St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-09-21
oLEvELAND,s GRANDMOTHER.
Something about His Family oH the
Md.erndL Side,

Something about His Family oR the
Ma.ernaI Side,
In various papers there have been accounts
Of Gov. Cieveland's paternal ancestry, but
none of the maternal, which, to this part of
the country, should be especially interesting
At the foot of Mount Tekoa is large, two
story dwelling known as the Falley house.
Richard Falley, the progenitor of the Falley
families, native Of the Isle of Guernsey,
came here with the early settlers of New Eng
land, and built the mansion still standing,
though so often remodeled that the present
building on the original foundation could
not be recognized by the builder. Passing
up the Montgomery road on the right of the
house is a deep rocky raviDe, through which
until the town of Westfield with sacrilegious
hand diverted it from its natural bed, there
ran one of the purest of mountain streams.
On spot near the present reservoirs Richard
Falley, previous to the Revolution, built
gun factory, and, safely hid from British
spies, assisted by his sons Russell and Rich
ard, did good service to their countrymen in
the manufacture of muskets.
Richard Falley was the father of seven boys
and three girls; the second of these girls,
Margaret Falley, became the wife Of William
Cleveland, Ruth Falley of Samuel Allen, and
Louisa Falley of Medad Fowler, whom old
inhabitants recall as a resident Of Westfeld,
living at the east end of Silver street. Among
her children was Margaret, who became the
wife of Deacon j. II. W. Atkins, who lived
and died in the old Fowler house, on Silver
street. The youngest Of her family, Louisa,
was the wife of Alvin Fowler and still lives
on Fowler street, and she and her brother in
the west are the only surviving members of
their generation. When the site of the
present Methodist church was chosen anoth-
er old landmark. fell under the march of
modern Improvement. Westfeld people re-
cali the old DR.. Holland house, which stood
for so many years on the south side of the
green and was known to the previous gen
Grafton as the Atwater house. Probably the
l'present generation are not aware that this
house was built and for many years occupied
by the Falley family, and here it is supposed
that Margaret Falley, the grandmother of
Grover Cleveland, was born, spent her early
days, and was married to William Cleveland,
then removing from Westfeld to Norwich,
Conn. Some of the Fally family are buried
in the old cemetery and others in the ceme-
terry on Mount Tekoa.
Westield has not only been the home of
but is still the home of his blood relations,
Mrs. Alvin Fowler being his own cousin. At
quite recent date, the Mount Tekoa home
stead of Richard Falley was visited by fifteen
or twenty of his descendants, one of them
an influential gentleman in business circles
of New York city. whose elegant home is in
Connecticut, where reside several others of
the party, all eager to take their part in
electing their kinsman president of the Uni
ted States. The party rolled along the shady
ways to the foot of the mountain, and rested
underline two large maple trees in front of
the house. They were most kindly escorted
about by Mr.. Williston, whose family are the
present occupants; they examined the old
stone walls, stood on the huge stone steps
where Russell, Richard, Ruth, Margaret, and
Louisa may have eaten their bread and
molasses or hominy and milk, climbed to the
immense fiat rock where they danced, and
to the summit of Mount Tekoa, the lookout
for British spies; admired the remarkably
fine plum, peach pear, and apple orchards,
first set out by Richard Falley, and searched
for the exact location of the gun factory, but
dense woods and changed watercourse made
the search not entirely successful. -Spring-
field Republican. Ji