Daniel Eldon Van Woert, of the town of Oneonta, was born February 19, 1855,
on the old home farm where he has resided all his life, and a part of which
he owns, his possessions consisting of 200 acres.  The place is well
improved and has good and substantial buildings, showing Mr. Van Woert to be
a successful manager.  in connection with general farming he also raises
stock and carries on the dairying business, making Holstein stock a
specialty.
 
He is a son of Andrew Van Woert, who was born in the town of Oneonta, on the
farm upon which Peter, his nephew, now resides.  He was born July 4, 1822,
and died on the farm where he had always lived, April 19, 1890, aged
sixty-seven years.  He was a dairyman as well as a farmer, and in his day
raised a great many Durham cattle.
 
After buying the interests of his brothers and sisters in the original farm
he became the owner of the 475 acres it contained.  He was well known as a
successful man, and continued to manage the farm all his life.  He was in
politics a Democrat.  he was married to Susan Scrambling, who was born in
the town of Oneonta, June 3, 1821, and died October 10, 1890, aged
sixty-nine.  Her entire life was spent near the place of her birth, the
place being known as the Dreamland Tract, and which was secured by her
great-grandfather prior to the Revolutionary War, from Sir John Johnson, an
Englishman, who obtained it from an Indian chief in the following manner:
Sir John was a favorite among the Indians, and wore a handsome pair of red
leather leggings.  The chief thought awhile, then assented, but remarked:
We will neither of us dream again."  One thousand acres of this land came
into the possession of Mr. Scrambling, whose Christian name is not known,
the great grandfather of Mrs. Van Woert.   This was about 1775.  The war
coming on Mr. Scrambling had to return to his native home, the Mohawk Valley
for safety.  During the war he was killed by some treacherous Indians near
his own home, and his two sons, David and Henry, were captured and taken as
prisoners of war into Canada.  AFter peace was declared they returned to the
States, and joined their older brothers, who had taken possession of their
father's 1,000 acres of land in what is now the town of Oneonta, Otsego
County, and known as the Dreamland Tract.  The land was divided among those
sons, of whom one, David, was the grandfather of Mrs. Van Woert.  He continued 
to reside on his portion as long as he lived, improving it and
making of it a good home, and dying at eighty-five years of age.
 
David Scrambling and his wife were the parents of quite a large family.  On
of their sons, George D., was the father of Mrs. Van Woert, and was born and
reared on that farm, living upon it his entire life, and died at the age of
fifty-four years.  he was a Democrat in politics, a Presbyterian in religion
and a good and useful citizen.  he was married, in Otsego County, to Eunice
Woodburn, who was born in Rhode Island, and who came with her parents, David
and Susan (Burlingame) Woodburn, to this county when a little child.  They
settled on a farm, upon which her parents lived until their death, when old
people.  Mr. Woodburn was a cousin of Horace Greeley.  Mrs. Eunice
Scrambling died when about seventy years of age.  She was a Presbyterian in
religion, and was the mother of elven children, nine of whom grew to mature
years.  Six of them are still living, viz:  Allen, of Oneonta; Sarah M. and
Albert, also of Oneonta; Amanda of Rockwell Mills, Chenango County; Delilah
A., of Oneonta and Elmira.
 
The paternal grandfather of our subject ws John Van Woert, born in Albany,
December 21, 1781.  He was married to Lany Young, of Albany County, and they
resided there on a farm, owning at one time nearly half the land upon which 
the city of Albany now stands.  They removed to the town of Oneonta, and
were among its early settlers.  They settled in the woods, cleared the land,
and erected the buildings which still stand.  John Van Woert was one of the
leading farmers of the town, and ran a dairy in connection with his farm.
He also owned prairie land in Michigan.  He and his wife reared a family of
two sons and four daughters.  All have now passed away.  They were members
of the Baptist Church at Oneonta, and Mr. Van Woert was in that village when
it consisted of three stores and one hotel.  Mr. Van Woert was a Democrat,
and several members of the family were soldiers in the War of 1812.  The
father of John Van Woert was Adrian Van Woert.  He was born in Europe, of
Dutch ancestry.
 
Daniel E. Van Woert was educated in the public schools of Oneonta, and attended the 
academy at New Berlin two terms.  He was married at the age of twenty-four to Alice 
Buell, who was born in the town of Franklin, Delaware County, October 14, 1857.  She 
is the daughter of Harry and Elizabeth (Northrop) Buell, both of the town of 
Franklin.  Mr. Buell was a cooper by trade, and reared a family of three daughters, 
viz:  Alice, wife of our subject; Mary, wife of Augustine Olmstead, and Lotta, wife 
of Marzy V. Perry.  Mr. Van Woert has two brothers and one sister now living, viz:  
George, a farmer, living in the town of Oneonta, and married to Lurissa Shephers; 
Frances, wife of Edgar Starr, a farmer of the town of Otego; John a farmer of this 
county, and married to Minnie Giles.  Daniel E. Van Woert has a family of two 
children, viz: Lena Bell, born December 29, 1880, and Libbie May, April 5, 1883.  
Both attend school.  Mr. Van Woert is a Democrat in politics, and both he and his 
wife are  Methodists in religion.   They are sterling and representative citizens of 
their town and county.