Person:Palmer Fargo (1)

From A History of Wyoming County, New York

Palmer Fargo, son of Nehemiah and Mary Fargo, was born in Connecticut June 10th, 1796. In 1804 he came to the forest site of what is now the village of Warsaw, where his father built the first log house large enough for the accommodation of strangers, opposite to the site of the Baptist church. Here strangers always found a welcome until they were able to provide a shelter for themselves. In 1818 he took up 80 acres of unimproved land on Lot 39. He cleared this place with his own hands and lived at his original location longer than any other man in town. He was a public spirited man and was always willing to help along any interest that promised to in any way benefit his fellow man. He was a strong anti-slavery man. He was assessor and highway commissioner many years. He was married January 10, 1818 to Caroline, daughter of Hezekiah and Amy Scovel of Warsaw, by whom he had 12 children, seven of whom are living. Mr. Fargo died May 21, 1873 at the age of 77; Mrs. Fargo November 26, 1849, aged 47.

According to the Wyoming County Historian's office, Palmer made land transactions on the following dates: 29 Jan. 183022 Feb. 1831 09 Aug. 183226 Sep. 1833

What I Remember of the Fargo Family by Welthea Green

As I remember hearing, three Fargo brothers came over to the US from Wales and settled in the state of New York. Palmer Fargo, my mother's father, was a son of one of these men.

Palmer Fargo had two brothers, Silas and David. When Palmer was 21 years of age, he married Caroline Scoville, who was 16 years of age. She was of French parents.

Palmer and Caroline settled on a large farm one and one half miles from the village of Warsaw. The farm was a real forest. He cut down trees and built his log cabin himself. Had cloth hung up for doors. While clearing his land, he walked to the village each day to work at the carpenter's trade. He was very ambitious. His farm was very beautifully situated. He raised a large family - the names were Mary, Hezekiah, Nehemiah, Alvonian, Lovinia, Florilla Orilla, Welthea, and Palmer C. All were members of the Baptist Church in Warsaw. Nehemiah played violin, Hezekiah led with the tuning fork, Lovinia sang soprano and Florilla sang alto - all in the church choir.

There is a Fargo street in Warsaw city now. Silas and David Fargo were very wealthy men. Palmer Fargo as highway commissioner was looking over roads one day for repairs when he was thrown from his carriage and killed.

He always lived in the same house. Was worth $30,000. Was about 71 years of age when he died. His wife Caroline died at 49 years of age. He married twice afterward.

From History of the Town of Warsaw, New York

... In 1818 he settled on the farm on which he now resides in the north part of town.

Copy of a letter written by Palmer to his daughter Florilla (misspelling and lack of punctuation as written):

Warsaw Oct 18, 65 Dear Children,

We have again returned to our home, we arrived at home yesterday morning we had quiet a pleasant journy and pretty good health most of the time except I was taken with diorea last tuesday and not quite well now. I found Mc & Welthe and those children well and I think are doing well when I see you we can talk of a good many thing that it would be of no use to try to write as I can not convey a just idea of what I heared and saw. so no more till we meet. we shall try to come and see you before long we think of going next tuesday and if the wether should continue good we may come to Castile the last of this week yet we may not come as soon as that. we have got some repairs about our sheds for our sheep before we nter which we must have goot wethere to do it in, but we shall come as soon as we can. I enclose the money for your second quarter p'ent this is all for this time your loving father till death P Fargo

From the Warsaw Centennial Booklet

The Fargo Family by Palmer C. Fargo (Another version was presented to the Warsaw Historical Society]

Nehemiah Fargo was born in Bozra, Conn., on January 10, 1764, and was married in June, 1783, to Mary Chapman. They resided in Bozra about 10 years after their marriage and then, successively, at Colchester and Hebron, in Connecticut; Sandisfield and Great Barrington, Mass.; Green River and Geneseo, NY. At the latter place Mr. Fargo worked on the Wadsworth estate one year and after putting in his crops he took his axe on his shoulder and started through the woods, coming out at Warsaw, where he immediately negotiated for a piece of land, and made an opening preparatory to building a log house, to which he returned in the fall and completed all except hanging the doors. He built the house double, large enough to accommodate any weary traveler or home-seeker who might come his way. Therefore, he became really the first keeper of a public house in town, though he never did that as a profession or as a business. In the spring he loaded up for the last time his belongings on a cart drawn by oxen and a wagon with horses, and after three days, going by the way of LeRoy and over Bethany Hill he arrived at Warsaw.

This was in 1804. Mr. Fargo made a large purchase of land; more than one-third of the village of Warsaw occupies a portion of his investment. He gave to the Presbyterians the land on which their church stands and in return, it is said, was given his choice of pews. [Nehemiah's pew was 26 in the Presbyterian Meeting House.] He settled on the place, corner Main and Livingston streets where his son Allen Fargo resided for so many years and which is now occupied by his great grandson, Wilber G. Fargo. Nehemiah Fargo was a prominent factor in the early history of Warsaw and many of his descendants still reside here and are active and influential in the affairs of the town.

Now, as I am only a half-blood Fargo I feel it might not be out of place if I should say a word in honor of my maternal grandmother, who was also a pioneer, and whom I hold with as much reverence and respect as I do the one whose name I bear...

1. ↑ Jesus Christ Church of Latter Day Saints. Family History Library
   Batch # 87771609 sheet 12.
2. ↑ Leilani Spring (leilani@@iinc.com). Warsaw Village Pioneer Cemetery. ((c) 1999).
3. ↑ Wyoming County, New York Historian's Office
   Will book Vol. 6, p. 103.

   Further information about the contesting of the will found in the Court files.
   Land tranactions index

4. ↑ Laura Bristol Robinson, Editor. The Warsaw Centennial 1803-1903. (Warsaw Centennial Association, published by the Western New Yorker, Warsaw, NY)
   pew number.
5. ↑ Researcher.

   Gary Ehlert

6. ↑ .

   per tombstone, Palmer was born at Sandisfield.