My Genealogy Hound

FRANK H. SEARS. This gentleman is one of the largest farmers of Cortlandville, and is at present filling the office of town assessor ably and creditably. He ranks among the best citizens of the county for enterprise and dauntless energy, these excellent qualities being exhibited in all the varied lines of his work. He was born on what is now his own farm, it having been left him by his father, July 10, 1852. Mr. Sears is a son of Albert and Maria (Adams) Sears, and grandson of Deacon Abraham Sears.

Deacon Abraham Sears was born October 27, 1786, and was a son of Sunderland and Mary Sears, the two latter being born December 13, 1749, and May 22, 1753, respectively. To this couple, who were the great-grandparents of our subject, were born the following children: Lydia; Isaac and Reuben, twins; William; Abraham; Mary; Asenath; Levi and James, twins; Charlotte; and Melinda. When he had attained his majority, Abraham Sears with the decisiveness so characteristic in his descendants struck out from the parental home at Saratoga, N. Y., with all his worldly goods strapped upon his back. He settled in Groton, N. Y., bought a farm of new land, built a log cabin, and proceeded to clear and farm the land now owned by William Riley. Success smiled on him and prosperity seemed to be ever present to guard his interests and protect them from harm. Little by little he accumulated property and invested his savings in land, so that at length he owned upwards of six hundred acres of farming land. His position in the community having risen correspondingly with his wealth, he was obliged to better his surroundings, and so built a set of frame buildings to take the places of log structures; the frame dwelling house still stands. Mr. Sears departed this life June 2, 1858. His wife was Miss Elizabeth Barnum, and she bore him these children: Clara T.; Eli B.; Mary; William; and Egbert. Deacon Sears married as his second wife Electa Blodgett, daughter of Anthony Blodgett, a soldier of the Revolutionary War. This union resulted in two children: our subject’s father, Albert, who was born March 1, 1812, and died May 6, 1881; and Hiram. The third marriage with Nancy Miller was barren of any children. Deacon Sears was a Whig and Republican in his political leanings; in the Presbyterian Church he was a deacon for many years and highly regarded by all of his acquaintances.

When our subject’s father began farming, he bought the farm where Frank H. is now, then consisting of 167 acres, of which 50 acres were cleared. In 1843 he replaced with a large comfortable house the small frame structure that was originally on the estate, when he entered into possession of it. The new building was at that time one of the best if not the best in all the surrounding country. He cleared the farm, set out fruit of various kinds, and on either side of the road for nearly one mile he planted maples, which are now the prettiest natural features about the place. He was a man of great industry and the best personal habits, and he labored with the greatest assiduity to enlarge his farm, and make it more productive. The farm grew to include 350 acres of land. He carried on general agricultural operations, and always made a point of keeping a herd of choice cattle. In the making of cheese, to which he devoted the milk product of the farm, he was an adept and accounted one of the best makers in the county. He largely increased the working capacity of the farm with its growth in size, and built many large barns to accommodate the increased demands on storing space. He was not only a model farmer, but also became a very wealthy man, his means having been developed solely from agricultural resources. He married Maria Adams, daughter of Sumner Adams, a native of Connecticut. Mr. Adams was a scythe maker, and worked at his trade and manufactured scythes in various parts of the Empire State, finally locating in Cortland, where he died at the age of eighty-five. His wife, who was Polly Hurley before her marriage with him, passed away at the age of eighty-two. Mr. and Mrs. Adams had the following children: Nehemiah; Nathan; William; Allen; Olive; Ellen; Amy; and Maria. There were born to our subject’s father and mother the following children: Martha, whose first husband was F. H. Hollister, now deceased, and her second A. Adams; Frank H., our subject; Mary E., who became the wife of Ethel Benedict; Amanda, who married A. M. Delaney; Hattie, the wife of J. Heath; and Lettie E., the wife of F. Blanchard. The mother of this family resides with her only son, Frank H. Sears.

Our subject has always lived at home, where his presence was most needed, and where he discharged the duties of a loving son by bestowing on his father in that gentleman’s declining years the best of care and attention. He now owns the homestead, and is possessed of some 300 acres of land. Since assuming charge of the farm, he has been indefatigable in his endeavors to keep up the same standard of excellence that was established by his father, and to make the most of every opportunity to develop the resources of the estate and to keep apace with the most approved methods of modern farming. His barns are large, commodious, and well appointed, with large capacity for the housing of cattle, and the storing of farming implements and produce. He was one of the first to build a silo in the county, and the one he has in active operation to-day is one of the very best in this section, being of large dimensions and modeled according to the best plans. It is nearly one-half of stone, twenty-six feet in height, with ground dimensions twenty-four by forty. This silo is indispensable in the wintering of his stock, for Mr. Sears keeps a herd of forty-five cows, and fifty sheep. In 1886 he organized a stock company, and built on his farm a cheese factory, which is known as the Sears Factory, and has our subject as salesman and business manager. The milk product of 500 cows is worked up into cheese, that has won an enviable reputation for evenness of quality and fine flavor.

Mr. Sears married Mary McClacklin, and their children number three as follows: Albert J., who was born October 31, 1874, graduated in 1896 from the State Normal School at Cortland, and is now a teacher in the schools; Stella J., born October 16, 1878, is a student at the Normal; Mary L., born July 31, 1881, is attending school. Mrs. Sears died July 19, 1893. That Mr. Sears is highly regarded by his fellow-citizens is evidenced by the fact that for the past five years he has been assessor of the town, and previous to that he was highway commissioner for three years, and also served as trustee. He is a member of the Grange, and is an attendant of the Presbyterian Church.