Life History of Macomb Pioneer
Perry Washburn whose death occurred Feb 14 had interesting history

Perry S. Washburn, aged 89 years, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. William Watson, in the town of Macomb, Tuesday morning, Feb 14, at 6 o'clock. Mr. Washburn was taken ill in October and since that time has been steadily failing so that his death was not entirely unexpected. He is survived by five daughters, Mrs. William Watson, Mrs. James Bayne and Mrs. F. G. Sterling of Macomb, Mrs. M. J. Truax of Gouverneur, and Mrs. H. J. Hurlbut of Watertown. The funeral was held from the late residence, Thursday, Feb 16. The interment was at the State Road cemetery. Upon the wish of Mr. Washburn, himself, his four grandsons acted as bearers. They were B. H. Truax, H. D. Tann, S. A. Bayne of Macomb, and C. A. Watson of St. Lawrence University.

Perry S. Washburn was born near Adams in Jefferson county in the year 1822. He was of English descent, his grandfather Nehemiah Washburn coming direct from England and settling in the Connecticut valley. His son, Rufus Washburn, emigrated to what was then the wilds of New York state, settling first in Oswego, and then moving northward into Jefferson County.

Mr. Washburn came from a family of soldiers. His grandfather Nehemiah served in the war of 1812, taking part in an engagement with the British troops near Ogdensburg. A brother of Nehemiah Washburn, Captain Rufus Washburn, served in the Revolutionary war under Washington. Several years after the war, he was drowned in the Oswegatchie river at Smith's Mills, the present site of Elmdale, while returning from a town meeting at Gouverneur. Months later, his body was found about three miles down the river lodged in an old tree top. Perry Washburn's brother, Simon Washburn, served in the civil war, as did also his son, Henry Washburn, who was killed near Annapolis Junction. Elmer L. Watson served as an officer in the navy during the Spanish-American war.

Rufus Washburn moved from Jefferson County to the town of Macomb, then a part of the town of Gouverneur, when Perry was only one year of age. The Washburn's long cabin, which was one of the first in the region, was built on the land now owned by Thomas Harmer. There he chopped, logged and cleared the land to raise corn for the subsistence of his family. He died in 1828, when Perry was only six years of age. Besides Perry, he was survived by four children. Orrila Washburn, who married Chauncey Day, Cynthia Washburn who married Joshua Houghton, Sylvester Washburn who married Jane Hurst, and Simon Washburn who married Emily Rounds. Two years after the death of her husband, Mrs. Rufus Washburn married Oliver Rounds, whose father, Joseph Rounds, had served under Washington from the beginning of the war to the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. The family then moved from Macomb to the foot of Mud lake, in the town of Depeyster.

Perry received his early education in a little log school house, near the site of the present Mud Lake school. At seventeen, his education was completed, and he began to clear a parcel of land in the town of Macomb on the old state road, where the Washburn farm is now located. The house was built in March, 1843.

In December 1842 he married Percie Smith, daughter of Stephen Smith and on the fourth day of April, following, he moved to his newly constructed home on the shores of Hickory lake.

The Washburn farm was a typical English home. Every necessity of life was raised or manufactured on the farm. Everything was done on a large scale. Grain and potatoes were raised by the thousands of bushels and sugar from the large bush was manufactured and sold by the barrel. In connection with the farm, lime, potash, and black salts were manufactured. The potash and black salts had a ready market in Montreal, and he often made trips down the river to the old French city.

In 1880, Mr. Washburn's wife died and a year later he married Calesta Hastings. In 1882, he rented his farm and moved to Minnesota where he purchased a house and lot in the city of Fergus Falls, where he lived until 1906. In June of that year, he sold his property in the west and came east to spend his declining years with his children.

During his life, Perry Washburn always stood for what was best. His philosophy of life was simple, but pure, and the courage of his convictions was never lacking. During his long and useful life, he was gifted with an extraordinary memory, and this faculty remained unimpaired up to the day of his death. Scenes of his boyhood remained with him always with an astonishing vividness. He was personally acquainted with many of the old Revolutionary soldiers, amongst whom was Solomon Gross, who at one time signed a note for him. In his last few hours, the extraordinary strength of the man was brought forth. He seemed to be an inspiration within himself. Almost his last words were, "What is life? It is character, a good name, and a clear conscience." It was his philosophy of life.