Alvah Buckingham

Alvah Buckingham, born March 20, 1791, at Ballston, N. Y., son of Ebenezer Buckingham (born November 1, 1748, at Greenfield, Ct.), and Esther (Bradley) Buckingham, (born Feb. 28, 1754, at Greenfield, Ct.) Married Oct. 3, 1819, at Glastonbury, Ct., to Anna Hale who was born March 9, 1795, the sixth child of Benjamin Hale, (who was born October 30, 1759, and died December 24, 1831), and Martha Welles, his wife (who was born Aug. 12, 1759, and died April 20, 1837).

Mrs. Anna Buckingham died on Monday, September 23, 1867, at 13 East 12th Street, New York City.

Mr. Alvah Buckingham died October 4, 1867, in Putnam, Ohio, and both are interred in Woodlawn Cemetery, Putnam (now Zanesville), Ohio.

In 1794 his parents removed to Cooperstown, N. Y. In 1796 his elder brother, Ebenezer, left home to see the wilds west of the Allegheny Mountains and Ohio River, followed in the spring of 1799 by Stephen. In the fall of 1799 they returned with such glowing accounts of this new land that their parents, with their numerous children, except three married daughters, left Cooperstown for the Western Wilderness. They located at first at the mouth of Killbuck Creek. This was almost the first settlement made in that region, and was some miles above the present town of Coshocton. The nearest white settlement was Zanesville, some thirty miles south, on the Muskingum River.

While the elder members of the family traded with the Indians for furs, robes, etc., the younger ones joined in their sports and learned their strange language. And this was never entirely forgotten, as fifty years later, counting in the Indian tongue was a source of great entertainment to a delighted circle of little auditors. Their amusements were: "throwing the tomahawk," "shooting with bow and arrow," "tossing up wood chips for old Indians to fire at," — in which they were very expert, and other athletic sports.

In the fall of 1802, finding this location unhealthy, the family removed to Carthage Township, in the south-eastern part of Athens Co., Ohio, on the Hockhocking River. Here, the subject of this article, Alvah Buckingham, had the inestimable privilege of attending school. Though it was four miles distant from his home to the school-house he walked thereto daily. Out of school, he assisted on the farm or indulged in hunting. This latter was his favorite pastime, as at that early date game was plenty. The woods were infested with the bear, deer, panther, raccoon, opossum and wild turkey. Near the farm was quite a celebrated deer lick, where, on moonlight nights he was accustomed to station his watch, and many a victim rewarded his unerring rifle. It was in one of these lonely watches that his quickness of thought and rapidity of action saved his life, and brought down a huge panther, poised just above him, and ready for the spring.

Thus at the age of seventeen he met with a severe accident. Hunting in the woods one day, his horse became frightened, reared and fell back on his rider. Stunned by the fall, he yet recovered to find his right leg broken both above and below the knee, himself distant from the nearest house, which was his own home, over three miles away, and no aid for his rescue but his own mother wit. With a courageous spirit, and by dint of crawling on his two hands and one knee, he reached the river, which fortunately was low enough to enable him to cross, holding his mouth just above the water, and thus reached home just as his sinking strength gave way. The limb was splintered as best as could be in a country home, but a long weary year's confinement was the result, and ever after a slight, though not perceptible, lameness.

In 1804 the older brother, Ebenezer Buckingham, moved to Putnam (now the Ninth Ward of Zanesville), Ohio, and to assist him in business Alvah followed in 1810, leaving his parents still at the Hocking Farm. In 1813, Stephen, an older brother died, and Alvah was called upon to take charge of his business, which he did for two years. In April, 1816, Solomon Sturges and himself (they afterwards married sisters,— the Misses Hale of Glastonbury, Ct.),— formed a mercantile partnership, one-fourth each with his elder brother Ebenezer Buckingham, under the firm name of E. Buckingham & Co., a firm widely known in their then pioneer life. Ebenezer married Eunice Hale of Glastonbury, Ct., and returning to the west brought his sister-in-law, Anna, the whole party crossing the Allegheny Mountains on horseback, as at that there were no roads for carriages or wagons. In 1818, Anna Hale, returned to her eastern home, but as it proved for only a time. As leader of the village choir she sat in her accustomed place, on the last Sunday of September, 1819, in the old church at Glastonbury. Glancing below, her eye met the well known figure of her western friend. An interview— a hurried proposal and a hurried marriage on the following Sabbath evening, left our young couple free to start on their homeward westward route, and on horseback again, as in her previous trip, the wife of Alvah Buckingham was escorted to her pioneer home. Returning to Putnam they purchased on the banks of the Muskingum river a very modest homestead of one room; and there in 1820, set up their household gods. In 1821 they built a two story brick house, to which they subsequently added, in 1834, a more commodious addition. This was and is the old homestead, in which all their children were born, and now in 1892, occupied by their youngest son, James Buckingham.

In October, 1824, Ebenezer Buckingham, Sr., the father of Alvah, died at the old farm house in Carthage Township, Athena County, Ohio, and his wife, Esther, then removed to the home of her son Ebenezer, Jr., in Putnam, where she died June 25, 1827. In August, 1832, the firm of E. Buckingham Jr. & Co., was dissolved by the sudden and painful death of Ebenezer Buckingham; but the business was continued under the new name of "A. Buckingham & Company. and the following year another brother, Milton, was induced to give up the old farm at Carthage and join the firm, taking one-half of Alvah's share; while at the same time Solomon Sturges, Alvah's partner, persuaded his brother Hezekiah, to remove from Fairfield, Ct., and share in his share.

At this time there was a great need felt of good schools, and in 1835 a charter for a seminary was secured, to be called the "Putnam Classical Institute" (now Putnam Female Seminary), to be located at Putnam. Mrs. Eunice Buckingham, wife of Ebenezer, Alvah Buckingham, Solomon Sturges, Julius C. Guthrie and Austin A. Guthrie, furnished the funds, and the seminary was established which, through all its vicissitudes of time, still continues worthy of patronage.

In 1843, Milton Buckingham removed to Springfield, Ohio, and Alvah could thus admit his oldest son, Benjamin, to a partnership; in 1845 the firm name "A. Buckingham & Company," was dissolved, and a new firm name "Buckingham & Sturges" established, composed of Benjamin H. Buckingham and William Sturges, the two oldest sons of the two former partners. In 1850, R. P. Burlingame, a friend, was sent up to Chicago, Ill., to open up a lumber trade there, the funds being furnished by Alvah Buckingham. The next year the two built the first grain elevator in the city of Chicago. It was built of wood, holding some 75,000 bushels of grain, at that time a great wonder. It was called the Fulton Elevator. In 1851 Alvah Buckingham established branch houses in New York City, and Toledo, Ohio, for his two oldest sons, Benjamin and Philo, buying the Pendleton Elevator, the first one built in Toledo. They soon built a second elevator, and here in the press and excitement of a too extended business, Philo, the second son, lost his health, and died quite suddenly, April 6, 1853, in the homestead at Putnam.

In 1854 Alvah Buckingham sold a third interest in his Chicago Fulton Elevator to his old partner, Solomon Sturges, and shortly after they concluded a contract with the Illinois Central Railroad to do all their grain warehousing business for ten years. In 1856 they built and opened the two large warehouses called "A" and "B" in the city of Chicago, holding each some 700,000 bushels of grain — the marvels of the day. After this date, of 1855, Alvah Buckingham spent most of his time at Chicago, and three years later removed his family there.

In April, 1865, Mr. Alvah Buckingham removed to New York City, where he purchased a home, and with his daughters resided at No. 13 East 12th St. until his death. His daughter Julia A. had married the Hon. Samuel S. Cox, of Ohio, and the other daughter, Elizabeth, had married John A. Hardenbergh, of New York.

In the spring of 1866, having occasion to locate some lands in the West, Alvah Buckingham took his youngest son, James, as a companion and traveled through Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas, and though much of this was accomplished in a spring wagon over rough roads, and at the age of seventy-five, it was without any apparent fatigue.

In the spring of 1867, he made a second pilgrimage to the West, this time traveling through Iowa and Nebraska, and passing over the line of the Pacific Railroad as far as it was then finished. He was ambitious to be on the first train through to the Pacific ocean;—but this anticipation was not to be realized.

The summer of 1867 was spent with his family and two daughters Mrs. Cox and Mrs. Hardenbergh, at Saratoga, ending in a most pleasurable trip to the White Mountains. Returning to his New York home his wife was taken sick with pneumonia, and died September 23, 1867, and her remains were taken to their first home, Putnam, Ohio. In a week Mr. Buckingham was stricken down, and eleven days after his remains reposed by the side of his wife, in Woodlawn Cemetery, Putnam (now part of Zanesville), Ohio. He died October 4, 1867.

Mr. Alvah Buckingham was especially distinguished by those who knew his habit and mind; 1st, as a conscientious Christian man; 2nd, as a man of unfailing courtesy of demeanor; 3rd, as a just businesslike, economic, yet speculative merchant; 4th, as possessing a rare genius for construction of bridges, elevators, houses, etc.; 5th, as a just citizen, who would prefer a sacrifice of his personal interest rather than the least injustice to any one, or to the government; 6th, as a most affectionate husband and indulgent father. For over half a century in the region of Ohio where he lived, he was universally regarded as an honest man, above all reproach.

"Mrs. Anna Buckingham was a fine example of conscientious fidelity in all the duties and relations of life. The heart of her husband trusted in her, and her prudence and skill, with her habits of industry and economy, relieved him of all anxiety. Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her connections and friends, all 'praise her in the gates.' Her genuine kindness taught all to love her, and her uniform consistency and good judgment and sterling worth, won for her the respect and confidence which true ingenuousness inspires. Her sympathy opened wide her doors and heart to those kindred whose youth Providence had rendered in a measure homeless. She was a warm and constant friend of the poor, and to the houses of the sick and suffering she came as an angel of mercy. In such places 4 Aunt Ann' was more than welcome, and to few will the Saviour more freely give, as few will more truly deserve, the meed and proof of disciplcship—'I was sick, and ye visited and ministered to me,' than to Mrs. Buckingham. Where duty called she went cheerfully, trustfully, and when afflictions fell with crushing weight, she bowed in meek submission to the behest of him who 'doeth all things well.' These dispensations, with the grace of God, mellowed and enriched her character, made her less self-reliant and more reliant on God. Her piety was not a mere Sabbath dress, but the daily dress of the soul, uniform, consistent, and beautiful. She believed in the efficacy of prayer, and by her presence and co-operation helped sustain the female prayer-meeting while with us."

Source: The ancestors of Ebenezer Buckingham, who was born in 1748, and of his descendants, R. R. Donnelley & sons, 1892, (256 pages), pages 36-42, downloaded May 2011 from http://books.google.com/

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Alvah Buckingham

Birth: Mar. 29, 1791

Death: Oct. 4, 1867

Note: B. in Ballston, NY. D. in Putnam, OH. Son of Ebenzer and Esther Bradly Buckingham.

Burial: Woodlawn Cemetery, Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio, USA. Plot: North Mound

Created by: Robert "Rob" Weller.

Record added: Feb 06, 2002.

Find A Grave Memorial# 6159523.

Source: downloaded May 2011 from http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6159523