Reuben E. Fenton
Born on the Fourth of July in 1819, Reuben E. Fenton, who was a close political associate of Abraham Lincoln, was the Governor of the State of New York from 1865 to 1869 and is noted for his service to the United States Congress from 1853 to 1864 and the United States Senate from 1869 to 1875.
Governor Fenton was a man of integrity who was genuinely for the good of the people. As the Governor of New York, Fenton lobbied for free education, as a result tuition to public schools was dismissed.
During this time, he also made it his mission to acquire relief measures to benefit veterans and was an instrumental force behind the movement to improve the care and standards of institutions, housing, and other facilities.
Governor Reuben E. Fenton is noted as one of the most influential men in the history of Jamestown, New York, Chautauqua County and New York State in the mid 19th century.
*See the Life and Times of Reuben E. Fenton By Noah Storer at the conclusion of this page.
Elizabeth Scudder Fenton
Born in Monroe County, New York on May 4, 1824, Elizabeth Scudder was the second wife of Reuben E. Fenton. The couples first two children, Jeannette and Josephine, were born in 1845 and 1849 at the Fenton Homestead in Frewsburg, New York.
The family moved into the newly built red brick mansion in 1864. At this time the mansion was called “Walnut Grove”. A year later, Reuben and Elizabeth celebrated the birth of a son, Reuben Earle Fenton. Elizabeth was deeply involved in the women’s Temperance Movements and found great inspiration within the mansion and on its grounds. She took great pride in her garden and was happiest when her hands were in the dirt.
Elizabeth did not spend time in Albany or in the Nation’s capital, as she spent the majority of her time with her children and her new son. Elizabeth passed away in 1901.
Josephine Fenton Gifford
Josephine, the eldest daughter of Reuben E. and Elizabeth Fenton, was born in 1845. She graduated from Elmira College in 1864 and acted as a social hostess for her father in Albany, New York. Josephine and her father had a remarkably close relationship.
Josephine married at age 36 to Jamestown banker, Frank Gifford. The wedding reception was held in the drawing room in the mansion. The couple had one surviving daughter, Cecile.
She was considered the “cultural center” of Jamestown and played a key role in organizing the Mozart Club. She continued to organize the amateur music club for an additional forty years. Josephine also played a primary role in establishing WCA Hospital and served on the Board of Directors for twenty years. All of the clubs she organized are still in operation as of 2015. Josephine passed away in 1928.