My Genealogy Hound

DANIEL B. DORSETT, a capitalist and real estate owner, who is helping to build up this city, (having just completed “De Orsay,” a handsome compartment building on west Third street,) is a son of Joseph and Abigail (Hanks) Dorsett, and was born June 12, 1816, in the town of Union, Tolland county, Connecticut. The name, originally De Orsay, coming from the French, shows the grandfather’s extraction, although he was born in Connecticut, where he died. He was a farmer by occupation. Joseph Dorsett (father) was born in Connecticut, where he followed farming and died. Politically he was independent. He was twice married; first, to Abigail Hanks, who bore him two sons and six daughters, and after her death he married Mary Hitchcock, who had two sons and one daughter.

Daniel B. Dorsett was educated in the common country schools of Connecticut. He began life humbly— his first work being peddling. In 1838 he was proprietor of a store at Eastford, Conn., and in 1849 came to Chautauqua county, locating in Sinclairville, where he manufactured shoes and cultivated a farm of sixteen acres during the ensuing ten years and for nearly twenty years thereafter bought butter and cheese through the country. In October, 1890, Mr. Dorsett came to Jamestown to reside and look after his real estate interests.

On November 16, 1841, Mr. Dorsett married Harriet F. Preston, a daughter of Earl Clapp Preston, a native of Windham county, Conn., where he resided until 1874, since which time and until his death, that occurred at the advanced age of 94, he made his home with Mr. Dorsett at Sinclairville. Mr. Preston, in early life, had been a farmer and later a school teacher in Connecticut and was an active worker in educational matters until nearly eighty years old, having served as superintendent of schools in his native State. He was a republican and a particularly strong abolitionist. Religiously he had strong affinities with the Congregational church, taking a leading part for nearly eighty years, and was familiarly known to his friends as Deacon Preston. He married Harriet Fox and had four children. Mr. and Mrs. Dorsett have four children: Calista, now the wife of Edwin Williams, a merchant living in Sinclairville; Daniel H., who wedded Ellen R. Shepherd, of Iowa, is now living in Chicago. He is the inventor of Dorsett’s system of electrical conduits in use in our principal cities, and is vice-president and manager of the National Subway Co., of Chicago, Ill., manufacturers of conduits — he has two children — Rae and Leonard; Charles W., married Martha Angle, of Randolph, N. Y., and now resides at Minneapolis, Minn., where he is a caterer and confectioner. They have two children: Gretchen and Hattie, and three adopted: Karl, Ralph and Lucy; and Minnie F., wife of G. F. Smith, M.D., lives at Sinclairville and has two children, Charles, and Daniel.

D. B. Dorsett was originally a whig, but with the advent of the Republican party he transferred his allegiance to it and was a strong anti-slavery member. While in Connecticut he served as deputy-sheriff and was a notary public for over twenty years. Both he and his estimable wife are members of the Congregational church.