May 24, 2023 3:26 PM

Pages 1211-1214
Whole Number 65

THE FAMILY OF
43.2.5.5.4 MARTIN SPARKS, 1785-1875,
of NEW YORK


In the Quarterly of September 1965 (Whole No. 51) appeared an article entitled "The Sparks Family of Keene Township, lonia County, Michigan." We noted there the family of 43.2.5 Joseph Sparks, who married Mehetabel Johnson on April 29, 1747, in Windham, Connecticut. Joseph Sparks moved with his family to Tolland, Connecticut, prior to 1750. One of the sons of Joseph and Mehetabel (Johnson) Sparks was 43.2.5.5 Isaiah Sparks, who was born November 3, 1754, in Tolland. He married Filisity Dawset in Ashford, Connecticut, on December 9, 1779. It was in Ashford that the seven children of Isaiah and Filisity (Dawset) Sparks were born, as follows:

43.2.5.5.1 Stephen Sparks, born August 24, 1780; died in 1860 in Michigan.
43.2.5.5.2 Lawrence Sparks, born March 18, 1782.
43.2.5.5.3 Isaiah Sparks, Jr., born December 16, 1783; died May 27, 1785.
43.2.5.5.4 Martin Sparks, born August 30, 1785; died 1875.
43.2.5.5.5 Mehetabel Sparks, born September 14, 1787.
43.2.5.5.6 Erastus Sparks, born September 29, 1789.
43.2.5.5.7 Amos Sparks, born September 24, 1792.

Following the death of Isaiah Sparks in 1794, his widow and her children all moved to Cortland County, New York, and settled near the town of Homer. There the sons married and reared families. It was noted in the above mentioned article that the son 43.2.5.5.6 Erastus Sparks (born 1789) married Philotha Higgins and moved to Trumbull County, Ohio, while the son 43.2.5.5.1 Stephen Sparks (born 1780) moved to lonia County, Michigan. Until recently we had no knowledge of the son named 43.2.5.5.4 Martin Sparks, who was born August 30, 1785. However, a new member of the Association, Mr. Leslie L. Luther of Moravia, New York, is a great-grandson of Martin Sparks and has been kind enough to furnish us some information on the family of Martin Sparks. Mr. Luther states: "Herewith are biographical sketches of all we have of our branch. This was obtained from my grandmother Cynthia and her sister Sarah in my younger days, supplemented by what my mother had remembered hearing them state." We have been able to add some data to these sketches based on census records.

Martin Sparks was fifteen years old, according to his daughters' statements, when he moved with his mother and the rest of the family to Cortland County, New York. Since he was born August 30, 1785, this means that the family left Connecticut ca. 1800. 43.2.5.5.4 Martin Sparks married Lydia Dodge, who was born in 1789. She died on March 25, 1836 (aged 46 years and 8 months) and was buried in what is now called the Old Cemetery in Blodgett Mills, in Cortland County, New York. Martin Sparks later married, as his second wife, Clarissa MNU, who was born ca. 1794 in New York.

Prior to 1845, Martin Sparks and his family were living in the village of Liverpool, just north of Syracuse, New York, where in 1845 his daughter Cynthia fell into the canal and was pulled out by her hair. From there they removed to Moravia, New York, and lived in the house known as the Stone Mill House, and later as the William Selover House, on the southwest corner of East Cayuga and Williams Streets. When the 1850 census was taken, Martin Sparks, with his second wife Clarissa, and his daughter Cynthia, were living in the town of Moravia, Cayuga County, New York. Following the death of his second wife, Martin Sparks lived with his son 43.2.5.5.4.4 Reuben Sparks in Auburn, New York, and later with his son 43.2.5.5.4.3 Parley Sparks in Ellington, Chautauqua County, New York, where he died in 1875, lacking four days of being 90 years of age. He was buried at Ellington.

It is believed that all of Martin Sparks's children were by his first wife, Lydia (Dodge) Sparks, as follows: (exact order of birth not known)

43.2.5.5.4.1 Harriet Sparks, daughter of Martin and Lydia (Dodge) Sparks, married FNU Frazier. All that is known of her is that she lived "on the south end of Lake Michigan" and had a daughter named Mary Frazier.

43.2.5.5.4.2 Isaiah Sparks, son of Martin and Lydia (Dodge) Sparks, was born ca. 1815. His wife's name was "Aner," probably a nickname for Anna; she was born ca. 1821. Isaiah Sparks and his family were living in the township of Salina, in Onondaga County, New York, when the 1850 census was taken. His occupation was given as "Carpenter & Joiner." He died in the Civil War and was buried in Charleston, South Carolina. From census records it appears that Isaiah Sparks had three children:

43.2.5.5.4.2.1 Frances Sparks, born ca. 1846.
43.2.5.5.4.2.2 William Henry Sparks, born ca. 1848.
43.2.5.5.4.2.3 Charles Sparks, born ca. 1853.

When the 1850 census was taken, also listed as living with Isaiah Sparks and his wife, were two other children, Eugene Sparks, aged 4 years, and Eugenia Sparks, also aged four. Perhaps they were also children of Isaiah, but the manner in which they are listed may indicate they were step-children. Possibly, "Aner" was a second wife.

43.2.5.5.4.3 Parley Sparks, son of Martin and Lydia (Dodge) Sparks, was born in Cortland County, New York, but lived his adult life in Ellington, Chautauqua County, New York, and died there. His wife's name was Mary MNU. They had two children (perhaps also a third):

43.2.5.5.4.3.1 Frank Sparks, who was mentally handicapped, died in middle life.
43.2.5.5.4.3.2 Nettie Sparks; she married (first) William Johnson; she later married (second) William Clapp, son of Aaron William and Louisa (Arnold) Clapp, and a nephew of Alonzo Arnold who married Sarah Sparks, daughter of Martin.

43.2.5.5.4.4 Reuben Sparks, son of Martin and Lydia (Dodge) Sparks, was born ca. 1826. He moved from Cortland to Auburn, New York, where he was listed as a "Painter" on the 1850 census. He built a home on the north corner of Fulton Street and Grant Avenue "by moonlight", which is still standing. He married as his first wife, Miriam Webster of Auburn, by whom he had three children. Following the death of his first wife, he moved to Buffalo, New York, where he remarried and became wealthy for those days as the owner of a company "furnishing equipment for ocean going vessels," probably meaning Great Lakes vessels.

Reuben's second wife, Isabel MNU, was a school teacher; she is said to have disliked his children and they in turn disliked her. The eldest of his children, 43.2.5.5.4.4.1 John Sparks, especially disliked his step-mother and when he was about twelve years of age, while living in Buffalo, he disappeared while on an errand. Many years later, at the time of the great Galveston, Texas, flood, the newspapers carried the story of the heroic act of a steam engineer named John Sparks who ran his train through the flooded area to evacuate the marooned populace. Reuben Sparks was then living in Florida and on seeing the article, contacted the engineer and found his lost son. Reuben Sparks died and was buried in Florida where he had a southern home. His three children were:

43.2.5.5.4.4.1 John Sparks, born ca. 1849. (See above account.)
43.2.5.5.4.4.2 Frank Sparks, born in 1852. He was physically handicapped and never married. He died in Nebraska.
43.2.5.5.4.4.3 Louise Sparks; she is said to have lived in Michigan and to have died there.

43.2.5.5.4.5 Martha Sparks, daughter of Martin and Lydia (Dodge) Sparks, lived at Cherry Creek, New York, where she died. It has been said that she married FNU Dennis, but this is thought to be an error. It is known that she married Eliphalet Wilcox, a veteran of the War of 1812, and by him had three children:

43.2.5.5.4.5.1 Kit Wilcox (probably a nickname), married Thebeus Warner. No children.
43.2.5.5.4.5.2 Eliza Wilcox; she married (first) Ed Graham, and (second) FNU Dennis. She had children and in later life lived in Charlotte, near Rochester, New York, where her son was postmaster.
43.2.5.5.4.5.3 Estella Wilcox; she married FNU Hunt and lived at Cherry Creek, New York.

43.2.5.5.4.6 Hannah C. Sparks, daughter of Martin and Lydia (Dodge) Sparks, married Edward Kelly. She is known to have had the following children:

43.2.5.5.4.6.1 Edward Kelly.
43.2.5.5.4.6.2 Frank Kelly.
43.2.5.5.4.6.3 Clara Kelly.
43.2.5.5.4.6.4 Ella Kelly.
43.2.5.5.4.6.5 Susan Kelly.
43.2.5.5.4.6.6 William Kelly. He went to Texas.

43.2.5.5.4.7 Charles Sparks, son of Martin and Lydia (Dodge) Sparks, was a raftsman on the Allegheny River, a man of gigantic physique. He is said to have married and to have had about ten children.

43.2.5.5.4.8 Sarah Sparks, daughter of Martin and Lydia (Dodge) Sparks, was born October 7, 1825, in Cortland County, New York; she died in Moravia, New York, on August 19, 1910. She was married in Moravia on September 8, 1844, to Alonzo Arnold, who was born in Locke, New York, on June 13, 1823, and died in Moravia on June 30, 1891. They lived on East Cayuga Street in Moravia in a house which Alonzo built in 1876. Alonzo was quite a local character, a good man who sometimes imbibed too freely. Often when this happened he would borrow a wheelbarrow and push it home as it seemed to steady his walking. The next morning he always returned it. His wife's sister, Martha Wilcox, on one occasion, gave her sister a quantity of choice tulip bulbs from her home in Chautauqua County. Alonzo was fond of raw onions, and one night when "under the influence" got into the cellar and ate all of Sarah's tulip bulbs for onions.

Alonzo Arnold had a sister, Louisa Arnold, who married A. W. Clapp, and their son, William Clapp of Ellington, New York, married 43.2.5.5.4.3.2 Nettie (Sparks) Johnson, daughter of 43.2.5.5.4.3 Parley Sparks, as her second husband.

The children of Sarah and Alonzo Arnold were:

43.2.5.5.4.8.1 Corydon L. Arnold, born in Moravia, NY, September 19, 1847; died June 1, 1904; he married Mrs. Florence (Harmonson) Ogden. They had one child,

43.2.5.5.4.8.1.2 Nora Arnold.

43.2.5.5.4.8.2 Mary M. Arnold, born in Moravia, NY, in April, 1853; died there on March 9, 1940; she married Humphrey Davenport. He was a Civil War soldier. They had twelve children and many descendants.
43.2.5.5.4.8.3 Wellington Arnold, born in Moravia, NY, in 1854; died there on March 9, 1935; married Delilah Hinman. No children.
43.2.5.5.4.8.4 Harriet Arnold, born Moravia, NY, on January 30, 1858; died there on January 2, 1886; she married Schuyler Hilts. They had one child who died in infancy and a daughter named Harriet who died soon after her birth.
43.2.5.5.4.8.5 Perry Arnold, born in Perry, New York, on August 27, 1859; he died in Moravia on March 21, 1925. He married and had two children.

43.2.5.5.4.9 Cynthia Sparks, daughter of Martin and Lydia (Dodge) Sparks, was born in Cortland County, New York, on June 6, 1833; she died in Moravia, New York, on February 14, 1900. She married in Moravia on September 17, 1850, John Martin Nostrandt, who was born in Preble, New York, on September 17, 1829, and died in Moravia on August 20, 1913. He was of Holland Dutch descent with ancestry extending back many generations on record with Mr. Luther. He was a farmer in southern Cayuga County. They had three children:

43.2.5.5.4.9.1 William H. Nostrand, born Locke, New York, on May 24, 1852; died in Seneca Falls, New York, on December 14, 1932. He married Eliza Tate. They had six children.
43.2.5.5.4.9.2 Edward P. Nostrand, born Sinclair, New York, on September 4, 1859; he died in Reading, Mass., on April 13, 1928; he married (first) Emman Waring; and (second) Nellie Rogers. No children.
43.2.5.5.4.9.3 Miriam Augusta Nostrand, born Moravia, New York, on December 5, 1862; died in Moravia, NY, on November 5, 1945. She married George Franklin Luther. They had six children, the eldest of whom is the compiler of these records.

43.2.5.5.4.10 daughter Sparks. There is confusion regarding the tenth child of Martin and Lydia (Dodge) Sparks. According to one account, her named was Lydia, but it is believed that this results from a confusion with her mother's name. There is another account that her name was Esther Sparks and that she married Edward Kelly and lived in Michigan, but had no children. Any any case, it was apparently at the birth of this child that Lydia (Dodge) Sparks, wife of Martin, died in 1836.

"THE FAMILY OF MARTIN & LYDIA (DODGE) SPARKS, Some Additional Data" is continued in Whole Number 104.