Husband Byron Delano Hamlin 1 2 3 4 5
Born: 7 May 1824 - Sheshequin, Bradford Co, PA 2 4 6
Christened:
Died: 4 Sep 1907 7 8
Buried:
Father: Dr. Asa L. Hamlin (1780-1835) 4 6 9 10
Mother: Asenath Delano (1780- ) 2 4 10
Marriage: 17 Nov 1846 2 11
• Additional Image: Byron D. Hamlin.
Wife Harriet Holmes 2 3 11 12
Born: 7 Jan 1825 or 1 Jan 1826 - Chenango Co, NY 2 3 13
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Father: John Holmes (1790/1790-1865) 2 3 11
Mother: Nancy Richmond (1801/1802-1887) 2 3 11
Children
1 M Delano Richmond Hamlin 2 7 14 15
Born: 10 Aug 1847 - Smethport, McKean Co, PA 2 7 16
Christened:
Died: 30 May 1884 7 14
Buried: - Rose Hill Cemetery, Smethport, McKean Co, PA
Spouse: Alice Eugenia McCoy (1849-Aft 1884) 15 17
2 F Jeannette Hamlin 2 12 18 19
AKA: Jennette Hamlin 7
Born: 18 Sep 1852 - Smethport, McKean Co, PA 2 7 18
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Horace Victor Eugene Redfield (1845-1881) 12 19 20
Spouse: William E. McCoy ( - ) 12
Marr: 24 Sep 1889 12
3 F Mary Holmes Hamlin 8 21 22
AKA: May Holmes Hamlin 2
Born: 29 Sep 1856 2
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: John Forrest (1851-1918) 8 22 23
Marr: 1 Aug 1878 8 21 22
General Notes: Husband - Byron Delano Hamlin
His father died in 1835, leaving his family without financial means for their support. In this condition of things young Byron, then but a slight lad of eleven years, set about to find some self-supporting employment. The first that offered was an opportunity to peel and gather bark from old hemlock trees that had fallen. This he sold for fuel at $1 per cord, payable in store trade. In this occupation he succeeded in maintaining and clothing himself for some time, and even had sufficient surplus to purchase a handsome cream pitcher as a present to his mother. It cost 5 shillings and 6 pence, and was long preserved and highly prized as a relic of the struggles of his youth. After a time he was offered the position of mail-carrier between Smethport and Olean, New York, then the principal communication with the outside world, and he accepted it gratefully. He had to make two round trips a week, going to Olean and returning each Sunday, making a ride of fifty-six miles, and going Wednesday and returning on Thursday. The salary was 75 cents a trip, or $1.50 a week. The Sunday trip commenced at 4 A. M. and was generally concluded between 8 and 11 P. M., in all kinds of weather and at all seasons of the year. Young Byron began this occupation when thirteen years old, and continued it two years, during which time the mail rarely failed to be on time. His mode of conveyance was on the back of a mule, and in later years he enjoyed nothing better than to relate the comical, though often unpleasant, experiences of those days. By the improvement of odd hours with his books at the fireside, and an occasional few weeks at school, he had gained sufficient education to undertake teaching school at the age of sixteen on Marvin creek, about four miles from home, at $10 a month and "board around." The term lasted three months, and from the proceeds he was able to purchase a suit of clothes and a few books.
His sister, Jenette, having married Rev. Moses Crow, a professor in Allegheny College, at Meadville, Pennsylvania, he accepted an invitation to make his home with them, and enter the college. After about a year and a half, his brother-in-law's health failing, so that he was obliged to resign his professorship, young Byron, having no means to pay his expenses and continue his studies, returned to Smethport. He then accepted an offer of partnership in a little store owned by his brother, Orlo J. Hamlin, the whole stock of which would not inventory over $500. After about a year thus engaged, his brother-in-law, who had in the meantime united with the Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and been stationed at Geneva, New York, again invited him to live with him, and attend the college in that beautiful town. The long hoped-for opportunity to complete a college course seemed to have arrived, and he hastily closed his interest in the store, and prepared to accept the offer. His profits in the year's business comprised a respectable wardrobe, and about $100 in bills receivable. He had in preparation for his trip a wooden trunk made by a carpenter and joiner, in which all of his worldly wealth was stowed, when a few days before starting he received a letter stating that both Mr. and Mrs. Crow were lying at the point of death, from typhoid fever. He went there at once, on horse-back, but found that his sister was dead and buried, and his brother-in-law almost at the point of death, so he was obliged to return to Smethport with his hopes disappointed, and his spirits crushed. By the advice of his brother, Orlo J., who was then practicing law in Smethport, he gave up the idea of completing a collegiate education, and entered his office as a student and clerk. This was in 1843, and in 1846 he was admitted to the bar of McKean County. His brother had the care of a number of landed estates, for various owners, and the attention to the details of this part of the business falling largely upon the young student, he early acquired a taste for it, and having given the subject his principal attention during his long professional career, he became an accepted authority upon legal as well as practical business questions relating to lands and land titles. In 1855 he accepted the agency of the lands of Keating & Co., then comprising nearly two hundred thousand acres of the two hundred and ninety-seven thousand they had purchased from William Bingham, in the year 1796, in McKean, Potter, Cameron, Clinton and Clearfield counties. He had their care and management to the year 1884, when he became the purchaser of what remained of this estate, and interested some of his family relatives with himself in its ownership-the business being conducted in the names of Byron D. Hamlin, Henry Hamlin and John Forrest.
In politics Mr. Hamlin was a Democrat. When a young man he was active and prominent as a local leader, and his party, then largely in the majority in the county and district, recognized his abilities and usefulness. In 1848, at the age of twenty-four, he was recommended by his county as a candidate for the legislature, but declined at the district convention in favor of G. W. Scofield, of Warren County, who was elected; in 1850 he was elected treasurer of McKean County; in 1852 he was sent to the State senate, in which body, although one of the youngest members, he took a leading and prominent position, and was elected as its presiding officer at the close of the session of 1854. He was re-nominated by the convention of his district at the close of his term, in 1855, but was defeated by Henry Souther, of Elk County, the candidate of the American and Free-Soil parties. Having a good clientage and extensive land estates under his care, he considered it his duty to those interests, and to his family, to withdraw from active political life to more con-genial and profitable pursuits. He was tendered the nomination (which, in that district, was equivalent to an election) for president judge of the counties of Clearfield, Clinton and Centre, in 1868, but declined it. Since that time he has been urged by the people of his own district, without regard to party, to stand as a candidate for judicial honors in it, but adhered to his often expressed determination to spend his life in domestic pursuits, without the slavery of public office. In 1882, however, he was induced, after repeated solicitations, to allow his name to be presented as the candidate of his party for the legislature. Although the county was Republican by a considerable majority, and he was opposed by the strongest candidate who could at that time have been nominated against him, he was defeated by less than a score of votes. In the dark period of our Nation's history (1861-65) Mr. Hamlin stood on the ground that the only way to correct the fallacies of those who sought to break the bond of union of the States was the physical one; all arguments appealing to the patriotism and reasoning faculties having failed. He was examined, and pronounced physically unfit for service in the field, but, immediately following the news of the first shot on Sumter, he applied himself to the work of encouraging and aiding the valorous young men of his region to enlist, for the defense of their country and their homes. He rendered efficient aid to Gen. Thomas L. Kane, to whom he was much devoted, in selecting the valiant fellows who formed the famous Bucktail Regiment, and no compliment ever bestowed on him afforded him and his family more gratification than his election as an honorary comrade in that regiment, at the re-union of its survivors in 1888. [HMEF, 436]
For years Mr. Hamlin was a constant contributor to civic causes affecting Smethport's welfare, and he was particularly active in Democratic politics. His word was accepted very seriously in political circles, and, despite his hearty independence and obvious opposition to certain aspects of life involved in political practice, he was chosen to occupy different public positions. In 1850 he became treasurer of McKean County. In 1852 he was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate, at Harrisburg, and served his district faithfully there for some years. In 1852, the year in which he first went to the Senate, he was specially honored in being elected president of the Senate. In 1856, when his term was ended, he declined to be a candidate again, though he was assured of reelection. He retired at that time to his own large private interests. [HNWP, 36]