Stories in Stones: Stories from Oneida County, NY Cemeteries

     Benjamin Allen was born Jul 22, 1818 in Selston, Nottinghamshire, England. When he was 12 his family came to America. The ship they were coming over in was wrecked off the coast of Massachusetts near Martha's Vineyard. They came to Utica shortly after. They brought a farm on Deerfield Hill which they farmed for a couple of years before coming back to Utica.     Benjamin Allen learned the trade of stone cutting. He cut stone on the enlargement of the Erie Canal from Cohoes to Lockport.     1845 was an important year for Benjamin Allen. He got married to a woman by the name of Ann. He also started a business for contracting for the construction of plank and stone sidewalks. Later he was joined in the business by his sons W. Fred and George.      Benjamin Allen was also director of the Second National Bank for 12 years. He was the first Republican nominee for the Assembly from this district (which he lost) and tried agai...

       Louis E. Marquisee was born in the Welsh Bush Rd near Utica. He graduated from UFA. He and his brothers operated Millinery and Cloak Businesses in Utica and Syracuse. Louis and his brother Ammis ran the the store in Syracuse they named Marquisee Brothers and Co. while their half brothers ran Williams Brothers and Co in Utica. From 1869 to his death he mostly lived in Syracuse.     For the last 20 years of his life Louis E. Marquisee was a florist. He originated a variety of Carnation he named the Marquis which became very popular throughout the land.     Louis E. Marquisee was a gifted writer of poetry as well as a cultured elocutionist.      In 1869 Louis E. Marquisee married Josephine Eaton and they had a daughter Anita who became an accomplished violinist.     Louis E. Marquisee passed away on Nov 24, 1908 in Syracuse. His three half brothers also died that same year. He is buried at Forest Hi...