Alanson Annas 1805-1898

Alanson Annas

Alanson spent his entire life at Cazenovia and built a house on Ridge Road in 1832 that was owned by Thomas Weiskotten in 1977. Mr. Weiskotten found old photograpic plates in a house on Stone Quarry Road, printed them, and among the photo's is one above of Alanson in a rocking chair at the age of 90 (1895).

Alanson Annas was born in 1805 at Fenner, NY, the son of Uriah and Lucy (Norton) Annas; died April 22, 1898 at Cazenovia, NY. He married about 1833 to Miranda A. Chappell at Cazenovia, NY.

We are indebted to Dan Weiskotten of Cazenovia for his contributions in research for the Annas family of Cazenovia, NY. He writes:

The house I grew up in, at 4812 Ridge Road, Cazenovia (1.2 miles north of the center of Cazenovia) was, as far as I have been able to determine, built by Abijah Annas and his brother Alanson Annas in about 1832-1834. Abijah soon moved to the nearby village of DeRuyter and built a number of houses there too. Alanson stayed on the farm. The family had purchased the property in 1813, after having lived in the nearby Town of Nelson from about 1800.

The farm stayed in the family until the early 1930s when it was sold to pay debts. Patriarch Alanson Annas who was quite the successful farmer, managed the farm, and it became one of the best farms in the region, winning awards at agricultural fairs for several years for best farm, best farm buildings, sheep, and produce. His children went on to other things and it seems the grandchildren and later generations became even more scattered and less successful. I think long-lived Alanson may have been a bit of master of the family, which, instead of instilling industry into the next generations led them on to other things which flopped.
Alanson was the son of Uriah and Lucy Norton Annis, and he was married to Miranda A. Chappell abut 1833. Siblings as far as I know were brother Abijah (the carpenter) and sisters Angeline and Lydia. Following the death of Uriah in 1821 Lucy took the two girls and Abijah (who were still young) to the Shaker settlement at Watervliet near Albany. Abijah "absconded" back to Cazenovia in 1828 and I suspect Lucy came back about that time also. She eventually lived in Cazenovia village and then DeRuyter with Abijah, but the girls stayed with the Shakers, live long lives, and are buried in the Shaker cemetery.

Children:

1. John Alanson Annas, b. 1836; died July 2, 1908.

2. Emily Miranda Annas, b. 1838.

3. Caroline E. Annas, b. 1842.

4. Lydia Jane Annas, b. 1846.

5. George W. Annas, b. 1848

Lineage: Uriah Annas (1781-1821), James Annis (1743-1829), John Annis (1700-c.1771), Abraham Annis (1668-1738), Cormac Annis (1638-1717)

Chauncey Lavoy Annis 1816-1888

Chauncey Lavoy Annis was born July 11, 1819 at Groton, NY, the youngest son of James and Betsy (Winslow) Annas; died February 16, 1888 at Algona, IA. He married December 22, 1840 to Lydia Ann Allen {1819-1886} at Machias, NY and in September 1843, Chauncey left his wife and small daughter, Elizabeth, and struck off alone for Rockford, IL. It was not uncommon for a young man to go west alone and prepare the way for his family. Once a house and land was purchased and prepared, the husband would send for his family to begin life in the new home.
Chauncey wintered at Rockford, IL (1843-44) and the following Spring he moved on to Wisconsin and purchased 123 acres at Section 5 and 8, in the town of Oconomowoc, Waukesha County.
He erected a cabin, sent for his family and improved the place before selling it to a Mr. Nye for $600.00 one year later. He than purchased 170 acres on Section 6 and resided there until the Spring of 1847. He next traded the land on Section 6 for a hotel property at Summit Corners in the town of Summit, which in 1850 was an important point on the stage route between Milwaukee, Madison and southwest Wisconsin. He continued in the hotel business for about eight years or more until a tornado devastated Summit in 1853, leveling and burning all of his buildings.
He next moved to a farm of 115 acres that he owned on Section 8 at Oconomowoc and added to this until he had a farm of 195 acres on Section 8 and 9, which he made continous improvements on until his death. In 1860 the Federal census shows that he was living at Oconomowoc with his wife, daughter Elizabeth (18), sons George (8) and William (3), his father James (87), a physician, Lindry Smith, and housemaid Louisa Henchel (18), as well as a Charles Annis, age 16.
Chauncey was a member of the Republican Party, Congregational Church, and theTown Board for two terms. He also held the office of Justice of the Peace for more than 12 years. He removed to Algona, IA, and was with his son William when he died. His body was returned to Wisconsin and interred near his wife at Summit cemetery, Waukesha County, WI.

Children:

1. Elizabeth Annis, b. January 20, 1842; died November 26, 1934, m. James Madison Comstock.

2. George Merritt Annis, b. April 11, 1852; died before 1930, m. (1), Minetta L. Butler; m. (2), Ida May Butler.

3. William Warner Annis, b. August 3, 1857; died 1926, m. Kate Frink.

4. Myron Adelmer Annis, b. August 12, 1860; died November 1, 1940, m. Mary Lydia Stratton.

5. Infant Daughter Annis, b. May 1861; died 1862.

Lineage: James Annas (1774-1862), James Annis (1743-1829), John Annis (1700-c.1771), Abraham Annis (1668-1738), Cormac Annis (1638-1717)

Copyright 2009 - Annis Family Association

annisfamily@hotmail.com

Links

The Annis Family in the US and Canada

Annis Family Association Archives