zara blake family

1 Litchfield Vital Records, Vol. 1, pg. 169.

©Beth Davies AG, 69 W . 1080 N.. American Fork, UT 84003. Permission is granted to print and distribute to

family members.

THE ZARA BLAKE FAMILYBeth Davies AG

ZARA AND ESTHER

[Note, February 2009: The birth information as found in Our Folks on Esther Etheredge isincorrect. She was born 10 August 1783 in Adams, Berkshire County, Massachusetts (NewEngland Historic Genealogical Society, Vital records of Williamstown, Massachusetts, to theyear 1850 (Boston, Massachusetts : New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1907), 35.]

ZARA BLAKE was born at Litchfield, Litchfield, Connecticut 12 Nov. 1781.1 George M.Blake in Our Folks wrote that Zara "died at South Dansville, N.Y., Sept. 17th, 1839. He was marriedMarch 22d, 1803 at Herkimer, N.Y.., with ESTHER ETHEREDGE. The Etheredges were EnglishQuakers. She was born at Stonington, Conn., Aug. 10th, 1783. she died at Dansville, N.Y. June25th, 1833. She is said to have been a very lovely and lovable woman, of a large figure, with amagnificent head of chestnut brown hair. Her father was Thomas Etheredge, of Stonington, and hermother, Anna (Cleveland) Etheredge, was born at Canterbury, Conn., 1753. Her grandfather wasNathaniel Etheredge, who is thought to have been the original immigrant from England to Conn.,1720.

For about a year after his marriage Zara Blake lived at Herkimer, N.Y., then came to Livonia.He was a farmer and dealer in cattle, horses and live stock. He would make periodical trips to Conn.,and buy there, and near there, a drove of stock, which he would then drive across N.Y. State,following the Mohawk Valley, and what is now the line of the Erie Canal, and was earlier yet thegreat east and west trail of the Six Nations, to the new west of those days, where he would marketthem.

For a time he was very successful and accumulated a small fortune; but this he suddenly lost,and as to the manner of its loss I had, years ago, from my uncle N.E.B., the following tale, and thesame has since been corroborated from two independent sources.

It is said that during, or immediately after the war of 1812, Canada, or England, declared anabsolute embargo, or act of non-intercourse, upon all trade between Canada and the United States,and the penalty of its violation was death, the violator being treated to some extent as a spy.

Zara Blake not having the fear he perhaps ought to have had, and attracted by the profits ofthis dangerous traffic, repeatedly traded from the N.Y. shore of Lake Ontario across to Canada, andhad as a partner a sailor, said to have been Capt. Chesley Blake, who afterwards owned the steamerIllinois and was one of the famous characters of the lakes. He was not a relative so far as anyoneever knew, though he was always a good friend and acquaintance to Zara Blake's family.

The Capt. furnished the boat and Zara Blake the cargo, and for a time they did a "land officebusiness" with the Canucks.

This was all supposedly kept secret from Zara's good Quaker wife; but she some way learnedof it, and on her request he promised to cease the dangerous trade so soon as he made one more trip,

2 George M. Blake, Our Folks, Second Preliminary Draft, Rockford, Illinois, June 1, 1895, pp.16-17.

3ibid . pp. 18-20.


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to close out stock on hand and settle with the Canadian agents who had the disposition of themerchandise on that end of the line.

He went across, collected up, and is said to have had upwards of $5000 in gold on his person.He told his Canadian allies that was his last trip and that he was now out to the business, and theCanadians with a keen eye on that gold betrayed him to a sheriff, having first made a bargain withthe local Jonathan Wild for immunity and a share of the plunder.

Capt. Blake and the boat got away by a squeak, but the officer nabbed Zara Blake and thecash. Blake was tried and condemned to death; but he was a mason as was also Capt. Blake, andcertain Canadian masonic friends helped them arrange a further bribe to this hungry sheriff, by theterms of which the Blakes were to keep silence as to the amount stolen by the sheriff, and let himretain it from his government, and the Canadian masons were to pay or guarantee the payment bythe Blakes of a large further sum to the officer. This deal concluded, the sheriff "forgot" to lock theprison doors one night, and Zara Blake escaped, "stole" a horse from a Canadian mason's stable nearby that "happened " to be standing bridled and saddled, and Capt. Blake and his sloop did the rest.So he got off alive, but ruined, as it took about all he had left to make good the sum pledged for himby the Canada friends.

He never recovered financially from this loss, but had he lived a little longer he would havedone so, as he had gone from Livonia into the hills just south from Dansville, N.Y., then clothedwith the finest of white pine timber, and had purchased a large tract of it and gone to lumbering. Buthis health failed, and after a lingering illness of years, he died comparatively poor, his estate givinghis children only about $600 each.

Although Zara Blake traded with Canada in violation of the non-intercourse act, he was notat all the man one would imagine for that sort of a thing. He was not a man of the dashing sort; quitethe reverse. He was very pious, a Presbyterian deacon and a stern man--one of the rigid puritanicalsort."2

A letter written by Mr. B.S. Stone to George M. Blake in 1895 states, "The old Blake homeof your grandfather was located but a few rods across the creek and county line from where I live.It was a double house. The south side was made of logs, the north end of planks, with a great doublefireplace and chimney in the middle. No stoves in those days. The boys' sleeping room was upstairsand the 'stairs' was a ladder.

"Your grandmother died in the big room in the log part of the house. My eldest sister tookme in to see her when she was dying. I was very young then. She called me to her and took myhand. I can recollect her lips were swollen, but she talked to me and gave me advice to be a goodboy, etc. etc. She made me cry, and I wanted to go home. Two or three of your aunts were there, andwe were all weeping. The old house caught fire and burned up some time in the 'fifties'."3

Zara Blake is buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Sandy Hill, Town of Dansville, Steuben County

4Cemetery Records, Steuben County, New York, Green Lawn Cemetery, Sandy Hill, County Rt. 46, Town

of Danville, p. 53, FHL film 1,479,820.

5Steuben County Wills, V. 3, p. 161, FHL film 853,119.

6Cemetery Records, Steuben County, Green Lawn Cem., p. 53.

7Blake, Our Folks, pp. 18, 20.

81850 U.S. Census, Athens, Calhoun Co., Michigan, p . 117R, Family #963, FHL film 14,810 .

9Wisner up-date, received from Jean Cobb April 14 , 1999 via e-mail.

10Family group sheet compiled by Jean Cobb, copy in possesion of Beth Davies

11Ibid.12

DAR Collection, Ingham County, Michigan, Vital Records, Sec. 4--Locke Township, Belle Oak

Cemetery, Locke Township Sec. 13, FHL film 927, 434.

131860 U.S. Census, Leroy Township, Calhoun Co., Michigan, p. 213, Family #1608, FHL film 803,539.

14Blake, Our Folks, p. 20.


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New York. He died Sept .17 1839 age 56 years 10 months, 17 days.4 His will was written the dayof his death. In it he bequeathed to his children Cynthia Wisner, Mary Ann Dewey, Alta Blake, UryBlake, Electa Losey, Aaron C. Blake, William E. Blake, Gideon S. Blake, Zara H. Blake, andNathaniel E. Blake all his real and personal property over and above the paying of his debts to beequally divided between them.5

Esther Etheredge Blake died June 25, 1833, six years before her husband and is also buriedin Greenlawn Cemetery.6

THE CHILDREN

CYNTHIA BLAKE was born April 17, 1804 at Herkimer, New York. In Our Folks, B.S.Stone, who lived in Danville, wrote, "In an old letter that my father wrote to my grandmother Templein Mass., this item of news occurs: 'Cynthia Blake was married to Lathrop Wisnor March 22, 1824.'"7

Cynthia's family moved to Indiana between 1833 and 1836 and to Athens, Calhoun County,Michigan between 1843 and 1850.8 Jean Cobb, a descendant of this couple, wrote concerning LibiasLathrop Wisner, "(I) found Libeas Lathrop Wisner in yates County ..He was pastor of Italy HollowBaptist CLhurch 1828-1832. Then I found L.L. in Fayette County, IN, in 1840. I tracked L.L toCalhoun County, MI in 1850.....Cynthia and he went to Lenawee where he had brothers living."9

Lathrop and Cynthia had nine known children: (1) Zara Judson, born 7 Feb. 1825 in SteubenCounty, New York who married Nancy "Mary Ann" Davie on 18 Feb.1850 in Rush County, Indianaand died 27 Nov. 1902 in Allen County, Kansas10 (2) William Wisner, born about 1828 in NewYork11 (3) Susan, born about 183212 in New York13, who married Lewis Benjamin14 and died 23 Feb.

15DAR Collection, Ingham Co., Mich. Vital Records

16DAR Collection, Cemetery Records, Lenawee Co., Michigan, V. 4, p. 123, Hudson Township, M aple

Grove Cemetery (Hudson City), FHL film 926,727.

171850 U .S. Census, Athens, Calhoun Co., Mich.

18Lenawee County, Michigan, Marriage Records, 1852-1864, FHL film 14,822. This marriage is on a

loose, typewritten sheet of paper near the end of the film and was not recorded until April 22, 1907!

19DAR Collection, Cemetery Records, Lenawee Co., Michigan.

201850 U .S. Census, Athens, Calhoun Co., Michigan.


22Family Group Sheet compiled by Jean Cobb, copy in possessin of Beth Davies

23Our Folks, p. 20.

24IGI. Our Folks lists the year as 1830, but the 1850 Census shows that Solomon had two children from his

first marriage born about 1833 and 1835 (1850 U.S. Census, Jackson Co., Waterloo Township, Michigan, p. 465,

FHL film 443,568).

25Record of Deaths, Jackson County, Michigan, Book A, p. 143, FHL film 941,628.

26DAR Cemetery Records, Jackson County, Michigan, V. 2, p. 459, FHL film 925,960.


28DAR Cemetery Records, Jackson Co, V. 2, p. 459.


30Ibid.31

DAR Cemetery Records, Jackson Co., V. 2, p. 458.


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190315 . (4) Daniel B., born 5 June 183316 in New York17, married Elizabeth E. Ditmars 12 Oct.1853 at Hudson, Lenawee Co., Michigan18, and died 2 Aug. 190719. (5) Etheredge, born about 1836, (6) Catharine, born about 1838, (7) Sarah, born about 1840, (8) Cynthia, born about 1842, and (9)Libias, born about 1843, all in Indiana20. Cynthia Blake Wisner died 30 March 1852 at Athens,Calhoun, Michigan.21 Lathrop remarried after her death and died 22 Sept. 1884 at Dover, LenaweeCo., Michigan.22

MARY ANN BLAKE was born Oct. 27, 1805 at Livonia, New York23. She married, as a2nd wife, Solomon Taylor Dewey 13 Oct. 1837 at Dansville24. They moved to Waterloo, JacksonCounty, Michigan between 1843 and 1848 and spent the rest of their lives their. Mary Ann died Oct.20, 1875 at Waterloo of old age. Her death record says she was 69 years, 11 months, and 24 daysold, born in New York25. Solomon had died 12 years earlier on July 16, 1863. They are both buriedin Pixley Cemetery, in Waterloo, as are two of their four children.26 Solomon and Mary Ann hadfour children: (1) Shuyler S. Dewey, born 18 Nov. 1837 at Dansville, married Louisa Earl 28 Nov.185827, died in 1911 and buried in Pixley Cemetery.28 (2) Zara Blake Dewey, born 3 Nov. 1840 atDansville, married Alzina Craig 21 Feb. 1867 at Fitchburg, Ingham County, Michigan29. (3) LorenzoDewy, born 13 Jan. 1843 at Dansville, married first, Mary E. Croman at Waterloo, and 2nd, LorettaA. ____30 He died in 1926 and is buried in Pixley Cemetery.31 (4) Mary Ann Dewey, born 12 Sept.


33IGI.


35Cemetery Records, Steuben Co., New York, Forest Lawn Cemetery, p. 38, FHL film 1,479,820.


37Ibid.

38Ibid, p. 20-21. Cem etery Records, Steuben Co, p. 45, gives some conflicting information. It says that an

infant daughter of Joseph and E lecta Losey died 2-19-1839 and another daughter died Sept. 15, 1849.

39Ibid, p. 20.

40Ibid.

411855 New York State Census, Steuben Co., Danville, p. 3, FHL film 512,421.


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1848 at Waterloo after the family had moved to Michigan and married Edwin R. Hawley on 20March 187332 at Bunker Hill, Ingham County, Michigan33

ALTA M. BLAKE was born 14 Aug. 1807 at Livonia and married John M. Hendee. Theyhad no children. Our Folks says, "Etheredge, son of her brother William, was dear to her heart. shealways refused to believe he was drowned the night he ran away from Stone's, though the bridge wasgone in the morning and every stream booming, and she held, to her death, to the hope that some dayhe would come back to her. She had, by dint of economy, from her butter and egg money and thelike, gathered together a couple of hundred dollars that was her very own, and this she kept "ForEtheredge" and it was in the bank intact to the day she died, though her own life was a meager oneand barren."34 Alta died 2 Sept. 1878 and is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in South Dansville,Steuben County, New York35

URI BLAKE is our direct ancestor and his story has been written separately. Like so manyof his siblings, he moved to the Mid-West and died in Wisconsin.

ELECTA BLAKE was born 27 April 1811 at Livonia and married Joseph Losey on 16April 1835 at Dansville, Livingston County, New York.36 Our Folks says of her, "When her motherdied in 1838, she became the mother to her younger brothers and sisters, and to them and theirs theLosey farm on "Sandy Hill" will always be "Home" and hers their love and honor37 Electa's life musthave been one of sorrow as three of her five children died as infants (Zara Losey, born 17 Aug.1836, died 17 June 1838, Richard, born 17 June 1838, died 19 Feb. 1839, and an unnamed daughterwho was born and died 15 Sept. 184638) and a 4th died during the Civil War. Of this son, WilliamHenry Losey, Our Folks says he, "enlisted Aug. 11, 1862, in Co. K, 130th N.Y. Vols; d. Dec. 18,1862 of typhoid fever, in camp at Suffolk, Va. His uncle, Dr. Z.H. Blake, went to Virginia andbrought his remains home to the little home "Graveyard" on "Sandy Hill," where all his kin aresleeping.39 Electa's fourth son, Uri A. Losey, was born 28 Nov. 184340 in Steuben County, NewYork41. He remained in Steuben County, married Anna B. Warkley on 3 July 1862 at South


43Cem etery Records, Steuben County, Green Lawn Cemetery, Sandy Hill, p. 45.


45Ibid, p. 17-18

46Calhoun Co. Michigan Probate Files, Packet 76--Estate of Etheridge T. Blake and Graty Ann Blake,

minors, FHL film 1,012,864. The petition that gave the birth information was dated 21 Aug. 1848.

47Blake, Our Folks, p. 24

48Ibid, p. 21.


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Dansville42, died in 1910 and is buried in the Sandy Hill cemetery with his parents.43 Joseph Loseydied 5 April 1873 and Electa Blake Losey on 20 Jan. 1895.

AARON COLLINS BLAKE was born 30 March 1813 at Livonia.44 A letter from B.S.Stone, reproduced in Our Folks, says, "Aaron C. Blake married my sister Charlotte Temple Stoneabout 1833. They commenced keeping house in the log house that George Diamond has lived in forthe last 40 years. According to what I have picked up that house was built in 1814. They had twochildren, Etheredge and Grata Ann. They both died of consumption. Grata Ann died at your father'shouse in Dansville; Etheredge at my brother's house in Corrunna, Dekalb Co., Indiana about 1862.Have no dates. Have looked through a pile of old letters, but have not found what I wanted. Mrs.Blake died March 17th, 1847, at Marshall Mich. (born April 3d 1816). Aaron Blake moved with hisfamily from Dansville to Coldwater, Mich. in the fall of 1837. My father, my sister Grata Ann,brother Rufus and myself went with them. Coldwater at that time was a very small village, but a fewrods on the one side to the prairie and oak openings on the other. Aaron c. Blake, in company withhis brother William, ran a saw mill, located about three-fourths of a mile form the village. Theysawed by the thousand. (The mill was owned by two men, named Cole and Stone). They ran the millabout two years. I presume the city of Coldwater today covers the site of it. I can recollect of seeingmany whitewood and black walnut logs, from 4 to 5 feet in diameter, in the mill yard.

In the fall of '38 we all had the fever and ague, --the mill stopped to let everybody shake. thenext year a board of health condemned the mil pond, and a mob tore down the dam. the mill neverstarted again. In three or four years Aaron Blake moved his family to Marshall, where Mrs. Blakedied. On July 4th, 1847, he married a stylish woman and tried to live up to her style. Don't know howhe succeeded. His business after leaving Coldwater was speculation in land and horses."45

The missing birth dates for Aaron's children were found in the probate files of CalhounCounty, Michigan. When Aaron petitioned to be named the legal guardian of his two children, hestated that Etheridge T. was 12 years old on the 28th day of August A.D. 1847 and Graty Ann was11 on the 5th day of August instant.46 I could find no record of his 2nd marriage or of his death,which supposed to have taken place 5 August 1849 at Knappaway, Michigan.47

Our Folks reports the birth and death of two UNNAMED SONS, one born April 10th anddied April 15th 1815 and the 2nd born March 4th and died March 7th, 1816 48. The cemeteryextracts did not list these children.

49Ibid.

50Ibid, p. 18.

51Steuben Co., Indiana, Probate Order Book B, pp. 215, 248, 258, FHL film 1,872,355.

52Blake, Our Folks, p. 21,


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WILLIAM BLAKE was born 6 Aug. 1817 at Livonia.49 R.B. Stone, in the same letter hewrote concerning Aaron, says of William, "William E. Blake was a good man. He married my sister,Grata Ann Stone, May 3d, 1838. The wedding was at the residence of a Mr. Etheredge in the villageof Coldwater. About 1840 they moved to Berlin, Erie Co., Ohio, and he worked at the wagonbusiness two or three years, and then moved to Orland, Indiana, where he built up quite a largewagon factory and hotel, was postmaster, &c.

They had four children--Etheredge, Ruel, Esther Grata--and an infant. Ruel caught thewhopping cough at school, and Esther Grata at that time, the baby took it and died June 12, 1848,six weeks old. Ruel died July 15th, 1848. Mrs. Blake gave birth to a child April 28th, 1859 and diedwith fever May 3d, just eleven years to a day after they were married. (She was born Oct. 28th,1818.) William never did any work after that. His health failed. He came back to Dansville andstayed a short time, then went back to Indiana and died Nov. 10th, 1849.

It is my recollection that William gave us to understand that he was worth several thousanddollars. Before he died he chose his own executors, and they scooped his whole estate after thecorrect western style.

I think your aunt Alta went home with William from here, or went there soon after, and sawthe slaughter of his property, and tried to save something for his orphan boy Etheredge; but theexecutors and lawyers was after what there was in it, and got it.

Alta brought the boy Etheredge home with her. He stayed with her and Joseph Losey's folksquite a time.

He came to my house about the first of June, 1857. On the night of June 9th, 1857, he wentto bed as usual. Sometime in the night he got up; we did not hear him. He took all his clothes, anumbrella, a few small tools from the shop (Stone's Wagon Shop), and left.

We have never heard from him since. It was the night of the great flood that washed awaynearly every bridge and milldam in the town. It had rained all day, and the noise of the stormprobably prevented us from hearing him when he left."50

Probate records in Steuben County, Indiana, show that on Dec. 1, 1849, Moses Spragne wasappointed administrator of William's estate. Moses reported that William had been dead more than15 days. Other records concerning William name Etheredge Blake, a non-resident minor under 21as William's heir. The final settlement of the estate showed that there were more claims against theestate than there were assets.51

GIDEON S. BLAKE was born 14 Sept. 1819 at Livonia.52 He married Zerada Hitchcock

53Ibid, p. 24.

541900 U.S. Census, Hornellsville Town, Steuben County, New York, E .D. 94, sheet 1, FHL film

1,241,174.

55Steuben Co. Cemetery Records, Town of Hornellsville, Arkport Cemetery, 2nd listing p. 1, FHL film

1,479,820.


57Ibid.

58Steuben Co. Cemetery Records, Forest Lawn Cemetery, South Dansville, Town of Dansville, p. 32, FHL

film 1,479,820.

59Blake, Our Folks, p. 24-25.

60Ibid.

611875 New York State Census, town of Almond, Allegany County, p. 39, marriages during the year ended

June 1, 1875, FHL film 501,957.

62Blake, Our Folks, p. 24-25. It gives the death date as 25 Sept. 1880.

63Allegany County, New York, Cemetery Index, FHL film 1,411,774. It gives her death date as Sept. 14,

1880, age 34 years.


651880 U.S. Census, Spring Prairie township, village of Honey Creek, Walworth County, Wisconsin, E.D.

234, sheet 6, FHL film 1,255,449.

661895 W isconsin State Census, Spring Prairie township, W alworth County, Wisconsin, FHL film 1,032.

He was not there in the 1900 Census. There is a Charles A. Blake, born June 1850 back in Livingston County, New

York in the 1900 Census (E.D. 38, sheet 3, FHL film 1,241,071). He is a widower, with parents born in New York.


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on 14 Sep. 1842 at South Dansville.53 She was born in November, 182154 at South Dansville.55 "He was a blacksmith by trade, but after marriage did not follow his trade, but was a farmer

in South Dansville and North Almond the rest of his life. Gideon Blake was a man of a sanguine,hopeful disposition and cheerful temper, whose home bounded his ambitions.

The children all possessed fine musical talent, both vocal and instrumental, and when allwere at home together and "Phoebe" played the cottage organ, and all joined in singing familiarsongs or hymns of an evening as was their habit, he would not have traded places with a president."56

Gideon and Zerada had 6 children: (1) Clarissa E. Blake, born 3 April 1845 and died 24 Dec. 1852.57 She is buried in the Forest

Lawn cemetery in South Dansville.58 (2) Phoebe A. Blake, born 29 Oct. 184659. She "was educated at Dansville Seminary and

Alfred Academy; taught school and music, and was organist of pipe organ, Presbyterian Church inDansville, for several years, living at her uncle Dr. Blake's the while.60 She married Melvin Cook5 Sept. 1875 at Almond, Allegany New York,61 died in Sept. 1880 at Almond of injuries receivedby being thrown from a wagon62 and is buried in the Bailey Hill Cemetery, Allegany County.63

(3) Charles S.A. Blake, born 21 June 1848, married Julie Bailey on 8 Oct. 1869 at Almond,and was a farmer, carpenter and builder.64 Charles moved to Honey Creek, Walworth, Wisconsinwhere he appears in the 188065 and 189566 census records.


681900 U.S. Census, Canaseraga, Allegany Co., New York, E.D. 11, sheet 1, FHL film 1,241,008


701900 U.S. Census, Hornellsville, Steuben Co., New York, E.D. 94, sheet 1, FHL film 1,241,164.


721880 U.S. Census, Almond, Allegany Co., New York, sheet 4, FHL Soundex film 287,869.

731900 U.S. Census, Hornellsville, Steuben Co., New York, E.D. 94, sheet 1, FHL film 1,241,164.


75Steuben County Cemetery Records, Town of Hornellsville, Arkport Cemetery, lst listing, p. 2, FHL film

1,479,820.

76Cemetery Records, Steuben County, New York, Greenhill Cemetery (Sandy Hill), Danville Town, p. 53,

FHL film 1,479,820.



79Cemetery Records, Steuben Co., NY, Greenhill Cemetery (Sandy Hill), p. 53.


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(4)Dora Mary Blake, born 10 May 1850, married Dr. William H. Harris on 12 Oct. 1872 atCanseraga, Allegany Co., New York.67 They were still living in Canseraga in 1900.68

(5) Amanda Blake, born 19 Aug. 1852, married Lorenzo W. Tompkins 25 Nov. 1872.69

Their two daughters were born in Pennsylvania, but by the 1900 census, Amanda was a widow,living back in Steuben County, New York.70

(6) Faye Gideon Blake, born 10 July 1854, married Grace T. Wardner 24 Sept. 1876 atAlmond, Allegany County, New York.71 They lived in Almond72, then in Hornellsville, SteubenCounty73 where Faye was a farmer.74

Gideon died 11 May 1882 at Almond and Zerada died 18 March 1903. They are both buriedin the Arkport Cemetery in Hornellsville, Steuben County, New York.75

ZARA HURD BLAKE was born 23 Oct. 182176 at Livonia77. He married Lovis Dorr in1848. 78 Lovisa was born 20 Dec. 182579, a daughter of Samuel Griswold Dorr and Slima Phelps.Our Folks says of Zara:

"He received his early education at Herkimer Academy, N.Y., living the while with hisQuaker uncle, Nathaniel Etheredge, and no small part of his character owed its shape to the exampleand admonitions of this good and affectionate, yet shrewd relative, whose name and memory ishanded down the line of his sister's children to the youngest generation.

Returning to Dansville, Dr. Blake "worked out" summers, taught school winters, saved everypenny, studied at every opportunity, determined to educate himself. His elder sister, Mrs. ElectaLosey, was a second mother to him, and her home was his also.

From the Dansville Express, Sept. 13th, 1888:"We remember the story of his early struggles, as he told it one summer afternoon while

riding up to his farm. It was the same old story which thousands of our successful countrymen have


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told--parents poor, family large, hard work, deprivation, but with all a grit and determination thatovercame obstacles and won success. Only last Sunday we listened to a farmer as he told ofremembering Dr. Blake as a tall, awkward lad, binding wheat in his father's field at seventy-fivecents a day, the money thus earned being saved to carry him through college. Dr. Blake wasdetermined to succeed in life, and he set about it in the right manner. He was honest, industrious,saving and painstaking, and that he was successful we all know, and that the world is the better forthe example of his early life and the work of his later years. His reputation as a physician was notconfined to his home, it extended throughout the State, and he was regarded as one of the ablestphysicians of the old school, and as a surgeon second to none."

He began to read medicine with Dr. S.L. Endross, of Dansville, a gentleman of excellent birthand courtly manners, a graduate of the best Philadelphia schools and a very able practitioner,between whom and Dr. Blake there grew up a profound friendship which strengthened to theirdeaths, and Dr. Blake was as a professional son to him.

Dr. Blake took his first course of lectures at Geneva medical college. Then some of theGeneva faculty split off, and headed by Austin Flint, St. (later of N.Y. City), and Dr. Ford (later ofAnn Arbor), the seceeding faction established Buffalo Medical College.

Dr. Blake graduated from Buffalo College in the first class it turned out, in 1847. There wereeight in the class, three of whom were living in 1873, and each of these three then had a sonattending lectures at the College; they were Drs. Ring and Wyckoff, of Buffalo, and Dr. Blake.

After graduation he settled at his old home in N.Y. State and began the practice of his art, andin 1848 he married Lovisa Dorr, daughter of Samuel Griswold Dorr. She had been a neighbor of hischildhood and a pupil of his winter schools. The Dorr family in education, means and socialstanding were of the best, Mr. Dorr being a college-bred man and a graduate, but not a practitioner,of medicine. Was a well-to-do manufacturer of woolens and lumber, and had other milling interests.

Dr. Blake pursued the practice of his profession as he had its study. He was a strong,stalwart, "clipper-built" man, six feet three, and weighing in his prime 250 lbs. The demands of acountry practice upon a physician's constitution are enormous, but Dr. Blake met them all. Thewriter has known him to work great stretches of time without sleep--in one case nine days and nights,with only "cat naps" on couch or lounge.

From the Dansville Advertiser, Sept. 13th 1888."On Monday, April 11th, Dr. Z.H. Blake of this village performed his fiftieth operation for

cancer of the breast. On this occasion he was assisted by Dr. F.M. Perine and Miss Josie D. "Blake,M.D. Wonderful to relate, of the fifty operations forty-nine have been successful, effecting perfectcures. The operation that was not successful was made under protest, when the patient was far goneand without any hope of a cure."

Fifty operations for one ailment alone by a man who was only a general country practitionertaking everything as it came, will give an idea of the volume of practice he did.\

Dr. Blake was a man who permitted nothing to interfere with his professional work, and yethe was something of a politician. He was a staunch Republican, serving as a delegate to State andNational conventions of the party, and as a member of the Electoral College of New York in 1880.

I quote from the proceedings of that College: "Mr. Churchill, from the majority of thecommittee to select the messengers, reported the names of John Jacob Astor to go to Washingtonand Z. H. Blake to go the U.S. Judge. A minority of the committee objected to this report on the


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ground that the western part of the State ought to have the messengers, and recommended Blake forWashington and St. John to go to the U.S. Judge.

"Mr. Clarence Seward did not think locality ought to influence the matter, and the majorityreport was unanimously adopted."

April 17th, 1863, Dr. Blake was appointed surgeon to the Board of Enrollment of the 25thDistrict, State of N.Y., comprising the counties of Livingston, Ontario and Yates; and served untilhonorably discharged June 15th, 1865. Headquarters of the Board were first at Canandaigua, laterat Avon, N.Y. His associates were William T. Remer, Capt. Provost, and Jacob a. Mead of Mt.Morris, and Ralph T. Wood of Dansville.

This and one other Board were the only ones in the U.S. which had the honor of servingthrough its entire term with its membership unchanged, and without a question either of theirintegrity or capacity.

All enlisted and drafted men for these counties passed through his hands for acceptance orrejection, and numberless were the attempts to bribe or deceive him, but to no avail.

After the close of the war, for upwards of twenty years he was examining surgeon for thePension Department for a part of Western N.Y. He was also an aspirant for the honorable andlucurative post of Health Officer of the Port of New York, a competitor being Austin Flint Jr., ofN.Y. City. Their forces were so evenly divided that neither one got it, a third man being chosen asa compromise after the situation had developed the eveness of Blake and Flint in the race.

Dr. Blake was a vestryman of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, but not a church member. Hewas a sincerely religious man, believing devoutly in God's love and justice; but either from a Quakerancestry or from other reasons, he had no use for creeds other than "Jesus Christ and him crucified." He wasPast Master of his Masonic Lodge and of the Chapter, and held many minor positions of trust andhonor.

As a result of political antagonisms, the leading Democratic family of Western N.Y., "theFaulkners," ostensibly attorneys for a Mrs. Carpenter, brought against him a malpractice suit, basedupon the fact of his acting in a case upon an emergency, the case immediately going into othermedical hands and staying there; but there were those who had been obliged to serve their countryby him, and the Faulkners "had a pull." a handsome lady was most skilfully displayed as a plaintiff.Dr. Blake was rich, and so the jury "was agin him,". but Dr. Blake was a fighter. Thirteen years thiscase was in court; three times it went to the Court of Appeals, and was by that tribunal finallydecided against him by a 4 to 3 vote, the casting vote being given by Samuel Hand of Albany, whohad just been appointed to fill a vacancy by Gov. Tilden, Gen. Lester B. Faulkner, Chairman of theState Democratic Central Committee, being attorney in the case for Mrs. C. at this time. This Phyricvictory for the "Faulkners" cost Dr. Blake a great deal or money, and the injustice of it shortened hislife ten years at least.

Mrs. Blake survives him at Dansville, N.Y. She was stricken with apoplectic paralysis June12th, 1893, from which she has only partially recovered. From the day she was suddenly strickenshe has had the faithful, untiring devotion of her daughter, Dr. Josephine Dorr Blake, who has

80Blake, Our Folks, pp. 25-27.


82Ibid.


84Ibid.



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unselfishly given her entire thought and time to the care of our beloved mother."80

Zara and Lovisa had three children: (1) Sophia Blake, born 14 Oct. 1850, died 19 Jan. 1852,81 (2) George Matthew Blake, the author of Our Folks, was born 1 Nov. 185282 at Dansville,

New York83, married Carrie Gillman Brown 16 Oct. 1879 at Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois84,and died 2 Dec. 193785 He wrote of himself in Our Folks: "Attended the local schools atDansville until fall of 1869 when he entered Williston Seminary, at East Hampton, Mass., class of1872--"Classical."

One of his teachers here was Dr. Chas. Parkhurst, now of N.Y. City and his influence on Mr.Blake's character was perhaps the strongest of his life from one who was no relative. In 1871 Mr.Blake gave up the idea of college (for which he has always been sorry) and took up the study of lawwith John Wilkinson, Jr., a very bright young lawyer at Dansville. He had always had a repugnanceto medicine; but his father's cherished ideas was that his only son should take up his work and assisthim, and eventually succeed to his fame and fine practice. he finally prevailed, and Mr. Blake gaveup the law and tried medicine, having the widest scope of clinical instruction and the most faithfultutor. He graduated M.D. at Buffalo, N.Y. in class of 1874, having for some time before this beenhis father's assistant, and upon graduation his father took him into partnership. Mr. Blake was asuccessful practitioner in all senses, but his dislike of the profession grew and strengthened, and in1877 he flatly quit it for good and for ever, went to Ann Arbor, entered the law school, and graduatedB.L. in 1879. He had intended to settle in Buffalo for the practice of his profession, but a veryparticular reason attracted him to Rockford, Ill., and in the spring of 1879 he settled there, and witha classmate opened the law firm of Blake and Blaine.

...The firm of Blake and Blaine was not long lived, Mr. Blaine dropping the profession andBlake continued the practice alone until 1894, when he took into partnership Mr. L.M. Reckhow,and the firm is now Blake and Reckhow. Mr. Blake is staunchly Republican in politics, but is nopolitician. He has served two years as City Attorney, and has the reputation of being an excellent"business" lawyer, and a careful, safe business man whose word "goes." He has had many businessinterests outside his law practice; was for some years Pres. of First Nat. Bank of Canton, S. Dak.,has dealt in real estate in the Dakotas, Kansas and the Pacific Coast. Is Pres. of a local Building andloan Ass'n. (the Fidelity), and is also Pres. and Active Manager of the Druggists' Union Co. ofRockford, a concern manufacturing specialties and remedies for the drug trade. He is a Mason andKnight Templar, and both he and his wife are members of the Second Congregational Church of



881865 New York State Census, North Dansville, Livingston Co., p. 21, FHL film 510,543.


90Blake, Our Folks, pp. 27-29.


92Blake, Our Folks, p. 29. Birthdate is also given in Mchenry County, Illinois Cemeteries, Vol. 1, p. 114.


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Rockford."86 (3) Josephine Dorr Blake, born 31 Oct. 185687 in Livingston County, New York,88

died 3 April 1940.89 George Blake wrote of his sister: "Josephine Dorr Blake...was educated at the localschools, and was one year at Cook Academy, Havanna, N.Y., and three years at Rockford Seminary,Rockford, Ill., of which school her aunt, Catherine C. Dorr, was for years a teacher, then enteredVassar from which she graduated in 1880.

She read medicine with her father after her brother had abandoned it, and attended lecturesat Michigan Universtiy, Ann Arbor, graduating M.D. 1887 from the (Regular) college there. Shetaught the classics for a couple of years at Ingham University, LeRoy, N.Y. She has never practiceher profession, except as her father's assistant during the latter years of his life, since which time shehas given all her thought and attention to the care of our invalid mother."90

Zara Hurd Blake, his wife, and all three children are buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, SandyHill.91

NATHANIEL ETHEREDGE BLAKE was born on 18 June 1825 at South Dansville.92

Our Folks says of him, "He began when fifteen years old to learn the trade of wagon maker. Hefollowed this three years, then went into a manufactory for threshing machines, where he wasforeman and afterwards manager. In 1845 he was married at his native town to EmmelineWellington (she was born there, 1822 of excellent New England stock), and went to farming. Forsome years he owned and carried on farms in Allegany Co., N.Y., adjoining that owned by hisbrother Gideon, and for a while the three brothers, Gideon, Zara and Nathaniel, were partners insheep raising on quite a scale there. In 1868 he decided to come west, sold out and located atHarvard, Ill. forming a partnership with Ezra Smith in the wagon manufacturing business.

After a couple of years he sold out and with his eldest son, J.C. Blake, engaged in themanufacture of sash, doors, and c. and N.E. Blake & Son. This they finally converted to a wagonfactory again, and continued it as such until 1882, when his health began to fail, and he gave up thebusiness to hi son; but after a rest and change of scene by travel, his health was partially restored,and his native energy not permitting him to be content when idle, he opened a Real Estate office andsoon added Collections, and then finally accepted election as the town Justice of the Peace.

This class of business seemed to suit him exactly and he made a remarkable success of it, forthe size of his field.

I quote from the Harvard Independent of 1893.` "During his terms of office, Harvard has never had a more upright or conscientious official;


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always a careful conservative man, he scored a great success in his business career.It was apparent to him, as it was to all who knew him, that he was especially adapted for his

later work. He took an active part in furthering the interests of this town, and early residents aboundin reminiscences in which he bore a prominent part. He was a man of genial humor and kind heart,a man of never ceasing mental activity, and until recent years, of great physical energy. There wasscarcely a thing undertaken by him that he did not succeed in. Everything he did was marked withhis individuality; no reverses were sufficient to overcome his courage; for ten years he knew his lifewas being gradually sapped away by an insidious disease (diabetes), but with full knowledge of this,he kept at work with the energy of a man forty years his junior. The people of this city on severaloccasions honored him with offices of trust. He was several times President of our Board ofTrustees, and his voice was always on the side of right, and as Supervisor on the County Board hedisplayed the same true character."

From the Sharon (Ill.) Register,"He was Mayor several times...He was a friend of the needy, a kind and obliging neighbor,

an honorable upright man whose memory will long live green in the hearts of his many friends, bywhom he is greatly missed."

From the Woodstock Democrat"Mr. Blake was widely known as a man of unswerving integrity, honest dealings, and

conscientious treatment of his fellowmen...He had a knowledge of law few men possess, and hisrulings stood firm."

From Woodstock Sentinel,"Mr. Blake was firmly trusted and highly respected by every man who knew him; he was a

sincere Christian business man, reliable in all his actions, energetic and square in all his dealings."From Marengo Republican,

"Mr. N.E. Blake was well known here, and had a high reputation for honesty, integrity andbusiness sagacity."

From Episcopal Rector's Letter in Harvard Herald,"Nathaniel Etheredge Blake was the soul of honor, his word was a bond, integrity,

uprightness and exactness were the embodiment of his moral life; he was entitled to the esteem ofhis fellow men, and he got it, while at the same time no one would spurn more quickly than he, anytribute to his worth not given in truest sincerity, and we who write or speak of him do not forget this.

His home life was very dear to him, it was a pleasure when the tolls of day were over to dropin and see him in his home life and hear his whole souled welcome; his physical weakness in hislater years did not permit him to go out much.

The summer home he built at Lake Geneva he well knew would not be his to enjoy long. hebuilt it for his family. He had the satisfaction of seeing it completed, and when everything wasready, indulged in a 'week off' spent there. He invited his Rector to come and spend it with him andhis family. That week was a restful one to him, and it was his last vacation, though we did not thinkit then."

N.E. Blake was familiarly known to the people of Harvard as "Papa" Blake. I know ofnothing that carries a better idea of him than this. If he reproved any, as he sometimes did, it wasa as a father might do it and few took offence; to him they came for advice, aid and comfort. He wasa counsellor, shrewd and able, and a friend trusted, respected and loved, and by none more than by


94Blake, Our Folks, p. 30 gives the birthplace, but gives the date as Dec. 3d 1841. The year 1847 is from

McHenry County, Illinois, Cemeteries, Vol. 1, p. 114.


96McHenry County, Illinois, 1832-1968, p. 880, FHL 977.322H2m.

97McHenry County, Illinois, Cemeteries, Vol. 1, p. 114.

98Our Folks, p. 30.

991865 New York State Census, Almond, Allegany Co., New York, p. 12, FHL film 501,954.

100Our Folks, p. 30.

101Our Folks, p. 30.

1021865 New York State Census, Almond, Allegany Co., New York, p. 12, FHL film 501,954.


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the writer, who knew him through and through, and knew him to be just one of the salt of earth. Hewas a Mason and K.T., and held offices in the order often. The widow survives him."93

Nathaniel and Emmeline had three children:(1) John Cameron Blake, born 3 Dec. 1847 at South Dansville, New York94 Our Folks says

of him, "He was married at S. D'vill, ___ to Louise Burditt (She was b. same place Mar. 25th, 1849).He was educated at So. D'ville and Alfred, N.Y. Academies, came west with his father,

whom he assisted in business, and with whom he was first in partnership and later succeeded in thewagon manufactory. In 1889 he sold out the wagon factory at Harvard and established at Rockford,Ill. (but kept his home in Harvard), the J.C. Blake Heating Co., a corporation for contracting anderecting, and for dealing in all kinds of steam and other heating apparatus and similar supplies. Thishe conducted very successfully until fall of 1892, when his father's failing health made it necessarythat a stronger and younger person should be constantly at hand to aid him and watch over him.

Accordingly, under guise of partnership with his father in the real estate and collectionbusiness, he established himself as his father's physical guardian without the latter's perceiving thereal intent. The Heating Co. was left in the management of his son Jesse C. Blake, with Ruel E.Dewey, a second cousin, as supt. of construction.

Since his father's death, his mother's health is by no means good and Mr. Blake has given hiswhole time to the Harvard office business, with sufficient attention to the Heating Co. at Rockfordto keep it in good standing.

Jesse C. has however, proved a careful manager and has relieved Mr. Blake of more and morecare each year in this respect. John C. Blake is a "chip of the old block" in character."95

John Cameron Blake was married to Louise Maria Burditt in 1868.96 He died in 1916 andis buried in the Mt. Auborn cemetery in McHenry County, Illinois.97

(2) Fred Wellington Blake, born 31 May 185598 in Allegany County, New York.99 Our Folkssays of him, "d. unmarried at Leadville, Colo., July 6th, 1891. He was a locomotive engineer, asplendid natural mechanic, who could see into anything that had wheels and run it better than anyoneelse I ever knew."100

(3) Mary Electa Blake, born 29 Dec. 1861101 at Allegany, New York102, died 24 Nov. 1921

103McHenry County, Illinois, Cemeteries, Vol. 1, p. 114. It gives her birthdate as 27 Dec. 1862.


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and is buried at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in McHenry County, Illinois.103

zara blake family

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