Today we cover the finer points of crossing a street:

1) Go to an intersection or a marked crosswalk.
2) Look both ways, even on a one way street, to ensure there are no cars coming, or, alternately, to make sure the cars that are coming can see you.
3) Walk briskly across the street in a straight line, pperpindicular to the side you are crossing from.

Please note: This is not “back home,” “where you used to live,” or “the safe neighborhood.” This is the Phoenix Metropolitan area, where anything outside of the crosswalk will be considered in the crosshair.

This afternoon, while I was driving west on Indian School Road, just west of 19th Ave., a man stepped off the curb (ignoring rule 2) and lollygagged across the street (breaking rule 3) not even fifteen feet away from a marked, signed, highlighted crosswalk (rule 1). That’s right, folks, he scored a trifecta!

This would have been a perfect score if I had not seen him veer toward the street and pre-emptively slammed on my brakes. I say perfect, because if I did not have the situational awareness needed to stay accident free for all my years of driving in Phoenix, he would have been my new hood ornament. He stepped off no more than six feet in front of my bumper. Never even looked my way. My guess is he assumed that since he had crossed the street all his life in that same manner where he used to live (hint: it’s south of here – way south), he could do it here also.

I am willing to bet a dollar he becomes a statistic within three months.

Sadly, he joins the ranks of the Obliviots.

WHY THE 2 “Ts”? THE HOLLISTERS INTRODUCED

It is among the sons of Nehemiah Carter that we first find in public records the use of the double “T” in this old family name which dates far back in English history. Even here among the brothers there seems to be no common agreement. Gravestones of Zeboim and Isaac in the West Lowville Rural Cemetery display the name with two “Ts” while Phederus’ stone bears the name spelled with one T. This, though some of his descendants, now living, spell theirs with two. David Kellogg was consistent in the use of two Ts as was his son James Bruce and indeed his other four sons.

The traditional spelling seems to have been with one T. Genealogists when recording the family line from Rev. Thomas Carter of Woburn, Mass., use the one “T” with no other reference. Two exceptions have come to the author;s attention. William R. Cutter in his two works, Genealogy of Northern New York and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Massachusetts, the latter edited jointly with William F. Adams. In both of these publications the entire family of Rev. Thomas is recorded with two “Ts”. In the latter of these two publications two identical lines of descent from Rev. Thomas are given except in one the one T is used, and in the other two Ts, one appearing in Vol I, p 372, the other in Vol II, p. 933.

In the first reference quoted above there appears this interesting explanation of why the two Ts.

“The Carter family is of ancient English lineage. In one of the battles of Bruce’s war, an officer by the name of McCarter countermanded the order of a superior officer, which meant death, but which gave the victory, hence they could not really put him to death, but could not allow the offence to go unpunished. Therefore, they deprived him of the “Mc” in his name, and added a “t”, making it Cartter. The present family descends from him. Richard Cartter, Lord of the Manor of Garston, in the parish of Watford, England, is supposed to have been the grandfather of Rev. Thomas Cartter, the immigrant mentioned below.”

While we are speculating on the two Ts here is another version to ponder. From a letter written by a George Phederus Cartter of Los Angeles in 1855 to Mrs. Paul Cartter of Wichita we get the following (quite interesting.) The story he relates has two parts.

First. – – “In Scotland it was a custom, still is in some families, that the oldest son had no Christian name, was known as ‘Master’ and signed the papers as Mcarthur or Mcartter or Macarthur. Transcribed as M. A. Cartter, the Mac was dropped completely.”

Second. – – “You well have to go back several hundred years to get to the first two “TT.” In 1298 when Robert Bruce was at war with England the sister of Robert Bruce, King of Scotland, promised to marry the ‘first Scott’ to raise the Scott flag on English soil. The commander of the Scotch forces had the English driven back from the coast. He was ready to go ashore, standing at the bow of the boat with the Scott banner at hand when his nephew jumped out ahead of him pulling a banner from under his coat and raised it before his uncle realized what had happened. The remark that the uncle made is historically correct. ‘If the same blood that flows in your veins was not the same blood that is in mine I would strike you dead where you stand.” The family motto was taken from this episode ‘Astutia Et Animo.’ Bruce’s decree issued at that time was that they should carry two or double “T” for them and their descendants forever.”

Myth or reality, the presence of absence of a second “TP in the name has been a source of confusion to genealogists and an inconvenience to the bearer of the Cartter spelling. Being in the minority he must continually remind others of the proper spelling. Perhaps someday this mystery will be resolved, and we Cartters may in truth know how much Scottish blood coursed through the veins of our early ancestors.

We present bearers of the name are thankful that David Kellogg Cartter (1) held to this spelling as did his sons and those grandchildren of whom we know. The origin of the second “T” is incidental. We have it and intend to keep it, inconvenience or not. Let us haste to mention however that we do not disown those proven relatives who carry the lighter T burden.

Now back to David Kellogg Cartter as he arrived fom Westfield, Mass., with his brothers to settle at least tentatively at Lowville, N. Y. He was not to stay here long and we do not know much of his activities while there. Records do indicate that by 1804 he had met and married Elizabeth Hollister, the daughter of Abner and Sarah Betty Hollister whose family lived at Adams in Jefferson County.

The young couple lived in Lowville until the spring of 1814 when they and their three sons moved to Rochester, N. Y. as related in Chapter II. We have little information concerning the young family during this period. It is very likely that David continued to develop his skills as a carpenter and mill-wright; skills which he used to very good advantage after reaching Rochester. But what of Elizabeth?

Abner Hollister, father of Elizabeth, was of the 6th generation of his family in America. He was born Oct.28, 1754 in Tyringham, Berkshire County, in the far west central part of Mass. He served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War being with Arnold in his march to Quebec. After Arnold’s surrender, Abner made his escape through “an almost pathless wilderness; after great suffering he returned home.” He married Sarah Betty in Tyringham, June 28, 1771.

Elizabeth Hollister was the seventh in a family of twelve children. She was born in 1789. When she was seven years of age the family moved to Clinton in Oneida County, N. Y. After a few years they moved to Adams in Jefferson County where she was married in 1804 to David Kellogg Cartter.

Sarah Betty, Elizabeth’s mother, died in Cato, Cayuga Co., N.Y. Sept. 12, 1813, one year before the Cartters moved to Rochester. In 1818 Abner Hollister is recorded as assisting David Kellogg Cartter in building the first three-story building erected in Rochester. It was known as “The Mansion House” and is recorded in William F. Peck’s History of Rochester and Monroe County. This account would lead us to believe that the two may have worked together in the carpenter trade even before coming to Rochester. Abner, in 1802, married second a widow, Elizabeth Granger of Oneida Co., N. Y. There were no children by this marriage. George A. Hollister, a son of Abner, and brother of Elizabeth, later founded the Hollister Lumber Co. at Rochester in 1835.

HOLLISTER FAMILY

The Hollister family came to America from England, where in Somersetshire there is a town called Hollister. The name comes from Holly Terra – – place where holly trees abound. The first mention of the name was in about 1563 and 1564.

A brief male line of descent is given here, taken from Hollister Family of America by LaFayette Wallace Case, M. D. – 1886.

1st Generation

JOHN HOLLISTER, ancestor of the American family is said to have been born in England, 1612. He emigrated to America about 1642 and is reputed to have been “one of the most prominent men of Wetherfield and the Connecticut Colony.” He was admitted freeman in 1643, a deputy in 1644 and 1645. He was appointed by a general court to give “the best and safe advice to the Indians if they agreed to meet and should crave advice.” He was a large land holder especially on the east side of the Connecticut River, known as Glaustonburg. He married Joanna, daughter of Richard and Joanna Treat and dies April 1665. Eight children were born of this marriage.

2nd Generation

JOHN (2), oldest son of John (1) and Joanna b. 1644, married Sara Goodrich 1667. He was one of the principal men in Glastonburg. He had eight children d. 11-24-1711

3rd Generation

THOMAS, 2nd son of John (2) and Sara born 1-14-1672 – m. Dorothy Hills, daughter of Joseph Hills, Glastonburg, Conn. She was born 1677 and died 1741. He was called “the weaver” in town records. They had thirteen children.

4th Generation

CHARLES: Third son of Thomas and Dorothy b. in Glastonburg 7-26-1701, m. Prudence Francis, daug. of John Francis of Wethersfield 4-5-1729, settled in Eastbury d. 2-2-1753. Nine children.

5th Generation

FRANCIS, b. in Glastonburg 4-22-1733, 2nd son of Charles and Prudence, M. Betty McKee 12-15-1753 and resided in Tyringham – A sea captain – d. in Havana 1-15-1770. He had seven children of whom Abner was the oldest.

6th Generation

Abner, b. 10-28-1753, a soldier in the Revolutionary War. M. (1) Sarah Betty in tyringham, Mass. 6-28-1775 (2) a widow Elizabeth Granger of Oneida Co., N. Y. in 1802. His twelve children were all by his first wife who dies in Cato, Cayugo Co., N.Y. Sept.12, 1813. Elizabeth was his 7th child.

CARTTER SONS MIGRATE TO LOWVILLE N. Y.

Now back to Nehemiah and Mary (Kellogg) Carter who were married in this early pioneer settlement of Westfield, Mass. September 8, 1768. Nehemiah from Leominster, Mass. was born October 15, 1742; Mary was born in Westfield June 13, 1748. This marriage was blessed by twelve children, as follows: (1) Chandler (2) Nehemiah (3) Mary (4) Zeboim (5) Catherine (6) David Kellogg (7) Submit (8) James Bruce (1) (9) Bethsheba (10) Isaac (11) Phederus (12) Samuel.

Of the twelve children in the family four lived to be more than 90 years of age and the eight who lived beyond 80 years accumulated an average of 87 years.

The children of Nehemiah and Mary whose births span the twenty years from 1768 to 1788 were reaching their maturity at about the time when the westward migration was building most rapidly. The two older boys, Chandler and Nehemiah sank their roots deep in Hampden County, Mass. soil and remained there until death. Zeboim, David, James, Isaac, Phederus and possibly Samuel followed the general path described by Hopkins (in the preceding chapter) as “leading westward over the mountains through the valley of the Hudson and up the valley of the Mohawk.” Instead of stopping in Saratoga County they pushed north and west to the valley of the Black River in New York State, an area in which most of them eventually settled.

Only Samuel, youngest of the brothers, seemed to have gravitated in a southwesterly direction toward Kansas where it is recorded that he died at age 90. No record has yet been discovered concerning his family or location in Kansas. Cutter and Adams in their Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Mass., Vol. I have this statement on page 374. “Samuel (b) September 9 1788 died in Kansas aged ninety; removed 1806 to Lowville; served in war of 1812.” If this is correct Samuel may have accompanied Phederus and his parents to Lowville before eventually leaving for Kansas.

Whether the Cartter brothers from Westfield knew what promise the Black River region held for them, or if they merely stumbled on it, is not told in any recorded history which the writer has read. Certainly they knew others were going in this direction and that new country was to be found. One story relates the origin of the name “Black River region” as having come from the St. Regis Indian language (o-tsi-qua-ke) meaning “where the black ash grows with knots for making clubs.”

From F. B. Hought’s History of Lewis County, N. Y. written in 1860, we read:

“Early in 1798 the first families of this town (Lowville, Lewis County) left Westfield, Mass. and by slow stages found their way to the last clearings in Turin township N. Y.” He writes at some length about the difficulties of these early settlers especially after they left the well traveled waterways of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers, and began to make their own trails or to follow the trails previously made by the Indians. The Black River was not an easy stream to navigate.

It is very probable that several Kellogg brothers, either sons or nephews of David Kellogg, also made this migration, for the names Kellogg and Cartter seem to appear simultaneously in the Black River Valley. Other Carters, not tracing back to Nehemiah’s family, are also found in this area which was later to be included in the Counties of Lewis and Jefferson. It is interesting to note that all of the Cartter brothers who made this migration from Westfield did so before marriage except for Phederus who came later than the others bringing his parents with him.

When the Lowville area was originally settled in 1798 – 1800 the Black River region was a part of Oneida County. The first three towns organized, Leyden, Turin, and Lowville had accomplished that organization by 1800. Two more, Harrisburg and Martinsburg, were organized before 1804 when the Black River region of Oneida County was divided making Lewis County to the east and Jefferson County to the west. In 1800 the population of Lewis County numbered 300. It had grown to 1604 by the year 1814. Expansion was largely agricultural. Lowville was the only incorporated village in the county for several years. It has no cities.

The land sales book of Mr. Low shows that Zeboim, the oldest of the Cartter brothers who came to Lowville, purchased farm land in 1799 the second year of open sales. Six sales had been made in 1798 and four more in addition to Zeboim’s in 1799. We do not know of purchases of land by David or by James, his next younger brother, who presumably came with him. We learn from the first census of electors in Lowville, taken in 1807, that Zeboim, David and James were there at the time. Also listed were twin brothers Pardon and Paul Lanpher who had arrived in 1800 from Westerly, R.I. They purchased land the same year. These two families, the Cartters and the Lanphers, played an important part in Lewis County development and were drawn closer together through marriage. This happened first in Lewis County when Fanny Cartter, daughter of Isaac married Paul B. Lanpher, son of Paul. It happened again in Black River Falls, Wis. two generations later in 1898 when David Kellogg Cartter, son of James Bruce, (our subject) married Emma E. Lanpher, the author’s mother who also was a descendant of Paul Lanpher.

Settlement on the land was being encouraged during the early 1800’s as there was at that time an agricultural and self-sufficient economy. Land was not difficult to come by as is shown by the indenture made the 12th day of November, 1800, between Silas Stow, party of the first part, and Paul Lanpher, party of the second part. The original of this indenture is to be found in the Court House at Lowville. The indenture covers the sale of 50 acres of land in Stow’s Square, part of Lot #17 for the sum of $175.00 (The author has a copy of this indenture). A similar purchase was made by Pardon Lanpher. Lowville at that time was a part of Oneida County.

When the 1810 census was taken the following Cartter brothers were present in Lewis County. Zeboim, David, James, Isaac, and Phederus. The latter two had only recently arrived. Phederus, who came in 1806 brought his aging parents from Westfield to live with him. Both parents died in 1810 and are buried at Lowville. Zeboim, Isaac and Phederus lived out there lives in Lewis County, while David and James were to move to Rochester N.Y. to do their bit in establishing that new settlement.

Before we leave this family of brothers to follow David and his family, just a word about each of them. The genealogical section of this story will give descendants of all that are known.

CAPT. CHANDLER the oldest son of Nehemiah and Mary (Kellogg) Cartter, b. 2-27-1768 m. 4-28-1805 Ann Waterman in Medford. He resided in Russell and Chester, Mass., was captain of the mounted militia at Russell and was a blacksmith by trade. He had eleven children, 3 boys and 8 girls.

NEHEMIAH JR., next oldest to Chandler, was b. 5-8-1769 – m. 1-23-1799 Sophia Shepard and lived in Westfield. As far as we know they had five children, 4 boys and 1 girl.

“COL” ZEBOIM, b. 6-13-1772 m. twice (1) Olive Hanchett (2) Roena Richards. He was a farmer and when the 1825 Agricultural Census was taken, owned 50 acres of land, 8 cattle, 9 horses, 65 sheep, and 10 hogs. On June 15, 1808 when the 101 Regiment of the militia was formed he was made 2nd major. When the war of 1812 was declared he was made colonel in charge of the militia from the entire county. The last call was made in 1814 to serve at Sackett’s Harbor. Zeboim died at age 81 in the state of Iowa. His remains were returned to Lowville for burial. He had 9 children, 7 by Olive and 2 by Roena – 4 boys and 5 girls in all.

DAVID KELLOGG, b. 3-22-1776. M. 10-31-1789 to Elizabeth Millicent Hollister. He became a carpenter and millwright, the later occupation keeping him busy as many mills were needed to grind meal and to saw lumber in the Black River region. He, with his wife and three children, moved to the new settlement of Rochesterville, N.Y. in 1814. The story of this move was told in Chapter II.

JAMES BRUCE (1), b. 5-17-1781, m. (1) 7-4-1815 Mahala Doty (2) Mary Mulkins. He took up the blacksmith trade and became expert in iron working, both being trade skills in great demand at all frontier settlements. He did not see the future of his trade in a largely agricultural community so was the first to move further west settling in Rochesterville, N.Y. when it was laid out in 1812. Its potential for industrial development must have appealed to him. He had only one son by his first wife.

ISAAC, b. 10-21-1784, m. (1) _______ (2) 3-6-1820 Amanda Day of Lowville. Up to this time the writer has not been able to find information concerning his life though the censuses of 1810-20-30 all record him as a resident of Lowville in Lewis County. His death is recorded in that same village in 1872 at the age of 88. They had six children – 3 boys and 3 girls.

PHEDERUS, b. 6-6-1786, m. twice (1) Sophia Murray – 1807 (2) Mrs. Ruth Hendel, 1834. Timothy Hopkins in his genealogy The Kelloggs in the Old World and the New World relates the following:

“Removed from Westfield, Mass. to Lowville, N.Y. in 1806; was a farmer, served in the War of 1812 at Sacket’s Harbor; had twelve children by his first wife and one by the second. died Dec. 19, 1874, age 87 yrs.” The 1825 Census of Agriculture for the Town of Denmark records his holdings as 8 acres, 5 cattle, 2 horses, 16 sheep. The 1830 census shows him as a resident of Harrisburg township.

SAMUEL, the youngest of the brothers, b. 9-9-1788 is reported to have died in Kansas at age 90. One genealogist reports his removing from Westfield to Lowville; serving in the War of 1812 and then removing to Kansas. (We are hoping to learn more accurately of his movements.)

The West Lowville Rural Cemetery which was incorporated in 1871 is the final resting place of Zeboim, Isaac, and Phederus. The cemetery is very well tended, all markers being in good condition. Resting here also are the twin brothers Pardon and Paul Lanpher, referred to above, and many of their descendants including the writer’s maternal grandfather William Duane Lanpher.

There are in the Lowville area many living descendants of both the Carters and the Lanphers who have been mentioned above, but even more have moved further west and south.

Ready for another reading assignment? Go read this.

Cindy, I dare you to go to Iraq and tell President Talabani that the war that has liberated his country is not worth a single drop of blood. I dare you to tell that to the thousands upon thousands of mothers in Iraq whose sons were killed because they did not lockstep to Hussein’s rule and then buried in mass unmarked graves.

Don’t misunderstand me – I empathize with the level of grief you are experiencing. But really, it’s nothing compared to the joy of the hundreds of thousands who no longer fear their leader. And I can relate to the joy of the unopressed. (is that a word?)

Now, stop parroting what your “handlers” are telling you to say and start thinking for yourself. I dare you.

I could take the easy way out, and just say “Because they suck the life out of you” but that would be too vague.

Finance Company: citifinancial, formerly Arcadia Financial.
Issue: total amount due on statement is not enough to close the account.
Case in point: The Most Beautiful Woman in the World and I just refinanced our house and pulled a few dollars out to pay off some bills and the car loan. A check was cut for the amount listed as total due, the check was sent, a statement was received indicating that we still owed over $200.00 because, in tiny print under the body of the statement are the words: “Deferred interest,late fees and/or other charges not included.“

Actually, I can’t show you how small their print is, because Blogger only has four sizes of print. But, you appear to be pretty intelligent, you probably understand what I am trying to illustrate.

Two things I found out: 1) If I keep paying the “Total Amount Due” they will keep sending me statements indicating I still owe more. B) They will continue to send statements, as long as I don’t send the “official” payoff amount, which theory says would become statements for a penny, costing man hours and postage to send out and recieve (business reply mail).

Something else that kind of worries me a bit: the part that says “or other charges.” What other charges are they thinking of?

These kind of practices make me miss the days when Rocky and Guido would stop by with a friendly reminder to pay the amount due, plus interest, or they would bust your kneecap.

We will be paying the “official” payoff amount, and never doing business with citifinancial, or any company with these practices, again.

Sheesh.