Galen H. Butts, who has resided on his present 350 acre farm in the town of Laurens, 
District No 6, for the past forty-five years, was born December 3, 1814.  His 
father, Jacob Butts, was born in Brooklyn, Windham Co., Conn., in the year 1764. 
 He was a farmer by occupation, as was his father before him, the latter of whom 
died in New England.  He was also a brickmaker, and had his kiln on his own 
farm.  The wife of Jacob Butts was Hannah Cady, of Connecticut, where they were 
married.  Previous to his marriage he had been to this part of New York, and had 
bought a farm of Judge Cooper, which had upon it a small log house.  He had also 
raised a crop of flax.  After marriage they soon came on the farm, driving a 
yoke of oxen and a horse, hitched to a large sleigh, which contained all their 
household effects.  They, however, were not poor, having sufficient means to pay 
for their land.  The country in the vicinity of their home was then very new, 
and at Gilbertsville, nine miles away, was their nearest mill.  Their first 
purchase of land comprised about 100 acres, and the price was $1 per acres.  The 
sturdy New England couple began at once to make a home for themselves, the good 
wife spinning the flax from the crop already raised, and from the flax thus spun 
made the linen for the first baby, a girl.  On this farm (to which Mr. Butts 
afterward added some 200 acres) they lived and toiled many years ,and cleared up 
and put under cultivation about 200 acres.  To them were born on this farm five 
sons and four daughters, viz: Hannah, who married Amos Winsor, and left at her 
death one son and a daughter; Morris, who when young went West, and was never 
afterward heard of; Samuel, who marred Anna Baldwin, and went to Northern Iowa; 
he was a farmer and carpenter, and at his death left a family of four sons and 
two daughters; Lodema, who married Benjamin Lull, and died in New Berlin, 
Chenango County, when about sixty years of age, laving four sons and three 
daughters; Norris, who died at Dutch Corners, when about sixty eight years old, 
leaving a wife; Seymour, who died at Windsor, Broome County, on his farm, when 
about sixty years of age; Mary Ann was the wife of Harry Davis, and died when 
she was seventy years old, at New Berlin, leaving four sons and one daughter; 
Galen H. is the subject of this sketch.  The second child died when an infant.

Of this large family Galen H. is, so far as is know, the sole survivor.  His early 
childhood was spent on the farm, and he had a fair common school education, and 
when fourteen years of age began clerking in a county store at Garrattsville, 
Otsego County, and later at New Lisbon.  After three years spent in this 
occupation he returned to the farm, and remained upon it until his marriage, 
which event occurred when he was thirty-five years of age, to Mrs. Almira 
Hurlbut, widow of Jesse Hurlbut.  She was a daughter of Anson Miller, a New 
England gentleman, who removed thence with his family to Delaware county.  She 
bore two sons to her first husband, and one child to her second husband, a 
daughter, Mary, now the wife of Horace Harrison, who is a farmer near by upon 
his own farm, and with whom, since the death of his wife, Galen H. Butts is 
making his home.  The death of Mrs. Butts occurred January 24, 1892, at the age 
of seventy-nine.  She died of pneumonia after a brief illness of one week.  She 
and her husband had lived together forty-four years, and she was when taken ill, 
still a strong and vigorous woman.  The only daughter, Mrs. Harrison, has had 
two children, viz:  Ella Emily, a young lady of sixteen, and Nina Belle, now 
eleven years old.

Galen H. Butts, though not a man of great learning, yet has a taste for literature, 
and had his lot been cast in a different walk of life, he would without doubt 
have made a creditable record, his natural abilities being much above the 
average.  He is a remarkable man in many ways, as a look over his domain 
sufficiently attests.  He raises on his farm plenty of good fruit, especially 
apples, and his cellar, well filled in the fall, is never empty.  In it may be 
found at any time some of the best apple cider ever made, which he well knows 
how to make and to preserve and he also knows well how to enjoy it with a guest.