Augustus C. Herrick and Josephine Niver Never Leave Caton, New York

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Augustus C. Herrick (1834-1912) and Josephine Niver (1834-1919)

Another Herrick Remains in Caton, New York

Augustus Charles Herrick was born on 31 May 1834 in Caton, Steuben County, New York. He was the son of Pierce Herrick and Ann Miller. The Herricks began their lives in the United States in the 1600’s in Massachusetts, and some of Augustus’s descendants had been involved with or lived in Salem when the infamous Salem Witch Trials occurred. However, after the trials, the Herricks began to migrate west, first into Connecticut and then into New York.

Augustus must have liked Caton and Steuben County. It appears that he remained there his entire life. In 2003, the population of Caton was only at 2,000, and it was undoubtedly considerably less when Augustus and Josephine lived there. It was named for Richard Caton, an early pioneer of the area. It is in the southeast part of the county, south of Corning. It was formed in 1839, but named Wormley first. A year later, in 1840, the name was changed to Caton. (Thanks to Wikipedia for the map of New York State. Steuben County is in red.)

Marriage and Family

Augustus married Josephine Niver, probably in Caton, in about 1852, though some sources give a date as late as 1856. Josephine was born 11 November 1834. In the Census forms, she says she was born in the state of New York, as well as her parents. Her parents may have been Abner Tunis Niver and Margaret Mariah Brot (though this has not yet been proven). At the time of their marriage, Augustus was 18 and Josephine was 17.

Based on Census records and other family trees from Ancestry, Augustus and Josephine had at least four sons and one daughter, all born in Caton, Steuben County, New York, but one (Chester) died before the age of two:

Josephine would have been about 40 at the time of Bert’s birth.

In the photograph above: Standing, left to right: Eber, Bert, Nettie, and Whiting. Sitting, left to right: Bertha Riffle Herrick (wife of Eber), Josephine Niver Herrick, Augustus Charles Herrick, and Ida Howland Herrick (wife of Whiting).Taken in about 1900.

Census Records Tell the Story

Census records provide genealogists with a wealth of information, and one can trace Augustus’s life easily through these documents. Here’s what the census records tell us about the life of Charles Augustus Herrick:

End of life for Augustus and Josephine

Augustus died in 1912 in Caton. He was 78 years old. Presumably he is buried in Caton, perhaps near his parents, Pierce and Ann Herrick.

It is believed that Josephine died on 27 April 1919, still living in the family home in Caton. Hazel Marie Herrick Ingraham, her granddaughter, remembers visiting the “Herrick House” which was just “down the road” from her own home, when she was about eight years old. She was born in 1914, and she recalls that her grandmother died when she was young.

This page written and researched by Susan Overturf Ingraham, wife of Robert Philip Ingraham, a descendant of Augustus C. Herrick and Josephine Niver. Last updated on May 28, 2023.

Return to Table of Contents for Exploring My Husband's Ancestral Roots: Ingrahams, Herricks, Moshers, and Brands

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