Dear Barbara,
Great to hear from you too -- and many thanks for all those colorful details! I have incorporated most of them into my Tree now. Apparently we are fifth cousins, once removed, as I too descend from John COFFEY and Experience -- via their daughter Elizabeth (1779-1866), who m. Michael GOUGH/GOFF (abt. 1770-1831). Yes, Ancestry.com's "Records of the Town of Lee" contains some great details on John COFFEY, as also on (his brothers-in-law?) Levi NYE and Cornelius BASSETT.

As you say, a great-uncle George W. GOUGH/GOFF (1806-1876; m. Jane WILLIS) was involved in iron manufacturing in the Moriah/Port Henry area of New York, as was his brother Robert L. GOUGH/GOFF (1812-aft. 1880; m. Hannah C. TITUS), and their sister Elizabeth's son George G. ROE, and their other sister Sophia's husband Silas Hemenway WETHERBEE. I would be most interested in hearing more of Charles C. ALGER's manufacturing!

Best wishes for a rapid and smooth recovery from your eye surgery; I'm looking forward to corresponding with you further!

Rory Goff