U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Farnsworth, Thomas Jefferson (1829-1916) ------------------------------------------------------------------- The History of Upshur County West Virginia From its Earliest Exploration and Settlement to the Present Time by W. B. Cutright Buckhannon, W. Va., July 1, 1907 Pages 446-447 THOMAS JEFFERSON FARNSWORTH. A substantial and progressive citizen of Buckhannon, West Virginia, is a native of the place. He was born May 17, 1829, being the fourth of eleven children, born to Nathaniel and Susan P. (Simons) Farnsworth. His father (Nathaniel) was born on Staten Island, New York, February 22, 1797. His grandfather, Daniel Farnsworth was born in New Jersey, while his great grandfather, Thomas Farnsworth, was born at or near Bordertown, New Jersey. The brother of Nathaniel Farnsworth, James Farnsworth, was a soldier of the war of 1812-14. The family is descended from English Colonial settlers of America. The maternal grandfather, Leonard Simons, was born in Virginia, and was one of the first to take up his residence on the Buckhannon River, his settlement being in the eighteenth century. He was descended from early German settlers of Pennsylvania. The wife of Daniel Farnsworth was a Miss Stout, born and reared in New Jersey. He traded land on Staten Island for property on the Buckhannon River, now the site of the town of Buckhannon, and came thither with his family in 1821, and their house, which was erected at that time, is still standing, and is the oldest house in Buckhannon. A farm was opened up from the primeval forest and became a valuable piece of property. Mr. Farnsworth was a Democrat politically and was interested in all things of public character. He died in 1848. Nathaniel Farnsworth came into possession of the property, on which Buckhannon is now built, when the estate was divided. After the organization of Upshur County, in 1852, Buckhannon became the County Seat, and many lots were sold by Mr. Farnsworth. After a useful and active life he died in 1868, but his widow survived until 1888, and had been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for seventy years, at the time of her death. Thomas Jefferson Farnsworth was educated in the private schools of his native place and remained under the parental roof until he was eighteen years of age. He then served an apprenticeship at the blacksmith trade, and after working at the same in various places, he conducted a shop of his own in Buckhannon for one year. March 8, 1852, he started for California with Dr. William H. Westfall, a cousin, and after reaching Missouri, a party was made up to cross the plains. Upon reaching Mariposa County, California, September 6, 1852, they at once engaged in mining, and in a few months, Mr. Farnsworth had accumulated quite a little sum. He then rented a shop for one year, after which he bought two shops and continued to work at his trade about seven years, doing a large business and employing many hands. In 1857 he came home on a visit, became engaged to be married and returned here permanently in 1859, worth about $30,000, the result of seven years' work. He married Mary Carper, the daughter of Adam and Jemima Carper. Adam Carper was the son of Abraham and Millie (Harness) Carper and married Jemima Currence, daughter of William and Mary (Ward) Currence of Huttonsville, Randolph County. Thomas J. Farnsworth purchased much property in and about Buckhannon and engaged in farming and stock- raising on a large scale, and this property has since greatly increased in value. After the war he became active in politics and has held many offices. He was appointed as one of the commissioners to hold the first election under the new State; was elected the first supervisor of the county and became the first president of this Board, and was a trustee to open the first school here. He was elected to the House of Delegates in 1874, served in 1875, was a member of several important committees, and in 1876 was re-elected to this office in a county strongly republican, but at the expiration of his term declined re-election. In 1879 he was the Democratic nominee for the State Senate of the Tenth Senatorial District, comprising the counties of Upshur, Randolph, Tucker, Barbour, Taylor and Lewis. He was elected without opposition and served in the General Assembly of the State in 1880 and 1881. Upon the re-organization of the Senate in 1883, he was elected president of that body and served as such during that year and 1884. Since that time he has declined official position. In 1877 he was appointed by Governor Matthews as regent for the State University and was successively appointed by Governors Jackson, Wilson and Fleming, serving in this appointment eighteen years. He was a Mason in California in 1855, but transferred his membership to Franklin Lodge No. 7, Buckhannon and served as master of it for thirteen years. He has been president of the Buckhannon Bank for some years and continues active in business. He owns several valuable farms, a dozen or so of houses in Buckhannon, and his stock interests are very extensive, his droves of horses, cattle and sheep being very large. He and his wife are the parents of six children: Emma, who died at the age of two years; Carrie M., died when three years old; Anna May is the widow of Dr. George B. Edmiston, having two children, Matthew and Georgie Bland Edmiston; Mary Martha is the wife of Norval B. McCarty of Clarksburg, West Virginia, having one daughter, Mary Elizabeth McCarty; Maude Carper is the wife of Benjamin Bassel, residing in Denver, Colorado; Thomas Benjamin, married Miss Clara R. Teter and resides in Buckhannon. Thomas J. Farnsworth and wife are members of the Baptist Church and he is a deacon in the same. Mr. Farnsworth's name is inseparately linked with the prosperity of Upshur County and from his active and useful life a lesson of genuine worth may be gleaned. His career has been marked by all that goes to make up useful and noble manhood, and his imprint will long be felt in the section in which he lives. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Register of Deaths, Upshur County, WV (Page 10) FULL-NAME: Thomas Jefferson Farnsworth DEATH-DATE: October 12, 1916 AGE-AT-DEATH: 87y-4m-25d DEATH-PLACE: Buckhannon MARITAL-STATUS: Married OCCUPATION: Farmer CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Acute Indigestion INFORMANT: R. A. Reger, Physician (wife of Thomas Jefferson Farnsworth) From Death Certificate, Upshur County, WV #46 FULL-NAME: Mary Elizabeth Farnsworth BIRTH-DATE: May 1, 1834 BIRTH-PLACE: Virginia DEATH-DATE: August 10, 1919 at age 85y-3m-9d DEATH-PLACE: 23 East Main St., Buckhannon, Upshur County, WV MARITAL-STATUS: Widowed OCCUPATION: FATHER: Adam Carper (born in Virginia) MOTHER: Jemima Currence (born in Virginia) CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Complications of diseases INFORMANT: Anna M. Edmiston (of Buckhannon, W.Va.) BURIAL: Heavner Cemetery There's a large double-tombstone in Heavner Cemetery, Buckhannon, WV Thos. J. Farnsworth 1829-1916 Mary E. Carper, his wife 1834-1919 ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Upshur County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/upshur/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------