Irving Adelbert WILCOX

1849 - 1922  (73 years)

• Name	Irving Adelbert WILCOX
  Birth	27 Feb 1849	Arkwright, NY
  Gender	Male
  Death	11 Jul 1922
  Person ID	I1983	Descendants of Francis Barnard
  Last Modified	1 Feb 2026

  
  

  Father	Edson Irving WILCOX,   b. 21 Jul 1824, Arkwright d. 28 Mar 1909 (Age 84 years)
  Mother	Amanda M. SMITH
  Marriage	3 Jan 1842
  Family ID	F777	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Effie FAY
  Marriage	17 Nov 1881	Portland, Chautauqua, NY
  Family ID	F779	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	1 Feb 2026

  
  

  Family 2	Helen C. DILL
  Marriage	5 Feb 1902
  Children	1. Frances Edith WILCOX   2. Irving Adelbert WILCOX
  Family ID	F780	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	1 Feb 2026

  
  

• Notes

  Irving Adelbert Wilcoxson (27 Feb. 1849 Arkwright, NY - ), per caw@mack.com, posted on Ancestry.com Irving Adelbert Wilcox (27 Feb. 1849 Arkwright, Chautauqua, NY - ), Ref. Down's Hist. of Chautauqua Co., p. 262, 263, Your Ancestors v. 12 #3 p. 1463, 1860 census Arkwright, NY, p. 589, Dw# 2043, Descendants of William Wilcoxson p. 225, 19th Cent. Marriages Reported in Fredonia Censor, p. 244, 19th Cent. Deaths Reported in Fredonia Censor p. 595, via MarthaScott Osborne, p. 455 Irving A. Wilcox, born Arkwright township, died 11 July 1922 ae 73 (his birthday was 27 Feb), in 1882 he m Effa Fay andcame to Portland to live. His first wf d 24 yrs ago, and after four years he m Helen Dill who survives, also survived by ch: Frances and Irving, Jr., and a str: Mrs. D. G. Sackett, per Griffing, Valerie Veley, 1994, Genealogical Information from the Scrapbooks of Rose Pettit Crandall (vol. 2, p. 87): Chautauqua County Genealogical Society, Fredonia, NY, p. 396 Irving A. WILCOX, Son (listed with parents), male, single, white, 30 years of age, born NY, Occ: Farm Laborer, father born NY, mother born NY, 1880 federal census, Arkwright, Chautauqua, New York, Source: FHL Film 1254815 National ArchivesFilm T9-0815, Page 6C, per FamilySearch 1880 United States Census and National Index Irving Wilcox, head, b. Feb. 1849 NY, 51 years of age, widowed, both parents born NY, farmer, per 1900 federal census, Portland Twp., Chautauqua Co., NY, Roll 1015, Book 2, p. 170 In 1850 and 1860 federal censuses for Arkwright, Chautauqua, NY, Irving Wilcox was listed as 1 and 11 years of age, respectively. "IRVING ADELBERT WILCOX--There is no more conspicious figure in the agricultural activities of Portland, Chautauqua county, N. Y., than that of Irving Adelbert Wilcox, who has been for many years engaged in the occupation of farming in this region and has come to occupy a position of much influence in the community. Mr. Wilcox is a member of a family which has long been prominent in these parts, and is a great-grand-son of Aaron Wilcox, who came to Chautauqua county in the year 1809 and settled in the town of Arkwright. His grandfather was William Wilcox, who was born in Connecticut, May 1, 1790. He accompanied his father, Aaron Wilcox, to Chautauqua county, in 1890, and afterward purchased a part of Lot 48, adjoining the township of Sheridan. He was the first supervisor of Arkwright, a major of militia, a member of the New York Assembly in 1867, and played a very important part in the life of the community where he dwelt. He married, in 1817, Esther S. Cole, a native of Vermont, who was also a daughter of one of the early pioneers of this region. She died July 7, 1851, and they were the parents of the following sons: Marcus B., Edson I., father of Irving A. Wilcox of this sketch;Walter R., and William H. H. Edson Irving Wilcox was for many years prominent in this region, and married Amanda M. Smith, a daughter of Seth S. Smith, who was one of the original purchasers of land in Arkwright, to which place he came in 1822. Irving Adelbert Wilcox was born Feb. 27, 1849, in Arkwright township, Chautauqua county, N. Y., and as a lad attended the local district schools. He displayed great aptitude as a student, and after completing his studies at those institutions attended the Fredonia Academy and later the Fredonia Normal School, it being his intention to follow the profession of teaching. For four years after his graduation from the latter institution, he taught in the local schools, but his love of rural life and the farm, of which he had considerable experience assisting his father on the latter's farm asa boy, impelled him to give up teaching as a profession and take up agriculture. It was in 1882 that Mr. Wilcox came tohis present location in Portland township, where for a time he rented the farm which he later purchased. This property consisted of 80 acreas of excellent farm land, and Mr. Wilcox has through long effort and a wide knowledge of farming methods brought it to a very high state of cultivation. This place[,] originally the old Fay farm[,] belonged to the original settler of that name. The old homestead still stands upon it and is still used by Mr. Wilcox as his [begin page 263]residence, although he has greatly improved and modernized the original structure. He has also built a large tenant house across the road from the homestead, and has built a fine barn and other farm edifices including a silo. A part of this property he has planted in grapes, the typical crop of this locality, and his vineyard is one of the finest hereabouts. In addition to his farming activities, Mr. Wilcox has also engaged extensively in the fur business, but of recent years he has somewhat curtailed his activities in both lines and has recently sold a considerable portion of his farm property. His participation in the fur business has lasted about thirty-five years, and he has been exceedingly active in buying and selling these valuable goods and in addition did considerable trapping on his own account. Mr. Wilcox has always been a conspicious figure in the general life of the community, and has for many years held the offices of trustee, deacon and superintendent of the Sunday school of the Congregational church at Portland, of which he is an old and valued member. He is also affiliated with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Brocton, and has been a member of the Grange, No. 1, at Fredonia, and later at Brocton, No. 2, and is past master of his lodge. He is also a member of the Farm Bureau, of which he is an ex-director and a present member of the committee. He is a director of the Brocton State Bank, a trustee of the Apira Hall Memorial Library, an ex-director of the Chautauqua County Fair Association, and a life member of the New York State Horticultural Society. He is a great exhibitor of fruit at the various fairs which are held in the region, and has taken many prizes for the splendid products of his farm. He is still prominent in all agricultural matters, is a member of many committees, and his farm has often been used for experimental purposes by various agricultural bodies. He raises some 75 different varieties of grapes. "Irving Adelbert Wilcox married (first) Effie Fay, whose death occurred Sept. 12, 1897, after a considerable sojourn inColorado, to which place she had gone on account of her health. No children were born of this union. Mr. Wilcox married(second) Feb. 5, 1902, Helen C. Dill, of Mayville, N. Y., where she was born Feb. 24, 1869, a daughter of John L. and Margaret (Muck) Dill. Mrs. Wilcox is now a trustee of School District No. 4, a member of the Friday Club, and of the Ladies' Aid Society of the Congregational church at Portland, and is prominent in the social circles here. Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox are the parents of two children as follows: Frances Edith and Irving Adelbert, Jr., the former fourteen years of age and the latter twelve, and both now pupils in the Brocton schools. Both of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox are talented musicians, and have received special instruction in this art for the past four years. Mr. Wilcox is a Republican in politics, and for seventeen years held the office of tax accesor of Portland."--per Downs, J. P., and Hedley, F. Y., eds., 1921, History of Chautauqua County, New York, And Its People, vol. II: American Historical Society, Inc., Boston, NewYork, Chicago, p. 262, 263 [A portrait of the Irving Adelbert Wilcox family accompanies this article.] Irving married (1) Effie Fay (ca. 1850 - 12 Sept. 1897 CO), per caw@mack.com, posted on Ancestry.com Irving married (1) Effie M. Fay (ca. 1850 -- 12 Sept. 1897 Canyon City, Fremont, CO; died of lung disease), daughter ofN. Fay, 17 Nov. 1881 Portland, Chautauqua, NY, per Martha Scott Osborne, p. 455 Otis Fay, father-in-law, b. Feb. 1819 NY, 81 years of age, widowed, both parents born NY, per 1900 federal census, Portland Twp., Chautauqua Co., NY, Roll 1015, Book 2, p. 170 Irving married (2) Helen C. Dill (24 Feb. 1869 Mayville, NY - ), 5 Feb. 1902, per caw@mack.com, posted on Ancestry.com Irving married (2) Helen C. Dill (24 Feb. 1869 Mayville, Chautauqua, NY - ), daughter of John L. and Margret (Muck) Dill, 5 Feb. 1902, per Martha Scott Osborne, p. 455 Helen Dill, servant, b. Feb. 1869 NY, 31 years of age, single, father b. Germany, mother b. NY, housekeeper, per 1900 federal census, Portland Twp., Chautauqua Co., NY, Roll 1015, Book 2, p. 170 Resided Portland, NY, per Martha Scott Osborne, p. 455