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NAVAGATION
Erie County Biographies
Names A to Be
Names Bi to Bu
Names C
Names D
Names E and F
Names G
Names H
Names I to L
Names M to O
Names P
Names Q and R
Names S to Si
Names Sk to Sw
Names T to V
Names W to Z
Companies
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Genesee County Biographies
Online Biographies
New York History
Erie County History
Also see [ Railway Officials in America 1906
] NEW
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Bedell, Ossian, Grand Island, was born at Georgia, Franklin county, Vt., June 6, 1832, and educated in the common
schools of Tonawanda, N. Y., and the seminary at Lima, N. Y. In 1840 he came with his parents to live on Grand
Island, and at the age of eleven began driving team for his father on the canal and for nearly twenty years followed
the canal with his father and with boats of his own. At twenty-one he owned a farm of his own and began farming,
lumbering and boating wood on the Niagara River. In 1874 he was one of the leading men who organized a stock company
and built the Buffalo and Grand Island Ferry, which was such a great improvement to the Island. In 1876 he built
and opened the Bedell House in Grand Island, of which he is still proprietor. During Lincoln's administration he
was appointed inspector of customs for the first district of Buffalo Creek and was located at Grand Island, being
confined principally to Tonawanda and Grand Island. During the fulfillment of this office he had many exciting
adventures and narrow escapes with his life, while apprehending smugglers who made Grand Island their place of
landing. In 1862-63 he was supervisor of his town and from 1881 to 1884 was assistant superintendent of public
works for the western division of the Erie Canal. In 1890 he was appointed United States consul to Fort Erie, Ont..
and continued in office until a change of administration, about two years. In 1897 he was reappointed to the Fort
Erie consulate, which he now occupies. Mr. Bedell has for many years been the recognized leader of the Republican
party in his town and his counsel is sought by many others from other parts of the county. He has made the Bedell
House and surrounding grounds the most popular resort in Western New York. He also owns a pleasure steam yacht
fitted to carry 275 people. On March 28, 1854, he married Permelia Zimmerman of the town of Tonawanda.
Source:
Our County and it's people
a descriptive work on Erie County, New York
Edited by: Trumen C. White
The Boston History Company, Publishes 1898
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