My Genealogy Hound

CARLISLE DURAND, a prosperous farmer of the town of Ripley and a descendant from one of the early families of the county, is a son of Fisk and Nancy (Forsythe) Durand, and was born near the village of Westfield, in the town of the same name, Chautauqua county, New York, February 4, 1834. The Durand and Forsythe families are both of New England stock. Fisk Durand, Sr., (paternal grandfather) was of French descent and during his early life was engaged in the coast trade on the North Atlantic, between New England ports and Halifax, Nova Scotia. He served in the war of 1812, and three years later came to the town of Westfield. He reared a family of ten children, one of whom, Fisk Durand, was born in 1797, in Connecticut, and in November, 1855, died in the town of Westfield, this county, whither he had come in 1815. Fisk Durand was a carpenter by trade and built a great many houses during his forty years residence in this county, but the latter years of his life were devoted chiefly to farming. He was a republican and a well-thought-of-member of the Presbyterian church. Having married Nancy Forsythe, he reared four children, of whom three are yet living: Carlisle; Nellie, who married L. S. Terry, of Westfield; and Addie, the wife of H. C. Evans, now living at Chattanooga, Tennessee. Mrs. Nancy Durand is a daughter of Charles H. Forsythe, who, in 1805, came from New England to the town of Ripley, purchased a tract of five hundred acres, upon which, in 1834, he built the brick house where the subject of this sketch now resides. He was a prominent whig and republican.

Carlisle Durand attended the early common schools of his town and Westfield academy. He commenced for himself as a farmer which he has since followed without intermission.

Carlisle Durand married Frances Cordelia Coy, who is a member of the Presbyterian church and a daughter of Alvy Coy, who settled in the town of Clymer in 1816, and married Nancy Marsh, whose father was one of the early settlers of the county, Mr. and Mrs. Durand are the parents of six children, four sons and two daughters: Frederick C., an engineer by profession but now engaged as a postal clerk at Chattanooga, Tenn., married Kate McElroy; Herman F., married Minnie Shepherd, of Clymer; Donna, is the wife of C. C.Otis, of Buffalo, N. Y.; Sarah; Joseph, a telegraph operator and car inspector at Buffalo; and Louis.

Carlisle Durand is an active republican and has served as constable besides holding other town offices. He is a regular attendant at church and profitably conducts a farm which he owns. He is a member of the Knights of Honor and of the Ancient Order of the United Workmen.