My Genealogy Hound

AMOS L. KENNEY. There is no one in Cortland County, who in his own locality is so well known, and highly respected, as the subject of this sketch, who can claim a longer continuous residence in the town and village of Truxton than any other person. He is a lawyer by profession, and is still active at his vocation, notwithstanding the fact that he is seventy-six years old, having been born in Truxton, February 12, 1822. He has always been a leader, and he may at this juncture be considered to embody the very spirit of the town, for he remains a resident, when all who were first associated with him have passed away or moved to other localities.

Mr. Kenney, whose portrait appears on the preceding page, traces his ancestry to one Thomas “Kinne,” who was knighted in 1618, in England. Henry “Kinne” came from Holland, whither he had gone from England, and settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. This line of descent reaches Thomas “ Kinne,” who was born in Salem, Mass., July 9, 1678. His son Moses Kinne, who lived and died in Voluntown, Conn., had three sons, namely: Ira, Moses and Isaac. Ira was born August 19, 1740. Moses died at Royalston, Mass., April 23, 1800. Isaac became the grandfather of our subject. He was born at New Ipswich, N. H., April 16, 1751, and became a Baptist minister. It is here that the name changes from Kinne to its present form, Kenney. He first settled as a minister of the Baptist Church at Stoddard, N. H., about the year 1775. He was married in the month of February, 1775, and immediately introduced his blushing bride to his parishioners, escorting her about on an ox-sled. He remained with that charge until 1791. While a resident of Stoddard, eight children were born. He then became minister of a church at Richmond, N. H., where his ninth and last child was born. In the spring of 1801 he returned with his family to Royalston, Mass., where he died September 2, 1801. The summons came very suddenly, and his friends little knew how near he was to death’s door, when the Sunday before his decease he delivered his sermon from the pulpit in as strong and vigorous a fashion as ever. His widow afterwards married one Deacon Adams, and lived at Stoddard, N. H., where her death occurred at the age of ninety years. In 1883 it was figured out by the subject of this sketch, that Isaac Kenney had over three hundred descendants.

Hosea Kenney, our subject’s father, was born at Stoddard, N. H., October 31, 1791, and at thirteen years of age came with an older brother into New York State to win his way, for the death of his father left the family without means, and the boys were compelled to shift for themselves from a very tender age. Hosea Kenney worked out for the settlers by the day, month or year in Cortland and the adjoining counties until he had reached man’s estate. Considerable of this period had been spent in the town of Truxton, and it was in that locality, accordingly, that he decided to locate and farm for himself. When twenty-three years old, on July 7, 1814, he was married to Nancy Lamb at Brookfield, Madison County, N. Y. He had previously located and purchased in the town of Truxton a tract of sixty-six acres, a part of Lot 21, for the sum of $400.00; the deed was not made out till after he had occupied it some time, for it bears the date of October 24, 1814. To this original purchase he added more land from time to time until he owned 150 acres of land, where he lived until March 1, 1842, when he moved to the village of Truxton, where the balance of his life was spent in retirement. He died March 10, 1885. He met with very good success in his farming ventures, and retired on a handsome competency. In August, 1816, he was baptized by Rev. Thomas Purinton, and united with the First Baptist Church of Truxton. His first wife, Nancy Lamb, whose father, Capt. Asa Lamb, served seven years in the War of Independence, was the mother of our subject; she died on August 5, 1862, leaving four sons, all born in Truxton: Hosea M.; James; Rev. Ira E.; and Amos L. On January 15, 1865, he was again joined in the bonds of matrimony, this time to Mrs. Marany French of Tully, N. Y., but there was no issue of this marriage. Mrs. Kenney died May 14, 1880.

Amos L. Kenney was educated at Hamilton College, and after graduating in 1843 and pursuing a course of study in law, he was admitted to the bar of Cortland County in the general term of court, May, 1848. He prepared for his profession in the offices of Alanson Coats of Truxton, and Damon Coats of Syracuse, N. Y. He located at once in Truxton, where he has lived from the time of his birth until now. He has lived in the village since March 1, 1842, and during this period all the inhabitants of the village have changed, some have died and some have moved to other localities. This leaves him the oldest continuous resident. He has practiced without interruption since his admission to the bar, and has received very lucrative returns, his work having been mainly in the surrogate’s court. He is now the sole railroad commissioner of the town of Truxton, to which position he was appointed in 1890. He is also a notary public, and has held the offices of justice of the peace, town clerk, and has been town superintendent of schools for a number of terms.

On June 15, 1856, the words were said that joined our subject and Mrs. Harriet N. Chevalier, nee Bennett, in the holy and indissoluble bonds of matrimony. Two children have been born to them, of whom one died when eleven months old. The other, Eudorus Catlin, was born in the village of Truxton, April 6, 1857. He graduated from Cornell University in 1882, as a special student in mathematics, receiving honorable mention at his graduation. He was then employed as an instructor in the Morgan Park Military Academy, of Cook County, Ill., where he remained five years. He then spent the greater part of one year in travel, visiting the points of interest on the Continent of Europe and in England. Since 1888 he has been teaching mathematics in a preparatory school of Baltimore, Md., which fits boys to enter college. He also possesses musical talent, and composes songs and sets them to music. Our subject’s first wife died February 20, 1883, and he again married, in New York City, May 27, 1884, Ellen R. Day, daughter of Rev. Samuel S. Day, a Baptist minister, who was the first missionary to the Telugu, a people of India.

Our subject’s eldest brother, Hosea M., was born May 20, 1815, on the farm his father first purchased, and there he grew to manhood, obtaining an education in the district schools of Truxton. He remained on the home farm, purchased it when his father moved to the village, and continued to farm it until 1870, where he in turn moved to the village, where he has since resided. For seventeen years he was a partner with his son, Marcus E., in the firm of Kenney & Son. In 1887, they sold out the business to P. D. Muller, who is now operating it under the firm name of Muller Bros. When this business was disposed of, Mr. Kenney retired wholly from any active life, having been quite successful in various enterprises throughout his life. He was for a time a director of the Homer National Bank. He was first a Whig, but upon the organization of the Republican party he became identified with it. His first office was as inspector of common schools, an office now done away with. He served three or four terms as commissioner of the highways of the town of Truxton. He is a Baptist in regard to his religious belief, and is a member of the local Baptist society; he has been its trustee for a number of years past, and is still filling that office. He is also deacon of the Baptist Church, and has been for many years. He was married first to Miss Loretta Lucas, on August 10, 1841, and they had two children, sons: Manley L., who owns and lives on the homestead, engaged in farming, whose first wife was Hattie Corwin of Cortland, and his second, Emma Radway of Truxton; and Marcus E., who now lives at Utica, N. Y., where he is a wholesale optician — he was formerly a hardware merchant of Truxton, in business with his father. Marcus E. married Lettie A. Freeman of Truxton. Hosea M. Kenney married his second wife, Mrs. Visula Eastman, nee Burnham, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, on February 1, 1881. There has been no issue.

James, the next brother in order of birth after Hosea M., was born April 5, 1817, and died in Truxton, March 28, 1883. He followed agricultural pursuits with success all his life. He married, on December 21, 1854, Arminda L’Hommedieu, who died February 4, 1869. He again married Mary Goddard on December 7, 1869. There were no children born of either marriage. Rev. Ira E., born in Truxton, January 12, 1820, lives in Des Moines, Iowa. He has been a minister of the Baptist Church, but is now retired. He graduated from Madison University in 1849, was ordained at Truxton in the same year, and was a pastor at various places until fifteen years ago, when he retired. He married Mary E. Smith, on July 24, 1849, but no children ever blessed their union.