ELMORE FERRIS, a well-known dealer in lumber, feed and coal at Pawling, Dutchess county, is one of the most enterprising and successful business men of that locality. He was born October 19, 1837, in Middlefield, Otsego Co., N.Y., and was educated in the district schools there, his attendance after the age of twelve years being limited to the winter terms. At fifteen he left school and began working by the month for farmers, and at eighteen he came to Pawling town, Dutchess county, where his ancestors have had their homes for several generations. In 1859 he began to learn the carpenter's trade with Mr. Mclntyre, and followed this for nine years; but in 1867 he purchased a one-half interest in J.C. Merritt's lumber, feed and coal business. Two years later he bought Mr. Merritt's share, and has since continued the business alone, building up a large and profitable trade. Energetic and self-reliant in business, he is also interested in local affairs, and is regarded as one of the leaders in the community. He has always been a stanch Republican, and although he has never been an office seeker, he is at present trustee of the village. He married Miss Mary Jane Holmes, daughter of James Holmes, and has four children: Carrie M., Harriet E., James H., and Claude, all at home.

The Ferris family is one of the oldest and most prominent in this section. The genealogical record dates back to John Ferris, a native of Leicestershire, England, who emigrated with his family to Fairfield, Conn., and afterward, about 1654, removed to New York State, dying in 1715. He is said to have been one of five brothers who came to this country with their families, one of whom, Jeffrey, settled first in Massachusetts in 1635, and then in Fairfield, Conn., in 1660. Another brother, Benjamin, settled in Salem, Mass., in 1640.

Samuel Ferris, a son of John, was born in Reading, England, and was among the first settlers of Groton, Mass., whence he removed to Charlestown, Mass. His only son, Zachariah Ferris, married Sarah Reed, of Stratford, Conn., and had eight children, of whom there is the following record: (1) Deborah, born June 17, 1700; (2) Joseph, born September 27, 1703, married a Hannah Noble; (3) David, born March 10, 1707, in Stratford, died in Wilmington, Del., December 5, 1779; (4) Benjamin, born in 1708; (5) Sarah Ann, born November 10, 1710, married a Mr. Noble; (6) Hannah, born August 6, 1712, married (first) Gains Talbot, and (second) Dobson Wheeler; (7) John, born February 7, 1714, married Abigail Tyron, of New Fairfield, Conn.; (8) Zachariah, Jr., born September 30, 1714, was a Quaker preacher of Wilmington, Del.; and Daniel comes next in order of birth. Zachariah Ferris, Sr., was in Charlestown in 1675, and afterward settled at Stratford, Conn., and then about the year 1710 removed to New Milford, Conn. From him are descended persons of that name in different parts of the United States. Five of the children—David, Benjamin, Hannah, John and Zachariah. Jr. —together with the mother, joined the Society of Friends. David was educated for a Presbyterian minister, but afterward became a celebrated preacher among the Friends. He went to Philadelphia in 1733, and was there married to Miss Mary Massey, and often attended the Oblong meetings, visiting his brother Benjamin. He traveled about with William Russell and Paul Osborne, preaching, being a minister among the Friends for twenty-four years. The Oblong meeting house was on land owned half by a Russell and half by a Ferris.

Benjamin Ferris was a Quaker preacher, and was among the very first settlers of the Oblong (now Quaker Hill), Dutchess county, between the years 1734 and 1736. The name "Oblong" is derived from the shape of that portion of equivalent land that was set off from Connecticut about 1730. He was very prominent in the meetings there throughout life. In his old age, his son Zebulan's store (now occupied by William Clark) was robbed by the cowboys during the Revolution, and he was so far non-resident in his ideas, that he desired those present to "seize the rascals." Benjamin Ferris married Elizabeth Beecher, and had the following children: (1) Zebulon, born in New Milford, Conn., March 19, 1729, married Ruth ----; (2) Reed, our subject's great-grandfather, born August 15, 1730, in New Milford, married Anne Tripp; (3) Susannah, born in New Milford, in 1732, married Elijah Doty; (4) Phoebe, born in 1734, in New Milford; (5) Lillius, born in 1736, in Oblong, married Jonathan Akin; (6) Benjamin, born September 25, 1738, in Oblong, married Mary Howland; (7) Gilbert, born in 1740, in Oblong; and (8) Edmund, born in 1748, in Oblong.

Reed Ferris, tradition and history informs us, freely offered his fine mansion (known as the "old Kirby House ") to Gen. Washington for his use as headquarters, at Pawling, N.Y. In James H. Smith's history of Dutchess county we find the following: "The old Kirby House was built by Reed Ferris in 1771, and at the time Washington was in Pawling was a new house. Mr. Ferris was a substantial farmer, and his house, like his means, was large. Mrs. Akin, mother of the late Judge Albro Akin, and another lady used to tell of its occupancy. One day two aides decamp rode up and informed Mr. Ferris that Gen. Washington would like to make his home there for a while. Mr. Ferris consented, and to notify all intruders that this was the house of the commander-in-chief, they fastened a paper to the front door, reading: Headquarters of Gen. Washington. The Ferris house has been torn down, and all that remains is the front doorstep with ' R.F.' and '1771' cut in it." The farm is now owned by Archibald Dodge. Reed Ferris and Anne Tripp had the following children: Edmund, born March 30, 1752; Benjamin, July 29, 1754; Lydia, July 5, 1756, married a Mr. Wanzer; Molly, April 20, 1759, married John Akin; James, July 2, 1761; Warren, February 19, 1764; Pitt, July 4, 1766; Morris, October 16. 1768; Anne, January 5, 1771, married a Mr. Haviland; and Seneca, February 15, 1773.

Edmund Ferris, the grandfather of our subject, was married four times, and had nineteen children. On October 30, 1771, he married his first wife, Mary Akin, who was born November 1, 1747, and had one son—John Akin Ferris, born October 17, 1772, at Pawling, N.Y. The second wife. Hannah Taber, became the mother of two children: Thomas Taber, October 8, 1776, and Hannah, born November 22, 1777. The third wife of Edmund Ferris was Martha Birch, born in 1760, whom he married in 1781: she died January 22, 1794. Their children were: Willett F., who was born May 19, 1782, and died April 12, 1853; Betsey, born November 14, 1783: Amy, born, January 17, 1785: Ira, born October 23, 1788: Sophia, born May 17, 1789; and Oliver, born December 5, 1793. For his fourth wife, he married Sally Birdsall, who was born in 1777, and to them were born ten children, whose names and dates of birth are as follows: Ann, February 25, 1706: Philelus, November 5, 1797: Minerva, March 18, 1799: Horace, February 9, 1801: Ransom, February 24, 1803; Matilda, December 30, 1804: Garrett, May 28, 1806: Sally, April 26, 1809; Alfred. September 29, 1810: and Massilla, September 26, 1812. The third and fourth wives of Edmund Ferris are the ancestors of nearly all of the name in Pawling. The grandfather of our subject was a farmer, and succeeded to a part of the estate of his father. He lived on Quaker Hill during a portion of his life, and later on the Daniel Dodge farm. He was quite a large land holder at one time, and was prominent in his locality. He served in the war of 1812, and was known as Major Ferris.

Horace Ferris our subject's father, was a tanner who went to Otsego county, N.Y. about 1830, purchased a farm and spent the remainder of his life there. He had only a small estate, but was a man of push and energy. He was a Whig, although he never took an active part in politics, and he attended the Methodist Episcopal Church. He died in 1873, and his wife, Emeline Bentley, a daughter of Thomas Bentley of the town of Beekman, passed away in 1891. She was the third in a family of five children, the others being: Elmer; Luman; Harriet who married Philo Ferris, and lived in Chenango county, N.Y.; and Clarinda who married Mr. Garrett, and lived and died in Pawling. The Bentleys were also of English origin. To Horace Ferris and his wife were born children as follows: Clarissa, who married first Cyrus Groves, and second Adam Dye: Matilda, wife of John Corbin: wife of John Corbin: Walter H., who married Caroline Terwillizer: Ellen, wife of John Pratt: Mary, who married first Albert Cole, and second Emery Jaquins; Phoebe, wife of Farren Pratt; Edmond, who married Amanda Sun; Elizabeth, who died in girlhood; Elmore whose name opens this sketch; Alfred, who married Amanda Chase, and was a soldier in the Civil war; Levisa, wife of Isaac Techout; Richard who died from wounds received in the army; Leroy who also served in the Union army married M.J. Dolen; and twins who died young. Most of the family live in Ossego County.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF DUTCHESS COUNTY, NEW YORK, CONTAINING BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PROMINENT AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS, AND OF MANY OF THE EARLY SETTLED FAMILIES. ILLUSTRATED, CHICAGO; J.H. BEERS & CO., 1897.