From: Smith, James H., 1880, History of Chenango and Madison Counties, New York. D. Mason & Co.. Syracuse, NY

Abi A. Phipps
Facing Page 728

The original text includes an illustration of Abi A. Phipps
 

        Abi A. Phipps was born in Thompson, Windham county, CT, in 1810, and is the son of David H. Phipps, deceased, who was a Connecticut man, but moved from Connecticut to the town of Oppenheim,, Montgomery county, NY, in 1821.  Abi came in with his father to Montgomery county, and was then eleven years of age.  He lived there and in that vicinity until 1841, from which place he removed to Nelson, Madison county where in 1841 he purchased a farm and continued to live there nine years.  He then lived in Eaton one year, thence to Smithfield, Madison county, and purchased a farm in that town originally known as the Proy farm, and continued to live there sixteen years, until he came here to Clockville, where he is residing in a pleasant and beautiful home, on the road to Canastota.
        Mr. Phipps has been twice married, first, to Lydia Kibbe  daughter of Elder Kibbe, of Oppenheim, in the year 1834, and who died March, 1860, at Smithfield.  His second marriage was to Diana Hess, the daughter of David Hess, of Fenner, who is still living.  By his first wife he had two children, a son, and a daughter who is the wife of James G. Messenger, of Smithfield.  He was elected Assessor of the town of Nelson in 1849.  In Smithfield, in 1859 and 1860, he represented his town in the Board of Supervisors and was re-elected in 1864, 1865 and 1866, and is now for the third year Town Auditor of Lenox, and has aided in reducing the taxes $6,000.  Though often solicited to take other public offices, he has always declined to do so, rather devoting his time to business.
        Though holding offices frequently, he has not been an office seeker, but has rather accepted such office as he filled at the solicitation of friends whose opinions he regarded.  Mr. Phipps has been an industrious and successful farmer all his life, and though now quite tired of the hard labors of his earlier days, is spending the remainder of his life among his old associates, an honored and respected citizen of the town.  His has been a life well spent and brings its unfailing reward of peace, competency and the respect of his fellow men about him.