Levi Olmstead (abt. 1819 - abt. 1887)

Born about 23 May 1819 in New York, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 18 Jun 1887 at about age 68 in Moreau, Saratoga, New York, United States

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Biography

Levi Olmstead was born May 23, 1819 in Saratoga County, New York. He was the son of Zalmon and Rebecca (Barlow) Olmstead. ^{[1] [2]}

About 1840, Levi and Sanford Olmstead – and later their brother Aaron – established a tannery at “The Corners” in the township of Minerva, Essex County, New York. It was for them that the village of Olmsteadville later received its name.

The trees in the area were predominantly spruce and hemlock so the location was ideal for a tannery. For many years they ran a very successful business in the manufacture of leather. The tannery and the increase in the lumber industry brought many laborers to the area, many settling as part-time farmers. The population had increased significantly in 15 years and when it became necessary to open a second Post Office, they opened it at Minerva Corners and named it for the Olmstead brothers who had brought prosperity to the town.

As markets changed, the brothers left the area. The 300-foot-long tannery had supported a very heavy business for many years. It was transferred to the Finn Brothers and others before it burned in 1867. But, the village of Olmsteadville remains. ^[3]

Levi married Maria Merriam Beach on September 12, 1847. In 1850, they were in Minerva, Essex County, New York. ^[4]

Levi was listed in the 1880 Census. ^[5]

Levi died June 18, 1887 in Moreau, Saratoga County, New York. His burial location is unknown but it’s possible he was buried in an unmarked grave in the Olmstead Cemetery in Moreau. ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Olmste(a)d files of Walt Steesy
2. ↑ Olmsted, Henry King, M.D. Genealogy of the Olmsted Family in America (A.T. De La Mare, New York, 1912); pages 232, 281, #5071
3. ↑ History, in part: Minerva, Essex County, NY, Compiled by Mabel Jones, Town Historian, Minerva, NY, 1957.
4. ↑ U. S. Federal Census: 1855, Minerva, Essex County, New York.
5. ↑ ["United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZF2-JHN : 20 August 2017), Levi Olmstead, Moreau, Saratoga, New York, United States; citing enumeration district ED 79, sheet 312A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0928; FHL microfilm 1,254,928.]
6. ↑ New York, Death Index, 1852-1956; online database, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Provo, UT.

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCYD-7CN : 12 April 2016), Levi Olmsted, Minerva, Essex, New York, United States; citing family 5, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "New York State Census, 1875," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNVX-QLS : 11 March 2018), Levi Olmstead, Moreau, Saratoga, New York, United States; citing p. 42, line 8, State Library, Albany; FHL microfilm 559,006.
• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZF2-JHN : 20 August 2017), Levi Olmstead, Moreau, Saratoga, New York, United States; citing enumeration district ED 79, sheet 312A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,928.

Acknowledgment

Thanks for Dee (Olmsted) Poole for researching and writing the biography.