My Genealogy Hound

HENRY KENNEDY, a retired farmer and produce dealer of Cortland, N. Y., was born June 22, 1827, in the town of Virgil, this county, and is therefore over seventy years of age. His parents, Rufus and Polly (Hunt) Kennedy, were born in Windham County, Conn., and were among the first settlers of the town of Virgil. Rufus Kennedy’s homestead was a fine, productive farm of seventy-five acres. His attention, however, was mainly directed to the lumbering industry, for in the neighborhood of Lisle, N. Y., he owned some four hundred acres of timber land, and there carried on quite an extensive lumber business. In his last years he retired from active work, and lived on the fruits of his labors, for he had accumulated a very comfortable competence. He died at the very advanced age of past ninety-one years, while his wife was taken to her reward when sixty-nine years old. Their children were: Clarissa; Mary Ann; Henry.

Henry, the only son in the family, assisted his father in his labors, and after his marriage bought a farm in the town of Virgil, now Lapeer, where he carried on general farming for five years, when he sold that property and purchased in Cortlandville, where he remained until 1880, when he left the farm, and moved to the village of Cortland, where he began to deal in hay, straw and grain. He built a large store-house and barn near the Lehigh R. R. depot, which has since been built into a hotel. He later built a storage house and office on Greenbush Street, where he now resides. There he kept a feed store, and also at this time did he buy the Benton homestead and remodeled and enlarged it. In 1894 he retired from business, turning over his feed business to his son, George H., who also conducts the farm, and is a commercial traveller. Mr. Kennedy has been one of the largest shippers of hay and grain from this county, forwarding it to points to the north, east and south. On October 7, 1847, our subject married Miss Mary E. Davis, daughter of John C. Davis of Lapeer, and these children were born to them: Frederick, a lawyer, who is also engaged in the real estate business at Ashville, N. C.; Alice, deceased; George H. of Cortland; Florence, deceased; and two children, Willie and Henry, who were lost as infants. Mr. Kennedy is a Republican and has served as a trustee of Cortland village. He is a member of the Baptist Church. Our subject is a man who has few if any enemies, for he has been eminently fair in all his dealings, and dislikes to give offence by pushing his own claims too vigorously. He has done what lay in his power for the advancement of the community in which he has resided, and has lived a very exemplary life, which has left its mark on the very existence of the town. He has been very busy in his career of usefulness, but now his health is impaired, and many avenues of business miss his cheery presence, where once he was a leading factor. Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary on October 7, 1897. Many friends were present, among whom were four who had attended their wedding fifty years before. Not a few substantial tokens of respect and esteem were given.