My Genealogy Hound

OGDEN WHEELER, Supervisor of the town of Varick, Seneca County, is a farmer, live-stock dealer, and proprietor of a retail meat-market at Romulus. He was born in the town of Varick, June 28, 1855, and is the eldest in a family of six children, his brothers and sisters being Sarah A., F. Frank, Harriet A., Charles and Mary S. Jonathan Wheeler, the father, settled in Seneca County about 1850. He was a native of Saratoga County, N. Y., and the son of Joseph Wheeler, a native of Connecticut. The former was a surveyor, and was employed in surveying and platting land in Seneca County before he settled down.

In 1854 the father was married to Harriet, daughter of Joseph Ogden, of Cayuga County, and a teacher in the public schools of this county. Afterward he located on a farm of one hundred and twelve acres near Varick, where he resided until his death, in 1876. This farm, and another about one mile distant, are still held by the estate, the widow residing with and keeping house for the subject of this sketch in Romulus. The father made stock-growing his principal business, and in this line was a pioneer. He worked for quality as well as quantity, and was instrumental in bringing western New York up to the high standard it afterwards attained as a fine stock-producing section. In politics he was a stanch Republican, though he was in no sense a politician.

Ogden Wheeler was reared to farm life, and resided on the farm until after his father’s death. In 1881 he married Miss Mary S. Schwab, daughter of Charles Schwab, of Fayette. Their only child died in infancy. Mrs. Wheeler died September 3, 1891, and after her death Mr. Wheeler continued to live on the farm until 1894, when he removed to Romulus. For fifteen years he has been recognized as a leading citizen of the county and a leader in local politics. He belongs to both the county and state committees, and in politics is a Republican. Honesty has been the rule of his life, and he is held in high esteem in the community where he resides. At present he is serving his third term as Town Supervisor.

In connection with his farm Mr. Wheeler conducts a meat-market. The meat he sells is not of the cold-storage variety — that is, slaughtered some hundreds of miles away — but he slaughters his own beef, mutton and pork, and can vouch for the quality of the goods sold. Being a practical stock-grower, he has every advantage for securing the best there is for his trade. He is held in high esteem in the community where he lives, is a substantial, upright man of business, and is a credit to the community in which he resides and to the family name.