My Genealogy Hound

LEROY CRITTENDEN, a representative farmer of the town of Marathon, — operates one of the largest farms in the Otselic Valley, and even in the whole county there are few estates that compare with his in size and productiveness. He is a son of Julius and Altania (Courtney) Crittenden, and was born October 31, 1830, in the town of Cincinnatus, Cortland County, N. Y.

The grandfather of our subject, Ebenezer Crittenden, was born in Berkshire County, Mass., whence he emigrated at an early day to Cortland County, locating in what is now the town of Willet. He bought one hundred acres of rich, alluvial land that bordered on the Otselic River, and became a pioneer settler, enduring all the privations and hardships incident to a life on the frontier. After clearing the farm and living there some years, he removed up the river to a locality just below the village of Cincinnatus, where he purchased a tract of five hundred acres, on which he lived and labored until well advanced in years. Later, he moved to a farm above the village of Cincinnatus, but returned to his other estate in the town of Cincinnatus before his death, which took place in 1845.

Julius Crittenden, the father of our subject, was one of the ten children comprising the parental family, and was born in the town of Cincinnatus, in 1804; on the farm where his birth took place he lived all his life, dying in 1884. His avocation through life was farming and also lumbering in the State of Pennsylvania. He was a Whig in politics, changing his allegiance to the Republican party, when that organization succeeded its parent. He was twice elected a supervisor of the town of Cincinnatus. His marriage with Altania Courtney resulted in the birth of nine children, namely: Leroy; Lodema, deceased; Louisa, who lives in the town of Willet; Laura J., deceased; Sarah Ann; Burton of the town of Cincinnatus; Adaline, who lives in the town of Willet, is the wife of W. J. Delavan; Chauncey, who lives in the town of Willet; and Frank L., also a resident of the same town.

After obtaining a common school education that was in its scope very limited, our subject went into the lumbering business in Pennsylvania, when about twenty-eight years of age, all of his life previous to that age having been spent on the farm. He was in the lumbering business twelve years, and then having been taken very sick with malarial fever he was in mercantile business for three years in Allegany County, N. Y. He then located in the town of Cincinnatus, and for two or three years lived on the homestead, finally removing to Marathon, in 1878. His farm is one of the finest in the county and consists of 640 acres in one body; he also owns about 300 acres of land in other sections of the county. He is an industrious, enterprising citizen, and is able to give a good account of himself, no matter what the particular work in which he may be engaged. He is respected for the honorable part that he has taken in both building up his own fortunes and in aiding in the development of his native county. He is public spirited, and gives liberally of his means to worthy objects.

Mr. Crittenden married Nancy Jones, which union was happily blessed with two children: Frank, who resides in Cincinnatus, engaged in farming; and Cora, who is now deceased. Our subject is a genial, companionable man, and has many friends. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity.