Abraham Arnold Howell 1815-1875

Abram lived with his family in upstate New York. First, in Mt. Morris, Livingston county about 1840, then Avon, also in Livingston county, and by the mid to late 1850's in the village of Portageville, town of Genesee Falls, in Wyoming county, New York where he was a cabinet maker, furniture dealer and undertaker.

The Village of Portageville lies in the northeast corner of the area Town of Genesee Falls, itself in the in the southeast part of Wyoming county in west central New York state. Portageville was originally known as Portage until about 1846 when this whole area was reorganized. Portageville lies on the Genesee river just outside of what is now the southernmost part of Letchworth State Park. Portageville was a small village of a little more than 550 people (in 1860).[1] It had five churches and several mills. The Baltimore and New York City railroad crosses the river here over an 800 foot bridge, 234 feet above the river, near the celebrated Portage Falls. The bridge was built at a cost of over $175,000 and is the largest wooden railroad bridge in the world. The Genesee Valley Canal crosses the Genesee River at Portage, by aqueduct built upon stone abutments 40 foot high. The first settlements here were made on the river in 1804.[2]

Abram served in the Civil War as a bugler, and received a pension for his service. He was part of Company B Govenors Guard or Second Regiment of Mounted Rifles. He enlisted December 12, 1863 in Rushford, New York, was promoted to full bugler January 12, 1864 and was mustered out at Petersburg, Virginia, on August 10, 1865.