Person:Charles Thomas (51)

http://home.comcast.net/~richardson156/wagert.html Oneida County, New York Biographies Wager, Daniel. Our County and Its People, Part III: Family Sketches. Boston: The Boston History Company, 1896.

THOMAS, CHARLES H., was born on the farm where he now resides, April 17, 1840, son of Stephen and Lucy(Goodell) Thomas. He was born in the first frame house in this part of the country. His mother's family belonged to Montgomery county, N.Y. His father's family were Quakers, and moved from Dutchess county to Herkimer county when Stephen was twelve years of age. There were two brothers, Henry, of Lone Rock, Wis., and the late Dr. D. G. Thomas of Utica, and one sister who married Capt. Holcomb of Litchfield. About 1830 Stephen became connected with Frankfort Iron Works, being superintendent first, and afterwards, as agent, he traveled all over the State. In 1834 he came to Paris and bought a farm of eighty acres, adding to it until it contained over two hundred acres. He was one of the first to put up a cheese factory in this section, where his son Charles was cheesemaker for some years. He was an energetic, progressive and successful farmer, and was one of the men who rendered efficient aid in putting through the Utica, Chenango and Susquehanna Valley (now D. L. & W.) railroad, being one of the commissioners until his health failed. Both parents died at the age of eighty-seven years, leaving two sons, C. H., and W. J. Thomas of Westmoreland. In 1867 Charles H. Thomas married Frances L. Knight, daughter of Jeremiah Knight, M. D., also of Quaker family, coming from Providence, R. I. He was a well known physician of the town of Paris, also supervisor, and superintendent of schools. Her mother, Lucia (Marsh) Knight, was a lineal descendant of Anne Webster, daughter of Gov. John Webster, and John Marsh, both of whose names are to be found on a fine shaft, erected to the memory of the first settlers in Hartford, Conn. Other members of the family were, later on, first settlers of Hadley, Mass., New Hartford, Conn., and still later of Whitesboro and New Hartford, Oneida county, N.Y. These families were both represented in the wars of 1776, 1812, and the war of the Rebellion. Sergt. Robert Knight and Dr. Arthur Knight, of Sauquoit, served three years in the Union army. The old militia commissions of Capt. Nehemiah Knight, jr., rank of Colonel, "Cranston Blues, R. I." dated 1802, signed by "Gov. Arthur Fenner, Commander in Chief of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations;" countersigned by "N. Knight, Senator," also the commission of "Lieut. Jeremiah Knight, 140th N.Y. Infantry," signed by De Witt Clinton are still in the possession of the family. Charles and Frances Thomas have three sons: Jeremiah K. of Binghamton, Stephen G., and Irving H., still on the farm. (p. 150-151) [Top]