Stories in Stones: Stories from Oneida County, NY Cemeteries

     Amos B. Stafford was born in Syracuse in 1839. When he was young he moved to Utica. He became a bookkeeper for Theodore Butterfield who owned a livery. He later became partners with Theodore's father John on the Overland Mail which was used to carry mail from St. Louis to San Francisco. Mr. Stafford later moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas to became a station agent for it. He was there from 1858-1861 when it ended because of the Civil War.      After the Overland Mail system ended he joined Colonel Leeper in treating with the Native Americans on the plains. He also conducted a livery on Devereux Street in Utica.       Amos B. Stafford married Josephine Chubbuck. He passed away on Sept 28, 1906. He and Josephine are buried in Plot 21A Lot 2471 of Forest Hill Cemetery in Utica.    

     Harry E. Devendorf was born in 1859 in Delevan, Wisconsin to Lucien B. Devendorf. The family moved to Cedarville, Herkimer County, NY when he was young. Came to Utica when he was 17 and attended school.     After his schooling was over Harry E. Devendorf worked for the Christian Leader Newspaper. At the same time he studied shorthand and became an expert Stenographer. He was employed as a reporter by the following newspapers: Utica Daily Republican and the Watertown Dispatch. He was the city editor for the Amsterdam Times and the Watertown Dispatch. Mr. Devendorf came back to Utica to became managing editor of the Utica Sunday Tribune. He was editor for eight years. While he was employed by the Tribune he was also correspondent for the Associated Press and news of Utica and Vicinity for the Rome Daily Sentinel. He also did much work in the way of Special Correspondence for New York City Papers.     In 1896, when James S. Sherman was...