Submitted by Peggy
Sunday April 14, 1889  Elmira Telegram
Party took place on John Briggs' 87th birthday
 
[ On the 5th] occurred one of the most interesting family gatherings, or reunions ever witnessed in  this section of the state. The prominence of the family and the positions attained by the descendents are of general interest and importance...the eighty-seventh birthday of the loved and esteemed head of the family celebrated  and sixty of his descendents joined the celebration. [unreadable part] ...had been served the family all gathered in the front room, and the Rev. Mr. Masten of North Cohocton, offered a very affecting prayer which brought tears to the eyes of all present. Then singing followed, in which all present joined and made the house fairly ring with joy.

As the shades of night drew on they dispersed to their different homes, all preying fervently that Mr. Briggs would live to see many a birthday. Mr. Briggs is a grand specimen of the early pioneers who are slowly but surely passing away. In their early life they submitted to great privations with heroic patience; but they always preserved, amid their hardships, the sweet amenities of life and left behind them grand legacies of good moral character, which, in case of this sketch, have descended to their children. They were grand, noblemen and women in the broadest sense of the term. Mr. Briggs is wonderfully well preserved for a man of his years, both mentally and physically, having no ailments except a slight deafness and when his time... A man of strict honesty in dealings with his fellow men, and in his ripe old age respected by everyone who knows him. His whole life is an example  that can be  safely followed by all young men. The elder Briggs, whose birthday anniversary was thus happily celebrated, and whose portrait appears in this issue, descended from good old New England stock. His grandfather, John Briggs, came from North Kingston Rhode Island, in the year 1788, and was accompanied by his cousin, Peleg Briggs. They settled at what is now Milo Center, Yates county. His wife was Elizabeth, and their children were John, David (father of the John of this article), Ruth, Ann, and Esther.

John, the subject of this sketch was born in Milo in 1802, and married Ann A. Green in May 1825. They had twelve children. Sylvester, the oldest, was born in Milo; Thomas Briggs, the second son, was born in Gorham, Ontario county, June 6, 1829 and died in Naples NY, March 1, 1862. He left five children as follows: Mary Briggs Houghtailing, Frank Briggs, Nichols E. Briggs, Charles Fox Briggs and Lillie Briggs Strong. The third son, Joseph C. Briggs, was born in Milo, September 28, 1836, and is at present engaged in fruit culture at Dundee, Yates county NY. He has two sons, Christie, engaged in the hardware business in Penn Yan, and Dr Bert H. Briggs, who graduated from the Medical University of the city of New York, March 13, 1889. He is established in Avoca, NY. The fourth son is James S. Briggs born in Milo, January 12, 1839, who resides in Naples and is engaged in the flouring business. He has two sons, Clarence  who resides in Mendota IL, and occupies a lucrative position in the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railway service. Arthur resides in Rochester and is engaged in the photograph business. The fifth son, John Briggs Jr., was born in Naples, May 23, 1841, where he still resides, and is a skillful architect. He was twice married: has one son and two daughters, Anna Briggs-Brown, Almeta Briggs and Erwin J. by his second wife; also a son by the first wife, T.W. Briggs, who resides in LaGrange county Ind., and is a prosperous farmer and unmarried. The sixth son is David B. Briggs, who was born in Naples, January 23, 1843, where he still resides. He is engaged in agriculture and has five children, Minnie Briggs-King, Carrie, Frank, Myron and Emma. The seventh son, Charles B. Briggs, was born in Naples, May 23, 1845 and resides at the old homestead, and has been the strong arm of support for the aged  father for  many years, and will remain at his post in loyalty to his father until he is called to cross the river into the fair land beyond. He has one son, Chauncey, engaged in the furniture and undertaking business in Hornellsville, NY. The eighth son, George B. Briggs, was born July 13, 1847 and is a New York city man. He followed the profession of a teacher for many years in Steuben and Yates counties and distinguished himself as a thorough disciplinarian, and , by a happy way of imparting knowledge, he was honored with a state certificate by Abrahm B. Weaver, state commissioner of public instruction for meritorious services in the school room. In 1875 his vocal organs being impaired he resigned his position as principal of Rushville Union school and went to New York to engage in newspaper work. He soon became popular as an advertising solicitor and rapidly rose to the head of his profession. In August 1885, he resigned the position he occupied as manager of the advertising department of one of the leading weekly agricultural papers and excepted a call from the American Agriculturist, the oldest and most justly popular papers in the country. His success as manager of the advertising department of this journal is shown each month by the crowded conditions of it's advertising columns. He is exceedingly popular with his advertising clientage and enjoys a remunerative position which has been justly and honorably won. He resides in Mt Vernon, NY, a pleasant town of 10,000 inhabitants, thirteen miles from the Grand Central Depot, NY, and his friends know that the latch-string is always out. He is one of God's noblemen-one of the finest gentlemen in all respects the Telegram people have ever met with. He has one son Harry P., eleven years old. (Part of the article is gone, but, John also had a daughter Waity Briggs-Bartholomew-Merrill who was born February 12, 1827 in  Milo and a daughter, Margaret Briggs-Naragong born in Milo in 1831.)

William S. Briggs, whose likeness is in today's Telegram is a brother of John and the youngest son of David Briggs, and was also present on this occasion. Like hundreds of our eminent men, he taught school and studied law and was admitted to the bar. He was elected judge and surrogate of Yates county in 1855 and served twenty-two years, which amply attest his great worth and popularity. He married Elizabeth S., a daughter of Joel Dorman, in 1843. He has four children, Frances O., Juliette, Anna and William S. The judge's years set lightly upon him; his lines have truly been cast in pleasant places, and he enjoys a lucrative practice at his profession. He was always distinguished  for the clearness of his decisions, and employs the reputation  of an honest and upright...   ...help the really needy, descended as he is from grand old Puritan stock which first settled this country, he is possessed of many of their attributes-sterling honesty, strong in his convictions and of great energy of character, to which so much of his success is due. The writer of this article knows him well, and a grander man he never met. That his years of usefulness may be prolonged is the sincere wish of all who know him.
Fortunate in his children, respected by all, may John Briggs, the worthy sire and respected progenitor of noble descendents, live yet many years to enjoy the fruit of his honest, upright life.