| Text |
Robert Sixbury.
In the town of LeRay, about five miles from
Theresa, on the road to Evans Mills, in a little
house by the road side, last week Thursday,
Robert Sixbury died. A large majority of the
readers of THE POST never before heard of this
remarkable man. Few of our people would
have believed that there was a man in Jefferson
County who had lived here for ninety-five years;
yet such was really the case. In 1778 at the
age of 14 years, Robert Sixbury came to this
section of the country from Amsterdam, Mont-
gomery county, where he was born on the 6th
day of March, 1763. His favorite hunting and
fishing ground was in what was afterward
Le Ray and finally divided and now compose the
towns of Alexandria, Theresa and LeRay.
Upon the banks of the Indian River all kinds of
game did then abound for trappers and hunters
and its waters were filled with fish and covered
with Indian canoes, while the dense forests
swarmed with the treacherous savages and no
permanent white habitation was known nearer
than the Mowhawk Valley. After spending a
number of years in this wilderness, with no
local habitation and no companion but his mus-
ket and his traps, he went to Herkimer county
where he married Betsy Hoover, and the
loving couple returned to his lodge in the vast
wilderness and doubtless enjoyed the contiguity
of shade. He became the companion of Foster
the Indian hunter, and many an Indian has
gone to his "happy hunting ground" as the
penalty for stealing their traps. Sixbury built
a log house about two miles north of Evans
Mills and there for years he supported his family
by hunting and fishing. For over sixty years
he lived at this place, outliving two log houses
which rotted down and then he moved into his
shop where he has lived until the past few
months. He had eight children, four boys and
four girls, who are all living but one son who
died about 30 years ago, aged 37 years. His
wife died about 25 years ago. Since which time
the old gentleman has lived by himself in his
old log house, cooking his own vituals except
bread, positively refusing all assistance or to
move from the home where he brought his
young bride and where together they com-
menced life nearly ninety years ago; and where
their children had grown up around them.
Where he had slept so many anxious nights
fearful that the tomahawk and the torch would
deprive him of the ones dearer than life, if not
life itself, he determined to remain. Not until
the old shop too rotted down would he consent
to occupy the little house near his son where he
died.
His three sons live in Leray. John is about
75 years old; Jacob 72, and Isaac, the son who
took care of the old gentleman, is about 56.
Of his daughters, Betsy married A. J. Shat-
tuck, and lives in St. Lawrence county; Mary
married Isaac Cushman of Cape Vincent--Cash-
man died very suddenly while on a visit to his
father-in-law, and his widow still lives; Annie
was a twin of Alexander, the son who died at
the age of 37; she married Isaac Waldradt and
lives near Evans Mills; Almira married Joseph
Bichet and lives near LaFargeville. The old
gentleman had 65 grandchildren, 50 of whom
are living. There were 30 great-grandchildren
and three great-great-grand children. About
thirty years ago the old gentleman fell in the
fire-place and burned his foot so badly that his
leg was amputated just above the knee, al-
though about 80 years old it healed up and he
has ever since travelled about with a wooden
leg. Last spring he was out shooting at a
mark with some friends but did not like the
springfield rifle. He retained his hearing and
eyesight until he died. He always expressed
a dislike for civilization, often wishing the
country was just as he found it 95 years ago.
He took no interest in any of the three wars
through which he lived, and without doubt was
at his death the oldest man in the state, and if
half the stories about him are true the most re-
markable man that ever lived. The world has
witnessed many great changes during his life
but of them he knew or cared nothing. |
