My Genealogy Hound

EDWIN D. GRAVES, foreman of the woodworking department in Wickwire Bros.’ wire mill at Cortland, N. Y., was born December 30, 1840, in the town of Solon, Cortland County, N. Y. He is a son of Byington and Sophia (Greenman) Graves.

His paternal grandfather was Rufus Graves, an early settler of Cortland, and a leading farmer of that town. Narrations of the trials, vicissitudes and hardships of hardy pioneers such as he sound more like romances than actual facts to one of this age, where every opportunity of education, culture and pleasure is within one’s grasp. The facilities of rapid transit from city to city, from state to state, has almost wiped out the idea of distance, and all the necessities of life are virtually landed at one’s door. Rufus reared six children in his family, — three boys and three daughters.

Byington Graves, the second son and the father of our subject, was born at Black River, Jefferson County, N. Y., and accompanied his father to Cortland County. He was reared and educated to agricultural pursuits and followed the occupation of a farmer in the town of Solon until 1888, when he went to Byron, N. Y., to spend his declining years at the home of one of his sons. His wife died in 1894, and he passed away in Byron in 1892. They reared a family of six children, namely: Julia (Hakes); Celista (Taylor); Rachel (Smith), deceased; Adin; Charles; and Edwin D.

Edwin D. Graves, who heads the above lines, received a common school education and spent the first part of his life on a farm. After reaching his majority, he went to Delevan, Wis., where he served his apprenticeship as a carpenter. He then returned to his native state and ran a grist mill at Upper Lisle, Broome County, for two and one-half years. At the expiration of this time, he engaged to work in a mill at Truxton, N. Y., where he remained two years; from Truxton he came to Cortland and spent eleven years with the Cortland Wagon Co., and in 1889 accepted his present position with Wickwire Bros. He is an efficient workman, exceedingly diligent, and is kind to his men, which traits of character explain his popularity among those working under his direction.

Mr. Graves was married in 1868 to Emma Lewis, daughter of Joel Lewis. They are the happy parents of two children: Mabel and Lewis B. The family favor and are regular attendants of the Baptist Church. In his political attachments he is a stanch Republican but takes no active interest in politics. He is a member of the O. U. A. M. Lodge, No. 74, of Cortland, N. Y.