< Gouverneur Stories — The Diary of Henry Sheldon
Henry Sheldon, son of Timothy Sheldon and Nancy Bowen, was born 02 Jul 1814 in Gouverneur, St. Lawrence Co, NY, and died 02 May 1873 in Gouverneur, St. Lawrence Co, NY. He married Betsy Botsford on 22 Jul 1837 in Comstock, MI, daughter of Walcott Botsford and Sabrina Madison.
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The diaries have been transcribed by Frances Holst, Kansas City, MO. The Gouverneur Museum would like to thank her for her work and willingness to donate the transcriptions to our website.
The "Centennial Souvenier History of Gouverneur dated 1905" writes about Henry Sheldon:
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Henry Sheldon, second son of Timothy Sheldon, was born in Gouverneur, in 1814. After obtaining such education as local conditions permitted, Mr. Sheldon at the age of 21, anticipated Horace Greeley's advice and went west. He remained in Michigan about ten years and in 1846 owing to ill-health, returned to Gouverneur.
Mr. Sheldon was an industrious and painstaking man, and any work in which he engaged received his best efforts. He took life seriously. To faithfully perform all the duties of a Christian citizen was his highest ambition.
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At an early age he became a member of the Baptist Church, and was one of its leading and most devoted members, serving as deacon for many years. Mr. Sheldon possessed a fondness for books. This fact possibly led him to take up the business of keeping a bookstore, in which he was engaged for several years, selling out to G.G. Dains in 1869 or thereabouts.
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The custom of keeping a journal which was so much in vogue in the earlier years was followed by him from 1835-1873. This journal contains many facts and items of particular interest to his children. He held decided opinions on all questions of religion and politics. He was an ardent republican and strongly opposed to masonry and other secret societies. Mr. Sheldon died in 1873.
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Martha Thompson Aldous Sheldon
Photo courtesy of Ruth Huff
Henry married Martha (Thompson) Aldous on 11 Apr 1850 in Gouverneur, NY, daughter of Stephen Aldous and Margaret Crawford.
QUICK FACTS ABOUT HENRY SHELDON
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Burial: Riverside Cemetery.
Residence 1: Kalamazoo, Comstock, Otsego, Michigan.
Residence 2: Gouverneur, NY.
Residence 3: Vineland, NJ.
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Henry Sheldon and Betsy Botsford:
Marriage: 22 Jul 1837, Comstock, MI.
Children:
Charles Henry Sheldon, b. 09 Jun 1839, Comstock, MI, d. 18 Dec 1914, Pasadena, CA.
Calista Sheldon, b. 19 Mar 1841, Otsego, MI, d. 22 Feb 1917, Auburn, NE.
Sarah Sabrina Sheldon, b. 18 Mar 1843, Otsego, MI, d. 26 Aug 1843, Otsego, MI.
George Bowen Kendall Sheldon, b. 11 Sep 1846, Gouverneur, NY, d. 27 Feb 1898, Ripley, NY.
Anson Sheldon, b. 11 Feb 1850, Gouverneur, NY, d. 11 Feb 1850, Gouverneur, NY.
Henry Sheldon and Martha (Thompson) Aldous:
Marriage: 11 Apr 1850, Gouverneur, NY.
Lived in Kalamazoo, MI and Gouverneur, NY
Children:
Julia Sabrina Sheldon, b. 29 Aug 1851, Gouverneur, NY, d. 12 Jul 1920, Gouverneur, NY.
Theodore Botsford Sheldon, b. 28 Jun 1854, Gouverneur, NY, d. 20 Aug 1913, Columbus, OH.
Emma Jane Sheldon, b. 20 Jun 1858, Gouverneur, NY, d. 02 Feb 1923, Gouverneur, NY.
Arthur Timothy Sheldon, b. 01 Oct 1860, Gouverneur, NY, d. 28 Feb 1945, Glen Rock, NJ.
James Otis Sheldon, b. 07 Apr 1863, Gouverneur, NY, d. 03 Nov 1957, Potsdam, NY.
Charles Henry Sheldon, b. 09 Jun 1839, Comstock, MI, d. 18 Dec 1914, Pasadena, CA.
Calista Sheldon, b. 19 Mar 1841, Otsego, MI, d. 22 Feb 1917, Auburn, NE.
Sarah Sabrina Sheldon, b. 18 Mar 1843, Otsego, MI, d. 26 Aug 1843, Otsego, MI.
George Bowen Kendall Sheldon, b. 11 Sep 1846, Gouverneur, NY, d. 27 Feb 1898, Ripley, NY.
Anson Sheldon, b. 11 Feb 1850, Gouverneur, NY, d. 11 Feb 1850, Gouverneur, NY.
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