LeRay, Jefferson, NY

Poor Biography, #3

CHRISTOPHER POOR

Perhaps the most pleasurable duty of the historian is to record the lives of good and useful men; of those hardy pioneers who by their industry and perseverance wrought the wondrous changes that we observe around us; of those who redeemed the trackless wilderness and erected the pleasant homes that so plenteously abound in the rural districts and the quiet villages of this county. Pre-eminently among the class of men are those of whom we here write.

Christopher Poor was born in the State of Maine about the year 1780. His father was Peter Poor, and his mother Mrs. Elizabeth Parkinson, who died in Rutland, June 22, 1842, at the advanced age of eighty-four years. She was a native of New Hampshire, having married, for her first husband, Mr. Peter Poor, as above stated, and with him moved to the town of Bethel, situated near the source of the Androscoggin river, in the State of Maine. Here she was residing with her husband and two children (of whom Christopher was one) in the year if 1781; in the autumn of which year he savages came down upon that recent and defenseless settlement to seek for scalps and plunder. These savages were instigated to marauding and murderous expeditions by the bounty offered by the British for scalps. They entered the house of Mrs. Poor with two of her neighbors already captured and bound, and made inquiry for her husband, who was fortunately absent at the time. After having ate, plundered, and rioted as they pleased, they went in quest of Mr.Poor, and without her knowledge found him, and on his refusing to become their prisoner, shot him and took his scalp in their sacks. Mrs. Poor fled from her home with her children, and waded the Androscoggin at as great a depth as she dared, in order to avoid being traced by the Indians, and at night lodged in the forest. Meanwhile, her husband had been discovered and taken up, and in the first house she dared approach she beheld his mutilated and bloody corpse. This was a heart-rending scene, and yet it was met with Christian fortitude. She was soon composed, and sat down to her bible, which she had not forgotten o take along with her, and opened the XLVIth Psalm, and when she came to the 10^th verse she responded in her heart, "I will be still." She buried her husband; then took her children with her upon a horse and started for her friends. The road was, at best, only a foot-path, winding through a dense forest, over hills and across bridgeless streams. The journey was made as fast as possible by day, and through the night she composed herself as well as she could, being compelled to lodge upon the ground with no covering but the dense branches of the woods, There were beasts of prey to seek her life, and none to preserve and defend her but her Maker. She afterwards married Mr. William Parkinson, with whom she moved to Sharon, in this State. They were indigent in circumstances, and, as usual in new counties, Mrs. Parkinson endured privation, and labored hard to assist her husband in maintaining the family. She earned some money by weaving, and on Saturday of each week would travel on foot five and eight miles with the articles she had woven, receive her pittance for her work, and return to her family. She afterwards removed to Rutland, where her husband soon died, and where herself finally rest from her labors. Several of her descendants reside in that town.

Christopher Poor removed to New York State about the year 1800. On the 7^th of July, 1803, was united in marriage with Mary Parkinson, by whom he had twelve children, namely, Peter, Margaret, Betsy, Polly, Aaron, Moses, Hannah, Christopher S., Asa, Matthew, Andrew, and Nancy J., of these there are six living, all in Jefferson County except Jane, now the wife of S. L. Mott, of Martinsburg, Lewis county. In 1807, Mr. Poor removed to Rutland Hollow, where he resided at the breaking out of the War of 1812. He was one day plowing his field, when a call was made for soldiers, and he unhitched one of his horses and, Putnam-like, rose to Sachet’s Harbor, where he entered the service. On his return he removed down the river and erected a saw-mill about half a mile from Felts’ Mills. In 1829 he removed to the village of Black River, and there built the first bridge across the main stream. He also erected the first frame house on the Le Ray side of the river, and with others built the first dam on the north side of the island. He was prominently identified with all public enterprises. He was a kind-hearted, genial man of unblemished honor and unswerving integrity. After a long and useful life he died at the residence of his son Feb. 11, 1854, aged seventy-four years. His estimable wife survived him until September 12, 1866, when she too departed this life, to join him in the eternal hereafter, being upwards of eighty years of age.

Matthew Poor was the sixth son and tenth child of the above gentleman, and was born in the town of Rutland April 11, 1822. He removed to the village of Black River with his father when seven years old, and lived with and assisted him in his business as long as the old gentleman was capable of working, and then assumed entire control of the business. June 19, 1844, he married Miss Jane P. Veber, daughter of Perin Veber, a respectable pioneer of Rutland. They have had born to them three children, namely, Perin V., George A., and Mary L. Mr. Poor embarked in the mercantile business at Black River in the fall of 1866, which he still carries on in connection with his older son. He also manages the old homestead farm of 150 acres, assisted in this by his younger son. In politics Mr.Poor is a Republican; his father before him having been a Whig. Like his worthy parent, he is a straightforward, honest man, and a good citizen. (Jefferson County History, by L. H. Everts, 1878)

Transcribed by Holice B. Young

Html by Debbie

December 26, 1999

[Jefferson County ALHN][NY ALHN]