My Genealogy Hound

CHARLES E. WEEKS, an active business man and a popular democrat of Jamestown, was born at Blossburg, Tioga county, Pa., December 3, 1834, and is a son of James and Betsy (Jennings) Weeks. His paternal grandfather, Samuel Weeks, who was of English extraction, was a resident for many years of Vermont and New York. His son, James Weeks, the father of Charles E. Weeks, followed wool-carding for several years in the “Keystone State,” at the end of which time he removed to New York, where he settled in Orleans county, and lived a retired life until his death in 1847, at fifty-six years of age. He was a democrat in politics, married Betsy Jennings, and reared a family of four sons and three daughters: Mary, Walter J., engaged in the grocery business on the corner of Pine and Second Streets, Jamestown; Andrew J., a real estate agent of the same city; Charles E., Eliza, Laura and Henry, who is in the grocery business in Jamestown with his brother, Walter J.

Charles E. Weeks, although born in Pennsylvania, yet was reared principally in New York, where he was educated at Albion academy. At the end of his schooldays he determined upon a business career, and in 1856 became a merchant at Ellington, this county, where he remained two years. He then came to Jamestown, which he has made his permanent residence and place of business until the present time. The principal lines of business to which he has devoted his attention since becoming a resident of Jamestown have been real estate, groceries and manufacturing. His many real estate transactions and his large grocery trade are evidences of his business ability and adaptability to commercial pursuits.

On December 8, 1856, he married Eunice Woodworth, daughter of Erastus C. Woodworth, a native of Orleans county and resident of Ellington, now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Weeks have been born four children, three sons and one daughter: Francis (died in infancy), James L., Bertha E. and Charles E., Jr. James L. completed a high school course, read law, was graduated from Albany law school, and married Clara C. Kingsbury, of Westfield. He then formed a partnership with his former legal preceptors, Bootey and Fowler, under the firm name of Bootey, Fowler & Weeks, and did the democratic party good service as a public speaker in the presidential campaigns of 1884 and 1888 by stumping the counties of Chautauqua and Cattaraugus. Bertha E. is a student at Wells college, New York; and Charles E., Jr., is engaged in the real estate business with his father.

As a democrat Mr. Weeks has always held firm to the time-honored and cardinal principles of his party, whose standard-bearers have never failed to receive his earnest support. In July, 1885, he was appointed by President Cleveland as postmaster of Jamestown, and served with satisfaction to the citizens of the city during his term of four years and eight months. He also served his city as a member of the school board and board of trustees. He was nominated by his party in 1881 as one of their candidates for assembly, and notwithstanding the county was republican that year by a majority of twenty-five hundred, yet he lacked but four hundred votes of being elected, and carried his own city by four hundred and twenty-five majority. Owing to his popularity he was made the democratic nominee, in 1882, for State Senator in the Twenty-second district, composed of the counties of Cattaraugus and Chautauqua, and although unsuccessful, yet ran far ahead of his ticket in the former as well as in the latter county, where he not only received his large vote of 1881, but almost succeeded in carrying Jamestown, which is one of the republican strongholds of western New York. Charles E. Weeks is a prominent representative of the real estate business of Jamestown, which has been commensurable in its increase with the other industries of the city.