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Gardner, Ira M., was born on a farm in the town of Newfield, January 2, 1819, a son of Thomas S., a native of
Newark, N. J., born April 12, 1789. The latter learned the cooper's trade, and in 1812 moved to Tompkins county
and took up a farm of sixty four acres in Newfield, the land being then a wilderness, and Mr. Gardner suffered
all the hardships of a pioneer in making the place into a home. His first crops he carried nine miles to the village
to be ground, and his first house was a log cabin, his second house being erected in 1835. He married in New Jersey
in 1812, Abbey Earl, of Newark, and they had six children, only two now living: Aaron E., of Michigan; and Ira
M., our subject. Thomas S. died June 14, 1851. The early life of Ira was spent on the homestead. At the age of
seventeen he came to Ithaca to learn the mason's trade with Isaac Randolph, with whom he remained about nine years.
In 1845 he began business for himself, and since that time he has built and been employed on many of the meet important
buildings of the city. He was the mason for the construction of the first two buildings of Cornell and was employed
on Sibley College, also the Cascadilla Place, the Baptist Church, the Dunning Block, the Grant Block, Hibbard Block,
also being employed in the construction of the Gas Works, the Water Works and a large number of fine residences
in this city. Hem is a Republican and was assessor in 1878-79-80. December 3, 1843, he married Mary A., daughter
of Samuel Hill, a native of England, who came to this country in 1819 and settled in Ithaca. Mr. and Mrs. Gardner
have had six children, three now living: Edward T., Mrs. George Polley, and Emma, widow of Cassius Taber.
From:
Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York
Including a History of Cornell University
Edited by: John H. Selkreg
D. Mason & Co., Publishers
Syracuse, N. Y. 1894
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