Hiram Gilbert (1798 - abt. 1875)

Born 4 Jan 1798 in Paris, Oneida, New York, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Lucy Winship (Harrington) Gilbert — married 10 Oct 1821 in Saquoit, Oswego, New York, United States

Descendants

Died about 27 Aug 1875 at about age 77 in Schroeppel, Oswego, New York, United States

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Biography

This is an ongoing research project that is attempting to untangle the two Grove Gilberts in the same area in the same timeframe. Thank you for your patience.

"Hiram Gilbert, son of Titus Gilbert, was born in 1798, in the little house near the mill erected by his father, near the site of the formers' Factory. After the death of his father, and as soon as he was old enough, he was " bound out" to his uncle, D. Sheldon Marsh, to learn the trade of millwright, with whom he served his full time, and with him, David Loring and Seth Burdick built the great overshot water- wheels for the numerous mills and factories erected on the Sauquoit Creek at that early day.

He was married to Lucy "Harrington in October 1821."

"His (Hiram Gilbert) house was, during many years preceding the great Rebellion, an "underground depot" for the transmission of runaway slaves. He was in close affinity with Gerrit Smith and Fred Douglass, the great Abolitionists. Many are the times his children were shown the deep ridges made upon the backs of the poor slaves who were fleeing to Canada. ^[1]

Many is (sic) the time his children were shown the deep ridges made upon the backs of the poor slaves who were fleeing to Canada.

His love of trout fishing was amply gratified in his new home, and many is (sic) the time that the late Hon. M. L. Lee, of Fulton, visited Gilbert's Mills, and they together fished on either side—for three miles—of a noted trout brook, striving to see which could bag the greatest number of the speckled beauties.

He had nine children: four boys and five girls, of which six survive: four boys and two girls. Of his death which occurred a few years since, (1876,) the Oswego Times says: " Hiram Gilbert, who died at the age of 78, removed from Paris, Oneida county, with his brother Andrus, in 1829, purchased a large tract of land and settled at what is now called Gilbert's Mills, and during his life devoted his time to milling and kindred pursuits.

Mr. Gilbert had a family of four sons, all mill owners, and five daughters, intelligent, enterprising, and respected, and a whole community respect his character and honor his memory."

His (Hiram Gilbert) brother Grove removed from Sauquoit to Lenox Furnace, Madison county, at an early day, in the employ of Colonel Avery, where he died many years ago. Titus, Jr., was a very ingenious and skillful millwright, also deceased. Andrus, the only surviving brother, bereaved of his wife, is spending his time with a married daughter in Warrensburg, Mo."

The sons of Hiram settled in Fulton and together have built and operated four of the seven flouring mills. Henry H. and Horace N., in 1855, first built the mill on the site of the Quartus Rust tool factory, now known as the Gage mill. A few years later H. N., in company with John J. Wolcott, built on the site of E. R. Redhead’s paper mill; with this mill, he was connected during the war.

Wellman's research enabled Bristol Hill Congregational Church to become one of 14 New York sites on the National Parks Service's Underground Railroad Network to Freedom and one of 24 sites designated by New York as part of its Underground Railroad Heritage Trail. ^[2]

That has piqued a bit of interest in the old wooden house of worship, which has sat on Route 3 since 1832. Seven busloads of people interested in the Underground Railroad have visited, said the Rev. Jim Hinman. He said, "People want to know where they hid the slaves. They want to look in the cellar."

It's unknown if a single freedom-seeker was hidden there, Hinman said. But it's clear church members supported the Underground Railroad.

In 1843, the congregation adopted a resolution vowing to "use all proper means in our power" to free slaves.

Amos Mason, a black farmer who joined the church in 1831, was active in the state and county anti-slavery societies.

A white deacon, Hiram Gilbert, and his wife, Lucy, housed fugitive slaves at their home on Gilbert Mills Road, a few doors from Mason's house.

The Gilberts' grandson, Grove Gilbert, wrote down his recollections of a story involving his grandparents' involvement in the Underground Railroad:

"My father told me that Mrs. Griffith (who lived down the road from the Gilberts) came to my grandmother after church on Sunday asking her help with a colored girl, whom she was hiding in her house. The girl was depressed because she had become separated from her family, who had escaped with her. She feared that all of the others were lost. Grandmother suggested that after dark, she bring the colored girl to her house to visit with a girl whom she was secreting. Mrs. Griffith agreed, and when the two girls met, they rushed into each other's arms. They were sisters."

Sources

1. ↑ History of the town of Paris, and the valley of the Sauquoit: pioneers and early settlers ... anecdotes and reminiscences, to which is added an account of the ceremonies attending the re-internment of Col. Isaac Paris" https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofp00roge/page/144/mode/2up
2. ↑ https://www.syracuse.com/news/2005/02/church_beckoned_to_both_blacks.html

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC13-WTF : 12 April 2016), Hiram Gilbert, Schroeppel, Oswego, New York, United States; citing family 199, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC4G-13T : 12 December 2017), Hiram Gilbert, 1860.

• "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8VP-3KN : 14 June 2019), Hiram Gilbert, 1870.

• https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCB3-HJD?from=lynx1UIV8&treeref=KZYM-ZXV*Tree on Ancestry.com

• Find a Grave, database and images accessed 08 March 2021), memorial page for Hiram Gilbert (1797–27 Aug 1875), Find A Grave: Memorial #30051990, citing Mount Adnah Cemetery, Fulton, Oswego County, New York,.

See Also

• http://www.newyorkroots.org/oswego/towns/schroeppel/1895landmarks.html

• http://genealogytrails.com/ny/oswego/countyhistory_schroeppel.html

• Homer Worthington Brainard, Harold Smith Gilbert, And Clarence Almon Torrey. The Gilbert Family, Descendants Of Thomas Gilbert. New Haven, 1953

Unsourced: probably from geni.com

Hiram Gilbert, (1798 - 1875) was born 1798, in New York, to Titus Gilbert was born on April 6 1774, in New Hartford, Litchfield County, Connecticut, and Elizabeth Gilbert (born Andrus).who was born on March 30, 1777, in New Hartford, Litchfield County, Connecticut, USA.

Hiram had 3 brothers: Titus Gilbert and 2 other siblings.

Hiram married Lucy Gilbert (born Winship).

Lucy was born on November 1 1803, in Sauquoit, Oneida, New York, United States.

They had 10 children:

-Martha L. Barnes (born Gilbert), - -Henry Harrington Gilbert -Arthur Gillespie Gilbert. -Newell Gilbert. -Elizabeth Gilbert.

Hiram lived in 1850, in New York.

Hiram passed away 1875, at age 77 in, New York.