Lake Erie and became a cook on a sailboat. He was rapidly and successively promoted to a place before the mast, to second mate and to first mate. In 1862 he was made captain of the schooner “Eliza Logan,” which he commanded for three years in its trips between Buffalo and Chicago. Leaving the “Logan,” he had command of several fine boats, owning an interest in two of them. In 1872 he quit sailing and returned to his home in Silver Creek, where he had resided while sailing, and where he has since remained. He is a republican politically, has held several village offices and served, in 1877, 1878 and 1879, as deputy sheriff of the county, He served under President Arthur’s administration as postmaster of Silver Creek, and in July, 1890, was re-appointed to that office, which he is still holding. Captain Lanphere is a member of Silver Lodge, No. 757, Free and Accepted Masons, and Silver Creek Council, No. 139, Royal Arcanum.

January 15, 1861, he married Harriet, daughter of Joseph and Sarah Hammond, of Sheridan. To Captain and Mrs. Lanphere have been born three children: Walter I., who married Luella Andrus, and was for some time in the book and notion business, which he recently sold, and is now assisting his father in the post-office; William H., a stenographer in Chicago; and Hattie, who is assistant cashier of a large manufacturing company in Buffalo.