Stephen A. Powers, deceased.--Among the pioneer families of 
Steuben County, few have done more toward its growth and de-
velopment than the Powers family.  They came of pure Celtic
stock, the great-grandfather of the four brothers who settled in
this county being Arad Powers, a native of Ireland, who mar-
ried Lydia Bruce, a native of Scotland (of the noted family of
Bruces so well known in history), and emigrated to the United
States before the Revolutionary war, settling in Massachusetts.
Oliver Powers was born in Massachusetts, of this marriage, where
he grew to manhood and was married to Lydia Winn, a native of
that State.  To them were born the following children--Jacob,
Josiah, Oliver, Lydia, Lucy, Dolly and Betsy.  Oliver Powers
served throughout the Revolutionary war under Washington, and
shortly after he moved with his family to Oneida County, N. Y.,
and afterward to Ontario County of the same State, where he and
his wife died.  Josiah was the second in the family, and was born
in Massachusetts in 1772.  He married Hannah Church in 1799.
She was the daughter of Josiah and Hannah Church, natives of
Massachusetts, and was born January 16, 1776.  The year of
their marriage, they moved to Oneida County, N. Y., and in 1805
removed to Ontario County of the same State, where Josiah died
August, 1808, leaving his wife with five small children as follows
--Stephen, born January, 1800; Winn, December, 1801; Clark,
December, 1803; Josiah, February, 1806, and Calvin, March, 1808.
The four eldest she "put out" with friends to care for, and, with her
babe Calvin, began to earn her own living.  At that time Ontario
County was almost a wilderness, and the Powers family were
among its pioneers.  The boys grew to manhood in that county
and began life with nothing but their own brave hearts and will-
ing hands to depend on to win the battle.  Their mother was
again married in September, 1811, to George Jenks, a native of
Massachusetts, by whom she had three children--Laura, Joan and
George.  Her husband died November, 1820, and about 1847 she
moved with her son, George Jenks, to Steuben County, Ind., where
she died December 1857, in her eighty-second year.  Stephen A.
was the eldest in the family and was born in Oneida County, N.
Y., Jan. 2, 1800, and, as has already been stated, he "went out" to
live, after the death of his father, but his master dying before
Stephen was grown he was thrown on his own resources, and by
his individual, unaided efforts, he acquired a first-class English
education.  In his boyhood he went to learn the blacksmith's
trade, but his mind running in another channel he abandoned it
and learned surveying and navigation. He was married in Alle-
gany County, N. Y., January, 1825, to Mary Ann Campbell, 
daughter of George and Elizabeth Campbell, natives of Herkimer
County, N. Y., of Irish, Scotch, English and German origin.  Mrs.
Powers was born in Herkimer County, N. Y., July, 1808.  Her
father died one month before her birth, and her mother was after-
ward married to Eber Newton, and moved to Ontario County, N. Y.,
and subsequently to Allegany County, where both died and
where Mrs. Powers spent her youth.  By her marriage, she had the fol-
lowing children--Clark, born October, 1825; Andrew, September,
1827 (died in the army at Vicksburg, June, 1863); Newton, February,
1830, (died in 1837); Hannah E. March, 1833 (died 1839); Dolly
Jane, April, 1835; Volney, March, 1838 (was a soldier in the late
war); Ellen, Jan. 8, 1841; Oliver, February, 1843 (died in the army
at Bowling Green, January, 1863), and Lydia Bruce, August, 1845.
After his marriage, Stephen Powers settled in Allegany County,
N.  Y., where he lived twelve years, when he started for Indiana
with an ox team, arriving in York Township, July, 1837.  His
brothers Clark and Calvin had been to the county in 1836 and
entered land, and early in 1837, Clark came and built a cabin for
the reception of his brother and their families, and in that cabin
Stephen and family lived with the others for about two months,
when he moved to a cabin in Section 26, Scott Township, two
miles west of the Powers school-house, and there settled in the
woods with Indians as their neighbors, with whom they lived har-
moniously.  It is unnecessary to speak of the many privations
and hardships which fell to their lot.  Suffice it to say they met
and overcame all obstacles; were not made of that stuff which
falters.  When the war broke out, Stephen A. Powers was in his
sixty-second year, and his hair was white with age, but his heart
was strong, young and patriotic.  He colored his hair black so as to
pass muster when he presented himself as a volunteer for examina-
tion.  When the examining surgeon asked him how old he was, he
replied, "I am old enough to help put down the rebellion."  Noble
words that will live while time lasts.  He served eleven months when
he was discharged for disabilities which culminated in his death.
After returning from the army, he settled in Williams County,
Ohio, and in 1871 went to Antrim County, Mich., and took a
soldier's claim.  His foresight was wonderful, as he got his land
forty acres wide and one mile long through which a railroad was
then surveyed and afterward built which increased the value of his
land.  Here he died October, 1872, and his widow remained on
the farm and did what not may women would have been capable
of doing in clearing it up and carrying out the necessary regula-
tions to retain the land.  For all this she deserves just credit,
and her energy and force of character is extraordinary.  Her
husband was buried in Michigan; five years later she had his body
brought to this county and buried in the "Powers Cemetery", and
marking his last resting-place, she put a fine monument, showing,
though dead, he is not forgotten.  Stephen A. Powers was in many
ways, a remarkable man.  He followed teaching and surveying as
his principal occupation; was County Surveyor for many years,
County Commissioner in 1839-'40, and was well known all over
the county.  He was a close student, a good teacher, having 
taught for forty-two winters.  He had a wonderful memory; was
a lover of knowledge and endowed with clear, logical reasoning
faculties; was a devoted Mason most of his life and a member of
the I. O. O. F.  He was a kind father and husband, courteous and
polite toward his fellow-man, and believed that true religion con-
sisted in following the "Golden Rule."  Mrs. Mary Ann Powers,
his wife, died in 1883, in Branch County, Mich., at the residence
of her daughter, Lydia Bruce Hamer.  Her remains were interred
in the Powers Cemetery by the side of her husband.