Source: "Re-Union of the Sons and Daughters of the Old Town of Pompey," Pompey, NY, 1875, pp. 324 - 326

Josiah Holbrook was one of the early settlers of Pompey. He was born in the year 1757, in Adams, Mass., and married Rachel Wright. They resided in Adams, where some of their children were born, till 1792, when the commenced their journey to Pompey. Mr. Holbrook had purchased of a soldier wood-land farm in Pompey, which he had never seen. Equipped as pioneer settlers usually were, with all their household goods loaded upon a cart drawn by a yoke of oxen and a single horse for a elader, in 1792 they came to Springfield, Otsego Co., N.Y. Here they tarried with his sister till the spring of 1793, when in March they finished their pilgrimage to their future home located on Lot No. 53, the farm recently owned by Mr. Hubbard, east of Pompey Center. They family at that time consister of Josiah Holbrook, his wife, father and mother and six children - Abigal, Silas W., Patty, Frestus, Rachel and Electa. After they came to Pompey four more children were born unto them, who, in the order of their ages, were Adolphus, Josiah G., Amanda and Samuel. Adolphus was born in 1793, and is said to be the third white child born in Pompey. Few were then the conveniences of life, and many hardships were encountered. There were no roads or bridges; by marked trees they came; they pounded their corn in a mortar or went to Whitestown, near Utica, to mill.

It is true that Surveyors, the pioneers of civilization, had come before them and marked the trees, but before the golden harvests could be reaped, the majestic forests must yield to days of constant toil. How many of our generation are fitted for the obstacles which they manfully met, and heroically overcome? About this time, over in Pompey Hollow came Ozias Burr, Samuel Draper and Mr. Lamb. David Green, too, came the same year and settled on what has since been called "Green's Corners." Soon after came Barak Holbrook and Luke Holbrook, who married Wm. Duguid's sisters. William Duguid, another of Pompey's pioneers, who is the ancestor of the Duguid family.

Notwithstanding the limited resources at command, Mr. Holbrook, in common with his town's people, early became interested in public improvements. He was one of the first subscribers to the Pompey Academy fund. As we look over the individual history of Pompey's pioneers, and note the personal sacrifices they made from their small and toilsome gains to the establishment of schools and churches and the interests of society, and make comparison with the present public spirit manifested, we may well pause and ask ourselves whether this is an age of progress in Pompey or of retrogression. Mr. Holbrook was a Christian, and attended the Presbyterian church.

Only two of his children are living. Festus, at the age of eighty-six years, resides in Michigan, having raised a large family who are all dead. Josiah G. resides south of Cold Water, Michigan, and has a large family. These two sons left Pompey and went west in the spring of 1815. All of his children were married while living in Pompey. He died in November, 1831, at the age of seventy-five years, and he and his wife, his father, mother, two sons and three daughters, all lie beneath the green sod of the old hill town which they assisted to make rich with golden harvests.

Silas W. Holbrook, the eldest son of the pioneer, Josiah, married Thankful Skinner, whose father was also a Pompey pioneer, having settled on Lot No. 22, near Oran, in 1794. Their children were Silas L. Holbrook, Levi S. Holbrook, Aurelia Holbrook, Chapin M. Holbrook and Josiah E. Holbrook. Of these Silas L. married Nancy Hubbard, by whom he had three children, Henry L. B. Franklin and Dwight. They all live in Pompey.

Levi S. Holbrook married Fidelia Woodward, September 1, 1831; they have no children. He now resides in Syracuse, having left Pompey a few years ago. He has been honored by his fellow citizens with various public trusts. From 1853 to 1858 inclusive, he represented Pompey in the Board of Supervisors, and the latter year was a member of the State Legislature. From 1862 to 1869 he was a revenue officer of the general government.

Aurelia Holbrook married Samuel E. Tarbell, and they reside in Wisconsin.

Chapin M. Holbrook married Malinda Safford, and they and their only child live in Pompey.

Josiah E. Holbrook married Alcemena Smith, daughter of John Smith, a Pompey pioneer, and they reside in DeWitt, N.Y. They have no children.

Daniel W. Holbrook, another grandchild of the old pioneer, married Martha Porter, of Pompey, and moved to Michigan, where he died. His wife now resides in Syracuse, and her son, Levi, with her. Their only remaining son, Daniel, is a resident of California.

Adolphus Holbrook was twice married, and Josiah G. Holbrook of Jamesville, N.Y., was one of his children, by his first wife. By his second wife he had two children, Maria and Henry H., the son only being now living, making his home in Jamesville, N.Y. His widow lives in Pompey with Lucien Northrup, who was the husband of Maria, who died several years ago. Thus we have traced an imperfect record of another Pompey family, and the reason why we have not made mention of them all, is because our information is not sufficient to make any further record authentic.