Stephen Salmons (1768 - bef. 1811)

Born 6 Feb 1768 in Connecticut Colony

Ancestors

Descendants

Died before 21 May 1811 before age 43 in Southeast, Putnam, New York, United States

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Biography

Obituary of his grandson:

Orrin Salmons, a life-long resident of Southeast, N. Y., and well known in Danbury where he had many relatives and friends, died at his home Saturday. Death was due to the infirmities of old age and came peacefully at his home where he was surrounded by the members of his family. He was one of the oldest and most respected citizens of Southeast and was well known throughout Putnam County.

Mr. Salmons was born November 8, 1836, on the farm where he died. He was one of five children born to Seneca and Ruana Salmons, the others being a brother, Reuben, and three sisters. Lavinia, Lydia Ann, and Ruana, of whom two sisters survive him. Lydia Ann, widow of Alfred Barnum, of Southeast, and Ruana Frost, wife of George N. Frost, wife of Geo. N. Frost, of Padanaram district. Mr. Salmons was in the best of health and managed his farm affairs up to the last year of his life.

Seneca Salmons, his father, was born on the same farm, April 24, 1804, He married Ruana Knapp. December 10, 1829, and spent their life in the homestead. His grandfather, Stephen Salmons, was born February 6, 1768, on the same farm, in the old house which stood a few rods south of the homestead of the present day. Stephen Salmons married Sarah Roberts, March 8. 1798, and lived all his life on the farm. Orrin Salmons lived on the farm all his eighty-one years, attending school at Deforest Corners when a boy, and was quick to learn. He was considered one of the best scholars of his day.

At that time Deforest Corners was quite a country place, Deforest Brothers keeping a tavern which had a large patronage, over which there was a ball room which could accommodate one hundred couples at one time. In the same corner was a general country store where everything was kept. In later years this store was taken down and removed to Danbury, and at the present time is the old Gilbert store, on North street.

January 8, 1865 Mr. Salmons married Margaret Mansfield, daughter of Alfred and Abbe Mansfield. Mr. Salmons took his bride to the old homestead and had been one of Putnam county's most successful dairy farmers. Four children were born to them. Leonard, who died several years ago, Minnie, who died when a baby, Adalbert, who has always lived on the farm, working with his father and Ella F. Salmons, wife of Charles Brundage on the Lake road. Mr. Salmons was of a very quiet, home-loving disposition and with one exception never left the farm to stay all night during his life time.

In his earlier days he owned and operated a threshing machine and besides threshing his own grain, of which he always planted a large tract, he threshed for the whole countryside, his motor power being an ox team which he moved from farm to farm. Mr. Salmons loved his oxen and for fifty-three years he broke and worked on his farm some of the finest oxen in this vicinity. At the time of his death he owned a pair of twins weighing about two tons.

Mr. Salmons was also a lover of sheep and for many years had one of the finest flocks in Putnam county. Mr. Salmons was also a pioneer in the bee industry and for fifty-two years his own table was well supplied with honey, the surplus was sold to neighbors far and near. His bees knew him so well that in hiving a new swarm he never covered his face or hands and seldom, if ever, was be stung. His herd of Holstein cows, many of which were registered, were mostly raised on the farm, and at the present time there are four extra fine heifers growing into cows. For many years be had been a regular exhibitor at the Danbury Fair and many a first prize he carried away on potatoes, corn, oats and apples.

Mrs. Salmons before her marriage worked at making boots and shoes at Milltown which at that time was a factory center of the boot making business. Of the most important shops were those of Joseph Wixon, Stephen Crosby, Thomas Crosby, Crosby Bros., Henry Wilson and the Northrop factory where about seventy-five head were employed. The finished goods were taken to Cold Springs in oxteams and shipped to New York by boat. At Milltown which is now the head of Sodom reservoir stood the church and school house, Raymond's General store also a store conducted by Brazil and Levi Roberts. Floyd Brush conducted a tavern for man or beast and across the bridge was a large blacksmith shop, also a grist mill operated by Mr. Boyce, father of C. M. Boyce, of Danbury. Farther down was the mill of Joshua Barnum.

Mr. Salmons' farm covered about 150 acres and is well divided for dairy purposes. Adalbert Salmons, the only son living, will make the fourth generation whose life has been spent on the farm and as he has two sons and two daughters the farm seems to be in a fair way to be owned and worked in the family name.

There are eight children living nearly all of whom are young farmers.

Death

bef. 21 May 1811 Southeast, Putnam, New York

This is the date of his father's will which states that Stephen is deceased.

Research Notes

The cited obituary states he was born in Southeast, Putnam, New York. Since it was written almost 150 years after his birth, it may be wrong. If the Stephen mentioned in the will of Reuben is the person in this profile, he may have been born in Connecticut. Although Jacobus is the source of this information, he does not actually list Stephen as a child of Reuben, which now looks like an oversight.

Sources

• Brewster Standard (newspaper) Feb. 22, 1918 Page 5.
• Jacobus, Donald Lines. History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield (Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Co., New Haven, Conn., 1930) Vol. 2, Part 7, Page 806.
  • Will of Reuben Salmon of Ridgefield, 21 May 1811, proved 29 Mar 1816... mentions "heirs of son Stephen, late of Southeast, dec'd"