Kim's Thoughts

For my August 6th Daily Photo, I went to the Carlton Cemetery on Waterport Road. I have several ancestors there, but one in particular has quite a historic significance and an interesting resting place. I have blogged about this grave before, but have been thinking a lot about it lately, for some reason, so decided to make it today’s Daily Photo and include a history lesson, to boot! 🙂

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6:

“Anthony Miles”

Anthony Miles is one of my ancestors – my grandmother, Ada Armina Miles Freeman was a direct descendant of Anthony’s. Anthony was the last surviving member of the Union Company – a group of men from Massachusetts who were early settlers responsible for the development of the town of Carlton in 1810. He was born August 11, 1784 and died June 6, 1883. He would have been 232 years old in just a few days from now! But, the most interesting part of his story is his grave marker. Over the years, a tree grew beside his marker and wrapped right around it – kind of like a gentle hug for all eternity! That is his first of three wives’ grave markers beside it. Anthony married Rebecca Benjamin Miles, who died June 2, 1825, Jane Brown Miles, who died in 1838 and Martha Jones Miles, who I could not find in any of the Orleans County Cemeteries, so I don’t know when she died. Coincidentally, Jane Brown Miles is one of 16 children of Elijah and Bathshua Brown – Bathshua Brown played a pivotal role in the War of 1812 at Point Breeze (click here for a previous story I did on Bathshua – scan down to the end of the post for the part on her and her family.)

Unfortunately, I have not (yet) been able to determine which of Anthony’s wives bore the children that eventually created my line to Anthony. My grandmother, Ada Armina Miles’ parents were Howard Carlton Miles and Anna Pullen Miles. Howard’s parents were Harlan Page Miles and Sarah Bragg Miles. Then, I have a gap in my research for Harlan – I know he is descended from Anthony, but the line from which of his three wives is the question. So far, I have been able to see that Anthony and Jane (Brown) Miles had at least two sons that went on to marry – Edwin Wade Miles and Edmund Benjamin Miles (some daughters, too, but their children would not have bore the Miles surname, so won’t help me trace the Miles surname to Harlan Page Miles). Perhaps I’ll find that one of those sons are connected to Harlan Page Miles, which would mean that I have a connection to Bathshua Brown…….that would be cool…..maybe that’s why I love Point Breeze so much! I do, at least, have a connection by marriage due to my connection to Bathshua’s son-in-law, Anthony Miles! But, it will be interesting to see if I can find out anything to fill in the gap and trace the direct lines.

Anyway……back to Anthony Miles’ story, which is, after all, the reason for this post! Here is an article I found on the Union Company (which, if you remember from the beginning of my rambling, Anthony was the last surviving member of). I found it on a web site for “The Pioneer History of Orleans County, NY, By Arad Thomas”.

THE UNION COMPANY.

In December, 1810, eight young men in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, formed a company, which they named, “the Union company,” and agreed each to contribute an equal share of stock, and go together and forma settlement on the Holland Purchase, where each partner should buy for himself a farm with his own means, and the company would help him clear a certain portion of land and build a house and barn. The buildings to be alike on each man’s farm.

They limited the company to two years, during which they would all live and work together, and share the avails of their labor equally.

Before leaving Stockbridge, they drew up and signed their agreement in writing.

Thus organized they came to Carlton and took up land west of Oak orchard Creek, each a farm, which was worked according to contract.

Fitch Chamberlain was married, but left his wife at home until he could get a home for her made ready. They brought no women with them and kept bachelor’s hall the first year when Giles Slater, Jr., went back to Stockbridge and married a wife and brought her to his new home, and soon after his example was followed by the remainder of the company.

The company made judicious selections of land; its affairs were well managed and successful. All of the partners were fortunate in accumulating property, the sure reward of honest, persevering industry. Their families have ever been among the most respected and influential in town.

Fitch Chamberlain was a physician and practiced medicine in the later years of his life. The members of the company are all dead , except Anthony Miles, now aged 84 years, in 1871.

The Union company consisted of Minoris Day, Fitch Chamberlain, Charles Webster, Anthony Miles, Selah Bardslee, Moses Barnum, Jr., Russell Smith, and Giles Slater, Jr.

The first death among the settlers was that of Elijah Brown. The first birth was a pair of twins, children of James Walsworth, in 1806. At their birth no physician or person of her own sex was present with the mother. The first marriage was that of William Carter and Amy Hunt, in 1804. Peleg helms taught the first school in 1810-11. And George Kuck kept the first store in 1816.

The first public religious services in Carlton were held about the year 1810, and were conducted by Rev. Mr. Steele, a Methodist preacher who came from Canada.

Elder Simeon Dutcher, of the Baptist denomination, settled in Carlton in 1817. He was the only preacher residing in town for several years.

Among the first settlers were Elijah Hunt, Moses Root, Henry Lovewell, Paul Brown, Elijah Brown, Job Shipman, Matthew Dunham.

Dr. Richard W. Gates, was the first regular physician who settled in the practice of his profession in Carlton. After a few years he moved to Barre, and thence to Yates, he represented Orleans county in the State Legislature in 1841, and was supervisor of Carlton in 1826.

Pretty cool, huh???

Here are a few more photos of Anthony’s grave marker and his eternal tree hug:

Very hard to read – even in person – but, it gives a brief story of the Union Company and the names of all the original members.

So, that’s that……someday, I may learn more!