BIOGRAPHY: Benjamin Van Duzen Brundage; Sterling, Cayuga co., New York transcribed and submitted by: Ann Anderson (ann.g.anderson at gmail.com) ========================================================= Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ny/nyfiles.htm ========================================================= BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW THIS VOLUME CONTAINS BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THE LEADING CITIZENS OF CAYUGA COUNTY NEW YORK BOSTON BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW PUBLISHING COMPANY 1894 BENJAMIN VAN DUZEN BRUNDAGE. This name represents one of the oldest families, if not the oldest, in Sterling, the forefathers on both sides coming into this region when it was one vast wilderness. The Brundages are types of the higher intelligence of the community; and Mrs. Hannah Brundage is specially interested in the early history of the town and county, everything relating to the primitive, toilsome, and sometimes stirring and perilous life of the pioneers. Mr. Brundage is a farmer and gardener, residing in Sterling, Fair Haven village, though born in Orange County, September 15, 1825, just as the chimes of the nineteenth century had rung their first quarter. His father was John Brundage. His mother was Elizabeth Van Duzen, whose father, Benjamin Van Duzen, came from Germany when a young man, and cleared land for his farm in Orange County. In his storehouse General Washington quartered twenty-five soldiers over night, paying liberally therefor. The men particularly enjoyed the apples from the orchard, and gave to one tree the name of "Comer apple," which it still bears. On this farm Grandfather Van Duzen spent his life, and there he died at the age of seventy, a member of the Methodist church. John Brundage, Benjamin's father, was a blacksmith in Cornwall, where he learned the trade, and where he died at the age of forty-seven, leaving a widow, who gave him a stepfather named Mead. John and Elizabeth Van Duzen Brundage had two children: Benjamin Van Duzen, the subject of this sketch, named for his maternal grandfather; and Elizabeth, named for her mother. When John Brundage died, his son Benjamin was a child three years old, but soon grew up as a farmer's boy, and received his education in the public schools. Soon after attaining his majority he came to his present home, belonging to the family of his wife, Hannah Cole, whom he married on September 12, 1851, and who was the daughter of Darius and Ann (Brinckerhoff) Cole. Darius S. Cole came to this neighborhood at the early age of sixteen, when the pioneers had to find their way through the woods by marking the trees. He began by clearing thirty acres, given him by his father, and afterwards added other acres thereto. Ann Brinckerhoff Cole was born in Owasco, Cayuga County, on December 23, 1801, and died at the old homestead, now owned by her son-in-law, Benjamin V. Brundage, in Fair Haven, N.Y., August 14, 1889, aged eighty-seven years, seven months, and twenty-one days. When she was fifteen years of age, her father, George Brinckerhoff, moved to Wolcott, Wayne County, and became one of the pioneers of what was then a new and sparsely settled country, identifying himself with the early growth and history of the town. In 1821 Ann was married to Darius S. Cole; and they settled in what was at that time a wilderness, now the site of the village of Fair Haven, living there peacefully and happily full half a century, she being for eighteen years his survivor. Early identifying herself with the workers in the Master's vineyard by uniting when a mere child with the Presbyterian church at Red Creek, Wayne County, she ever maintained an exemplary Christian character. In 1857 she joined by letter the Presbyterian church at Fair Haven. Darius S. Cole and his wife lived for many years in a log cabin. They reared nine children Sarah, George, Jane, David, Hannah, Henry, Philura, Laura, and Mary. A son, Daniel died young. The daughters are scattered, living in different parts of the United States. Mr. Cole died at seventy-six years of age. Mrs. Cole carded, spun, and wove cloth for her children's clothing; and Mrs. Brundage cherishes as heirlooms certain specimens of her mother's handiwork, a century old. Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin V. Brundage have five sons. Alvin is a mechanic in New York City, and married to Emma Cooper, of Sterling, by whom he has four children, namely: Benjamin, named for his Grandfather Brundage; Maud; Ethel; and Edna Bell. Reves Brundage is now a broker in Portland, Ore. Harvey Brundage is a carpenter in Sterling Centre, and married to Flora McCarkin, by whom he has one child, Lena. Ernest E. Brundage is a merchant in Harlem, N.Y. On September 25, 1894, he was married to Miss Celia A. Graves, of Watertown, N.Y. Webster is a decorator, a member of the Harlem Decorating Company in New York City, and married to Jennie Sweet. Mrs. Benjamin Brundage's family, the Coles, originally came into this region by express teams, and were so homesick that they tried to persuade the father to go back to Owasco; but he persistently refused. They had to go all the way by canoe to Oswego to find a mill, a most important matter in those days. Once they had a party of visitors; and, while they were seated on a log in the woods, Mrs. Ann Cole found near by some little animals, which the ladies carried home, and which proved to be wolves. The old wolves followed, and made things lively through the night; but the next day the ladies bore their trophies to Auburn, where they received a bounty of ten dollars for each of the four pets. Mr. Brundage is a member of the local Board of Health. In politics he is Democratic, and was two years Street Commissioner; but he was never an aspirant for office. In religion the family are Presbyterians. In such human soil are rooted the trees of American progress.