JAMES ARAM, son of Matthias ARAM and Elizabeth TOMPKINS, was born at or near Utica, Oneida County, New York, August 9, 1813; came west in 1838 and to Delavan village in 1840, where he went into retail business. A few years later he became one of a firm of warehousemen and lumber dealers, composed of George PASSAGE, himself, Leonard E. DOWNIE, and Col. Jacob T. FOSTER. He was successively a stockholder in the Walworth county Bank, a director of E. LATIMER & Company. He was a member of the county board for thirteen terms, 1862 to 1875; and a trustee of the State School for the Deaf 1872-5. He served a few years as president of the village. January 6, 1836, he married Susan C., daughter of James ROOD and Elizabeth MILLER. She was born at Scipio, New York, August 16, 1814, died at Delavan December 14, 1906. Their three children had died, and at Mrs. ARAM's death the bulk of their estate was applied, as they had wished, to the building and equipment of a free library at Delavan.