My Genealogy Hound

NATHANIEL J. FENNER, an enterprising boot and shoe merchant of Jamestown, is the son of James R. and Lavina (Harrington) Fenner, and was born in Jamestown, Chautauqua county, New York, May 24, 1845. Grandfather Fenner was born in Herkimer county, this State, and removed, when a young man, to the town of Busti, and was one of the pioneer settlers. He lived there for some years, enduring the hardships and privations that befell the early settlers, tilling the soil to gain sustenance for himself and family. Some time later he removed to Ripley, adding to his toil as a farmer the work of a lumberman, these occupations being usually united by the sturdy residents. Mr. Fenner married a Miss Robertson, and their union was blest with a large family of children. In politics he was an old-line whig, and died at Ripley. The Harrington branch of the family were also natives of Herkimer county, and went to Busti at about the same time the Fenners arrived there. Grandfather Harrington, too, followed the life of a pioneer, farming in summer and spending the winter lumbering. His wife was a Miss Gage, who bore him several children. They came to Jamestown, where Mr. Harrington died. James R. Fenner (father) was born in Herkimer county before the arrival of his parents in this county, came with them and remained at home until twenty years of age, in the meantime learning the shoemaking trade. About that time he came to Jamestown, then a small place, and began shoemaking, but soon after opened a boot and shoe store, which it is believed was one of the first, if not the first, in Jamestown. This business is still conducted by Nathaniel J. Fenner, who succeeded his father. In connection with his store, Mr. Fenner dealt some in lumber, shipping and piloting a number of rafts of this commodity down the river, although the shoe store was his main business until his death, which occurred in Jamestown. In politics he was a democrat, and a disciple of the Unitarian church. He married Lavina Harrington, and reared a family of four sons and six daughters: James R., Jr.; Silas, a wholesale liquor dealer of Jamestown, resides on Ninth street — he entered the civil war in Co. B, 68th Regiment, N. Y. Infantry; Nathan J., and Alexander, also in the shoe business in Jamestown. The names of the daughters are not given.

Nathaniel J. Fenner secured a good common school education, but early in life was obliged to assist his father in the store, beginning at his thirteenth year, and has been steadily engaged therein since. He entered the war in the same company with his brother, and, although but eighteen years of age at the time, saw active service.

He joined in marriage with Frances I. Parkhurst, who is a daughter of Perry Parkhurst, of Elm Flats, this county.

He has always been a stanch democrat, and is one of the oldest shoe dealers in Jamestown. He is a member of James M. Brown Post, G. A. R., and is secretary of Mt. Moriah Lodge, No. 145, F. & A. M., which important office he has held for twelve years, during which time he has not missed more than three meetings. This record is probably without parallel, and shows admirable devotion to the order. His uninterrupted residence here of nearly half a century is also worthy of comment.