TOWER, George and family

GEORGE TOWER and family

UPDATE - the Tower Family has been claimed by a relative and is going home!
Identification on photo: Grandpa Tower (my father), mother, Fred, Cyrus, Jenny, Peter, Porter, and Sarah E. Thompson
Photo taken: unknown location but probably near Buffalo NY, circa 1879
Purchased: Bulldogger Antiques, Lake Worth, FL

There is also note in pencil on the back of the photo indicating that the photo was originally purchased in Bayshore, Long Island, NY 1977.

This is the Tower family of Porter Township, Niagara County, New York, which is a farming community north of Buffalo.  The Tower family was one of the original pioneer families in this area.

The father is George Tower (1836-1924) and the mother is Elizabeth Peet (1838-15 Dec 1879). She died in December 1879, which explains why she is missing from the 1880 Census.

1880 Census > New York > Niagara > Porter
TOWER, George D., 43, born in NY of Massachusetts & Vermont parents, farmer
TOWER, Frederick, 17, NY (1863-1940)
TOWER, Sarah Elizabeth, 15, (b. 1864)
TOWER, Cyrus Peet, 13 (born 1866)
TOWER, Jenny Lind, 11 (born 1868)
TOWER, Peter, 9, (born 1870)
TOWER, Porter, 9, (born 1870)

Peter and Porter are twins. There was also an earlier son named Frank Tower who only lived to age four (1861-1865).

George's parents were Peter Tower (1791-1882) and Olive Baldwin (1803-1886).

Elizabeth's parents were Cyrus Peet (1808-1887) and Sally Vanderlyn (1808-1887).