My Genealogy Hound

EARNEST W. CHILDS, one of the leading and most successful business men of Cortland County, residing at Scott, is a son of Hon. Samuel A. Childs, whose sketch on another page contains an ample account of the ancestral history of the family. He was born at Scott, December 31, 1852, and was educated in the district schools and Homer Academy, obtaining a good academic education. Leaving school at the age of twenty years, he taught school tor six years during the winter terms and farmed during the summer months. In 1878 he formed a partnership with F. M. Hazard under the firm name of Hazard & Childs, and engaged in the manufacture of green tow; a portion of the time they operated five mills, employing ten hands, and simultaneously they were also engaged in the lumber business. The firm of Hazard & Childs continued successfully until 1884, since which time Mr. Childs has conducted the combined ventures alone. In conjunction with the flax and lumber business Mr. Childs is engaged in farming and dairying, keeping one of the finest herds of cows in this county. He owns two farms, which contain over two hundred acres in all, and keeps thirty superior milch cows. He also deals in cattle, real estate and flax seed, but confines his speculations chiefly to cattle.

On August 22, 1883, Mr. Childs and Hattie Burdick, daughter of Asher and Amanda Burdick, of Cortland, N. Y., were happily married, and are the parents of three children, Lucy E., Cecil R., and L. Beryl.

Politically, our subject is an ardent Republican, and has done much toward the success of his party. He has received many expressions of confidence from his fellow citizens, having represented his party in county, district and state conventions. In 1889 he was elected supervisor of the town of Scott, and served in that capacity for three consecutive years; after a lapse of three years he was again elected in 1895 to the same office, and is the present incumbent. Mr. Childs is an active and straight-forward business man, and by his honest method of dealing with his patrons has won the confidence of the entire community.